Free Charity's Angel by Dallas Schulze Page B

absolutely sure I wouldn't be in your way," she said slowly, lifting her eyes to meet Gabe's. His smile made her heart beat just a little faster than it should, a reminder that this move had some inherent dangers. She was going to have to be careful that while she was regaining the use of her legs she didn't lose her heart.
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    "I don't know, sugar. You sure this is a good idea?" Annie frowned at Gabe.
    "It's a great idea. I've got plenty of room and she needs a place to stay. What could be simpler?"
    "You don't think maybe you're carrying this whole guilt thing a bit too far?" she asked, settling into her favorite perch on the corner of his desk.
    "She can't walk because of me, Annie."
    "Now, don't go getting your dander up, Gabriel." She lifted a soothing hand.
    Gabe closed his eyes for a moment and drew a deep breath, forcing the tension out of his shoulders. There was no reason to snap at Annie. She was just concerned about him.
    He opened his eyes and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry."
    "That's okay. What good are friends if you can't snap at them now and then?"
    "That's an interesting view of friendship," he said, stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles.
    There were any number of reports sitting on his desk awaiting his attention. In twenty minutes they were supposed to observe a lineup, and in an hour they had to go convince a store owner to testify against a suspect they'd arrested.
    At the moment the only thing Gabe could think of was the fact that he was picking Charity up at the hospital this afternoon and taking her back to his house. He'd done everything he could think of to prepare the place for her to manage from the wheelchair.
    "What time do you pick her up?" Annie asked, as if she'd read his thoughts.
    "Five. I borrowed Levowitz's van so there'd be room to get the wheelchair in with no problem. Her sister will be coming back with us, too. I'm going to have to do something about a car," he said, frowning. "The Jag isn't going to cut it."
    Annie gave him a sharp look. "Not that I wouldn't love to see you get rid of that old heap of junk," she said carefully. "But don't you think getting a new car is carrying this whole thing a bit far? The shooting was an accident, Gabriel. You wouldn't be human if you didn't feel bad about what happened, but don't go rearranging your whole life."
    "Charity's whole life has been rearranged," he said shortly, wishing she'd quit looking at him like he needed a few more sessions with the police psychiatrist.
    "I'm not denyin' that. But you can't make her well, Gabriel. And puttin' bars up in your house and ramps on the steps and gettin' rid of your car ain't goin' to make her walk. Only time'll help that."
    "I know that," he said impatiently. "Look, everybody is busy telling me that it's not my fault she can't walk and maybe you're all right. But it feels like it was my fault, and if I can help her by giving her a place to stay while she gets well, I don't see anything wrong with that."
    "Of course not. If it'll make you stop beatin' yourself up, then I'm all for it. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
    "I'm not going to," he said grumpily, tired of having his motives questioned. He was simply helping a friend. There was nothing all that complex about it.
    Charity smoothed her fingers nervously over the skirt of her dress, checking that it was lying smooth over her knees. Diane had brought the dress to the hospital yesterday. The full skirt draped over her legs, falling almost to her ankles when she was seated, which of course was the only position she was in lately, she thought painfully.
    She'd thought she was anxious to leave the hospital, until the time actually came to get dressed and pack. Then she'd suddenly realized how safe and secure she felt there. No one stared at her when the nurses wheeled her down the halls because chances were they were in a wheelchair, too. No one stared and wondered what was wrong with her. They had then-own problems to