In fact, when they walked out, Gamble had broken down into tears unable to hold them back.
Oh, those stinging tears weren’t from the pain, but the relief of one more tie to his dead wife, the murderer, was gone.
He was getting free, and he owed it all to the man who kept his word.
To Gamble, that meant more than anything. You were only as good as your word, and unlike Storm, Poe had never lied to him.
They had a good day after that mini breakdown. Poe took him to his favorite muffaletta place, and he’d inhaled the whole sandwich, all of his chips, and most of Poe’s.
After that, they took a walk around Jackson Park, and he stared at the home he’d been in as a Hunter. Poe asked him if he wanted to go home, and he said yes.
Then, that made him sad too.
He didn’t want to go home.
Why?
Poe was a good man, and honestly, Gamble was attached. He’d only healed because of the man who took him on that tattoo date.
Yes, date.
That’s how Gamble saw it, and no one could tell him otherwise. When Gamble offered up his arm, and Poe took it, as they walked the neighborhood he loved, it felt like so much more to Gamble.
Like the man was trying to tell him something.
They strolled along, and he wasn’t even worried that people were looking at the dapper British man on his arm. It was a nice walk together, and felt like a gift.
It was a nice day altogether.
Until it came to an end.
Next week, his therapy was over, and that was a problem.
Why?
Gamble was compelled to stay.
Something was telling him not to leave, and as a Marine, and CIA operative for the United States government, he tended to listen to his gut. He’d saved himself by doing that so many times.
While he missed his family, he needed to be here.
With Poe.
He needed to buy himself some time.
“Can we talk?” Gamble asked, breaking the silence as they worked in tandem in the barn.
At that moment, he and Poe were hosing down the horses, getting them ready for a trek to the field to munch on some hay, and to dry off in the fall sunshine.
They’d been out running them that morning, and while it was fall, it was still pretty warm, just not at night.
Now, the horses needed a cool down.
“Absolutely, Mate. What is it that you want to talk about?” Poe asked, glancing over.
He’d been lost in his own thoughts for the whole day, distracted by the inevitable truth.
Later, he’d call Elizabeth and give her a pickup date.
