Family Ties Mystery Series Box Set

by James Kipling

  “Nice to meet you, Miss…” David, Gabriel’s brother said, extending his hand.

  “Clark, Asa Clark,” she said easily, accepting his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  The other man also offered his hand and then the two of them excused themselves and walked deeper into the store. Asa and Gabriel were left alone to talk and he surprised her by asking her for coffee and turning around without even waiting for an answer.

  “You look very sure of yourself,” she said playfully, and Gabriel had to stop and kiss her in the middle of the road, not caring who was watching them.

  “Why are you complaining?” he asked, when he let go of her lips. “I thought that we agreed at least on that part of the situation?”

  “You mean that we like each other?”

  “Oh, you have no idea how much I like you,” Gabriel said softly, managing to sound both passionate and gentle.

  “Same here,” Asa added, and they walked together into the café. She gave Gibson a quick call on the phone to say she was talking to someone and would see him in a little while.

  “Tell me about your brother?” she asked, when they were all settled at a window table and had already ordered their coffee. “He looks a lot like you.”

  Gabriel looked out the window, as if searching for his brother and Asa could swear that she saw his eyes grow darker, as if he was scared.

  “My brother,” he repeated. “What can I tell you about my brother?”

  Asa could tell that the atmosphere between them had changed. Gabriel was somehow guarded now, and had started to close in on himself. She didn’t like it at all.

  “Look, if you don’t want to talk about him, don’t. I was just curious.”

  “No, it’s nothing like that.” Gabriel smiled at her, some of the previous warmth returning to his gaze. “My brother is just a very sore subject to me. Since my parents died, he is everything to me and sometimes I feel a little trapped by him.”

  “That could be very painful,” Asa agreed with him and waited to see if he was going to talk to her.

  “David is ten years older than me, and as you could see, a very rustic type.” Asa smiled at the memory of David’s beard and his way of dressing. “He is the best cattle rancher in the area and a graduate of Montana State. He got his degree in modern ranching. His idea of happiness is living on the ranch with his family. My brother never dreamed of something more than that, and for that reason, it is apparently impossible for him to understand that I may want something more.”

  “So, this is the reason you looked so sad when I asked you about him?” Asa asked him. “I had a similar experience with my mother. She wanted to control every aspect of my life. I fought hard to finally earn the right to make decisions for myself, and after years of struggle, I was able to look her in the eye and say what I wanted.”

  “You’re braver than me,” Gabriel laughed, “I can see that already. Let’s change the subject. Do you have plans for tonight?”

  Before Asa could answer, David and Ezekiel walked past the coffee shop. Neither of them saw Gabriel and Asa inside, but Gabriel immediately became uneasy, causing Asa to take his hand in order to calm him down.

  Asa watched the two men disappear inside another shop, and this time paid more attention to Ezekiel, who, at the moment, was carrying something very heavy in a simple bag. He was probably the same age as David and had a similar body build. The agent in her immediately wondered what he was carrying in that bag, but made the wise decision not to ask Gabriel about it.

  By that time, Gabriel had recovered and was looking at her expectantly. “So, what do you say? Are you going to come to dinner with me tonight?”

  “Tonight?” Asa was surprised by his invitation and at first was ready to refuse, but then she remembered the instructions from headquarters to get closer to the locals, so she decided that this would be a great chance to be seen with a local man. She hoped that the Kalispell population would open up to her based on her friendship with Gabriel.

  “Okay, I don’t have any plans for tonight. Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. Sorry, I meant that I would be happy to have dinner with you.”

  Gabriel laughed at her confused speech and leaned across the table to give her another kiss.

  “A yes would have sufficed, but your speech was also good,” he teased, watching as Asa became a little red in the cheeks.

  “Where should we meet?” she asked him. “I have to get going now.”

  “You surely saw the big cinema sign on the main street, right? At few feet from it is a small family restaurant, it serves the best food in the area. Meet me there?”

  “Okay, I will meet you there,” she promised, and with a final kiss, said goodbye for the moment, and went off to find Gibson, who was pretty irritated because she had disappeared with little explanation.

  Chapter 14

  Later that night, Asa dressed with care in a beautiful silk blouse and elegant skirt. She decided to wear her hair loose, put on some light makeup and walk to the restaurant, arriving just in time. She expected Gabriel to come in a car, but he surprised her once again by arriving on horseback. She watched him ride towards her on the back of a beautiful black horse.

  Asa thought her heart skipped a few beats when she saw him for the first time. He looked magnificent on the back of the horse, dressed in a traditional jacket and a cowboy hat. The man approached her slowly and stopped the horse right in front of her, but Asa didn’t move away. On the contrary, she stood her ground and even caressed the horse.

  “Now, this was unexpected,” she said to him with a smile. “Why didn’t you tell me that you intended to arrive in such style? I could have done the same.”

  “You like riding?” Gabriel asked, surprised.

  “I am half American Indian, don’t you remember?” Asa asked playfully.

  “Oh, believe me, I remember that part,” he said, climbing down from the horse. “I changed my mind about where we’re going for dinner. Do you mind?”

  “No, not at all.” Asa shook her head. “Where are you taking me?”

  “This way, my lady.” Gabriel pointed at a side street and they walked side by side, with the horse following them. After a few feet, Asa was surprised to see a large meadow and people dancing, eating and walking around. The place was like an oasis in amidst the buildings around it, and was obviously used for fairs and country gatherings.

  “What is this?” Asa asked, and Gabriel laughed.

  “This is the traditional restaurant of Uncle Bobby,” he exclaimed. “You will like it, of that I am certain.”

  Asa didn’t disagree, as she already had thought the same. She followed him to a wooden table for two at the far end of the restaurant.

  “This area is for more intimate gatherings. Oh, and I should warn you against the local chili. Don’t try it.”

  They sat down at the table and the waitress came quickly by to serve them. Both of them ordered from the barbeque menu, together with a couple of beers. The horse was taken to a nearby stable.

  “Tell me about your horse?” Asa asked. “It looks like a magnificent animal.”

  “Oh, he is magnificent, you can say that for sure,” the man agreed proudly. “I've had him since he was only a year old. You could say that we grew up together.”

  “I always dreamed of having a horse, a dog or even just a cat, but my way of life never gave me the opportunity. I am really jealous of you right now.”

  “That must be one of the few perks of living on a cattle ranch,” Gabriel laughed. “Personally, I am just glad that I'm not too far from town, because all of that close contact with nature can be a bit too much sometimes.”

  Asa had the time of her life, having a romantic dinner with Gabriel. She really wanted to get to know him better and the moment seemed perfect for that. They talked about each other’s dreams and aspirations. Asa learned of Gabriel's great desire to get out of Montana and see the world, and Gabriel found it
funny that Asa wished to see China, traveling to reach it by the sea. The only dark moment in the evening was Asa’s failure to mention that she was an FBI agent in town on business. She still wasn’t sure if he would accept the truth, and although she never actually spoke about her job to Gabriel at all, she still felt like she was lying to him.

  “I am here to reconnect with my Salish Indian roots,” she answered, when he asked about the reasons for her visit in Montana.

  “Then you should come to the Kimble Ranch for a real taste of Montana life,” Gabriel said, when the evening drew to a close.

  “That would be great,” she agreed. “But, not tomorrow. We could talk about it again and make arrangements, maybe in a day or so, okay?”

  Asa could see that Gabriel Kimble was a kind-hearted, soft spoken young man who loved his family. He was a cattle rancher carrying on the family business, but he wanted more from life than Kalispell, Montana could offer. He wanted to see the world and embrace the diversity it had to offer.

  After dinner, Gabriel took Asa to the back of the meadow, where a small stream was running through a beautiful forest.

  “They try to keep nature as close to town as possible here,” he explained.

  They walked in silence through the woods, following the almost invisible paths, until they reached a secluded place with a bench under the trees.

  With an easy rise of his right hand, Gabriel proceeded to wrap his arm around her waist. “What are you doing?” Asa asked, looking up at him. She was trembling, excited, and she was waiting for him to touch her, to show her what it meant to be loved by him. But, it was wrong, it was so wrong to do it out in the open, it hurt her to think about it.

  He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then another on the exposed skin of her neck. His hands had wormed their way around her slender body and he was playing with her long hair.

  “Let me go,” Asa said in a loud whisper. “I don’t think this is the right time or place for this.” She was speaking the words with her mouth, but her body was leaning against him, having a mind of its own.

  “Ha!” Gabriel exclaimed, “I think otherwise,” he said, not fooled at all by her words.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked, exasperated.

  “Because I hate it when people tell me what to do…”

  “I’m not doing that,” she insisted, but he didn’t answer her that time, or at least not with words. Gabriel turned her slender body in his arms and claimed her lips in a searing kiss. In her surprise, Asa opened her mouth and he used her distraction to exploit the opportunity. His tongue explored her mouth, drinking from its sweetness, a sweetness he had never tasted before. Asa tried fighting the passion that was once again taking over her logical mind, but he never gave her the chance to step back.

  Gabriel continued to kiss her, while lifting her skirt and removing her underwear. The soft piece of cloth fell on the ground unnoticed by Asa, whose mind was clouded by the adrenaline and passion running through her veins. He was moving quickly, not willing to lose any more time.

  In his mind, this was a cure, something that was going to free him from his dull life. The man stepped back and lowered himself on the bench, bringing the woman down with him. If Asa was surprised to find herself straddling him, she had no time to show it, because Gabriel started sucking at her breast through the thin silk of her blouse.

  “Oh,” was all that came out of Asa’s mouth.

  Gabriel opened his pants and raised her up, so that she could sit on him. Asa closed her eyes, so that she could fully experience the feeling. His erection filled her so beautifully that she couldn’t want anything more.

  Gabriel wanted to undress her completely and explore every inch of her body with his hands and mouth, but this wasn’t the place or the time for that. He had made sure to look around for other couples, aware that he couldn’t risk Asa’s reputation should someone come in their direction.

  Asa was lying in his arms, leaving him to do all the work, but Gabriel didn’t mind, on the contrary, it gave him a strange feeling of power to know that he was the one in charge. One of his hands was supporting her left hip, while the other had sneaked under her skirt and was caressing her burning hot skin, providing more pleasure.

  The woman was touching only his shoulders, as if afraid to ruin his clothes. It made Gabriel regret not having more privacy. He was feeling at home inside this beautiful woman who was moaning against his neck and making him forget all the problems in the world. With a soft cry, Asa reached her orgasm and Gabriel waited for her to relax a little before making a dozen more thrusts and coming himself.

  “We keep meeting and having sex,” Asa heard the man speaking against her ear.

  “Someone might come by…” Asa suddenly remembered and tried to get up, but Gabriel was holding her down with both of his hands, not allowing her to move even an inch.

  “I didn’t see anyone on the way here,” Gabriel informed her calmly. “Now, tell me what you are thinking?”

  “About what?”

  “About what happened two days ago, and what is happening right now.”

  “What am I supposed to think? We had sex,” Asa said softly.

  “Just sex, Asa,” Gabriel corrected her softly.

  “Why, what would you call it?” Asa said, and finally lifted her head to look at him. The sudden movement not only put them eye to eye, but reminded both of them that they were still connected in the most intimate of ways.

  “God!” she whispered and felt the heat rise in her face.

  “What we have is special, Asa, you have to believe me.” Gabriel smiled at her discomfort and adjusted their position so he could slide even deeper inside of her.

  “I know that you may not see it, but there aren’t many people that can say they had had what we shared just now.”

  “Really?” Asa asked again, and couldn’t suppress a deep moan, caused primarily by Gabriel’s movements inside her. “I think I believe you, as not too many people have sex in the forest.”

  Something moved in the forest behind Asa and interrupted their laughter. Both Asa and Gabriel let out a deep breath and carefully dislocated. The woman turned her back to the man and tried to adjust her clothes and underwear without showing too much. Gabriel, however, had none of her problems and adjusted his pants right in front of her. When they were both dressed and looking presentable, Gabriel approached her and carefully redid one of the buttons of her shirt. The action put his hand right over Asa’s left breast, which was still wet from his kisses.

  “You are an extraordinary woman, Asa. Never forget that,” were Gabriel’s last words before helping her up.

  Chapter 15

  Gabriel called her the next day and they arranged for Asa to drive to the Kimble’s ranch the following weekend to meet him and his family. Asa was feeling a bit uneasy about not telling him the whole truth about herself, but she also realized that it could be very hard for Gabriel and his family to accept her as an FBI agent, especially before getting to know her. The young woman wanted to convince herself that was the only reason, but at the back of her mind, there was still the nagging feeling that there was more.

  On Sunday, Agent Asa Clark drove to the Kimble Ranch. She was both excited about meeting Gabriel and worried what she might find there. The man had given her more than any other man she had known, but Asa still wasn’t sure about her real feelings for the man, and had some niggling concerns.

  The trip to the ranch wasn’t long enough for her find answers to any of the questions that were bothering her. Asa enjoyed the ride and if it wasn’t for her tortured mind, she might even say she was happy. The vast meadows, the green woods, and the beautiful scenery all reminded her of her childhood and the time she spent with her mother’s family.

  The FBI agent was surprised to see how big the Kimble Ranch was and had to take a deep breath before climbing down from the car. She had left behind all signs that she was an FBI agent and was dressed in a c
omfortable long skirt and a red cotton shirt. A nice pair of boots completed her look, and Asa really hoped that she would make a good first impression.

  She walked towards the main building, looking around but seeing no one, at least not until an old man opened the door and walked outside. Asa froze as he brought a rifle outside, pointing it right at her.

  “Grandpa, grandpa.” It was Gabriel calling from one of the buildings on Asa’s left, and running towards them. “This is Asa. I told you about her coming here this morning, remember?”

  The young man ran over to the porch steps and gently lifted the gun from the old man’s grasp.

  “You really don’t need this, now,” Gabriel said, speaking calmly and putting the rifle down beside the door. Asa could tell that the old man still wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t make any attempt to protest.

  “Asa, Hi!” Gabriel turned towards her laughing. “Let me introduce you to my Grandpa Joe. Grandpa, this is Asa.”

  The young woman could see how hard it was for the old man to let the younger man treat him like that, but he kept his mouth shut about it.

  “Nice to meet you, young lady,” he finally said. “And I am sorry for the old girl here,” he said, pointing at his rifle. “It’s never safe to meet new people.”

  “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Kimble.” Asa smiled at him and walked up the stairs. “You have a really nice home, here.”

  “Call me, Grandpa Joe,” the old man said. “Everybody calls me that.”

  “Okay, Grandpa Joe it is. You can call me, Asa,” she said. “Thank you for inviting me here.” She found Grandpa Joe to be quite adorable, and put her hands up.

  “By the way, Mister, I am here to see your grandson, Gabriel.”

  The man in question watched the scene with amusement and let them play along. Grandpa Joe took the hint and pointed at her warningly.