by Vivian Arend
“You can’t mess up like that in public, Gabe.”
“I won’t. I didn’t.”
Her fingers left his cheek. Before he figured out what she planned, she’d slipped off his cowboy hat and run her fingers through his hair.
His instant response was to trap her wrist and not let her continue the caress.
She raised a brow. “You have something in your hair.”
“I noticed. Your fingers.”
“You’re overreacting.”
He was getting far too turned on by her touch for them to still be standing this close together. “I think I need to show you the pigpens and chicken coops now.”
She had this expression that didn’t make any sense. “You need to relax.”
He needed to go jump in the creek. “You had enough fun yet, Allison? Because we really should be going.”
“Not yet.”
Dammit if she didn’t press against him, her soft body warm and curved in all the right spots. The hand that had stroked through his hair was at the back of his neck, playing and teasing him until goose bumps rose. She slid her other hand across his chest and upward until they met, then she tugged on his neck. Hard enough that he would have had to act like a scarecrow to resist her, so he let her guide him.
Just far enough down she could tilt her head back and join their mouths together.
She’d meant it as a taunt. A bit of a payback for the mind-numbing impact of his kiss a couple days earlier.
But when their lips touched, joking was off the agenda. Now? She just wanted.
This habit she had of jumping in with two feet had gotten her in trouble before, and maybe this time it would as well, but with her fingers tangled in his hair she didn’t care.
She traced his lips with her tongue, tasting him slowly. He wasn’t moving. Not toward her, not away, so she leaned in a little harder and dipped a little deeper. Mmm, something about kissing him in the outdoors made it that much better. It was right, mixing the scents of the country with the taste of him, his firm lips moving against hers.
He must have finally given in, because his hands were on her hips. Not dragging her tighter, but at least not pushing her away. The gentle squeeze of pressure proved he was there willingly, and she concentrated on enjoying the kiss more.
She was up on tiptoe, breathing through her nose. The masculine scent of his soap and skin filled her head. His tongue brushed hers. A far cry from the passionate and overwhelming exchange they’d had at the start of the week. Somehow, it was just as perfect. Allison tugged him closer yet and he followed her lead. Bending over her, and allowing her to rest on her heels instead of straining to reach him.
His hands hadn’t moved.
The kisses stayed soft. Exploratory. When she would have offered more, an extraordinary sound escaped from him, and this time he did pull back. Not far, only enough to rest his head on her shoulder and take a shaky breath.
She ran her fingers through his hair, the thick texture soft and yet firm against her palms.
It was reassuring and peaceful. The edge of sexual attraction there but dim enough all she felt was his presence. A comfort and an anchor.
“You trying to drive me crazy?” Gabe wouldn’t lift his head, so she had no idea what kind of expression he wore. Only the edge of tension in his voice—damn. She hadn’t meant to hurt him.
Allison tried to step away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Shhh. Just give me a hug. You crazy woman.”
She slipped her arms around his torso and squeezed him tight. “I only wanted to tease you.”
Gabe patted her on the back, his touch nicely platonic, and she breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t mucked things up between them with that impulsive move.
He stooped to recover his hat. They were still close when the buzz of an engine rose into hearing. Gabe groaned and twisted to face the open field on their right, a narrow dust trail rising to show the approach of someone drawing nearer.
“You expecting anyone?” Allison asked.
“No, but that doesn’t mean anything.” His tone was so dry she glanced up to see what had caused it. He shook his head as the quad came into sight. “One of the twins. Figures. I haven’t put out a fire for them in nearly two weeks.”
Allison would have moved farther away, but he caught her fingers in his and tugged her against his side.
She laughed. “You really plan to pull out all the stops, don’t you?”
“If it’s Joel, or better yet, Jesse, we got ourselves the nearest thing to that megaphone on Main Street we were talking about.”
He tucked her fingers under her chin and lifted her face toward him.
“Gabe…”
“Stop talking and kiss me, woman. He’s watching.”
It felt different this time. More like pretend, even with the heat of his mouth touching hers. Allison was distracted, wanting to find out what their visitor was up to.
The motor on the quad cut out and Gabe released her.
“Don’t stop on my account.” Jesse tipped back his hat and grinned, blue eyes shining bright, huge grin plastered across his face as he swung his leg over the seat and jumped to the ground.
“Morning, Jesse.”
“Gabe.” Jesse turned all his attention on Allison, and damn if she didn’t feel her cheeks rush with heat. “And Allison Parker. You sure you want this old man? If you’re in the market, there are younger Colemans available who have way more energy.”
Talk about a tease. “I thought about that, but Rafe isn’t ready for a steady girlfriend yet.”
Gabe chortled as Jesse mocked being kicked in the gut. “Low blow. Well played. Good to see you back in the area.”
He wrapped her in a bear hug and planted a huge kiss on her. Allison was too surprised to stop him.
Gabe wasn’t. “Bastard. That’s enough.” Allison found herself tucked back tight against his side, one arm possessively holding her close.
Jesse’s grin didn’t budge. “I’ve heard the phrase kissing cousins for years, and never thought how much fun it could be.”
“What do you want, Jesse?” Gabe all but snarled the words.
Allison hid her amusement as Jesse deliberately leered in her direction.
“Is that an open-ended question?” Jesse backed away as Gabe advanced. “Kidding. Man, you two are going to be a blast to rag on. I’ve never seen him with such a short fuse. Well done, Allison, you’ve managed to rile up the good kid on the block.”
Gabe tightened at that jib, and suddenly the teasing wasn’t as funny anymore.
“What do you want, Jesse?” she asked. The sensation of possessiveness and wanting to protect—it wasn’t unfamiliar, but she hadn’t expected to feel it for Gabe.
All Jesse’s mockery vanished. “Gabe, favour to ask. Lend me your truck.”
“Oh God, again? Use Joel’s.”
Jesse pretty near scuffed his feet in the leaves underfoot like a little kid. “Can’t.”
“Can’t? Did the two of you both bust up your vehicles the same day? I don’t believe that. What’s happening?”
Jesse dropped his mouth open and widened his eyes innocently. “Nothing, I need to get to Drayton Valley tonight, and I don’t want Joel to know. Come on, I’ll make sure it’s full when I bring it back.”
“What the hell you up to?” Gabe poked him in the chest. “Keeping secrets from your twin just screams you’re pulling a fast one.”
Jesse continued to bullshit for a while, not saying much of anything, while Gabe did his best to cajole the information out of him.
Listening to the cousins ramble back and forth was another wonderful addition to her already great morning.
Returning to Rocky for her mom’s sake had been impulsive. Total fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants move, and only now was she aware of other positive effects. Being around familiar people who all had the same kind of goals as her—there was something energizing about it.
Coming home for her mom ha
d meant coming home for herself far more than she’d imagined, and she’d noticed it, even in just a few days.
Gabe still had his arm around her, and he reluctantly released her to dig in his pocket. “Fine. Stop whining like a little girl and get out of here. Only no using purple fuel in her.”
Jesse snorted. “Did you hear? Cousin Anna caught Steve with a tankful.”
“Oh sheesh. Really? Buttbrain.”
“Yeah, she wrote him up too.”
“She ticketed her own brother? God, I love that woman.”
Allison laughed with them. Seems there was always someone trying to get away with using the cheaper ranch-supply gas. And someone was always getting caught. Purple dye was hard to explain away.
Gabe tossed over his keys. Jesse snatched them in midair and retreated, flicking a finger to his hat at Allison. “I’ll see you guys on Friday at Traders?”
Gabe nodded. “We’ll be there.”
Jesse rode off in a cloud of dust as Allison and Gabe gathered their things and got back in the saddle.
“Ready for more exploring?” he asked.
She nodded and kicked Patches lightly, urging the horse up and back into the wide-open spaces of the fields. The scenery around them bursting with energy, the man riding beside her comfortable and everything at peace. A brief moment of respite in the middle of the whirl of life.
Allison soaked in the sensation as a buffer against the tough moments she knew had to be coming.
She nudged Patches alongside Hurricane, and Gabe looked up expectantly. “Okay, let’s talk about long-term plans for your ranch.”
He grinned, and the rest of the morning fell away in easy companionship.
Chapter Eight
Gabe pulled up to his parents’ house and hopped out of his truck. Thursday morning had vanished before he knew it, and he still wanted to track down his father before the day was over.
Damn man seemed to be hiding, which normally wouldn’t be an issue. Keeping lots of distance between the two of them was usually a good thing. But now that he needed to talk, Ben was nowhere to be found.
Gabe shoved open the front door, calling as he burst in. “Ma, you seen Ben this afternoon?”
No answer from his ma. The kitchen smelt wonderful as usual, and the oven was hot, crowded with pots for dinner. But there was no sign of either parent.
He stepped out the door off the kitchen and spotted a batch of bright colour over in the garden. His boots left imprints in the soft new grass as he shortcut across to where his ma was working a hoe.
She smiled at him as she leaned on the tall wooden handle. An oversized set of gloves on her hands and a huge pair of rubber boots on her feet, she looked like any of a hundred other ranch women out planting their gardens. It was such a familiar sight.
He had to make sure they didn’t lose the land. No matter how much work it was. This was home.
“You seen Ben lately?”
She pushed a loose hair out from in front of her eyes, frowning for a minute. “I guess I did. He came out of the house about fifteen minutes ago and headed that way.”
She pointed toward the back of the barns, and he waved and took off. He had no more time to waste. Practicing on the donkey—those days were done. Now that he’d had a chance to brainstorm with Allison, there were things they needed to start doing right now. Getting Ben on board was the only way to keep the momentum going.
After Allison’s inspiration? He was ready to take on anyone. There was no way that Ben could dismiss these ideas.
Five minutes later he discovered Ben standing on the edge of the dugout beyond the barn.
He forced the words past his suddenly dry throat. “Got some interesting information for you.”
Ben turned, his brows furrowed together. “What you doing here?”
“Wanted to talk. You got a few minutes?”
His father grunted.
“I took Allison out for a ride the other day, to show her the land.”
Ben scowled harder. “You really marrying that woman?”
“We’re engaged.”
“You knock her up?”
Not only was his father an ass, he had yet to catch up with the twenty-first century. “No. That’s not a reason people get married anymore.”
“Well, she sure the hell must have some excuse to be willing to get tied to a loser like you.”
Gabe pulled in his temper. “This isn’t a discussion about Allison and my relationship. I wanted to let you know she had some great ideas for the ranch—you do remember that she works in the industry. She’s a highly respected consultant.”
Ben crossed his arms. “If she’s willing to get hooked up with you, I’m not sure how highly respected the woman could be. Doesn’t get any from me.”
Gabe chose to ignore the stupid comments and press ahead. “We can make a few changes and start increasing our profits. Aren’t you at least interested in what she had to say about that?”
His father stepped closer. “I’m not interested in a woman coming and telling me how to run my place. I don’t care to hear any ideas from some high-strung pup who can’t keep his responsibilities in line and has to go chasing a skirt to find a way to become important. Is that why you hooked up with her? So people in this town might finally respect you? It’s not going to happen.” Ben spat to the side. “The only reason I don’t kick you out is you at least have the guts to halfway do your job on a daily basis.”
Gabe held in the words he wanted to scream. To tell his father to shove the ranch up his ass, and that Gabe was leaving and never coming back.
The same thing tied his hands as had made him return years ago.
Dana. And Rafe.
Ben reached down and grabbed something from the tall grass before walking away without another word.
Gabe stared after the man, the sense of lost opportunities and lost hope slowly crowded out as he realized what was in his father’s hand.
Dammit. The cardboard box from the kitchen.
Rage exploded like a long-set mine. He pictured the expression on his ma’s face, on Allison’s, as they’d cooed over the tiny kittens.
It might have made no sense, but his limbs were already moving. He threw his hat to the side and raced to the end of the dugout. The water was murky with springtime runoff, but the ditch wasn’t that wide. He stepped forward and leaned over, hands reaching for the bottom. Hoping that whatever Ben had used could be found quickly.
He ended up with his head under the dirty water, hands grasping at weeds and rotting straw that had blown and settled in the waterhole. He rose and sucked in a breath, diving again and moving farther toward the middle. He was nearly out of air when his fingers caught on the edge of a rough sack.
Feet to the bottom to propel himself upward, Gabe pulled the burlap free, lifting it over his head. He scrambled one-handed up the narrow embankment, mud coating his clothes. The chill of the water not even registering as his anger burned.
Yes, at times the farm cats got out of control, but they didn’t have too many right now. No need to go and drown the little things.
His fingers felt like wooden sticks as he tore at the knot. A heavy rock pinned the sack to the ground, motionless lumps lying next to it.
A beam of sunshine hit the ground to his left, spotlighting the sad little creatures he pulled one at a time from the open bag. Motionless, their soft fur matted and clumped to their lifeless bodies. Gabe fought the tears that a grown man shouldn’t shed, but damn it all, this was part and parcel of how fucked up his life had become.
He wasn’t dead, but at times it seemed being dead would be easier. And it was his father who had tied the sack tight and thrown him in.
Regret at having been too late tore through him, and he growled in frustration. Tiny bodies lay in accusation that what he had done was too late and too little.
That it would always be too late and too little.
Gabe jammed on his hat and sat back on his heels. Soaking wet, mud covered from
head to toe. Staring down, his heart breaking over a bunch of useless, insignificant kittens.
The urge to give up was so damn strong right then. To become bitter and cold like his father would be preferable to the pain eating him inside.
He moved the kittens back to the sack to carry them to be buried somewhere. One after another he lay them gently next to each other, swear words filling his mind along with the frustration and confusion.
One twitched.
He paused, lifting the soggy black body and placing it carefully in his palm. He gently rubbed up the creature’s chest and neck, like he would a newborn lamb to remove the mucus after it was born. He didn’t dare let the flicker of hope inside grow too fast.
It was like watching a candle on a gusty windowsill quivering to stay lit. The kitten’s chest moved again, and when its tiny mouth opened in a pitiful meow, Gabe bit his lip to stop from shouting out loud.
He tucked the little thing inside his shirt against his body, close enough that even with him soaking wet there was heat. It cuddled in and planted its paws on his skin, needle-sharp claws popping out to poke him, and he didn’t give a shit that he was being used as a pincushion.
It was a hell of a lot harder to one-handed finish the grisly task of caring for the kittens who hadn’t made it, but he was too grateful and too spent to care how long it took or how awkward it was. The tiny creature nestled against his ribs was like a miniature spot of hope.
Fuck his father. The man had told him again and again he was worthless. Why Gabe continued to try had always been for his own reasons. For his ma and brother. For his own soul—to keep alive the good things he knew about himself in spite of whatever Ben said.
He wouldn’t let the bitterness Ben kept dumping on him leach into his soul anymore.
There with the sunshine coming down like in some great cathedral, Gabe had his own revelation. He was done fighting Ben’s way. He was going to win this damn war between them, and he was going to use his own methods to get there.
And heaven help Ben if he wasn’t able to accept that.
