by Zoe York
Andrew rose from the couch and kissed his wife. “All right, folks. Stick a fork in me because I’m done. I can’t keep my eyes open, so I’ll leave you ladies to harass Gabe in peace.”
After Andrew departed, Gabe waited for his mother and sister to start in on him, but it seemed they were as happy to enjoy the quiet as he was. The weight of Annemarie’s head on his shoulder slowly grew heavier until she jerked upright.
“I’m sorry. I guess I won’t be staying up much longer, either,” she mumbled. When she glanced at her son, her eyes instantly became more alert. “When did he fall asleep?”
“A while ago.”
“You should’ve said something, Gabe.”
“Why? He’s fine, Annie. He’s comfortable, and I don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?”
“Completely. Let someone else shoulder the burden for a little while and relax.”
“I have been. Did you not notice me almost falling asleep on you just now?”
“I didn’t mind that, either.”
“So, if it happens again…?” She wiggled her brows.
He decided her liked her playful side and wondered what it would take to bring it out more often. “Fine by me.”
“What if I decide to mimic my son and use your leg as a pillow?”
“Help yourself.” He glanced at his mother and sister. They watched him with amusement twinkling in their eyes. “Don’t even start.”
Ruth held her hands up, but Delilah replied with a devilish grin. He almost wished he could convince Annemarie to stay awake to save him from his sister. Almost. He draped his arms on the back of the couch and met his sister’s gaze head on. Her lips quirked. She’d leave him alone, but if Annemarie did fall asleep, it was on.
When Annemarie laid her head on his leg and smiled shyly up at him momentarily before she shifted onto her side facing the fire with her hands tucked under her cheek, he forgot about Delilah. It was everything he could do to stop himself from tucking her light brown hair behind her ear. Her willingness to cross the line first from acquaintance to friend and from friend to whatever this turned out to be surprised him, given her initial reserve.
Recalling how quickly she’d asked when after he’d said he wanted to take her out, he let his head fall back against the cushion. There was no stopping the smile that claimed his face, so he didn’t try.
He almost nodded off himself, beckoned into the land of dreams by the weariness in his body and the saturating peace of the evening. His job was physical, but his body was used to that work. Today, he’d used muscles in ways he hadn’t since branding time last year. They weren’t sore yet, just taxed and leaden, but he was certain he’d be hurting in the morning. No one would hear him complain, though. As he’d told his mother, it was the best kind of tired to be, the kind that came with a sense of accomplishment. And to be back on the ranch he loved? Heaven. For the time being, he wasn’t thinking of his full work schedule, finishing Annemarie’s cabin, or any of the myriad of other things that usually plagued him. He was too tired, even, to give much thought to the possible complications of getting involved with Annemarie. He still hadn’t worked through what those might be. Hadn’t allowed it to distract him.
He’d have to work through them and sooner rather than later.
Not right now, though. He didn’t have the brainpower for that kind of ruminating.
“Annie?” he whispered.
No response.
“She’s out cold, Gabe,” Delilah observed. “You just make too good a pillow.”
“Never heard you complain about that, kid.”
“You are barely a year older than me,” she retorted, mimicking his remark that afternoon.
Ruth chuckled. “It warms my heart to hear you two teasing each other again like you used to.”
“We never stopped, Mom,” Delilah said.
“Gabriel did for a while.”
He started to argue that he hadn’t, then stopped himself. “I guess I did.”
“You had a lot on your mind. And on your heart.” His mother nodded her head at Annemarie. “I know it’s early yet, and you barely know her, but I think she’s going to be good for you. She and her boy there. Such a little cutie.”
This time he couldn’t resist. He gently fingered a lock of Annie’s hair and pulled it back off her face. She didn’t stir. Neither did Cody when he tucked the blanket around the boy’s small shoulders. “I think so, too. I hope so, anyhow.”
His mother and sister studied him with identical expressions—lips pursed, eyes narrowed, and heads tilted to the right. So much for being too tired to ponder the complexities of a relationship with Annie. Obviously, if they had picked up on something amiss, a hint of doubt had crept into his voice.
“Why wouldn’t she be?” Ruth inquired. “She seems like a wonderful girl to me.”
“Does this have anything to do with the fact that Cody is Tom Grant’s son?” Delilah asked before Gabe could answer their mother’s question.
“How the hell did you figure that out?”
“Uh, Cody Grant Garrett? She used the full name this morning when he was chasing the chickens trying to catch one to pet, and I put that together with the five hundred acres the Grants gave them. Seems pretty obvious to me. And it sounds like you’ve had confirmation that it’s true.”
He nodded. “She has proof. The kind even Tom can’t refute.”
“You sure you want to be a stand-in daddy to that cheater’s bastard?”
Gabe bristled. It didn’t seem right to apply that term to such a sweet boy, and he knew his sister didn’t mean it how it sounded. “If it were just Annie and Cody, the only doubt I’d have would be about whether or not we have what it takes to last a lifetime. But there’s a lot about her relationship with Tom that I don’t know, and yeah, it scares me a little. I don’t know if there’s more to her decision to move to Cody than what she’s said—that she wants Cody to be close to his roots.”
“You think she might still have feelings for him?”
“I don’t know. You spent most of the day talking with her. What do you think?”
“Well, she mentioned that there hasn’t been anyone since him.”
“Which could mean that she does.”
Delilah regarded him with brows raised. “You don’t believe that or you wouldn’t have brought her home to meet your family. Anyhow, that’s not the impression I got.”
“Not the one I got, either,” Ruth agreed. “She’s been hurt, and maybe there’s some residual attraction left, but she’s too smart to ever act on it. She learned her lesson well. Just like you learned your lesson with Leigh. Would you ever take her back after what she did?”
“Never.” He let out a long sigh. “That aside, there’s the issue of having to deal with Tom. Maybe he’s refusing to claim Cody now, but what happens if he changes his mind? If he wanted to fight for his son, he could win.”
“I don’t see that happening. For one, he already has two kids with his wife. For another, I don’t see Sandy ever agreeing to that.”
Gabe snorted. “She’s definitely not thrilled to have Annie so close.”
“Of course not,” Delilah retorted. “Cody is undeniable proof that her husband is a piece of shit.”
“To hear her tell it, it was all Annie’s fault.”
“Gabriel.”
His mother’s quiet entreaty drew his attention, and it amazed him how that gentle smile of hers could still soothe him even though it had been a long time since he’d been her little boy.
“You took a big step bringing her here. It shows me that you’re ready to give love another chance. Now it’s time to take the next step.”
“And that is?”
“Getting your brain to shut up so you can hear your heart. I know we’ve all teased you relentlessly this weekend, but it tells me a lot that you brought Annemarie out here for what has always been a family tradition.”
“I get what you’re saying, Mom, but I don’t want to
dive in head first. Last time I did that—”
“She is not Leigh,” Ruth said sternly. “You’re right to protect yourself, but there’s a difference between protecting yourself and letting the past stand in the way. Keep your eyes open this time.”
“You say that like you think there’s something to watch out for.”
“I can’t say if there is or not because I am not you. I don’t know what will be wrong for you. Only you can know that. Your mind has raised some concerns, but now it’s time for your heart to decide if they’re real and if they’re something you can deal with if they are.” Ruth rose to her feet and ran her fingers through his hair before kissing the top of his head like she had countless times in his childhood. “It’s a fine line between one kind of stupid and another—between protecting yourself from false love and throwing away what could be real love. I have faith you’ll find it. Good night, Gabriel.”
Gabe watched her go with his brows drawn together. Maybe it would all make sense when he was more lucid, but right now, he couldn’t tell if she thought his doubts were baseless or legitimate. He dragged his hand over his face, then leaned back into the couch cushions and stared at the popcorn ceiling speckled with silver glitter he used to think looked like stars.
“Was she that ambiguous when you started dating Andrew?” he asked Delilah.
“If not worse. I guess ambiguity is better than Dad’s ‘go ask your mother’. It’s something, at least.”
“What do you think?”
“I think you’re worn out from working your ass off today and that thinking about this tonight will only result in you tying yourself in a knot. I also think she’s right.”
“You’re a big help.”
“Okay, fine. How’s this? I really like Annemarie, and even if nothing lasting comes of this, I agree with Mom. I think she’ll be good for you.”
Delilah sauntered away without another word. She turned off the lights on her way out of the room, leaving only the dying fire to illuminate the space that suddenly felt enormous without the rest of his family to fill it with chatter and laughter.
He briefly considered attempting to untangle his mother’s conflicting advice but Delilah was right. He stretched out as much as he could without disturbing Annie or her son and knitted his hands behind his head. For a while, he stared at the ceiling, mesmerized by the play of golden firelight and shadow as the writhing flames slowly dimmed. Weariness pushed everything from his mind, and he let his eyes close. As he drifted off, he held on to the hope that this moment would be the first of many like it.
Chapter 7
“Why did you want me to meet you in the barn?”
Annemarie looked over the back of her buckskin gelding. Gabe strode across the aisle of the barn holding up the note she’d tacked to the front door of her cabin. As usual, he was dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved, button-up denim shirt, and work boots. Her heart fluttered, remembering the first time he’d walked through that door. The image presented to her was almost exactly the same, except for the time of day and a pair of saddled geldings in place of a laboring mare, but so much had changed. The first time he’d walked into her barn, Gabe had been a stranger. He definitely wasn’t now, and she was glad to see him for entirely different reasons.
“And why are River and Sundance saddled?” he asked, reaching her and Cody and the horses.
“We’re going for a ride!” Cody piped before she could reply. “Mom says it’s too nice a morning to be inside working.”
“It is,” Gabe agreed. “But I really need to get the wiring finished. I don’t like that it’s taken me this long.”
“We’ve lived in the cabin for five months now. A few more hours aren’t going to make any difference.” Annemarie led River out of the stall and handed the buckskin’s reins to Gabe. “Besides, after the gray week we’ve had, Cody and I really need to get out and enjoy the sunshine.”
He skimmed his hand over River’s tawny neck with disappointment darkening his eyes. “Then go for a ride. I can work while you’re out.”
“Gabe. Your face right now says it all. Please come with us. Work can wait.”
“Annie….”
“We’ll make it a short ride. An hour or two tops. That should give you plenty of time to finish after, right?”
“Unless something goes wrong, which has happened more than once already.”
“Just get on the horse.”
Boyish. There was no other way to describe the grin that spread across his face because right then Gabe looked exactly like her son. Her face lifted to match. I win.
“Can I ride with Gabe?” Cody asked.
“If it’s all right with him,” she answered, “you’re probably safer riding with him, anyhow.”
“Come on over here, kiddo,” Gabe said, waving the boy over. He lifted Cody into River’s saddle and led the gelding out the big door.
Annemarie climbed into Sundance’s saddle, guided the palomino outside, and held River’s reins while Gabe closed the door. He wore his Collins Electric ball cap rather than the trademark Stetson both Tom and his father preferred, but the natural fluidity with which he swung into the saddle behind Cody screamed cowboy. They rode side-by-side toward western edge of Garrett Ranch, past the pasture where her small herd of black and red Angus grazed on the scattering of tender shoots of spring grass at last beginning to make an appearance.
Annemarie couldn’t help but watch Gabe as he rode. He was entirely at home in the saddle, and he moved so seamlessly with the horse that she couldn’t tell where he ended and River began.
A plastic bag had blown in from somewhere and snagged on a sagebrush, and when a faint breeze set it to flapping, River spooked and hopped sideways. Gabe sat it out with aplomb, soothing the startled horse with a quiet voice. Cody—safe in his arms—didn’t budge, and Annemarie didn’t have a chance to be afraid for him. Shaking her head, she let out a soft laugh. Despite her accumulating experience on the back of a horse, she’d never come close to that born and bred skill.
They continued north and west along the bench, and as the sun burned away the morning’s lingering chill, Gabe tipped his head back and closed his eyes. The smile that played across his features was poignant and endearing, and helplessly enthralled, Annemarie took in the lines of his jaw and neck, let her eyes roam from broad shoulders down strong arms all the way over his long legs and back up. Sexy? Yes. Masculine? Definitely. Desirable? Absolutely, and in every way beyond physical. He belonged out here with a horse beneath him and the wide blue sky above.
“Fascinating,” she said.
He opened his eyes and turned his gaze on her. “What is?”
“You. You’re in your element.” She tilted her head and regarded him with a thoughtful frown. “I saw it last weekend, too, watching you and your brothers branding. You’re a gifted electrician, and it’s clear you enjoy your work, but this is different. It’s… spiritual. Does that make sense?”
“It does. When my grandmother used to try to get my grandfather to go to church, he used to say this was the only church he ever needed.”
She thought again of how Gabe’s confidence manifested itself in a quiet, unobtrusive way that was further softened by his innate kindness, and when she factored in the way he rode with her son leaning back against him utterly trusting and delighted, something in her settled. He didn’t just belong out on a ranch. He belonged here. With her and Cody.
How could she feel like that when she’d known him a barely more than a month and they hadn’t yet been on a real date?
“So, tell me, Gabe. If this was your ranch, what would you do to improve it?”
He lifted his brows. What would he read into her question? Would he hear only what it was on the surface—a simple request for an informed opinion—or would he hear what was beneath it? He hesitated long enough that she suspected both, but he didn’t question her.
“First thing I’d do would be to get a water diviner out here to help me find the best place to pun
ch an irrigation well. Then I’d turn this bench into hay and alfalfa fields. The sage flats aren’t likely going to be good for much. Too rocky and dry, and the wind and run-off have stripped them of topsoil.”
“You probably think I’m crazy for trying to make this work,” she murmured
“It won’t be easy,” he said slowly. “But I don’t think you’re crazy.”
“What else could you call me for doing this?”
“Stubborn, maybe.” He glanced down at Cody. “This is a great life for a kid.”
“Do you… do you think I can make this work? Be completely honest with me. Please.”
“You won’t ever get rich, but yeah, I think you can make this place turn a profit.” He nodded toward the westernmost fence line. “How long’s that been down?”
She followed his gaze and groaned. She’d forgotten about the broken post that had dragged the barbed wire down. “A few weeks now. Jim was supposed to get up here to fix it, but he’s been so busy down at the Grant Ranch lately.”
Gabe eyed the fence with a scowl. “That’s another thing I’d do—if this were my ranch. Hire someone more reliable. That’s the third thing I know of he’s let you down on since I’ve known you.”
“It’s not his fault.”
“How do you figure? You’re paying him to help you, and he isn’t.”
“I’m not actually employing Jim. He works for the Grants, and Thomas—senior, of course—pays him extra to help me.” She sighed. “I need to get it fixed soon, though, so I can move the cows over to this pasture.”
“Well….” Gabe glanced back toward the barn. “We can either postpone our date or I’ll have to finish wiring the cabin some other day. After work tomorrow and Tuesday if I have to.”
“Does postpone mean we won’t get to go to the pizza place?” Cody asked.
“I’m afraid so, squirt,” Gabe replied.
Cody’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, and Gabe pressed his lips into a line.
“I guess that answers that question. Looks like I’ll be finishing the cabin after work.”
