Diamond in the Dust (Second Chances Time Travel Romance Book 3)

by Peggy L Henderson

  “She knows me best,” he said with a shrug, nudging with his chin toward Morgan. He grinned broadly, but Morgan avoided his eyes.

  With an angry lift of her chin, Joyce moved away from the counter and grabbed for some containers stacked up behind her. After she filled them with ice cream, Gabe carried the two cups to one of the tables at Morgan’s suggestion.

  “What was that all about?” Morgan hissed under her breath when she joined him at the table. Gabe held a chair for her while she sat. She placed Logan on her lap, then directed blazing eyes at him when he took his seat across from her.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked calmly, and dipped a spoon into the round, brown-colored substance in the cup in front of him, and tasted his first bite of ice cream. The concoction melted in his mouth, the sweet taste almost too much on his tongue.

  “You know full well what I’m talking about.” Morgan glared at him, handing Logan her spoon. “You were flirting with Joyce over there.” She nudged her chin toward the service counter.

  Gabe shot a hasty look in the direction of the blonde woman, who discreetly glanced their way.

  “A man can’t be pleasant with a lady?” he asked, taking another bite of ice cream. There was certainly something to be said about the food in the future.

  “I’d call that flirting,” Morgan accused.

  Gabe chuckled. “Nothing wrong with being polite with a pretty woman, is there?”

  Why the hell was he deliberately trying to rile her? Gabe gnashed his teeth. He’d done exactly what Morgan was accusing him of, just to get a reaction from her. It had obviously worked.

  Stop messing with things you ought to be staying away from, McFarlain.

  “Politeness can be taken the wrong way, Gabe. Don’t play dumb with me. You were flirting with that girl because you saw how she was looking at you.”

  Gabe peered up at her, meeting her heated gaze. His eyes lingered on hers, then swept to the auburn locks of her hair that framed her delicate face, and traveled lower to her mouth. He settled there for a moment, then continued down her chin to her neck, along her shoulder, moving along where her skin disappeared beneath the fabric of the shirt she wore. Finally, his gaze traveled back to her eyes. He leaned forward across the table.

  “Do you have a problem with me noticing a pretty woman?” he asked slowly.

  Morgan stared at him, some emotion passing through her eyes like what he’d seen the night she’d stood so close to him. The night he’d nearly kissed her. Gabe’s pulse increased, unable to look away. Logan chose that moment to stab his spoon into the ice cream and pull back with an uncoordinated movement. What stuck to the spoon was flung through the air, landing in Morgan’s lap. She broke eye contact, and dabbed at the spot with a paper napkin.

  “I think we should check and see if the truck is ready,” she said quietly, and stood abruptly.

  Gabe snatched his hat from the table. He picked up the ice cream cups, and followed Morgan out of the shop, unmindful of the blonde still gawking at him from the counter.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Here’s your key.”

  Morgan handed Gabe the keycard to his motel room, and walked briskly from the registration lobby across the parking lot toward the row of motel rooms. Logan rested his head against her shoulder, his thumb in his mouth. It was a sure sign that he was tired. The sugar from the ice cream earlier today had kept him awake all afternoon, but now he was ready to crash. Morgan yawned. She was ready for a good night’s sleep herself. Driving these long hours was definitely making her sleepy. Tomorrow, they would finally arrive in Bozeman.

  Gabe walked silently next to her. When they passed the truck, he reached into the bed and pulled out Morgan’s luggage bag and the portable playpen that had served as Logan’s sleeping crib since their road trip began three days ago.

  She headed up the stairs of the two-story motel, and stopped when she reached Room Number 207.

  “You’re in 208,” she said.

  Adjusting Logan in one arm, she fumbled with her purse in the other, and bent at the knee to try and insert her keycard into the slot that would unlock the door. Gabe set her bag on the ground, and wordlessly took the key from her. When the lock clicked, he pushed the door open and waited for her to enter.

  “Thanks, Desperado,” she said, setting Logan on the room’s only bed.

  An uncomfortable silence had passed between them ever since they’d left the little town behind where they’d eaten ice cream and had a new tire put on the truck.

  Morgan sighed. This entire day had been a rollercoaster of mixed emotions for her, teetering between irrational anger and some warm sensations that set her heart to racing. It still bothered her that Gabe wouldn’t interact with Logan, even for a little bit. He held firm to his gender role views, and men apparently didn’t hold babies in his world.

  Watching Gabe flirt with that cute sales clerk had stirred something in her that she’d never experienced before – jealousy. Why on earth she’d be jealous of a person she was likely never going to see again was beyond her comprehension. Gabe had flirted with her on a few occasions, and she’d admittedly enjoyed it. That smoldering look in his eyes when he’d asked her if she had a problem with him admiring a pretty woman still sent shivers down her spine. She firmly believed that he hadn’t been referring to the ice cream girl.

  Morgan turned to the sound of a zipper being pulled apart behind her. Gabe was unpacking her portable crib, and set it up next to her bed. It had become a nightly routine since their road trip began. He stepped in to take care of anything that required physical effort, while leaving things such as deciding where and what to eat up to her. He was, no doubt, annoyed whenever she dealt with men such as the mechanic at the gas station, too, judging by the scowling looks he’d toss her way, but he hadn’t said anything, so far.

  The first night, they had stopped at a motel in a small town somewhere in Utah, and when Morgan had registered them for one room, Gabe had adamantly refused.

  “You really want me to get two rooms?” she’d argued. “It’s not like we’ll be sleeping together. The room has two beds.”

  Gabe had looked at her, his dark eyes lingering on her face. His look hadn’t been as intense as the one from earlier today, but it had still sent her pulse racing.

  “Morgan,” he’d said in that sultry tone of his. “There are two kinds of women where I come from. One would request a single room, the other wouldn’t be seen in polite society with the likes of me.” He’d paused, holding her gaze. “I’m very familiar with the first kind.”

  It hadn’t taken her more than a second to interpret his meaning. Had he been trying to tell her that he’d slept around? What guy these days hadn’t?

  She’d raised her chin. If he thought he was going to shock her with his admission, he could think again.

  “Since I don’t mind being seen in public with you, and since I don’t mind sharing a room with you, you must think I’m the first kind,” she’d challenged.

  Gabe had chuckled, and run a hand across his jaw.

  “I ain’t figured you out yet,” he’d said slowly. “You take the room. I’ll sleep in the truck.”

  “No, you won’t. I’ll get two single rooms, then,” Morgan had said quickly, and had gone back to the registration desk to order two single rooms.

  She now sat on the bed, setting Logan on her lap while Gabe erected the plastic playpen. She definitely hadn’t figured him out yet, either. It was refreshing how he stuck to his principles, even if some of those principles were downright archaic; especially his views on gender roles. The more time she spent with him, the more she started believing the reverend’s story that Gabe was from the 1800’s.

  Gabe straightened, having finished the playpen set-up. He turned and their eyes met.

  “Is there anything else you need?” he asked, just as he always did before heading to his own room. “Doing nothing all day sure wears a man out,” he added, and grinned. “Have a good night, Morg
an.”

  He reached for his hat on the night stand.

  “Your clothes are dirty from changing that tire today,” Morgan blurted before he moved to leave her motel room. “How about if I wash them for you.”

  That would certainly qualify as woman’s work. Since he’d refused to allow her to buy him something different to wear, his clothes needed cleaning.

  Gabe looked at her, then slowly nodded. “In all my life, I ain’t ever been this clean.” He laughed.

  “There’s a laundry here at the motel. It might make a better impression tomorrow on the owners of the ranch if you show up in clean clothes.”

  Gabe’s face sobered. “I want you to know that, once I find work, I’m paying you back every penny you’ve spent on me.”

  Morgan shook her head. “I’ve told you before that it’s not necessary. Truthfully, this trip is much better having you along, and--”

  “I ain’t gonna argue about this,” he interrupted heatedly.

  Morgan cringed. Gabe had his pride, and she kept slipping up and forgetting. It was another of his attributes that drew her to him, wasn’t it? He didn’t take handouts, even though he was smart enough to realize that he had no choice at the moment. He’d tried to pay her back in his own way, watching over her, doing things for her that he knew how to do. His angry demeanor had to come from his frustrations at his own helplessness.

  “I’m sure the ranch where I’ll be working will hire you,” Morgan said, trying to sound encouraging. In a teasing voice, she added, “I mean, as a guy who grew up in the 1800’s, you must have plenty of experience with horses, right?”

  Ashley had asked him if he had horse experience, but it wasn’t a subject Morgan had ever brought up. If he was, in fact, a nineteenth century cowboy, a job on a working ranch would be the ideal place for him.

  A slow smile spread across Gabe’s face. “I figured with all them fancy rigs you have nowadays, there would be no need for horses anymore.”

  “There are still plenty of horses around. Most of them aren’t used for transportation these days, though. It’s mostly recreation, but I believe there are still some working ranches around. The dude ranch where we’re going is a working cattle ranch.”

  “Dude ranch?” Gabe’s eyebrows rose.

  “A place for people from the city to experience the old west. It’s perfect for you. You have first-hand knowledge, right?” She smiled up at him.

  Gabe frowned. “I know horses, not people.”

  Morgan set Logan on the bed and stepped up to Gabe. She placed her hand on his arm. The muscles under his shirt bunched taut. “I don’t really know what to expect, either. We’re both starting something new, in a new place, something we’ve never done before.”

  The muscles along Gabe’s jaw tightened. Morgan offered a soft smile. Putting herself in his shoes, this had to be much more difficult for him than she could ever imagine. He’d learned so much already in the short amount of time he’d been here. Over time, he’d adapt fully.

  Gabe had tried to hide the demons that haunted him, but his far-off looks and tense stance when he thought she wasn’t watching, told her there was far more going on in his mind than simply struggling to adjust to life in the twenty-first century. He’d told her that he’d done some bad things, killed horses, and that’s what had sent him here. She hadn’t found the right time to ask him to elaborate, and somehow she doubted that he would open up to her.

  “You’ll fit right in.” Her smile widened. “As long as you change your views about what a woman can and can’t do.”

  Morgan’s eyes focused on the dimples in his cheeks when his hard stare turned into a grin. Gabe had to know what a good-looking guy he was. He’d flirted right back with that girl this afternoon, but he didn’t come across as arrogant or full of himself.

  Nothing like Bryce. A man who had it all, the money and the looks, and it had certainly gone to his head. From the little Gabe had said about himself, Morgan gathered that he’d grown up poor. He was completely unlike any guy she’d ever associated with, and she liked it. She liked him. The strange connection she’d felt from when she first found him had only intensified the more time she spent with him.

  She let go of Gabe’s arm, and turned to Logan, removing the pen he’d found from his hand. It must have been left on the bed. She patted her son’s back to divert her attention away from where her mind had strayed. She couldn’t have romantic ideas about Gabe. Hadn’t she just thought that he was nothing like her? What about all his convictions about where a woman’s place should be? Her crazy attraction to him was just that – crazy. And besides, she shouldn’t get involved with a guy who didn’t want to have anything to do with her son.

  Logan began to fuss and whine. Time to head to the laundromat before he was too tired. She rummaged in her bag for diapers and a change of clothes, and pulled out the pajama pants that she’d given to Gabe back at Ashley’s place. What did Gabe usually wear to bed? He hadn’t asked for the pants. He probably just slept in his clothes.

  “If you want to go change into these, I’ll take your clothes to the laundromat.” Morgan turned and held up the pajama bottoms to him.

  She swallowed. She’d caught him staring at her. He didn’t immediately make eye contact with her. Instead, his gaze lingered somewhere below her neckline before slowly settling on her face. She thrust the pants at him. A slow grin formed on his face.

  “I don’t fancy these pants. Seems like something a tenderfoot might wear.”

  Morgan’s eyebrows raised. “A tenderfoot? Believe me, tough guy, what I remember from the last time I saw you in those pants didn’t make me think of a tenderfoot.”

  Heat crept up her neck the instant the words were out. He’d looked to die for in just those pajama pants back at Ashley’s place. Logan whined behind her, and Morgan expelled a quick breath of relief at the diversion.

  “In that case, I’ll bring my soiled clothes back shortly.”

  Morgan turned her head just as Gabe left the motel room with the flannel pants, then gave her full attention to her son. She changed his diaper and dressed him in his own pajamas, then sat him on her lap to look through his picture book. He cuddled his blanket and stuffed horse in his arm, and sucked on his thumb, his eyelids growing heavier.

  “If Gabe doesn’t come back soon, you’re going to be asleep. I can’t very well go to the laundromat and leave you here all alone.”

  No sooner had she said the words, and Logan nodded off. With a sigh, Morgan carried him to his crib. There was no use waking him. She didn’t want to have to deal with a cranky baby. She’d simply have to tell Gabe that she’d do his laundry in the morning.

  Someone knocked, just as she headed for the door with the intent to go to Gabe’s room to let him know of her change of plans.

  “Great timing,” she mumbled, and pulled the door open.

  “Here are my clothes.” Gabe thrust his shirt and pants at her, an almost urgent look on his face. “I ain’t standing out here for long in these pants and no shirt.”

  Morgan reached for him before he had a chance to turn and bolt back to his own room. A jolt of awareness shot through her when her fingers made contact with his bare skin. He stared down at her, frowning. She couldn’t peel her eyes away from him. His hair was tousled and wet, a few drops of water dripping down his chest. She almost laughed, if her throat hadn’t gone completely dry. What guy looked like he did and was so modest?

  “You’d better come into the room then, if you don’t want to be seen,” she managed to say. His frown only deepened.

  “Relax, Desperado. I just wanted to tell you that washing clothes will have to wait until tomorrow. Logan fell asleep, so unless you don’t mind staying here to watch him while I go to the laundromat, I can’t leave.”

  Gabe hesitated, then stepped into the motel room. He shot a hasty glance toward the crib.

  “He’s asleep, Gabe. He won’t hurt you while I’m gone. It shouldn’t be more than an hour.” Morgan couldn’t
keep the irritation out of her voice.

  “Don’t go wakin’ snakes,” he grumbled. “I’ll stay here with the boy.”

  Momentarily speechless, Morgan stared at him, wide-eyed, then she smiled.

  “You will?” she blurted.

  He held out his bundle of clothes for her to take, ran a hand through his hair, and moved to sit at the small table in the corner.

  “Just go, but be quick about it.”

  Morgan grabbed her purse off the table and headed out the door before he had a chance to change his mind.

  By the time she pulled Gabe’s shirt and denims from the dryer, she was anxious to return to the room. What if Logan had woken up while she was gone? Had it really been a wise thing to do to leave her son with a guy like Gabe?

  A guy like Gabe. Confident, proud, sinfully sexy, polite, and, in his own way, caring and sweet.

  Absently, Morgan had leafed through the magazines that lay around the laundromat while she waited for Gabe’s clothes to wash and dry, mentally making a list of adjectives that described him. Agreeing to watch Logan, after all this time of acting like he was afraid of the baby, had been the most unexpected thing he’d done since she met him, and her heart had nearly melted.

  She climbed the outside stairs to the second story of the motel, stopped outside her door, and listened for a moment. Relieved that there was no crying baby inside, she inserted the keycard in the lock, and pushed the door open. Her eyes fell to the table where she’d last seen Gabe, but he wasn’t there. Her heart leapt in her throat, and she quickly moved into the room.

  Faint light shone from the bathroom, but the rest of the room was dark. Her head snapped to the crib, then to the bed, where the figure of a man lay on the mattress, sleeping. His stomach rose and fell in a soft rhythm.

  He wasn’t the only one on her bed. The clothes fell out of her hands and landed in a flutter at her feet.