Gabe (Men of Clifton Montana Book 2)

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  Emma walked down the pathway alongside the wood railing looking for Misty. She found her in the first stall. Jake’s horse, Midnight, stood waiting for some attention in the stall next to her. He was a magnificent horse. Black with four white socks, and he was one of the smartest horses Emma had ever seen. Jake had won several competitions with him already. She rubbed Midnight’s velvety nose then moved along to Misty’s stall. After feeding her a small piece of apple she put the riding blanket on the filly’s back, then threw the saddle on. When she put the bridle on, Misty butted her head against Emma’s shoulder, making her laugh.

  “I know, girl.” She rubbed the horse’s nose. “I love you too.” She led her out to the ring and mounted the filly, settling into the saddle. Misty pranced around, excited. She knew what was about to happen. A competition horse lived for the thrill of it. Emma nudged her and ran her around the arena a few times to warm her up. When she figured Misty was ready, she galloped her to the far end of the room, and then let her go. The horse ran like a shot, heading for the barrel at the far end. She circled it perfectly. Close, but not too close. The idea was to get as close as possible without knocking the barrel over. After clearing the first one, she headed for the middle barrel, Misty did just as well, and then to the third, the filly clearing it a little wide. Misty circled the barrels so fast and low, it almost seemed as if she was on her side when she went around them. Emma ran her back to the starting position.

  Patting Misty on the neck, she praised her. “Let’s do it again, girl. That last barrel was a little wide. My fault, not yours.” The second time was better, but Emma wanted Misty closer. As they came from the starting position again, the entrance door opened, and Gabe stepped in. What was he doing here? She shook her head but her concentration was suddenly gone. As she rounded the first barrel, they cut it too close, Misty hit it knocking it over, and Emma tumbled from the saddle.

  “Damn it!” Emma punched her fists into the shavings. Gabe was at her side in no time.

  “Emma, are you alright?” He squatted down beside her.

  She glared up at him. “Yes,” she said through gritted teeth. “I have fallen off a horse before, Gabe.” He stood and put his hand out to her, which she ignored. She moved to her knees then stood up dusting herself off.

  Misty came back to her and nudged her shoulder. Emma rubbed the filly’s nose. “It’s not your fault, girl. I got distracted and we know to never get distracted.” She looked to Gabe, hoisted herself back into the saddle, and stared down at him. “Did you need something?”

  Gabe shook his head. “Not really. I was looking for Jake.”

  “He went to town with Becca. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get back to work here.”

  Gabe nodded but didn’t move. Emma sighed. “I can’t ride her with you in the way.” He saluted her, moved to the other side of the fence, and stood behind it, resting his arms on the top rail. Her lips tightened into a thin line. She trotted Misty over to him.

  “What are you doing?” she asked him, not masking the annoyance in her voice.

  Gabe smiled and her heart did a little flip. “I thought I’d watch for a while, if you don’t mind.”

  Emma could not believe this. “Yes, I do mind. Go home, Gabe.”

  He gazed up at her with a grin brightening his handsome face. “Why, Emma? Do I distract you?”

  She couldn’t answer him. She sat there staring down at him, her mind drawing a blank. God, he’s gorgeous.

  “And if I distract you, why is that? I’ve seen you ride. Hell, I’ve watched you compete. Why would I distract you all of a sudden?” He grinned, showing off perfect white teeth.

  All she knew was she couldn’t practice with him watching. She dismounted and walked Misty to the barn. She knew Gabe was following her but she didn’t speak to him as she wiped Misty down, fed, and watered her. Gabe watched her the entire time. He stood against the doorjamb of the stall with his arms folded across his broad chest and one hip cocked, looking entirely too comfortable. Emma refused to let him know he was bothering her. When she was finished with Misty, she left the arena and walked toward her car. Gabe followed behind her. She’d had enough and spun around to face him.

  “What do you want, Gabe?” She glowered up at him. He closed the distance between them, cupped her face in his hands, leaned his face down, and kissed her. When he raised his head, he wore a surprised expression on his face. “Why did you do that?” she whispered.

  He shrugged. “I have no idea. Other than you’re a beautiful woman, and what man doesn’t want to kiss a beautiful woman?”

  Emma turned away from him and wiped away a tear which had managed to escape an eye and had slid down her cheek. “If that’s all it was then don’t ever do it again. I will never be a one night stand for you, Gabriel Stone.” She ran to her car, got inside, slamming the door before starting the engine, and drove home, all the while praying no one was there to see her fall apart.

  When she entered the back door of the B and B she was thankful no one was around. She could hear Olivia at the front desk talking with one of the guests. Emma just wanted to curl into a ball and cry for a few minutes…or a few years. Why had Gabe kissed her? She flopped down onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. For years, she’d wanted him to kiss her but when he finally did, it was because he thought she was beautiful and figured any man would want to kiss her. Was that supposed to make her feel better?

  She groaned as she rolled to her side and placed her fingers against her lips. They still tingled from his kiss. His mustache had tickled her, but she loved it. She’d wanted more then, and wanted more now. She wanted deep long kisses from Gabe Stone.

  Emma jumped when someone knocked at her door. It was probably Olivia. She was tempted to ignore her but knowing Olivia, she’d just walk in. Emma gave it up, and told her to come in. She felt the bed dip when Olivia sat down on it.

  “What’s wrong Emma?” Olivia asked, but Emma simply shook her head. A tear rolled down her temple into her hair. Olivia gently rubbed her arm. “Didn’t the barrel thingy go well?”

  For some reason, Emma found that extremely funny and started laughing. When she could catch her breath, she looked at Olivia to see her frowning, which only set Emma off again. She heard Olivia huff as she stood up. Emma reached for her.

  “I’m sorry, Liv. The barrel thingy went fine, until Gabe showed up.” Emma sobered up. “I don’t know why he was even there. He said he was looking for Jake but when I told him Jake wasn’t there, he stuck around. He…” She shook her head. “He kissed me.”

  “Then why are you crying? Isn’t that what you wanted?” Olivia frowned with obvious confusion.

  Emma snorted. “When I asked him why he did it, he told me ‘what man doesn’t want to kiss a beautiful woman’.” She blinked back tears. “I want him to kiss me, Liv, not just some beautiful woman that’s available to him.”

  “I know what you mean. Kissing you because he thinks you’re a beautiful woman isn’t the same as him kissing you. Right?” Olivia gave her a sad smile.

  Emma nodded. “Yes, that’s it exactly. I just don’t know what to do about him. For years, I’ve wanted him and now he’s flirting with me, but I don’t know what to do. He’s confusing me. Why is he so interested all of a sudden? I don’t know how to handle him.”

  Olivia nodded in understanding. They sat there for a few minutes in their own thoughts when the front bell rang, announcing a guest. Emma smiled at Olivia and pushed off the bed. Together they walked out to the foyer only to discover Becca and Jake standing at the counter.

  Emma moaned. “No, you cannot have a room.”

  Becca and Jake laughed as one. “I just wanted to stop in and see how things are going,” Becca said, still smiling.

  “I don’t think she can drive past here without wanting to come in.” Jake grinned as he leaned against the counter.

  “Why didn’t you just come in the back door?” Olivia asked.

  Becca tilted her head. “I wanted to see h
ow it was looking from this side.”

  Emma and Olivia glanced over to Jake. He shrugged. “I don’t know how her mind works, but I love her anyway.”

  Becca swatted at him making them all laugh. The door behind them opened and Ryder Wolfe walked in. He’d purchased Becca’s Paint horses when she decided to open the B and B and needed gentler horses than Paints. He tipped his hat to them. His eyes stopped on Olivia.

  Emma cleared her throat. “Ryder, have you met Olivia Roberts?”

  Ryder shook his head, still keeping his eyes on Olivia. He grinned, showing perfect white teeth. “No. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.” He put his hand out to Olivia. She placed hers in his, and grinned. They continued to stare at each other until Jake spoke up.

  “What brings you by, Ryder?”

  “What?” Ryder finally tore his eyes away from Olivia and looked at Jake.

  Emma could see that Jake was trying not to grin. “Why are you here?” Jake asked.

  “Oh. I, uh, wanted to tell Becca that one of the Paints I bought from her is pregnant.”

  “Oh wow. That’s great, Ryder,” Becca told him with a happy grin.

  Ryder smiled down at her. “I stopped by your place.” He glanced at Jake. “But when you weren’t there, I thought I’d just stop here.” His gaze returned to Olivia. “I’m very glad I did.”

  Emma watched as Olivia’s smile grew. She wished she had that kind of confidence around men. Olivia wasn’t shy about letting a man know she was interested. Emma could never be that way. Men like Gabe Stone and Ryder Wolfe didn’t normally pay attention to her. She blew out a breath. Everyone turned to look at her. Her cheeks turned pink.

  “I need to…uh…do something,” she told them before she quickly left the foyer. She entered her apartment, closed the door behind her, and took a seat on the sofa, drawing her knees up and resting her chin on them. She needed to find the kind of confidence Olivia had, somewhere. She needed to dig down deep and find the strength to let Gabe know she wanted him. You just told him to stay away from you! He was going to think she was a nut case. When had her life become so complicated? The first time she saw Gabe Stone, she fell in love with him. She’d been ten at the time and he was seventeen, a young man. She grunted. Looking back, he’d still been a boy. Now he was a man. Emma groaned. God! What a man.

  But she couldn’t be just a fling to him. Gabe had a reputation for sleeping around. Then again, Jake used to have the same reputation and he settled down with Becca. Of course, Wyatt put them both to shame with his sexual exploits. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, wishing she knew what to do. It was a while later, when Olivia knocked on her door and entered without waiting for Emma to answer, that she knew she needed to know how Olivia did it.

  “Are you alright, Emma?” Olivia whispered.

  Emma nodded. “Yes,” she said as she lifted her head to look at Olivia. “Where do you get your confidence around men from? I mean you and Ryder…”

  Olivia laughed. “I’m not shy at all. When I see something I want, I go after it. I’m not saying you should be like me, but it wouldn’t hurt to let Gabe know you want him. I suppose it comes from my having to fight most of my life for what I wanted. I never had anything handed to me. I had to, literally, fight for anything I wanted. It’s what you have to do too, Emma. If you want Gabe you have to let him know it in some way, and then fight for him.”

  “I was just thinking about that. I just don’t know how to go about it,” Emma said with a weak smile. “Maybe you can give me some pointers.”

  Olivia grinned. “Sure. I just have one question.”

  “What?” Emma asked hoping it wasn’t too personal.

  “Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me about Ryder Wolfe? The man is gorgeous. I have never seen eyes that green—ever. He is a cool drink of water and I’m definitely dying of thirst, if you know what I mean. He’s so damn hot.”

  Emma laughed as a flush of heat crossed her cheeks. She could never be as confident as Olivia was, but she’d settle for half. The woman was amazing. They sat talking until the setting sun illuminated the sky with orange fading into mauve, and then finally disappeared behind the mountains.

  Later, Emma sat at her window thinking of Gabe. The full moon cast a glow over the ranch like a huge spotlight. She could hear the crickets chirping and the whinny of a horse in the corral. Glancing up, she saw a shooting star and smiled as she made a wish for the only thing she really wanted in her life. Gabriel Stone.

  Chapter Three

  A week later, Gabe was working alongside his ranch hands mucking out the stalls, but his men kept looking at him as he shoveled harder than they did. They had no idea how much he needed to get his mind off Emma, and that kiss. Tossing and turning had become his nightly ritual for the past week. He could still taste her lips. Fleeting as it was, it had packed a punch. The minute his lips touched hers, he was a goner. What the fuck were you thinking? He’d asked himself that question repeatedly and still had no answer. He wondered what was going through her head. Was she angry with him?

  If only he could get the kiss out of his head. It never should have happened. He knew that. Emma was a marrying kind of woman. She wanted commitment. The word made Gabe cringe. He wasn’t ready for all of what came with it. Sure, he loved kids, but he never thought of having his own. He wasn’t getting any younger though, he probably should’ve had a wife and a couple of kids by now. Mumbling, he jabbed the pitchfork into the hay, lifted it, and tossed the hay to the other side of the stall. The sweat was rolling off him. He stopped and pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket to wipe off his face. His T-shirt hung on a hook by the stall gate.

  Would Emma ever speak to him again? Gabe stopped and laid his arms across the top of the handle of the pitchfork. What the fuck were you thinking? The look on her face after he kissed her made his heart slam against his ribs. She looked shocked and surprised at the same time. Tears glistened in her eyes. Christ! He felt like such a dumbass. He tossed the pitchfork down and strode out of the barn. No one said anything even though he knew they all watched him go. They knew not to if they wanted to keep their job. He went inside to shower. He knew Emma was working with Misty again today and he planned to be there. He didn’t care if she wanted him there or not.

  * * * *

  Emma ran Misty around the barrels. As she circled the second barrel, Misty knocked it down. Emma shook her head, but she’d make Misty go around again. She pulled the horse to a stop at the end, and then spurred her again. She noticed the barrel she’d knocked down was back up. She quickly glanced toward the railing and saw Jake there. Heaving a sigh of relief, she sent a smile his way and rode Misty around the barrels. This time horse and rider made it around all three without touching them enough to knock them down. Emma was so proud of Misty she let out a loud cheer. Jake clapped his hands as she rode the filly over to him with a big grin on her face.

  “I knew she could do it,” she exclaimed. “She just needed some practice.”

  Jake laughed. “I knew you could get her there. She won’t do that for anyone but you.”

  She laughed with joy, for success had its own thrill, and dismounted. “I’m going to wipe her down and give her an extra treat.”

  Jake nodded at her. “Becca wants to know if you want to stay for dinner.”

  “I’d love to. I’ll be right in after Misty is taken care of.” She smiled as Jake tugged on his hat in cowboy fashion and left the arena. Becca was lucky and Emma could see how easily she’d fallen in love with Jake. He and his brothers represented the essential cowboy. Thinking that about Jake brought her thoughts to Gabe. Shit! She’d gone most of the day without thinking of him. She muttered as she wiped Misty down, but just about jumped out of her skin when Gabe spoke from behind her.

  “Did Misty piss you off or is it me you’re still angry with?”

  Emma spun around to find him leaning against the doorjamb of the stall. His hands tucked deep into the pockets of his jeans and his black T-sh
irt emphasizing his broad chest, and muscled pecs. The sleeves were tight around his biceps. She bit the inside of her cheek to hold back a groan of appreciation. “I’m not angry with Misty…”

  Gabe straightened up. “Then it must be me.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not angry with you, either. That kiss wasn’t enough to get angry over.”

  “You sure seemed angry with me after that kiss,” Gabe said in a low voice.

  Emma turned back to the horse and continued brushing her. She just wanted Gabe to leave. There was no way she could come on to him as Olivia had suggested. She knew she wasn’t the type, or Gabe’s type. The thought of sex terrified her, especially sex with Gabe. She felt him behind her. When he ran his fingers through her ponytail, she shivered.

  “It’s as soft as silk, just as I thought. I wonder what your hair looks like down around your shoulders,” he murmured. “Or spread out across a pillow.”

  Emma turned toward him and looked up into his face. “You’ll never know.”

  His mouth twitched, and one corner hitched up under the sexy mustache she remembered teasing her lips. “I wouldn’t bet on that if I were you.”

  His words made her back up so suddenly, she bumped into Misty. The horse pushed back against her, and knocked her into Gabe. His arms went around her waist as Emma put her hands on his shoulders with every intention of pushing him away. She raised her gaze to his and swallowed. His head dipped and his lips touched hers. Emma tried, she really did, not to moan but it escaped her anyway, and she felt Gabe grin against her lips. It should have angered her, but she was too far gone with the touch of his lips and his mustache tickling her. He deepened the kiss, dipping his tongue into her mouth. It wasn’t her first kiss but never, never ever, had there been one like this. Her arms slid around his neck and her fingers splayed into his thick hair, knocking his hat to the floor. She felt his hands move to her hips, and pull her against him. She could feel his erection straining against his jeans. Another moan slipped out, this time from Gabe. She wrapped her arms tighter, trying to pull him even closer, but then she suddenly pushed against his shoulders.