by Becky McGraw
"Way...and of course, he was Sabrina's brother-in-law."
Blood surged up her neck and heated her face and she said, "Oh, my god...I can't face any of you again. I'm sorry, Gabe."
Gabe walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "It's no big deal, sweetheart. Wade always had an extra dose of testosterone, Kenny got the adrenaline. You're right, he got what he deserved for messing with ya'll.
"Wow...did I just hear a ya'll come out of that mouth of yours? Did you buy that Texas lingo at the western store too when you got your new duds?"
"Yeah, they threw in a cowboy dictionary with the hat..." he told her with a sexy grin.
"You keep that talk up and we might have to skip the party, and have our own in the hayloft," she purred then nibbled on his lower lip.
He pulled back from her and said with regret in his voice, "I'd love nothing better, sugar, but I promised Cole I'd help him keep the crowd under control. He's probably looking for me now."
Karlie snorted then asked him, "The blue hairs going to get rowdy on their hover rounds?"
"Who knows...but he's the boss...and if he smells trouble brewing, I need to be there."
"Can you at least dance with me? You're supposed to be having fun too...and we need to test out those new boots, get 'em scuffed up a little bit."
"I got some free two-step lessons with the boots," he said with a grin, "Better cash in that coupon too...save me a dance, and don't be getting too rowdy with those cowboys."
Although Gabe had turned her down on the hayloft romp, Karlie was kind of glad, because she really needed to find Dixie and see how she was doing. That little bulldog puppy she had was adorable, and she wanted to get the scoop on how she'd talked Tommy into getting it for her. It surely wasn't because she'd been good, Karlie thought with a chuckle. Wild children like she and Dixie didn't know the meaning of the word.
Karlie checked the food tent, and didn't see her sister, Tommy or Dixie anywhere, then she went to the tent where the seats were set up, and they weren't there either. Finally, she wandered under the tent where the band was playing and caught sight of her sister's red hair on the dance floor. When the guy she was dancing with spun her around, Karlie's eyes got wide and she almost swallowed her tongue. Katie was dancing with Wade Roberts, and seemed to be enjoying it. Tommy Tucker was standing over by the band, staring at her with his hat pulled low and his arms folded over his broad chest.
It looked to her like Katie was pissed at Tommy, and trying to torture him. Karlie felt sorry for the kindhearted cowboy...he'd lost his wife, and here her sister was tormenting him. In the days she'd spent at the Rockin' D, she'd gotten to know him and Tommy was a good man, and a good father to Dixie. He didn't deserve what Katie was doing, no matter how mad she was. And she knew her sister's temper was right up there on the scale with her own.
Walking across the dance floor, Karlie pushed people to the side, and went up to Tommy then grinned, and asked, "Hey good looking wanna dance?"
He pushed his hat back and she saw that the normally mild-mannered man was extremely angry. His face was flushed and his eyes glittered, as he studied her for a second, then looked at the dance floor where Katie was putting on a show with Wade. His lips twisted, then he swallowed and said, "Sure," then grabbed her hand and stalked to the floor towing her behind him.
It was obvious from the first second their feet hit the parquet, that Tommy Tucker knew how to dance. He spun her in two quick circles then moved right into a two step, not missing a beat. Resting his hand on her lower back, he guided her around the floor and looked deeply into her eyes, his lips curled back into a smile that was a little less than genuine. At every corner, he spun her, then pulled her back to his chest, and they danced their feet off in perfect harmony around the floor.
She leaned toward him and shouted, "Whew, you sure do dance well, sugar. This is fun...where'd you learn to dance?"
He pulled her a little closer and leaned next to her ear and said, "My wife liked to dance, so I learned," he said then leaned back up and she saw sadness in his eyes. Tears stung her eyes, and Karlie looked away. She had no idea what to say to him.
When the song ended, Tommy dipped her, then gave her a kiss on the cheek, and said near her ear, "Thanks, darlin'...it's been a long time, and that was fun."
A slow song came on and Karlie grabbed his hand and pulled him to the middle of the floor and put her arms around his neck. "If we're going to do this, let's do it right. Can't stop with a two-step, we need to really give her a show," she told him and tiptoed to give him a light, but lingering kiss on his lips, then she eased back down and put her head on his chest.
"You're a mess, you know that?" Tommy told her with a chuckle, then put his hands on her ass and pulled her closer to him. "You and your sister are nothing but trouble, sugar."
"But the kind of trouble you like, right?" she asked with a saucy grin.
"It's starting to grow on me," he told her then added, "I never realized how boring my life was until ya'll came along."
She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "If there's one thing that can be said about the Upton twins, we're never boring, sugar," she said with a waggle of her eyebrows.
"Tell me about Wade Roberts and what happened..." he asked her solemnly.
"Just suffice it to say that he doesn't think the Upton twins are boring either. We taught him a little lesson he's not likely to forget anytime soon," she said with a chuckle then added seriously, "We didn't sleep with him, Tommy...." because it was obvious that's what he thought, since sister evidently refused to talk about it.
She felt him relax a little and he huffed out a breath. "Thanks for telling me. I was worried about the influence she'd have on Dixie if I kept her on at the Rockin' D. I have to be careful," he said.
Surprised, Karlie pulled back from him a little and asked, "So this isn't about you liking her? As a woman, I mean?"
"Oh, sure it's about that too, she's a beautiful woman, and I like her a lot, but protecting Dixie is my first priority."
Karlie mulled that over in her mind, and was glad that he felt so protective of Dixie, but she also wondered where Katie would fit into his circle, if they wound up getting closer. Maybe Katie was wondering the same thing. Karlie wished she knew what was said when they'd talked, what had her sister so mad. Maybe she'd have time to talk to her later...if Katie wasn't too mad at her for dancing with Tommy.
When the song ended, he pulled her to him and gave her a hug, then a kiss on the cheek, and they walked over to the bar to get a drink. They passed a table and she saw Katie sitting there alone, biting her lip and twirling a beer in her hand. Her whole posture said she was not just mad, but really upset with Karlie, and Tommy. When Karlie tried to catch her gaze, she looked away at the dance floor.
Karlie got her beer and winked at Tommy, then told him, "Follow me..." and walked right into the hornet's nest to sit down at the table by Queen Hornet. "Need another beer, sis?"
Katie didn't respond for a minute, she just turned her body away from Karlie and folded her arms over her chest, then finally told her sulkily, "Go dance and leave me the hell alone, Karlie."
Karlie snorted, then told her "Looked like you were doing enough dancing for the both of us...have fun dancing with the jackass?"
Katie grunted then told her, "That should be my question for you, sister."
Karlie looked back over her shoulder at the jackass her sister spoke of and grinned at him. Tommy wasn't smiling, his face was a thundercloud, and he too had his arms folded over his chest.
"Yeah, Tommy is such a jackass, huh? And just butt ugly...I swear if he didn't wear a hat, buzzards would be gnawing on him..." Karlie told her, just barely able to suppress the laughter bubbling in her chest. "I swear there's not a cowgirl in Texas who would hookup with that loser. I just danced with him out of pity," she said snarkily, then added for effect, "And that kid of his...what a little pest."
Evidently it worked, because her sister growled then spun around tow
ard her and her face was furious, when she grated, "Don't you dare talk about Tommy or Dixie like that! He's damned good-looking and a good man, and you know it! Any cowgirl would be lucky to have him!"
Tommy stepped into her line of vision with a smile on his face and said, "Is that so?" then he walked over to Katie and grabbed her hand, then pulled her to her feet, before he said, "Dance with me cowgirl, and show me how lucky you are."
Katie's face flushed and she tried to pull her hand from his, but he held on and dragged her to the dance floor. A slow song was playing, and he pulled her to him, then kissed her right there in front of everyone.
"Dance with me cowgirl, and show me how lucky you are," a deep voice rumbled near her ear. "That was quite a maneuver, Karlie...well done."
Karlie shifted in her seat and looked up into the mischievous brown eyes of Wade Roberts. "I don't think so, jackass," she harrumphed then turned away from him. He sat down beside her and put a beer on the table, then leaned near her ear and said, "Peace offering...I'm sorry I got you into trouble with your boyfriend. I was just a little surprised to see you here."
"No more surprised than I was to see you..." she told him, then asked, "What the hell are you doing in Bowie, Texas anyway? Shouldn't you be in Steamboat Springs or something?"
"Nope...I quit, just like you did...time to put my boots under the same bed every night."
She snorted. "Instead of under a different cowgirl's bed every night?"
"That's not me anymore, darlin'...I'm staying in Bowie. Luke Matthews hired me as his ranch manager today."
Disbelief and dread coursed through Karlie, and she vaulted out of her chair, and said angrily, "I guess that means I'll be turning in my notice, then," then turned on her heel to go find Luke. She could put up with a lot of things, and a lot of people, but seeing Wade Roberts on a daily basis wasn't one of them.
"Karlie, wait a minute...we can work this out..." he said and grabbed her arm. "I promise I won't give you grief. I need this job, and this new start...just like you did."
Gabe walked up right then, and grabbed Wade's wrist and held it until he released Karlie's arm. "Keep your hands off of my girlfriend, asshole."
Wade pushed him and said, "Keep your fucking hands off of me, Gabe. That's the last time I'm gonna take it...I don't care if you were my brother's best friend. Take a chill, Karlie and I were just having a conversation."
Karlie put her hand on Gabe's arm and nodded, "It's okay Gabe, we were just talking. Did you know Luke hired Wade to be the new manager of the Double B?"
Gabe sucked in a breath and spat, "No fucking way...he mentioned it at lunch the other day, but I didn't believe he'd do it. Cole wasn't happy."
"Cole needs to get over it, because it did happen, and I start on Monday...and you do too," Wade told Gabe matter-of-factly.
Karlie didn't like the smug tone he'd taken with Gabe and said, "Well I don't need to be getting over it, because I'm going to find Luke and tell him to find another trainer."
Wade ran a hand over his square jaw then pleaded, "Karlie, you're the best trainer they'll find, and you can help with the cattle too. They need you to stay...I need you to stay. Cassie needs help until the baby comes...and Luke is already overloaded." Wade put his hand on her shoulder and said earnestly, "We're adults here and what happened was a long time ago...I already apologized to your sister, and now I'm telling you...I'm sorry for what I did back then. It won't happen again."
Indecision warred inside of her and she gnawed her lip, then looked up at Gabe, and asked, "What do you think?"
"I think as long as he keeps his hands to his fucking self, and doesn't give you a hard time, it's a good job and you love it, you should stay. He's right, they do need you there."
Wade forced out the breath he'd evidently been holding, and slapped Gabe on the shoulder, "Thanks, man," then he looked at Karlie, "Does that mean you'll stay?"
She nodded then stuck her hand out to him, "Welcome to the Double B."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Leaving the counselor's office with Karlie, Gabe a little groggy and disoriented, because he'd let the man hypnotize him. The counselor had told him it was a therapy that had helped some guys coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, which is what he thought Gabe's problem was, but from the incident with Kenny instead of war.
Gabe sure hoped it helped, because, since he'd started coming here, it seemed the dreams had gotten even worse, not better. Now, fear for Karlie was weaving itself into the dreams, and the screams he heard now, while he was running were feminine and sounded a lot like hers. Every time it happened, he woke up in a cold sweat calling her name. But she wasn't there with him, she was at the Double B with Cassie and Luke.
Gabe needed to change that really soon, he wanted to convince her to move in with him. It had been almost a month, since his run in with Jake Johnson at that park, and the longer they went without a peep out of him, the more edgy Gabe got, his gut telling him that it was just the calm before the storm. He knew that feeling from being in the military and then a cop. When his gut talked, Gabe listened.
"Give me the keys, sugar. The doc said I should drive us home," Karlie told him and held out her hand.
He felt fine to drive, but dug in his pocket and put the keys in her palm anyway. It would give him time to think, and talk to Karlie, while she drove. They'd driven Freddie anyway, instead of his Camaro, because she had the motor in pieces and parts, rehabbing the carburetor. Gabe thought it was funny as shit that his girlfriend was working on his car, because she thought the engine didn't sound quite right, but Karlie was funny...and smart, and sassy, and he loved every quirky thing about her.
He opened the driver's door for her, then went around and got into the passenger side, as she fired up the mean sounding engine. The more the rode in her hot rod Lincoln, the more he loved it too. It was one fine piece of machinery, and she kept it in tip top shape. "Freddie's sounding frisky today," he told her with a grin.
"He's always frisky," she said then put the car in drive. "That's why you and I even met...he was sewing some oats that day, and Sarge and I were along for the ride."
"That was more than oats he was sewing that day, I thought you were going to peel the blacktop off the road," Gabe told her with a laugh. "It was the best day of my life though, honey...you can hog-tie me anytime."
Her face drooped and she told him, "I'm sorry about that, Gabe...I know you caught hell about it. Are they still ragging on you?"
"Not so much anymore, but I don't care...I got the girl," he said and swallowed, thinking that wasn't quite right...he almost had her. He still hadn't brought up his mother with the counselor, but he would soon.
Gabe knew he needed to work out that issue, even if he couldn't work his way up to asking Karlie to marry him...one way or another it would eventually pop up in whatever relationship they did have. His mother leaving his dad like she had, out of the blue, and without explanation, had really left an impression on her six-year-old son. Long term relationships hadn't been something he'd ever considered before, because of it.
He was now, because he loved Karlie, but living together was the best he could do. If he could at least get Karlie to move in with him, they could take it one day at a time and get to know each other better, build some trust, and maybe he would feel like he was making progress to get past his committment phobia.
"Karlie, I've been thinking..." he said then gripped the door with his hand.
"Never a good sign," she said with a hoot, then asked him, "What's on your mind?"
"Things are getting better since I started the counseling, would you consider moving in with me?" There he'd spit it out and all he could do now was wait for her to shoot him down.
The only sound he heard for a full minute was the sound of Freddie's engine purring as she ramped up the speed when they moved onto the main highway, then she said, "You sure you want to do that?"
"More sure than I've ever been about anything
in my life. I love you, and I miss you when you're not around," he said knowing he sounded like a sappy lovesick fool, but he didn't care, it was the truth.
"I miss you too, Gabe...and sometimes I do feel like a third wheel with Cassie and Luke at the Double B, but I don't want to rush into anything and mess up what we have," she told him then looked over at him with a beautiful smile. "It's too good right now."
"It is pretty good, isn't it?" he said, realizing what she said was true. Gabe couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd been happier, more hopeful that things were going to be okay. Even his sister had commented on his improved mood and outlook.
"Damned good...so, you think we're ready for that?"
"I know I am...I want you with me all the time, not just when I can break away and visit you at the Double B...it's not enough. And there are too many damned people around for me to have my wicked way with you, whenever I please."
