“Erika! I’m not finished talking to you!”
“Leave her alone,” Caleb warned.
“Get lost, punk.” He shoved Caleb’s shoulder and stomped past him. I thought he was going to follow her, but he turned and climbed into his pickup truck. My heart began to pound as the man started his truck and continued to yell profanities at Erika and Caleb.
“Over here,” I called to Erika. She was wearing her Albertsons shirt and apron. She opened the door behind Gabe and sat down.
“He’s my soon-to-be-never-again-husband. I haven’t been married a year,” said Erika. She touched my shoulder from behind. “He hasn’t always been like this. Douglas is all bark and no bite. I kicked him out of our place at my grandpa’s last month. He’ll get bored and start a fire somewhere else. Today is not one of his good days. He must have followed me. I wanted to check on Gabe.”
Gabe lifted his head off the window and opened his tired eyes at the mention of his name. I smiled at him as if the last five minutes never happened. He stretched over the center, set his head on my shoulder and sighed.
* * *
The cold air surprised me like a winter blast when I unlocked the cabin door and walked in expecting it to be hot. An air conditioning unit buzzed in the front window by the couch. I heard a second unit running in the bedroom. Gabe went straight to the shower while I played with the settings on the remotes. Neither of us acknowledged the black four door sedan that we passed at the end of the dirt driveway.
“Who did all this?” I asked when he opened the bathroom door and walked out in a towel. “The refrigerator is packed with food.”
“Ask yourself who would break in and do whatever they want.”
He fell into the bed and drew a pillow out from under the covers and curled up. I crawled across the mattress and wrapped my hands around him from behind.
“I’m sorry you got sick.”
Gabe grunted and rolled to his back. “I’m sorry you’re still wearing that dress.”
I set my ear on his wet skin and listened to his heart. It sounded normal. I draped my leg over his knees and closed my eyes. He was out cold.
After I had my turn in the shower, I braved the steamy yard in my bare feet and recovered the bag from my Jeep before Gabe woke up to complain he needed his glasses to read.
Back inside I wandered around the tiny space trying to think of something to do that wouldn’t wake him.
I checked my phone. The screen was black. I plugged the phone into the wall, pulled my wet hair back into a bun, and slid on my cowboy boots. My mother and sister left a tin of cookies for Travis as a thank you for helping Gabe. I had time to drive down the road and look for Travis’s farm.
When I parked in the stone driveway on the Ingarson’s property, Travis came galloping around the old farmhouse. I knew it was his place because his tractor was in the side yard. The house reminded me of Meggie’s house before Mr. Halden got his hands on it. It needed a good paint job and the wave of a magic wand. The land wasn’t as hilly as Gabe’s property, so I could see the fields push on and on without a tree in sight. It was nothing like New York.
“Do you want some lemonade?” he said as I got out. He didn’t even ask why I was at his place.
“No thanks. I came to thank you for helping Gabe yesterday and to give you this.”
The boy’s face turned red. He swiped his palms on his overhauls and extended his hand when I offered the gift. “No problem, ma’am. He’s a good boss.”
“Is that where your sister lives?”
He pointed past a dilapidated barn. “That’s her place behind my granddaddy’s workshop. She’s home.”
“I’m going to say hi.” I walked down a dirt path to a ranch-style house. It was more like Gabe’s prefabricated trailer than a traditional house. I knocked at the door.
“It’s open Trav,” Erika shouted. Her voice carried through the open window.
“It’s me, Avery Ross.” I pushed open the door.
Erika was sitting on the couch with her feet on a box. “Hi,” she said excitedly. “Come on in. Is Gabe okay?”
“I left him sleeping.”
I drew my glance around and took in the place. It was bare. And hot.
“Douglas took everything and put it in storage,” she said. “I bought this couch last week. I haven’t had time to shop for new stuff. I’ve been strapped for cash.”
My eyebrows pinched together in question. “Why did he do that?”
“He’s mean. Plain and simple. I should have known better.”
“So you get to stay here and he lives in the coop?”
“He works out of town most of the time. I wanted us to live here because this is my family’s place and sometimes I get lonely. As long as I can afford the utilities and pay rent to my grandpa, I can stay. That’s why I’m picking up work where I can find it. Luckily, most places are still hiring in town. Do you want to stay for lunch? I did a nightshift, but I can’t sleep.”
“I better get back to Gabe. Thanks anyway.”
She was still wearing her apron. “Let me at least get you a drink. It’s so hot in here.”
“We have air conditioning as of this morning.”
Her face lit up. “You have a lake too. Me and Troy used to camp out there when no one lived on the land. It’s the perfect place to cool off.”
I thought about Gabe and how I should get back to him, but I was enjoying the visit. “Travis said your grandfather worked on the ranch.”
She looked in the refrigerator and then lifted out a jar of sun tea. “For a while he and my nana lived in the cabin where you and Gabe live.” She pinched her lips together and smiled with her eyes. “You’re lucky, Avery. Gabe’s a great guy. I’ve always liked the Halden boys. I was the tomboy who drove an ATV and shot rabbits in the field right along with them.”
I thanked her when she handed me a glass.
“Let’s sit on the porch. There’s a breeze out back.”
I followed her through a broken sliding glass door.
“Do you miss New York?”
I sat on the edge of the porch and dangled my legs. “I miss my best friend, but my family moved here. Now my mother’s pregnant again.”
We sipped our drinks and watched the clouds move in slow motion over the boundless countryside.
“Gabe told me about you last summer,” she said.
I held my breath.
“It was more of what he didn’t say. He was acting different.”
“He acted like he didn’t care one way or another when he first met me. So you talk to him a lot?”
She sat back and crossed her legs. My heart told me not to ask such questions, but I did it anyway.
“Not lately. He stops into the store occasionally for candy and pop. When I used to give Troy a ride to work, I’d see Gabe onsite.”
“He told me you helped him when Eli died.”
“That was tough. Everyone sort of went through their own thing. He was left alone to figure it out. I tried to be there for him. He and Eli were so close. He idolized his brother. Everyone adored him. I admit I had a crush on Eli since I was ten.”
“I have to admit I was jealous of you.”
Erika patted her chest when she started coughing. “Jealous of me and Gabe?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re just friends. But if he were like Caleb, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that way.”
I sighed and hung my head back to let the sun sting my cheeks. “Caleb thinks he’s god’s gift to women.”
“He is,” she said and laughed. “But he’s got a kid.”
“That’s the latest version of the story. I took a sip of my drink. The ice had completely melted. “How did you know Judson was Gabe’s father?”
“Caleb told me. Sometimes we run into each other at the hospital. He seemed upset one day.”
I waited for a breeze, but there wasn’t any. “He was upset about the paternity results?”
She held her drink t
o her cheek to cool her skin with the condensation. “He didn’t say that, but I figured. Boys rarely talk about feelings. I have two younger brothers. They punch each other to get the point across. I would have liked a sister.”
“If you’re serious, you can have mine. I’m sure Gabe would be happy to share his with you too.”
Erika laughed. “Your sister is the cutest thing.”
We turned our heads when a vehicle stopped hard in the driveway and honked. Erika’s expression concerned me.
“Does your husband ever come back here?”
She stood up. I followed her as she walked around the house with a quick step.
“That’s Gabe’s truck,” I said. The black Ford was parked by the barn. We both stopped short of being spotted. A fence hid my Jeep which shielded us from view.
Judson jumped down from the front seat and fixed his cowboy hat on his forehead. He scanned the property purposefully and then started toward the barn. He walked like Gabe.
I held my breath as I watched two men come out. One was wearing overhauls and walked with a cane; the other man had snow white hair when he lifted his cowboy hat in greeting. They looked to be welcoming Judson. When they shook hands, the blood drained out of my face.
“That’s my grandpa, but I don’t know who the other man is,” Erika whispered as if she understood my desire to stay out of sight.
My shoulders fell. I gradually released the breath I was squeezing in my chest. “I know who he is,” I answered in disbelief, unable to comprehend that Judson would have anything to do with him. “He’s Brigg Barrett. Hunt Barrett’s father.”
Nine
My phone was on speaker.
“This is Lane…leave a message.”
I didn’t give the beep half a second before I blurted, “Lane, it’s Avery again. Why aren’t you answering? You were right about Judson. He did something unforgiveable. I wasn’t supposed to see it, and I think I need to tell your father, but I’m afraid Gabe will get upset if he finds out I’m involved. Gabe’s okay by the way. In case you were wondering, your brother is out of the hospital and home. Please call me.”
I didn’t think Gabe heard me grab my phone and take it outside. I slipped back into the cabin after I made the call. There was a thumping coming from the bedroom. It was repetitive and loud. Gabe was hitting a tennis ball against the wall.
“Do Joel and Judson have anything to do with each other?” I asked as I crawled onto the bed and studied his face. He had the air conditioning on high. The room was so cold I pulled a sheet over my legs.
“Nope,” he said as he hit the wall harder and caught the rebound. “If they did, Jud wouldn’t have missed the wedding.”
Gabe tossed the ball, slid down the headboard, and stared at the ceiling with his knees up. I had expected him to be reading, but his glasses were on the dresser.
“Where’d you go?” he asked.
I kicked an empty bottle of Gatorade to the floor and set his empty plate on a box beside the bed.
“I went to thank Travis, and then I visited with Erika.”
He turned his chin and glared at me with a cockeyed expression. “Your new best friend Erika?”
“She’s really nice. I like her.”
“I like her too,” he said with a sly grin. “Is my truck back?”
I rolled into his embrace. “I don’t think so. We could go for a drive in your car.”
I felt torn about lying. He wouldn’t believe me if I told him I saw Judson with Brigg Barrett. He would just get angry, and I didn’t want to do that to him.
“Nah. I’m not in the mood.” He ran his hand over the scars on my shoulder. The skin still felt tight. He leaned over to get a better feel of my arm.
I traced the small spot on his temple where he was hit during the cabin episode in Texas.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I told him and squeezed my arms around his chest.
He kissed my forehead. “Did you ask Travis about the motel?”
“I want to ask Deliah first. Why don’t we go over to Meggie’s?”
* * *
“Avy, get in!” Brianna shouted when we arrived at my aunt’s house later that day. I persuaded Gabe to go for a ride in my Jeep after he woke up from his nap.
My sister was running circles under a sprinkler while Meggie watched Emmie in a kiddie pool.
“Welcome to Halden Spa,” Meggie said.
“It’s a damn shame y’all can’t afford a real pool,” Gabe replied as he took off his HalRem hat and ran his hand through his hair.
She laughed. “I’m glad you find this funny, kiddo. You’re sounding like yourself. You can take that up with your dad. He’s the bread winner.”
“Have you seen Jud?” he asked.
Meggie looked away. “No, kiddo.”
“Cowboys like pools,” Brianna told Gabe even though he wasn’t wearing his hat from Judson. “Did you bring me candy?”
“He ate all of the candy,” I answered. “I’m sure Aunt Meggie has Popsicles in her freezer.”
“I’m heading in,” Gabe told me when my sister picked up a water gun and aimed it at him.
I sat on a towel next to my aunt and stuck my hand in the pool. The water was warm. Emmie clapped her hands and made waves. She was wearing a sun hat and nothing else. I snuck a peek at my phone even though I knew Lane wasn’t going to answer me. Then I pulled off my boots and crossed my legs. “Thanks for the air conditioning. It’s really cold at the cabin.”
“You bet.”
“Where’s my mother?”
“Your folks went house hunting again even though Joel offered to arrange a meeting with his contractor. He’s got a tract of land about a mile from here that would be perfect—but I don’t blame them for wanting to do it on their own.” She lifted her sunglasses and rubbed her eyes. Then she motioned toward the house. “How’s the cowboy? I’d love to see him go back to work for his dad. Preferably in an office.”
“He’s slow as molasses. He’s been in a mood since we got home.”
My sister plopped down in my lap in her bathing suit and soaked my shorts. “I love North Datota,” she said. “Don’t you just love it, Avy?”
Meggie and I chuckled so hard we caused Emmie to squeal and slap the water.
“Um…I love the people who live here,” I said. “Who do you love?”
“Caleb Halden,” she answered straight away.
Meggie closed her lips and snorted. Her shoulders quaked uncontrollably. I thought she was going to tip over.
I untwisted the straps on Brianna’s suit. “You love Caleb? Since when? I thought you loved Gabe.”
Brianna tapped her finger on her lips and thought deeply about my question. “I love them both.” She jumped up and ran across the yard, turned around, and ran back into the sprinkler.
“Smart kid. Keeping her options open,” said Meggie.
“You have no right to go through my private bag!” Deliah screamed into the peaceful yard as she charged out of the house and grabbed her backpack off the ground. She was wearing a swimsuit, but she didn’t appear to be sticking around. I jumped up and caught the handle before she could run off.
“Stop a minute. What are you talking about?” I said.
“You know. Gabe just interrogated me.”
“The room card? I only found it because Caleb used this to pack Gabe’s things for the hospital. He thought it was empty. We didn’t go through your bag.”
“What room card?” Meggie asked.
Deliah was still holding onto the bag with me. I tightened my gaze on her sour expression and waited to see if she would explain.
“There’s a motel card in her bag. Gabe wants to know why,” I replied.
“You’ll never get it out of me!” Deliah yelled and ran back into the house.
Meggie looked down and shook her head. “I need another honeymoon.”
“I thought things were getting better.”
“Not since she learned Shelly was moving away. It bro
ke her like a promise. It breaks my heart too. Those girls have been glued at the hip. She could use some time with Judson too. This is all confusing to her.”
“He’s in trouble,” I said as Brianna sat down beside me and leaned over the side of the pool to squeeze Emmie’s feet. The baby squealed at my sister.
“Kiddo, please don’t worry. He’s a smart man. I promise he didn’t do anything bad.”
“You don’t know,” I said as I contemplated telling her everything.
“What if I do, honey? Can you trust me?”
“Aunt Meggie, there are cars waiting for him to show up at Gabe’s ranch. Can’t Joel make them go away? I think they’re going to arrest him. And there’s some—”
The Judson conversation was over as soon as Brianna stood up and patted her belly and announced, “Mommy’s fat.”
Meggie and I exchanged glances.
“Maybe she ate a lot of breakfast. She’s not fat.”
Brianna stuck her face in mine. “Oh she is too.”
Meggie touched my arm and gave me her we’ll talk later eyes. “They haven’t said anything about the upcoming arrival—but I guess today is better than never.”
We packed up the girls when a crew of HalRem workers came home from their shift. Meggie jogged over with Emmie in her arms to give them a personal welcome.
I found Gabe on the couch in the living room watching the ceiling. “Your sister hates me now,” I told him. “I thought you were going to let me talk to her about the room card.”
“She won’t say how she got it,” he said.
“That’s because you probably yelled at her. I was going to ask nicely.”
He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. I lifted the cap off his head and leaned over to kiss his forehead and check his temperature.
“No, Avy. No,” Brianna said firmly as she squirted me with a water pistol. “Don’t kiss sick people.”
“You can’t bring that in the house,” I scolded.
Gabe laughed. When he sat up, my sister stepped back and dropped the toy.
“He’s not that kind of sick. I can kiss him because he’s my boyfriend.”
The Luxury of Being Stubborn (The Stubborn Series Book 4) Page 19
