Sniffing again, Doreen blinked away the moisture and turned to get her coat and backpack. Gabe walked her to the door and confirmed she’d pick the kids up tomorrow. He half expected her to quit on him, but she just nodded her head yes and waved goodbye.
Doreen, who was barely out of high school, was the best he could do. He’d preferred his last nanny, who was more like a grandmother to the kids and always prepared the most delicious meals. Sadly, she’d been diagnosed with heart palpitations and had to get a pacemaker. The doctor had advised her to take it easy, so she’d quit the first of December.
Gabe trudged back to the hall closet to get his dress coat. He buttoned it up as he stepped inside the frigid garage. He was too tired to walk the short distance and his truck would still be warm from the drive home. Plus, he would probably end up taking his kids into town to grab a cheeseburger.
Pulling out of his driveway, he glanced to the west and noted the position of the setting sun. It would soon disappear into the horizon, taking with it what little warmth it provided. While winter in Snow Valley was breathtakingly beautiful, Gabe wasn’t sure he liked this much snow. He doubted they’d see the grass until late April.
Parking in Ms. Jensen’s driveway, he drew in a deep breath and mentally prepared for the meeting. He wasn’t sure what her reception would be to him, but at least she’d been kind to his children.
Leaving the engine idling, he climbed out and almost slipped on a patch of ice. Treading more carefully, he finally made it to the porch. After ringing the doorbell, he pulled the collar of his coat together as he waited for her to answer the front door. Several seconds passed by, and he wondered if she was delaying on purpose. He pushed the doorbell again and then knocked loudly. A moment later, Ms. Jensen opened the door.
“Sorry that took so long. I had to get the cookies out of the oven.” She stepped back and motioned for Gabe to enter.
He was greeted by warm air scented with vanilla and chocolate. His empty stomach growled, and he wondered if homemade cookies could count as dinner tonight. Gabe hated cooking, but unless he hired another nanny like Mrs. Clark who not only watched his children, but also was a fantastic cook, he was stuck doing the job himself. Doreen made a mean grilled cheese sandwich, but that was the extent of her culinary gifts.
He could hear his kids laughing, and it warmed Gabe’s heart even more. “I’m sorry the kids got dumped on you like that.”
“I don’t mind. Your children are very sweet.”
While she smiled when she said this, her eyes narrowed a fraction, and Gabe got the message she hadn’t expected that because of his rude behavior. “Unlike their father?” he said dryly.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Not out loud.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, and she didn’t deny it. Gabe fought back a smile of his own. He might as well get this over with.
“Ms. Jensen, I want to apologize for being so rude to you last night. I know it doesn’t excuse my behavior, but I’d had a very trying day yesterday, not to mention a killer headache.”
Hazel eyes encased by thick, dark lashes studied him, a hint of a smile playing on her full lips. He hadn’t really noticed last night, but his neighbor was pretty. Gabe felt a tiny prick of awareness he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He ignored it and got down to business.
“Anyway, I’d like to make restitution for the puppies.”
Her eyes widened and she moistened her lips, leaving them pink and glossy. Gabe’s awareness spiked again, making him wish he’d sent Doreen to get the kids after all.
“Thank you, Mr. Wesson, but I’ve thought about what you said last night, and I agree we need to make sure Rascal is the father.”
“Daddy!” Lindsey cried out. “Come see the puppies. They are so, so cute.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Gabe mumbled under his breath.
One of Ms. Jensen’s eyebrows lifted up. “You don’t like puppies?”
Gabe sighed deeply. “Even I’m not big enough of a jerk to not like puppies, Ms. Jensen.”
“Please call me Piper.” She grinned. “And I’m glad to hear that since your children have decided they want one.”
He gave her a pointed look. “Exactly.”
She laughed softly, and Gabe felt his defenses slide a little. “So do I get to meet Rascal’s posterity?”
“Don’t you mean his alleged posterity?”
“Ouch.” He shook his head. “I guess I deserved that.”
The smirk on her face indicated she agreed with him. “I take it you’re an attorney?”
“Yes. And usually I’m a pretty nice guy.” He cringed when he thought about how rude he’d been. “I really am sorry.”
“Apology accepted, Mr. Wesson.”
“It’s Gabe.” He held out his hand. “Can we start over?”
A flicker of uncertainty crossed her features as she glanced down at his hand. “Of course,” she finally said, placing her palm against his.
The warmth of her skin made his pulse kick up a notch. Disturbed, he released his grip and took a step backward. “Thank you.” He nodded in the direction of where his children sat huddled around a boxed in area. “I guess I better get over there before they get any more attached.”
He didn’t wait for a response and quickly walked away. Feeling attracted to his neighbor was one thing. Acting on that attraction was out of the question. Gabe had vowed he would never marry again, which meant he didn’t date.
“Aren’t they so cute!” Lindsey said, reaching up and taking his hand. “We can’t touch them yet because Miss Piper said they’re too little right now.”
Gabe hoped by the time the puppies were ready to be adopted, his daughter would be so enamored with her new horse that she’d forget all about the puppies. He glanced down and the golden little bodies snuggled in next to their mother. He didn’t need Ian Davies to perform a test. It was quite obvious Rascal was the father.
“Hey, Dad,” Shane said. “They look like Rascal, huh?”
“They do, son.” He glanced at Piper. “I don’t think Ian needs to come by.”
“All right.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “But I won’t hold you accountable. I know better than to let Anastasia out of my sight when it’s her, um, time.”
“What’s her time mean?” Lindsey asked, wrinkling her little nose. His daughter was far too precocious and inquisitive for her age. She hadn’t let up about MaryEllen taking their baby brother away until Gabe explained that he wasn’t Baby Wesley’s father. Thankfully, Lindsey hadn’t asked for clarification. But she would one day, and Gabe didn’t look forward to that.
Piper got down on her knees next to Lindsey. “It just means that Anastasia was ready to be a mother.”
Gabe held his breath, hoping that answer would satisfy his daughter for now. She became distracted when one of the smaller puppies started whimpering as it was pushed out of the way by its bigger sibling.
Lindsey started to reach out, but Piper gently stopped her. “Remember we can’t touch them yet, sweetie.”
“I forgot.” Lindsey glanced up at Piper. “How old do they have to be again?”
“Three weeks,” Shane answered. “She already told you that.”
Lindsey’s lower lip quivered. Gabe knew his daughter well enough that if she were tired or hungry, she got her feelings hurt more easily. He started to reach out to her, but pulled his hand back to his side when Piper slipped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders.
“It’s okay.” Piper hugged Lindsey, and Gabe noticed how similar his daughter’s hair color was to Lindsey’s. “Pretty soon they’ll be big enough you can hold them. Then when they’re about twelve weeks old, they’ll be big enough to be adopted.”
“Adopted?” Lindsey gasped. “But you can’t take Anastasia’s babies from her. My mommy took our baby brother away, and it made us all so sad.”
Gabe stiffened, feeling like someone had punched him in the gut. The last thing he wanted to
do was get into a conversation about his ex-wife. He almost felt like he should just tell his story to each new person he encountered. That way when one of his kids mentioned their family’s dysfunctional dynamics, it wouldn’t take them by surprise. He chanced a glance at Piper and read the question in her eyes. Questions he didn’t want to answer.
It was time to go home.
Chapter 3
Compassion filled Piper’s heart at the stricken look on Gabe’s face. It appeared that she wasn’t the only one in life to have been hurt by someone you loved.
“Okay, kids,” he said, glancing away from her. “We’ve taken up enough time of Miss Piper’s. Please get your coats.”
“But, Daddy—”
Gabe cut off his daughter’s cry of protest. “Please don’t argue, Lindsey, or you won’t get any screen time this evening.”
Piper was impressed with Gabe’s form of discipline. While his tone was strict, he wasn’t cruel. It was further evidence that his behavior last night probably was out of the ordinary.
“Okay.” The little girl stood up and looked at Piper. “Can I come over tomorrow to see the puppies?”
Piper swallowed. While it had been nice to have visitors for a change, she wasn’t sure she wanted to encourage a relationship with her neighbors. Her stay in Snow Valley was temporary. Plus, she liked her anonymity. No one here looked at her as a home-wrecking-husband-stealer.
“I don’t know if tomorrow is a good day, sweetie.” Her eyes flitted over to Gabe’s, but he kept his gaze averted. “Maybe another time.”
The muscle in his jaw tightened. “Tell Miss Piper thank you, kids.”
“Thank you,” Shane said solemnly as he stood up. He watched his father, clearly aware of the tension in the room.
“Would you like to take some cookies home?” she asked the little boy in an attempt to make him feel better.
“That’s not necessary,” Gabe answered, finally meeting her gaze.
About to come to the boy’s defense, Piper saw the pain and anger reflected in Gabe’s blue eyes and softened her retort. “I would appreciate it if you would take them off my hands. I can’t possibly eat them all by myself.”
“Sure, okay,” he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his wool coat. “Thank you.”
Piper had to resist the urge to comfort this man and quickly walked into the kitchen before she did something impulsive like hug him.
“Can we please come back to see the puppies again, Daddy?” she heard Lindsey ask.
As Piper arranged all but two of the dozen chocolate chip cookies she’d baked onto a plate, she strained to hear Gabe’s soft answer. Part of her wanted him to say yes.
“We’ll see, pumpkin, but we have a busy week.”
Tearing off a piece of tinfoil, she wrapped it around the plate of cookies. Shane and Lindsey both had their coats on and stood next to their father who was waiting by the door.
“Thank you for coming by to visit,” she said to the children. Then she handed the cookies to their handsome father. “And thank you for taking the cookies.”
He frowned as he accepted the plate. “Ms. Jensen, I’ll be in touch with you about making restitution.”
“I told you that’s not necessary,” she said, noting he’d stopped calling her by her first name. “Since I haven’t received any of the down payments from the other breeder I was working with, my responsibility will most likely just be paying the vet’s bill.”
His frown deepened, carving grooves into his forehead. “I’ll take care of any costs you’ve incurred, including the down payment.”
It was clear the man wasn’t going to back down. “Thank you, Mr. Wesson. I’ll let you know once I have a total.” She wouldn’t ask him for the money, even if Emma did penalize her.
“Please do.” He studied her for a few moments longer and then turned and opened the door, ushering his children outside.
“Can we go to Big C’s?” she heard Shane ask his father.
“I suppose,” she heard Gabe answer just before she closed the door.
She frowned, thinking children needed more nourishing food than a fast-food diner that offered greasy food and ice cream. The chicken chili she planned to make for dinner was filled with all kinds of good veggies and there were always plenty of leftovers.
For a few seconds, she considered opening the door to catch Gabe before he left to tell him she would bring them dinner, but then she heard the rumble of his truck and dismissed the idea.
Making her way into the kitchen, she began dicing the celery and green peppers for the chili. Her heart skipped a few beats when she heard the doorbell ring. Were Gabe and his children back already? As she crossed the room to answer the door, a silly thought entered her mind. What if they were here to invite her to join them for dinner?
Her heart fluttered in her chest as she opened the door. Disappointment slowed her pulse rate when she saw it was Anastasia’s veterinarian, Ian Davies.
“Hey, Piper.” He flashed his white teeth, the tanned skin around his silvery blue eyes crinkling. “I was in the area and thought I’d stop by to see how Anastasia is doing.”
As always, Piper was taken aback by Ian’s striking appearance. He was ruggedly handsome with dark, wavy hair and a perpetual five o’clock shadow covering his jaw. While he was an attractive guy, Piper was grateful she wasn’t attracted to him. It made turning him down for a date a lot easier. He’d asked several times until Piper told him that she wasn’t looking to date right now. She blamed it on a bad breakup, which was true.
“Anastasia delivered the puppies last night,” she said, motioning for him to come inside.
“I’m guessing everything went okay?” he asked, standing close enough for her to get a whiff of his cologne. The man always smelled so good, unlike some of the vets she’d known over the years.
“Yes, for the most part.”
His brow furrowed. “Complications?”
“You could say that.”
They both turned and walked toward Anastasia’s nesting box. Ian got down on his haunches and gave a soft whistle. “Cute puppies. Wrong coloring and breed.” He angled his head and looked up at her. “Any idea who the rascal was?”
Despite the situation, Piper couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “The rascal was Rascal. At Ian’s look of confusion, she added, “Gabe Wesson’s dog.”
Rising to his feet, Ian ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Piper.”
“Thank you, but you don’t need to apologize.”
“I kind of do.” He blew out a big breath. “I’m the one who encouraged Gabe to adopt the dog. His son was having a hard time with his mother’s abandonment, and Gabe was told a dog would help. Rascal’s owners moved out of the country and just left the dog to fend for himself. He was a little malnourished when Gabe took him home so we postponed neutering him until he regained some of his strength.”
“It’s just as much my fault. I know better than to let Anastasia out at that time without me keeping a strict eye on her.”
“I’ll wave all my vet fees and help cover the other costs.”
Piper appreciated his offer, but thanks to her and her late-night visit to her neighbor, she already had the costs covered. “Thank you, but Mr. Wesson has already offered restitution.”
One of Ian’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s great, but how did he find out so quickly?”
Warmth flooded Piper’s face. “I kind of confronted him last night after the puppies were born.”
“Oh really?” The skin around Ian’s eyes crinkled again. “Define confront.”
Piper was grateful Gabe’s daughter had answered the door last night. It had cooled her temper enough that she didn’t make a fool of herself. “I guess it wasn’t so much of a confrontation. It was more like informing him his dog was the father.”
Ian grinned. “Well, I’m glad you two finally met.” He shrugged casually, but the mischievous glint in his eyes put her on alert. “Gabe’s a good guy and needs
to get back in the game again.”
Piper resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Apparently if the vet couldn’t get a date with her, he was hoping her neighbor would. “He can get back into the game, but just so we’re clear, I’m not interested in playing. I’ve been permanently benched.”
Laughing, Ian got down to examine Anastasia and her little brood of five. A few minutes later he declared they all seemed to be perfectly healthy. They talked about Anastasia’s diet, and he promised to drop off some samples of a new brand of food meant for nursing mothers. “I’ll do what I can to help you find homes for them.” He slipped on his coat. “Call me if you have any concerns.”
“Thank you for stopping by.” She walked him to the door. “Have a good night.”
Once Ian was gone, Piper made her way back into the kitchen. She should’ve invited Ian to stay for dinner. She’d already made it clear she wasn’t looking for a relationship, so what could it hurt to actually make a few friends?
Truthfully, she hadn’t realized how solitary and lonely her life was until the Wesson children had popped in for a surprise visit. They were sweet kids, and now that she knew some of their backstory, she wanted to reach out to them. Not everyone who lost a mother— whether by death or otherwise— was lucky enough to have a loving stepmother like Piper’s.
Tomi was right. It was time for Piper to stop alienating herself from the residents of Snow Valley. She was only here for a short time, so what could it hurt? She would start with her neighbors.
Feeling a little better, she added the chopped veggies to the pot and covered it with a lid to let it simmer. Maybe one night she would make the Wesson’s dinner. So it didn’t seem like she was trying to be anything more than a good neighbor, she would ask Gabe about the other homes and then offer them the same hospitality.
While the chili cooked, she found her laptop and opened her email. Emma was at a dog show in London and wouldn’t be back for two weeks. She really should notify her of the mishap. She started the email, but decided to hold off sending it until Emma returned home. Saving it to her drafts, she opened a new window and searched for any openings for a music director. A few openings were listed in Colorado, Idaho and Oregon for charter schools, but nothing in California.
Winter in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance) Page 31
