Straightening up, she smiled. “You could send him to obedience school.”
“Sounds good. How long is he gone for?”
That made her laugh. “Sorry, but it usually doesn’t work that way.”
“Too bad.” He gave her a smile that let her know he was teasing her. “I guess I’ll have to look into that.”
She heard the resignation in his voice. Obedience school would add another brick to his burdens. “I could help you,” she said before really thinking about what she was saying. At the look of surprise on his face, she quickly added, “I mean, if you can’t find anyone else. I’ll bet Ian Davies would be able to recommend someone. I can even—”
“Would you really be willing to help us with Rascal?” he asked, interrupting her rambling. His look of surprise had now transformed into hope. How could she say no?
“Of course.”
The dog continued to bark, and Gabe tried again to quiet him. He shot Piper a skeptical look. “And you think he’s teachable?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “You’d be surprised how quickly he can learn.”
“When can you start?”
She pressed her lips together, barely stopping herself from blurting out she could start right now. She didn’t want to come across as too eager.
Gabe obviously took her hesitation the wrong way. “I know you’re busy so whenever you can do it is fine with me. And I want to pay you for your time.”
“That’s—”
“I know what you’re going to say, so before you argue with me and tell me that’s not necessary, you should know that I won’t take no for an answer. If I enrolled the dog in an obedience class I’d have to pay, plus I’d more than likely have to travel somewhere. So I’m paying you.”
Piper knew it wouldn’t be much money, but anything would help right now. “If you insist, then I agree to your terms.”
They stared at each other and she found it so strange that they’d been neighbors for over two months, yet they hadn’t once spoken to each other. It was sad to say that if Gabe’s dog hadn’t done what he’d done, she was certain she still wouldn’t have talked to her neighbor.
“When is a good time for you?” Gabe asked.
“I’m pretty open right now, so whatever works for you is good. It will be helpful if we are consistent, so I’d recommend at least four days a week to start off.” When Gabe’s brow furrowed, she hurried to clarify, “If all you want is for him to learn some basic commands, I’m guessing a week or two is all we’ll need.”
“Seriously? You can train him to listen to me in that short of time?”
“Like I said, you’ll be surprised by how quickly he’ll learn.”
“I don’t suppose those techniques will work on my kids?”
The teasing grin on his face made her laugh softly. “Probably not. But your children are angels.”
“They are good kids, but believe me when I say they can try my patience.” He sighed, and his breath fogged the cold air. “Right now they’re both in timeout for pitching a fit about staying home for dinner.”
“They don’t like your cooking, huh?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call frozen pizza or hotdogs cooking. My nanny/housekeeper/cook had to quit due to health reasons. We’ve all been going through withdrawals. Either I need to learn how to cook palatable meals or I need to hire someone to do it for me.” He grimaced. “I really can’t bring myself to eat one more night at Big C’s. That’s where the kids wanted to go tonight.”
She thought about the chicken enchiladas she planned to make for dinner and wondered if it was too much to volunteer to bring them dinner. Truthfully, there was always enough food so it wouldn’t be an extra burden. She just wouldn’t have any leftovers the next night. Clamping her lips together, she refrained from blurting out an invitation. Goodness, the poor guy would probably think she was stalking him or something.
Piper felt Anastasia bump up against her leg, and she started to whine softly. She was ready to get back to her babies. It was the perfect reason to go inside before she volunteered to cook for the family every night.
“Well, good luck tonight.”
“Thanks.”
She waved before turning around and opening the door. Before she could go inside, Gabe called out to her.
“So, should I text you about setting up a schedule to turn Rascal into a gentleman?”
Despite the cold temperatures, she warmed inside at the thought of him texting her. “Sounds good.”
Their eyes held for a moment, and she felt that connection again. Attraction— according to the definition her sister had sent her. But Piper wasn’t ready to name her emotion as attraction. To admit she was attracted to him could lead to falling in love with him, which could lead to having her heart crushed by another man.
Forcing her mouth into another smile, she lifted a hand and waved. Once she was back inside the house, she tried to vanquish any notion about being more than just a friendly neighbor to Gabe, but it was difficult to do.
What a dangerous path her thoughts had taken her. Dangerous, because if she let herself think about the possibilities, and then if it didn’t work out, it would be another loss. She wasn’t sure her heart could take another loss.
Chapter 6
Gabe finished loading the last plate into the dishwasher and quickly added the soap before closing the door and starting the machine. He glanced around the kitchen, grateful he’d gotten home a little early so he could clean up the mess. Unfortunately, his nanny didn’t do dishes either.
Satisfied the kitchen no longer resembled a disaster area, he made his way into the family room to see if his children had obeyed him. Despite how good they usually were, the past couple of days they’d been a little obstinate.
Glancing at his watch, he felt his gut tighten with apprehension. Piper would be here any moment. He was both excited to see and terrified of that pretty neighbor of his. Although he’d vowed to never get into another relationship with a woman again, he’d forgotten about chemistry. And there was plenty of chemistry whenever he was around her.
“We did it, Daddy,” Lindsey said, pulling him from his thoughts. “See how good I did putting my Barbie stuff away?”
“You did great, Princess.” He accepted an exuberant hug from his daughter. “Thank you for listening to me.”
He glanced over at Shane, who was cleaning up the last of his Legos. “Looks good, Shane.”
“I don’t see why we have to clean up our toys,” he said sullenly. “I’m just gonna get them out again tomorrow.”
Gabe tried not to smile. His son had a point, which was usually why Gabe never insisted on them cleaning up every night. “I know, buddy, but thanks for obeying me.”
Shane rolled his eyes. “I don’t see why Rascal needs obedience lessons. He’s already a good dog and hasn’t gotten into anyone’s trash for a while now.”
“He’s gotten into ours twice this week and barks at anything that moves or makes a noise.”
“Isn’t that what dogs do?” Shane asked with just enough sarcasm to give Gabe a preview of what it might be like to have a teenager someday.
“Yes, but even you told me how annoying it is that Rascal won’t stop barking whenever you go outside to play with him.”
Shane didn’t reply, which meant Gabe had won the round. In reality, Gabe hadn’t known a dog could really be that obedient. He’d grown up on a ranch with several dogs, and they always kind of did their own thing.
The doorbell sounded, and his nerves kicked in, making his mouth feel dry. He swallowed and told himself to get a grip. Piper would be coming over for the next five nights in a row, and he didn’t need the added complication of being attracted to his temporary next-door neighbor.
Rascal started barking at the door. He knew if he opened it, the dog would jump up on Piper and then bolt outside. At least the invisible fence had been worth the money it cost. He could only go to the edge of the yard before stopping.
&n
bsp; “Shane, can you please take Rascal out back while I let Miss Piper in?”
“He won’t hurt her,” he said, giving Gabe another exaggerated eye roll. “Besides, she likes dogs.”
“Please do as I ask?” Gabe hooked his finger under Rascal’s collar and led him over to Shane. As soon as he knew the dog was outside, he wiped his palm across his pant leg and opened the door. “Hey, come on in.”
“Thank you.” She stomped a few times on the porch to get the snow off of her boots and then stepped into the entryway.
As Gabe closed the door, she started to take off her coat. “Let me hang that up for you,” he said, holding out his hand. A light flowery scent wafted around him as he slipped her coat onto a hanger and hung it in the closet.
“Thanks.” She had already taken off one boot and was in the process of slipping off the other one. He smiled when he saw her striped finger-toe socks that looked as if she’d donned a pair of knit gloves on her feet.
“Cute socks.”
“Oh.” Pink tinged her cheeks as she glanced down to look at her feet. “I completely forgot I had these on.”
“Can I have gloves for my feet too?” Lindsey asked, crowding in around Gabe’s legs.
“Maybe for your birthday,” Gabe said, smiling at his daughter.
“I’ll be seven!” Lindsey announced this to Piper while holding up the correct number of fingers.
“Seven?” Piper said. “That’s amazing.”
Lindsey beamed and reached out to take Piper’s hand. “Do you want to see my Barbie’s? I had to put them away because Daddy said our house was a pigsty.”
Gabe felt his own face redden when Piper looked at him with amusement. “It’s been a while since we’ve done a good cleaning.”
Piper’s eyes twinkled with laughter before she turned her attention back to Lindsey. “I would love to see your Barbie’s.”
Gabe watched the pair cross the room hand in hand. Piper sat down next to Lindsey, and again he noticed how closely the color of their hair resembled one another. MaryEllen’s hair had been lighter in color and had a red tint to it. It struck him that if Piper and Lindsey were to be seen in public, people would naturally assume they were mother and daughter.
He moved closer and was tempted to pull out his phone to take a picture. He honestly couldn’t remember his ex-wife ever sitting down with Lindsey to ask about each of her Barbie’s. She was usually too busy working out at the gym or off to Billings on a shopping spree.
“And this horse looks just like Dolly,” Lindsey said, holding up a Barbie-sized palomino horse. “That’s the name of the horse Daddy is giving me for my birthday.”
“You’re a lucky little girl.” Piper reached out and touched the toy animal. “I always wanted a horse.”
Gabe hoped Piper didn’t think he overindulged his children. He really tried not to, but sometimes giving his kids gifts made him feel like he was somehow making up for the loss of their mother. Besides, a horse was a good way to teach a child how to work hard by caring for the animal.
“Want to see my new dress?” Lindsey asked, popping up to her feet. “Caytie gave it to me and it’s so pretty.”
His daughter started to tug on Piper’s hand, leading her toward the stairs to go up to her bedroom. Gabe couldn’t let them go up there. Lindsey’s room was a mess. The little girl had more stuffed animals than a gaming booth at the county fair. Her bed wasn’t made— that task was a low priority and wasn’t worth the fight each morning. However, he was still behind on laundry, which meant most of the dirty clothes cluttered her floor.
Piper looked to Gabe for permission. He was torn about what to do. Obviously his daughter was starved for attention from a woman. He tried to be both mother and father, but with all the other responsibilities, he often fell short. Like having a messy house.
“Not now, Linds. Miss Piper is here to help us with Rascal. We don’t want to take up too much of her time.” Thankfully, Shane and Rascal came bounding in, thwarting the argument his daughter was about to launch.
The dog jumped up on Lindsey and then proceeded to jump up on Piper. She popped her knee gently and in a commanding voice said, “No. Down.”
Rascal tried again to jump on her, but Piper repeated the procedure. This time Rascal complied, and she immediately pulled a treat from her pocket and gave it to the dog. “Good boy.” Then she looked at Gabe and the kids. “First lesson. It’s not okay for Rascal to jump on anyone. He doesn’t know that because he’s just trying to be friendly and say hello.
“Can we teach him to shake his paw instead?” Shane asked, as if finally catching on that having an obedient dog might not be such a bad thing after all.
“That would be a lot of fun, but first we need to show Rascal who is in charge.”
“How do we do that?” Lindsey asked.
“Well, dogs live in packs, which is like a big family. There is always a leader of the pack called the Alpha male. Right now, Rascal is the Alpha male in this family.” Piper said this while looking at Gabe. He might have taken it as an insult if not for the small smile that flickered at the corners of her mouth. “Rascal doesn’t really want the job as Alpha male and will be happy to have someone else take over.”
“Can I do it?” Shane asked, raising his hand like he was in an actual classroom. “That sounds cool.”
Piper glanced down at Shane and smiled. “Yes, you can do it.” Her gaze traveled to Lindsey. “You can all be the Alpha male so Rascal can just have fun being a dog.”
“I don’t want to be a male alphabet,” Lindsey said, scrunching up her nose in distain. “Can I be a princess instead?”
Stifling a laugh, Gabe caught Piper’s eye, and they shared a smile. “Yes, you can be a princess.” She placed a hand on top of Lindsey’s head and slid her palm down the length of her hair.
The affectionate gesture made Lindsey lean into Piper’s side. It took Gabe by surprise, while at the same time making him feel envious. Longing to be touched in such an intimate and tender way burned inside his chest.
Obviously his daughter wasn’t the only one starved for a woman’s attention.
Piper was a good teacher, and by the end of their hour-long lesson, they’d all grasped a basic idea of how to make positive changes with Rascal. It gave Gabe hope that the dog would become more family than a nuisance. That is if the lesson’s stuck.
Lindsey yawned, and Gabe realized it was nearing the kids’ bedtime. Usually he was ready to get them into bed because it gave him a little time to himself. However, tonight he was reluctant to say anything. He knew if he did, Piper would likely go home, and he didn’t want her to leave.
But when Lindsey started whining about Shane giving Rascal a treat without making him listen first, he knew it was time for bed. She would only grow increasingly unreasonable. His little princess required at least ten hours of sleep to be happy.
“Okay you two,” Gabe said, interrupting their argument, “it’s time for bed.”
“But I’m not tired,” Shane whined.
“I’m not either,” Lindsey said with a yawn.
“You both have school in the morning. Please say goodnight to Miss Piper.”
“No.” Lindsey crossed her arms across her body and jutted out her lower lip. “I still need to show her my dress.”
Gabe didn’t want the evening to end on a bad note. He scooped up his daughter and tickled her tummy, making the little girl giggle. “You don’t have any treats in your pockets that will make children obey Daddy’s, do you?” he asked Piper.
She grinned. “I might have a few left.” She pulled out the doggy treats. “I’ll give you each a treat if you go do what your Daddy asked.”
“But they’re for a dog,” Lindsey protested.
Shane rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t give us dog treats.” Then a mischievous smile crossed his face. “But if I go to bed right now, can I have an extra half hour of screen time tomorrow?”
“You’re a smart negotiator.” Gabe reach
ed out and tousled his son’s hair. “All right, you’ve got a deal.”
“Thanks, Dad!” Shane pumped a fist in the air and raced upstairs.
Lindsey cupped her father’s face in her hands. “What do I get if I go right to bed?”
“What would you like?” Gabe pressed his forehead against his daughter’s. He supposed he could always bring the dress downstairs if that’s what Lindsey really wanted.
“I want Miss Piper to go sledding with us.”
Gabe swallowed hard as the words hung in the air. That was the last thing he expected his daughter to ask for. At her age, she had no idea what it would mean if Piper showed up with him and his kids to a Snow Valley social event. Everyone would assume he was dating Piper. Funny, while that thought still made him nervous, he found he wasn’t completely opposed to it. But how did Piper feel?
“I don’t know. We’ll have to ask her.”
He turned to look at Piper as Lindsey repeated her wish. His gut churned with apprehension as two emotions— fear and hope— competed for her answer to be yes.
The look on Piper’s face said she might be feeling the same way.
Chapter 7
Why did it feel like she’d just been asked the million-dollar question and she wasn’t sure if she had the right answer? Placing a hand over her fluttering stomach, Piper moistened her lips and tried to read whether or not Gabe wanted her to accept the invitation.
She was torn. On one hand, she knew it wasn’t smart to get too attached to this family. But on the other hand, what would one evening of fun hurt? It’s not like Gabe had asked her out on a date.
“You don’t have to come with us,” Gabe said. “But we’d really like it if you did.”
Heat unfurled inside her chest, and her heart thumped wildly. That was sort of like asking her on a date, right?
“I’d like to come, but I don’t have a sled.”
“We can share with her, right, Daddy?” Lindsey said sweetly.
“Yes, princess.” Gabe’s eyes bounced to his daughter’s and then back to Piper. “We can share with her.”
Winter in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance) Page 34
