by Vivian Arend
Rafe chuckled. “That’s because younger brothers have way more energy.”
“Asshole.”
“Jerk.” Someone shouted in the background. “We can continue this scintillating conversation over dinner. Tell Allison I love her, and I will be there with my lima-bean-eating fork at the ready.”
Gabe was still laughing as he worked his way over to his final task of the day.
He paused before diving in, though, tucked around the corner far enough back that Mark couldn’t see him. Gabe stood and watched while something increasingly uncomfortable built in his chest.
Mark was hauling sacks of feed off a pallet, carrying them across and stacking them in a dry, secure location. Each one he picked up just emphasized his strength—and Gabe was struck with a contrasting image of his own father before he passed on.
Ben had been old. Crooked in his soul, crooked in his body. He hadn’t been able to lift a heavy weight like that for years, but Gabe would never have held that against him if it hadn’t been for the bitterness in his heart.
Heck, Uncle Mike was older. And while he didn’t try to outlift his sons anymore, he also didn’t complain, or scold, or blame.
Watching Mark move made Gabe have to come face-to-face with a part inside him that regretted his relationship with his father. Nothing he could’ve done to fix it—the break had been on Ben’s side—but that didn’t reduce the pain.
To add to his burden, Gabe had heard the rumours from the girls regarding some incident involving his mother and uncle. Allison had told him to mind his own business when he had wanted to march over and demand to know exactly what Mark had done. Her cooler head had prevailed, and now he was glad.
Uncle Mark had been around Rocky for over a month, and judging the man by his day-to-day action made it easier for Gabe to admit that maybe having him there was a good thing.
As Gabe joined him, Mark offered a brief smile and head tilt. “Hoped to have this done before you showed up.”
“You’re gonna make me look like a slacker,” Gabe offered dryly, stepping aside to let the other man pass with his burden before joining in the queue. “I don’t mind a little weightlifting on a cold day. Gets the blood pumping.”
“Ha.” The bag smacked into position on top of the others, and Mark turned back with a grin. “Your grandfather used to say that about a lot of things. Gets the blood pumping. He used it on cold days, on hot days, on boring days—”
“Boring days?”
Mark hefted another bag onto his shoulder. “You know, the twenty-third pass of the field in the spring when you’re finally able to stop until the first cut? He’d tell us ‘quiet contemplation is good for a man. Gets the blood pumping to ponder for a while about all the things he can accomplish’.”
There was another twinge of remorse. Gabe loved hearing stories about his grandfather, but it was usually Uncle Mike or Uncle Randy who shared them. Gabe had wondered if there’d been a bit of judicious editing going on.
“Did my dad get along with Grampa Royce?” The question surprised Gabe as much as Mark.
The other man lowered the bag on his shoulder a little less vigorously, seemingly lost in thought. “They didn’t not get along,” he said slowly. As if he was choosing his words carefully. “Ben liked to do things his own way. That didn’t always fit well with your grandpa.”
Gabe worked silently for a moment before Mark spoke again.
“Your grandfather, like all of us Coleman men, wasn’t always right. Some of the times, what Ben wanted wasn’t out of line.”
It was the fairest, kindest thing Gabe had heard anybody say about his father in a long time. He met Mark’s gaze. “Thank you for that.”
Mark looked uncomfortable. And Gabe really didn’t want to start in on another conversation that would make him uncomfortable as well, so he changed the topic. “Want to stay for supper?”
“I’d like that. Thanks.” The sheer happiness on the other man’s face made Gabe feel bad for not having issued an invitation sooner.
When it was time to call it a day, Gabe gestured to the shower room they’d added when they’d built the new barn. “You can get cleaned up in there. Side cupboard will hold some T-shirts that should fit you. The cousins have left clothes here over the years, so it’s a bit of a free-for-all. I can grab you a shirt once you come in the house.”
“Will do.” Mark held out his hand.
It wasn’t the usual end-of-the-day ritual, but at the same time it made sense. Gabe reached out and offered a solid handshake. “It was good working with you.”
Once again Mark’s appreciation shone through. “I’m glad. Me too.”
Gabe wandered over to the house, a little bit of nostalgia messing with the what if’s in his brain.
Which meant he was all the way into his and Allison’s bedroom, headed for the shower, when he paused, turned around, and went back to look. “Allison? I was going to ask if you could set the table for one more, but you’ve already set it for five.”
She whirled from the stove where she was stirring something that smelled amazing. “Laurel and Dana’s thing got cancelled, so I told them to join us.”
“Oh, shit.”
Allison’s eyes widened. Both of them glanced over at Micah, who was tossing toys back into the playpen as Ariel happily threw them out.
“Sorry. Both for the swear and the fact that I invited Uncle Mark to join us for dinner.”
“Oh, shit.”
Allison slapped a hand over her mouth. Gabe snickered.
Then she shrugged. “It was going to happen sometime. At least this is a safe setting.” She gave him a quick glance. “Still, shower fast. I do not want to deal with this by myself, and Laurel said they’d be here in under ten minutes.”
The temptation to linger under the hot water was there, only Gabe wouldn’t do that to Allison or to his mom. He was dressed and ready to greet them when they arrived.
Dana accepted his hug then headed for the most important people in the room, scooping Ariel out of her playpen and pressing kisses all over her face.
Rafe grinned as he caught Laurel against him. “Nice surprise.”
Her cheeks were flushed when he brought her back to vertical.
Gabe was about to warn them all about the final guest when a knock sounded on the door.
“I’ll get it.” Laurel danced over, pulling it open. “Oh. It’s you.”
It was only because Gabe was watching that he saw his sister-in-law blush beet red, which was a thing he only saw when she’d been caught in a lie.
Uncle Mark’s deep chuckle sounded. “Mind if I come in? It’s a little cold to let the breeze in.”
Laurel snapped to attention. She glanced over her shoulder as if looking for assistance. Her gaze darted over Dana then landed on Gabe.
He took pity on her, marching forward and holding out a hand. “Uncle Mark. Come in. We’ve got a few more for dinner than I expected, but Allison always cooks enough for an army, so we’ll be okay.”
“Good to know.” His gaze had shot straight to Dana, but he spoke to Allison. “Smells wonderful in here.”
“Lima beans and liver, or so Gabe claims,” Rafe said as he came forward and shook Mark’s hand as well. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Just water.” Mark knelt to say hello to Micah, who had made his way over and was tugging at his jeans. “Hello, young man.”
Micah lifted his arms, and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Mark picked him up. He held the toddler with an easy confidence.
Meanwhile, Gabe had been sneaking peeks at his mom. After the initial widening of her eyes, she had turned to absolute calm. A kind of peacefulness that said nothing could touch her.
He hated it with everything in him. That was how she had reacted when Ben had been acting out. She’d gone cold. Not icy as if annoyed, but silent like a lifeless winter day. Making sure she didn’t draw any attention to herself, to ensure whatever it was that had set Ben off didn’t get repeated.
Gabe went straight to her and took her hands, speaking quietly. “If this doesn’t work for you, tell me. Because family or not, this is your place first.”
Dana lost some of her quiet, her lips curling upward and her head tilting slightly. She raised a hand and patted his cheek as if he were no bigger than Micah. “You really are my angel boy, aren’t you?”
“I can be the devil if that’s what you need,” he promised.
But she smiled, shaking her head. “I was surprised, but this is not wrong. You said it. Mark’s family, and he deserves a chance to find where he fits.”
By the time everything was on the table and all the chairs were occupied, including the highchair that somehow found its way beside Laurel, some of the tension in the room had faded.
Rafe shared a story about their cousin-in-law Cassidy being distracted enough that they’d found him surrounded by an entire nest of kittens. Allison mentioned something that happened with her brother down at the restaurant, which led to Gabe bringing up an item to put on the agenda for growing come the spring.
It was an easy conversation, family-filled and bright.
Dana turned to Mark. “Tell us a bit about your time away. My boys say you’re back on the schedule, but you never wanted to ranch.”
“Did a lot while I was gone. Some of it was fun, some of it was sheer work.” Their uncle wiped a napkin over his mouth and considered. “Truth is, when I said I didn’t want to ranch anymore, it was for a lot of reasons, but none of them were really about the work itself.”
“You drove a truck for a while.” Laurel was making faces the way people do when feeding babies. She waited until Ariel had a mouthful, caught the overspill, and fed it to her again before lifting her gaze to Mark’s. “When you found Becky.”
“That was pretty much the last job I did, yeah.” He stared at the ceiling for a minute. “Driving was a quiet trade. Just one man, although I listened to a lot of radio and audio. Took some online classes even. A librarian at one of the places I lived put together some courses for me one time. It wasn’t anything that gave me a degree to hang on the wall, but I know a little about a lot of things.”
“What was your favourite job?” Allison asked.
“Worked in a nursery,” he said instantly.
Rafe frowned. “Like a greenhouse?”
Mark laughed. “Like in a place with a whole bunch of these little varmints.” He caught Micah, who was in the process of wiggling off his chair, headed for the ground. He put Gabe’s son back in place then handed him his fork. “Your mama said beans first.”
“Shit,” Micah said politely, then poked his fork into his beans, and filled his mouth.
Gabe and Allison bit their lips and tried not to howl with laughter as Dana shook her head and stared at the ceiling as if looking for strength. Thankfully, the moment passed without further comment.
“How did you get a job in a nursery?” Dana asked in a quiet voice.
“Went to school. I’ve got an early childhood teacher’s certificate.” He looked across at Ariel. “They’re precious—kids. Teaching seemed like a way to make a difference.”
Then he asked Allison a specific question about the organic market and what stage Angel land and the combined Coleman holdings were at, and the conversation turned.
But the teaser had been enough to make Gabe curious. And watching his mother, it was clear that she too had more questions than she was ready to admit.
They weren’t anywhere near solving the puzzle of where Uncle Mark fit, but he was stepping slowly, so Gabe was willing to wait and watch.
16
The scene in front of him was too perfect to ignore. Cassidy paused in the doorway of the kitchen to stare into the living room and soak in the view.
While Cassidy had been doing the dishes, Travis and Ashley had settled on the couch. Ashley was partially supported as she leaned against her husband’s strong body. She had the scoop of her blouse pulled down and her breast exposed, six-month-old Forest latched on and enjoying his dinner. Her face as she stared at the baby was as awestruck as if examining a priceless work of art.
Forest had a hand resting on top of the heavy swell of her breast, and that part of the picture was like a perfect Madonna and Child.
The other side of the couch held Travis, with River and Daisy balanced on his lap as he read them a book. One and a half and two and a half seemed too young to be as fascinated as they were with the pages before them.
River tilted his head and rested his cheek against Travis’s as he used pudgy fingers to stab the page. “W’ale.”
“Humpback,” Daisy added with a brisk nod.
“In the waters of the Pacific, yes.” Travis glanced up and caught Cassidy staring. He kept their eyes locked together as he recited from the book without hesitation. “The whales dance, the seabirds sing, the earth rolls, the sunlight beams.”
“Shhhhhh.” River and Daisy both pressed fingers over their lips and made the childish sound as Travis turned the page.
“It’s nighttime,” Daisy said in a whisper, leaning higher to talk to River. “Have to be quiet now.”
River squeezed his lips together and pressed his fingers tighter over them.
Travis continued reading. The slow, melodious pace of his voice as he finished the children’s favourite story got even little live-wire Daisy to snuggle in tight against his chest as he read about the animals falling asleep all across Canada.
Cassidy glanced at Ashley to find her eyes locked on him, a secretive smile twisting her lips as she lifted Forest onto her shoulder and burped him gently. She pursed her lips and blew a kiss toward the door. Cassidy instinctively reached up as if to catch it in midflight, pressing it against his chest.
The room was filled with love. He’d never dreamed of experiencing such deep and precious connectedness.
It took a surprisingly short time to bundle the babies off to their room. He took Daisy from Travis, the little blonde sweetheart cupping Cassidy’s face in her hands and pressing kisses all over him the entire ride up the stairs and into the bathroom, where he helped brush her teeth.
Tucking her in was sweetness and joy. “I love you, Daddy,” she said, kissing him fiercely before peeking around his shoulder. “I love you, Papa.”
“Love you too, flower,” Travis said quietly as he laid a sleeping River on the mattress beside her. Then he leaned over to accept his minty-fresh kiss.
“Papa loves Daddy too,” Daisy added as she snuggled in next to her brother. “Kiss.”
“Little dictator,” Travis whispered in Cassidy’s ear before he pulled back far enough to tap Daisy on the nose. “Yes, Papa loves Daddy and Mama. There’s always enough kisses to go around.”
Then he caught Cassidy around the back of his neck, pressing their lips together in a brief but firm kiss. They would never dream of hiding the honest affection and connection between them.
Daisy sighed contentedly, her eyes closing in the sleep of the innocent.
They left the room and caught up with Ashley, who was just leaving her room, where Forest’s bassinet was positioned beside her bed for easy nighttime access.
They’d barely made it into the living room when Ashley accosted him, tugging Cassidy onto the couch before she crawled over him. “You.”
“Me?” Cassidy glanced to the side as the couch dipped, Travis’s weight settling tight against him. “How come it looks as if you guys are ganging up on me?”
Travis didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. When he held up an image in a text, Cassidy groaned.
His head hit the back of the couch. “I’m going to kill Rafe.”
“I don’t know, he did a pretty good job balancing the composition of the shot. What do you think, Ash?” Travis twisted the picture toward her.
She put a finger against her cheek as if analyzing. “The dark to light ratio might be a bit off, but overall, the harmony works. Cassidy, that far off-look in his eyes as if he’s
been put into a trance. The—how many are there, twelve, thirteen?—kittens draped over him as if he were the ultimate climbing tree.”
“Climbing tree is good,” Travis murmured before tucking the phone aside. He twisted slightly, elbow leaning on the couch back. “As cute as the picture is, that isn’t the first time you’ve gone off to la-la land in the middle of doing something recently.”
“Which makes us think you have something on your mind.” Ashley stroked her fingers up Cassidy’s cheek, humming as his five o’clock shadow rasped her skin. “What’s wrong, baby? Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Cassidy began.
He stopped. His fingers were linked with Travis’s, the other man’s strong grip holding tight. Ashley’s warm butt rested on his thighs, and she continued to drag her fingers through his hair and down the side of his neck as if petting him would make him feel better.
Papa loves Daddy and Mama.
There was love in this house, and that was the thing that kept overwhelming him.
“I’m not lying,” Cassidy insisted. “It’s the fact that something’s so right that keeps knocking me off-kilter.”
The two of them didn’t interrupt. The unique, thorough connection that they had was buzzing slowly. Because the relationship wasn’t just between him and Travis, or him and Ashley, but somehow with the three of them, life was richer and simply more than he had ever expected to experience.
“When the Coleman memory book project started, I thought it was a good idea, because I was curious about the history. You know I like your family,” he said, meeting Travis’s eyes. “Your parents are rock solid. I love working with your brothers, and I feel confident that every one of your cousins would step up the instant we asked for help.” He snorted. “Hell, they probably wouldn’t even wait for us to ask.”
“God’s truth in that one.” Ashley dipped her head in agreement. “I came home the other day from shopping to find Laurel had stopped in. Since I wasn’t here, she just happened to wash the floor, do the dishes I’d left in the sink, and left a pot of soup in the crockpot.”
