“Just over a month I guess. They were nearly weaned, from what I can tell.”
Gabe pulled out a chair and sat, smiling as Allison plopped one kitten into the hollow of her lap and picked up another. Watching her tenderly handle the tiny creatures made something inside of him happy.
He was glad she could find stuff to enjoy.
“Is tea good? Or you want some coffee?” Dana asked.
His ma held out the cookies and he willingly accepted a couple. “Tea is fine.”
He let her fuss for another minute since Allison was still distracted with the kittens. Distracted, but obviously watching enough that when Dana sat, Allison gently returned the tiny furballs to the box.
She rose and slipped to the sink to wash her hands. “They’re beautiful.”
Dana nodded. “That batch are pretty little things. I’m tempted to keep one of them in the house, but inside is not the place for barn cats.”
“My mom always says the same.”
Allison paused at the edge of the counter. Gabe answered her dilemma before her hesitation became any clearer. He pulled out the chair beside him and patted the seat.
He’d managed to twist the sturdy wooden thing to be right in line with his so when she sat, his arm along the backrest lightly touched her shoulders. She was as close to being held in his embrace as they could be while sitting in different chairs.
His mom’s eyes widened before she caught herself and poured Allison’s cup full. “You visiting your family, Allison?”
Allison fidgeted with her plate. “A bit.”
“She’s here to visit me too,” Gabe cut in.
His ma smiled, the touch of a smirk disappearing behind her cup. When she lowered the dainty thing, her expression still showed amusement. “Really? That’s nice.”
Allison twisted to glance at him. “Yes, Gabe and I…”
He covered her fidgeting fingers with his own. Dana’s gaze snapped to the linked hands, and her smile got bigger.
Gabe cleared his throat. Time to get this thing rolling. “We’re engaged.”
There was a moment’s pause, but his ma pretty much did what he expected. She shot to her feet and was around the table and hugging them both without another word.
It was a bit of a tangle of arms and heads, and Gabe laughed. “I take it that’s mom code for congrats.”
Dana pulled back. “You two are the sneakiest people I ever met. I knew something was up, but damn if I could figure it out. Yes, congratulations. And, Allison, if this young man gives you any grief, you let me know. I’ll tell you all the ways to make him behave.”
Allison settled back in her chair as his ma returned to the other side of the table. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re not…”
“More surprised? Girl, I am completely surprised. But at the same time, I knew something was up. Didn’t think it was that you two were running around on the sly. How long has this been going on?”
Gabe dropped his arm along the back of the chair again. It was kind of nice to have Allison relaxing against him. “What do you mean you knew something was up?”
His ma stared him down. “You aren’t the most talkative of creatures, Gabe Coleman, but the past couple years you’ve been awfully quiet, even for you. At the start I thought you were planning on moving out of the area again, but once you built your cabin I knew it couldn’t be that.”
Damn. Maybe his secret projects hadn’t been so secret after all. This excuse of having been seeing Allison on the side was a good thing to cover his tracks. “I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon, Ma. I told you that when I came back to town.”
Dana folded her hands in front of her. “Well, I’m glad to hear it. Are you working at the restaurant again, Allison?”
The conversation drifted into safe, easy territory, and Gabe listened without having to add much to the discussion as Allison and his ma chatted about the community. The side flap of the box came loose and one of the kittens got caught, hips falling through the crack. He leaned over to grab the little creature. So small and defenceless. He rested the tiny beast in his lap and stroked it carefully.
“You want an engagement party?” Dana asked.
Allison shook her head. “My mom asked the same thing, but if you don’t mind, we don’t really want one. I’ll be busy getting settled in the new job and everything.”
“No problem. I bet your mom is thrilled you’re going to be so close by. I know I missed Gabe terribly when he moved out of Rocky.”
Moved out because if he had stayed he would have gone mad. “Well, we’re all back now. And I should get to work. We just wanted to let you know our plans.”
“Did you—” Dana broke off then nodded briskly. “I’ll let your father know. And Rafe, if you want.”
Allison had tightened at the mention of Ben. Great, seemed she liked his father as much as pretty well everyone else in town. “I’ll see Rafe when he’s doing chores. Let him razz me about getting hitched on his own.”
They rose and made their goodbyes, Dana promising to call Allison to chat when she could. It was all far simpler than he’d thought it would be. Once things got a little more settled in the next couple days, they could make a list of what he needed to do to get the ranch started on the road to recovery.
It was all working out just fine.
Chapter Six
Rafe’s jaw hung open for about ten seconds before he burst out laughing. “You’re shitting me.”
“I don’t shit.” Gabe deliberately drawled the words.
His deadpan joke only made his brother laugh louder. “Yeah, right, that makes you full of shit. Who you engaged to?”
“Allison Parker. You know her.”
Rafe wrinkled his nose. “She left here years ago. Did you date her while you were living away from Rocky?”
“No.”
“Did you date her in high school?”
“No.”
Rafe dug the shovel in deep before standing back and crossing his arms in front of him. “Then why you getting married?”
“We’re getting engaged.” Gabe snatched up the shovel and tossed another scoop of manure into the wheelbarrow.
“Which means you’re going to get married, you idiot. Oh hell—” Rafe cussed a few more times then kicked the wheel in front of him. “I guess I can’t come stay at your place this summer now, can I?”
“Well, you hadn’t asked me in the first place, but you’re right. You can’t.”
“Bastard.”
Rafe snatched up the long wooden handles of the wheelbarrow and forcibly shoved himself and his burden down the narrow path leading toward the garden.
“What’s that look for?” Gabe called after him. “Because I won’t let you move into my house without asking?”
“Because I figured you knew I wanted to move in with you. I didn’t think I had to ask.” Rafe shouted the words over his shoulder before he disappeared between the row of trees separating the compost and manure piles from the new stretch of garden Gabe had turned.
Well, assumptions had a way of kicking a person’s ass. If this was the first occasion Rafe learned that lesson, it was about time.
Gabe turned back and headed into the barn until Rafe returned. He took a quick check to see what was in the storeroom, and noted how little his father had actually listened to him in terms of needed supplies. There was a distinctive lack of a number of items, what looked to be overstock of others, and he closed his eyes and fought his frustration.
It was no use trying to take control of this area of the ranch. Not yet, not until he got Ben at least moderately onside.
He went back outside in time to catch his brother returning from another trip with the wheelbarrow. Rafe had already stripped off his shirt, the hard muscles from heavy labour beginning to show on his young body. The kid was growing up, and it was time to acknowledge that.