“I guess, only—”
“No only. It’s true.” He tugged her off of the main floor, bringing her back into his arms more like a hug of reassurance than actual dancing. He spoke softly. “You came to give to Maisey, to help her. You need to stay healthy so you can be there for her. Don’t sacrifice your happiness thinking that’s what she wants. Because it’s not true.”
Allison squeezed him tight, nodding her agreement. “You’re right.”
They danced for a few minutes, the music pouring over them gently, others moving around in an easy rhythm.
The room was a little blurry through her tears and she wiped them away as discreetly as she could.
“Gabe?”
“Yeah?” He pulled back and gazed over her face, concern in his expression.
“Thank you.”
He tweaked her nose and motioned toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Ten
Gabe squeezed Allison’s shoulder before leaning over to grab her plate, stacking it with his and making tracks for the clean-up area. The laughter of the Coleman Canada Day gathering that surrounded him was part of why he’d worked so damn hard to come back. To make things work for his family—so they could continue to be a part of the extended family. He scraped the dishes and brought them around the corner to where a makeshift kitchen had been established for washing.
The Six Pack twins were elbow deep in clean up. “Did you lose a bet?” Gabe asked.
“Shut up,” Jesse snapped.
Gabe snorted. “You did. You must have, or you two would be so long gone by now we wouldn’t even see your dust.”
Joel kept drying but jerked his head toward his twin. “This one had the bright idea to gamble with the girls. Offered both our services without even asking me.”
“Well, that part is nothing new. Who’d you bet with?”
Jesse didn’t answer, just groaned as their cousin Karen carried in another huge armload and deposited the mess to the side. She blew them a kiss and sauntered off.
Joel raised his brows and stared in disgust at the never-ending pile of plates and utensils. “Dammit, Jesse, I’ll say it again. If you’re going to make a wager, at least don’t make it a stupid one. Horses? You’re brainless enough to include horses in a bet with Karen involved?”
“She wasn’t there when I made the bet. It’s the rest of the girls who pulled a fast one on me,” Jesse complained. “How was I to know she was around the corner?”
Joel snapped his towel and Jesse shouted as he dodged. Gabe walked toward the barns still laughing at their antics and feeling good about the entire day.
This evening they would spend time with Maisey—he’d promised to do the heavy lifting for a couple of clean-up projects. After there would be fireworks and more time to sit and be with Allison.
He pushed open the barn door and ambled cautiously toward the stalls. His Uncle Mike had a couple of new animals he wanted to see.
After about a month around each other, he and Allison had fallen into a comfortable routine. They’d had no further little misadventures in terms of naked surprises, or kissing, or dirty shots for that matter, and he should have been happy.
The deception was going well. Why did it feel as if something was missing?
The horses nickered softly at his approach, and he slowed his steps. They’d been purchased for a good price, and had the potential to be fine animals one day, but it would take time to train and gentle them along.
He paused far enough away the horses stopped their rambling, and instead looked him over with curiosity.
“You are a pretty girl.” Gabe smiled as the filly on the right dipped her head as if in response. “Oh, you like being sweet-talked, don’t you?”
The stallion in the next stall snorted, wanting attention, and Gabe took a step closer, still moving smoothly. Keeping himself confident and strong, sending out all the positive vibes he could.
Horses were the mind readers of the animal world at times like this.
“They are beautiful animals, aren’t they?”
Gabe twisted his head slowly to see his Uncle Mike approach from the back of the barn.
“You found yourself some wonderful additions to the ranch,” Gabe admitted, speaking softly. “I’m a little jealous.”
Mike nodded. “I think the Whiskey Creek side are a touch green with envy right now as well. But once these two are settled in, I’ve no objection to helping you strengthen your herd.”
Gabe grinned. “Hopefully by that time I’ll be able to afford it.”
Mike winked, picked up one of the buckets and slipped down the barn toward the feed rooms.
Gabe took his time, one small pace after another, until he was beside the mare. He didn’t move, just let her sniff him, her wide nostrils flaring as she leaned down and finally nudged his shoulder.
He pressed a palm to her nose, the heat of her breath shooting out and hitting his chest.
A low hiss sounded behind him. Ben snarled, “You get your fool hands off that animal. You want to fuck up something else?”
Gabe’s tension shot skyward. Way to make a family event special—his father was such a ray of sunshine. Remembering his promise to himself, though, he stayed where he was and concentrated on not letting his anger show and further upset the pretty mare that had frozen in place at the new visitor.
“Lower your voice,” Gabe ordered.
A swear exploded from his father, and Gabe sighed. He carefully backed away from the horses. He had barely cleared four feet when a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him.
It was obvious his father had been drinking. Figured.
The man looked him up and down with fury in his eyes. “Don’t you ever think you can start ordering me around.”
Gabe pushed past him without a word. Or he tried to. Ben grabbed his arm and locked him in position.
Gabe jerked his arm forward but it wasn’t enough to break free. “Let go.”
Ben shook his arm violently. “You want to call the shots, you try it with that woman you hooked up with. At least until she realizes what a loser you are. She’s far too good for the likes of you.”
“She is amazing, isn’t she?” Gabe ignored the insults and broke free. “Smart as well. Far smarter than you, old man.”
Ben spat to the side. “She chose you. Means she’s too stupid to know much. Maybe I should go and tell her exactly what kind of fucked-up bastard you are, before it’s too late and you screw up her life as well.”
“Leave Allison out of this.”
“Not satisfied to crawl off like you should.” Ben moved in closer, the scent of the liquor on his breath making Gabe gasp and turn away. Ben jabbed him in the arm to get his attention. “Where the hell you get off trying to tell me what to do? I’m your father, and you damn well treat me with respect.”
“I’ll treat you the way you deserve, and right now, that’s like a drunken ass.”
Gabe regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Not that they weren’t true, but this wasn’t making his own decisions, this was stooping to his father’s level.
Ben’s punch came amazingly quickly for a man too tipsy to stand without swaying. Gabe twisted aside at the last second, and the fist grazed his jaw instead of landing squarely.
The urge to swing back and lay the man out flat was incredible. He wanted to punish and hurt the way Ben had managed to wound him over the years. The way he’d torn up the family and negated all their hopes.
The image of the kittens both tightened his fists, then made him lower them. He would not join this battle. He would not move farther down the road his father walked.
Ben didn’t show the same restraint. He waded forward, fists flying. Gabe was forced to grab hold of his father’s forearms to stop from being hit. Ben’s voice rose, and in the background, the horses grew more agitated, crashing against their stalls in response to the anger and noise.