“Never heard of a phone?” Gabe pulled out his cell and tossed it on the table. “You’ve got my number. Voice mail, email. Haven’t changed since the last time we used them.”

“I’m sorry.”

Allison bit her lower lip, and Gabe had the sudden urge to lean over and smooth his hand over her cheek, to force her to relax. Actually the stronger urge was to take her in his arms and hug her because she looked so damn miserable. He’d tried to give her a little room while she ate, allow her time to get more comfortable. They had enough of a history together that he was concerned, but after that insane comment?

He was going bat-shit crazy with curiosity.

“I don’t mean to push, but you think you can get back to the fiancé thing? Because you lost me.”

Allison nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair. My…” She swayed from side to side for a second then growled with frustration. “I cannot figure out the best way to say this. I’ve been going for two days straight, and I thought I would have all the right words by the time I got here, but every time I start thinking everything rolls in circles and gets all muddled together.”

“I’m not going to throw you out for misspeaking. You don’t have to get it perfect. Just tell me. You want us to get married?”

Allison’s eyes grew wide. “No.”

“But that’s what a fiancé usually means.”

“I need you to pretend to be my fiancé, so that my mom will think I’m coming back to Rocky Mountain House to be with you.”

This wasn’t getting any easier. Gabe didn’t mind puzzles—he played a damn good game of chess, but it looked as if he was going to have to pull information out of her one bit at a time and assemble the pieces on his own. “You want to come back to Rocky. Why do you need an excuse? Just come back.”

“Can’t. My mom would never accept it. It’s not like I hated Rocky, but I was pretty vocal about not wanting to run the family restaurant. She’d know something was fishy if I just show up and announce I’m here to help take care of things.”

“But you don’t want to… Allison, you’re not making any damn sense. You don’t want to work at Parker’s Timberline Grill. You’ve got a good job you enjoy in Red Deer, or at least you were having a blast the last time I talked to you. Why the hell are you trying to set up some elaborate hoax to fool your mother?”

Allison leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her. Her tired expression made her look lost, like a little girl, sad and hopeless. “She’s dying, Gabe.”

Shit.

He went with his earlier instinct, reached forward and pulled her into his lap. She was stiff for a moment before she tucked her face against his neck, wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. He pressed one hand to her back and rubbed slowly, cradling her as he let her cry.

Surreal. He’d gone from worrying about the ranch to comforting a grieving woman in less than three hours, and the day wasn’t half over.

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” Gabe had never had a ton of dealings with the Parkers, but he knew of them, including seeing Elle and Paul, Allison’s siblings, around town. Their father’s death years ago had been long and horrid, even watching from the outside. “Your family must be devastated.”

She sniffled then leaned her cheek against his shoulder to speak quietly. “They don’t know. Mom hasn’t told them.”

He sucked in air. “That’s harsh, having to keep that kind of a secret from them.”

“It gets worse. Mom didn’t tell anyone. I found out—oh damn.” Allison sat up straight, her tension returning in a rush. “You can’t tell anyone this, or she’ll get fired.”

“Your mom?” Gabe reached behind him and nabbed the Kleenex box from the window ledge, dropping the box on the table for when she wanted it.

“My snitch.”

Hell. “Someone spilt the beans to you about your mom being sick?”

Allison nodded, that bottom lip of hers back between her teeth.

“That’s probably wrong in all kinds of ways.”

She nodded again.

Gabe thought quickly. “How about for now you don’t name no names, just, are you positive they got the details right?”

He let her go when she reached for the tissues. “This isn’t some clerical error or wild idea, I saw paperwork. Even without that, it’s someone I trust completely, someone who would know. She only told me because it’s serious, and she’s worried about us losing Mom without any warning.”

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. “Mothers don’t always need much more of a reason than they think it’s best for us. Maybe she doesn’t want you guys to remember how hard it was to lose your dad.”

Allison sniffed. “I think that’s it. She’s wrong, but…she’s right. Losing her is going to be painful. I don’t know how Elle and Paul will take it.”

“So you need an excuse to come back. Your suggestion to fake an engagement seems extreme.”

“I know my mom. I’m pretty sure she’s doing this for our good and all, and yet—the fact she’s keeping it a secret allows her to hold on to her dignity. To remain in charge of her life. How can I barge in and rip that from her? I’ll confront her when necessary, but if she’s only got three to six months left, and I have to lie my ass off during that time to make her happy, I’m willing.”

Allison paced the space between his kitchen and sofa. Half her dilemma made sense to him now, but there were a hell of a lot more answers he needed. He spoke slowly. “So you’ll willingly lie to make her happy. But…and don’t take this the wrong way, but why would I lie to everyone I know? I like your mom plenty, Allison, and I’m damn sorry you have to face this, but…”

Even thinking that it wasn’t really his issue made him feel like all kinds of an asshole for not wanting to go the extra mile for Allison. Yet putting on that kind of a charade in front of the entire clan? What would his ma think when they called it off down the road? What kind of grief would his cousins give him, and how difficult was it going to be in the duration to actually pull it off?

She was right. The situation was tangling his brain into knots, and he’d only been dealing with it for a few minutes.

He sighed. “I’m wondering if you thought this through beyond making your mom’s last days easier. What about your brother and sister? How are they going to like finding out you’ve lied to them?”

Allison paused in the middle of wearing a hole in his hardwood floor. “The plan is to let them know eventually, but the most important part is making sure my mom is all right. I have gone over this again and again. I know you’d have to lie as well, and while I feel terrible about it, I don’t feel bad enough to give up asking. I’ll make it worth your while to help me.”

Gabe pulled his jaw off the floor. “Did you just offer to pay me to pretend to be your fiancé?”

Allison snorted and leaned back on the fridge. “I’m so about to pass out, I couldn’t be doing a worse job explaining this if I were drunk. No. No money, but if you’re still interested in making your section of the Coleman ranch turn organic? I promise that I will do everything I can to help you. I know regs, I know who works the front lines and can fast-track inspections. I will advise and work with you, and save you time and money. Nothing illegal, but very valuable if you’re serious about going green.”

It was the one thing she could offer that was more valuable than money. The one thing that could render him speechless. He sat without saying a word because suddenly his brain was flooded with all the ideas and information he’d researched over the past two years. All the things he’d longed to put into place to make the Angel section of the Coleman ranch a success.

He’d have to convince his father.

But…not even Ben could turn down this kind of help. The realization that the fake relationship between him and Allison might help move them past the current stalemate hit like a load of bricks.

Ben didn’t accept advice easily from anyone, especially not a woman, but if Gabe was getting what came down to valuable expert advice for free from a family member? His tight-fingered father would have a difficult time turning away that kind of an offer.

“Gabe?”

Allison stared at him in concern, and he realized he’d been silent for a lot longer than he planned.

He shook his head slowly. “You said you weren’t sure how to tell your story, and I’ll toss that right back at you. I’m not exactly sure how to respond.”

“You still interested in making changes?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

Allison nodded. “I can’t guarantee anything, Gabe. I don’t know the specific details of your land’s history or anything yet, so I can’t tell you timelines or even if you can successfully make the switch. But if you do this for me, I promise to work with you until you’re happy with the results, or you say you’ve had enough trying. I’ll even add a contract for you to provide as much as we can use at the restaurant. Standard prices for standard product for five years. No matter how long our fake engagement lasts, you’ll have that.”

Gabe rose to stare out the window over the nearest section of Coleman land. He imagined it producing enough to support his family, no worries if this was the year they’d have to beg for a handout. He swung to examine Allison again, taking in the sadness and frustration that clung to her like a thick coat. “You’re not a very good bargainer. That’s far too open-ended and generous an offer, and now I feel like a shit for needing to be convinced to help you.”

She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. “Then you’ll do it?”

He was closer to an answer than he should be, but he wasn’t going to let her rush either of them into something they’d regret. “Hang on a minute. I ain’t saying no. I’m still not a hundred percent sure I should say yes, but you’ve made it damn tempting.”