Her sister laughed out loud for a moment before cutting off, her smile fading rapidly.

Allison wiped her hands on her skirt and snuck across the room to grab Elle by the arms. “Oh, sweetie, don’t do that to yourself. It’s okay to laugh.”

“It hurts. Like I’m breaking something delicate, or walking into a solemn church service wearing a clown suit. How can I laugh when…?” She dropped her forehead against Allison’s shoulder and sighed.

Allison hugged her, petting Elle’s head the way she used to when they were younger. The ache inside throbbed like a living creature trying to break free. This was why she’d come back to Rocky. Why she had to be there for the family. She was so grateful to be in the right place to give to them.

“I get it. I really do. Remember, you just heard the news. That makes the pain sharp. I’ve known for longer and the cut doesn’t feel as raw, even though it still hurts. I guess I think Mom would prefer us to laugh than to be all mopey, right?”

Elle nodded as she stepped back. “You going to head out after dishes?”

Changing the topic. Well, it was going to take time for all of them to figure out what they had to do. Elle would deal with the grief in her own way.

“I called Gabe. I’ll stay here tonight.”

Elle turned on the taps to fill the sink with water, getting the pots ready for hand washing. “Really? You remember you don’t have a room here anymore.”

“Room thief.”

“Hey, I waited years to take over that space. You can sleep in the guest room.”

Yeah, she’d figured. “The sun is going to wake me at five in the morning.”

Elle pushed her toward the dishwater. “Which is why I switched into your old room so I wouldn’t have to get up early all summer long.”

Allison dug into the washing, passing the pots and lids over to her sister to dry. It was a bit of a time warp, back to their teen years. Not all the memories of that time were good, not with the long illness they’d faced with their dad. The little chores, though, like cleaning the house or doing the dishes. Those things felt comfortable and familiar. Something to fall back on to help the hurt fade.

Elle hip-checked her lightly. “Dirt. Spill.”

It took her a second to figure out what Elle was talking about. Allison grinned. “I’m not telling you the details. You go find your own cowboy.”

“If you won’t talk, it had to be sex outdoors. Or something sex-like.” Elle swung her towel in the air like she was roping a calf. “Yeehaw.”

“Oh jeez. Watch yourself, or you’ll put out an eye.”

“You and Gabe—it working out okay? Like you’d hoped?” Elle leaned on the counter. “When you announced you were engaged, I’ll admit it was a shock, but you seem pretty happy lately. You thinking this is really it?”

Allison was torn. Telling the story she’d been sticking to was possible, but there was more between her and Gabe than before. Secrets she wasn’t sure she wanted to even share with herself, let alone her sister.

Since it was only pretend on Gabe’s part. And wouldn’t falling in love with him be about the stupidest thing she could do?

“You’re not talking, sis. Stop daydreaming about his ass, and answer the question,” Elle said.

“Abs.” The word snuck out.

Elle raised a brow. “Abs?”

Allison gave up. It was safer to talk about the physical side of things than the turmoil of emotion in her heart and head. “The man has got the most incredible butt, yes. And arms. And shoulders. But goodness, you should see his stomach.”

“Six-pack and all, I bet,” Elle teased. “You need to take pictures and post them.”

“Hands off.” Allison shook her head. “Forget I said you should see him naked. You just daydream about other cowboys and leave mine alone.”

“So he’s good then?”

Allison twisted to give her sister the evil eye. “You really asking what I think you’re asking?”

“Does he know how to burn up the sheets? Yes, I’m really asking. Because I need to live vicariously—”

Elle shut her mouth with a snap.

Uh-oh. “What about that reporter Mom said you’re seeing?”

Her sister snorted. “Was seeing. Once. Maybe twice. It was terrible. He kissed like a wet fish. And I didn’t even try sex with him, not when he pretty much proved he didn’t know where or what my clit was.”

Allison laughed. “I don’t want to know how that happened.”

“I bet your cowboy knows where things are. Tell me you’re at least happily getting all the sex you can.”

A little over a week ago she would have had to lie through her teeth and ignore the sexual frustration she’d been feeling. Now? Now she was free to grin and gloat a little. “Oh. My. God. You have no idea.”

The back door opened, the squeak echoing off the walls.

They both swung their heads to take in her cowboy slipping into the house, his broad shoulders just about filling the teeny back entranceway.

Elle was busy admiring Gabe. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

That curious flutter in Allison’s stomach kicked up again. Especially when he looked straight into her eyes, ignoring Elle completely as he marched across the kitchen. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and brought their mouths together.

Possessive. Sweet. How was it possible for both those sensations to whip through her? Like he was cherishing her and never going to let her go at the same time.

It might be a show for Elle’s sake, but Allison didn’t care. She slipped her wash-water-wet hands over his shoulders and held on tight. Returning the kiss and savouring his touch.

When he finally let her up for air, she was grinning so wide her cheeks felt stretched. “I wasn’t expecting to see you, but that was very nice.”

Elle snorted. “Nice. Sheesh, I need a cold shower after witnessing that. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. Mom wanted to watch a show and it’s on in a bit.”

“See you in the living room in a few minutes.” Allison meant the words for her sister, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Gabe. He held her, his fingers tickling the hairs at the base of her neck gently.

The door to the living room closed with a soft sigh, and still he held her.

The position was comfortable, and she wasn’t sure why. “What are you doing here?”

Gabe lowered his voice. “If your family just found out about your mom, and you need to be here, then I need to be here as well.”

A thread of sadness wove through her tangled emotions. Oh. That made sense. And yet it wasn’t what she’d been hoping to hear, not if she was honest with herself. “You’re right. Thank you for coming.”

She went to walk around him, to put some physical space between them to help put some emotional space between him and that weird aching sensation in her heart.

He wouldn’t let her go. Instead he slipped one arm around her waist and tugged her to his side. Lips hovering over her ear. Secretive. Private.

“I came here for you. Because I wanted to be with you.”

Allison looked into his green eyes. The blond waves of his hair stuck out in a mess from under his hat, his concern clear in his expression. His hands on her body were controlling, but careful.

“You wanted to be here? What about the Coleman gathering?” Maybe he hadn’t meant his message how it came out. The caring sound of the words—that could be her wild imagination speaking.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back slowly. “Drinking with the guys can wait.”

Gabe didn’t say anything more, just tugged her against him and held her head to his chest. The steady beat under her ear reassuring and stirring at the same time. He wanted to be with her.

Like a tiny seed of hope in the middle of the coldest winter.

“Gabe?”

“Yeah?”

She didn’t look up, just clung a little tighter. “I’m glad you came.”


Elle had gone to bed. Maisey had gone to bed. Paul had left and headed back to his place. The living room was down to him and Allison, and if he wanted to be any use in the morning, he damn well better be going to bed soon as well.

He couldn’t stand to move. Not with the way she’d draped herself over him while they’d watched TV with her mom. The shows weren’t much on his agenda, but the heat of Allison’s body snuggled up tight—that he could get used to having around all the time.

When her sister had plopped down on the far side of the couch, Allison had shifted closer to him to make room. Gabe had to adjust position a couple of times to ease off the pressure on his cock. Damn thing didn’t care they were in a public place. The longer they sat in the cozy room, the more Allison’s scent filled his head. Her perfume, or soap, or whatever it was, tickled his nose and made him long to start at her toes and nibble the entire way up. Stopping a few places along the way for good long breaks.

Worse still was thinking about what she wore underneath the skirt. And that bit of torture was his own damn fault.

Allison sighed. “We could have gone back to your cabin.”

“I don’t mind staying. Puss in Boots is cared for. Your mom enjoyed having us here, and it’s no trouble to drive the short distance in the morning.”

“She’s going to want to feed you pancakes. It’s traditional Saturday morning fare.”

Gabe would have answered, but Allison picked that moment to roll and stretch, her breasts pressed to the front of her tight T-shirt.

He couldn’t look away.

She flicked a finger under his chin. “You never seen a pair of tits before, Angel Boy?”

Gabe rotated her slightly to let her back rest on the couch, her hips still in his lap. “You and the Angel Boy business. No one calls me that anymore.”