The sex? Oh my God, the sex. Even thinking about how they carried on made her flush and tingle.

Her mom noticed her happy glow, and complimented them both on being so terribly in love. “His rough edges are getting worn smooth by caring for you,” she shared while Allison helped her one afternoon.

Allison hid her grin by turning to fill the kettle. Something was happening, but she didn’t have the nerve to come right out and ask him if the rules had changed on their charade. “He’s never been one of the wild ones, Mom. He’s hard working and decent.”

Maisey patted her arm and slowly moved into the next task she felt had to be done. Allison clung to the happy moments, like spotting bright jewels sparkling in the rough.

Gabe was hard working. Which meant he was out in the fields and with the animals in all the different weathers, at all hours. Summer had finally decided to stick around, heat-sweltering days followed by lovely cooler nights as the sun dipped behind the foothills. The little cabin they shared with Puss in Boots seemed to have a steady stream of visitors. Rafe stopped in often. Travis. The twins from the Six Pack Coleman side.

Every time someone visited, Gabe dropped what he was doing to help.

The third time he abandoned his dinner to up and give a helping hand Allison wanted to fuss at him. That she wanted to rant didn’t piss her off as much as the fact she had no right to tell him to make his family wait. Gabe helping others—it was just a part of who he was.

Like he’d helped her. How could she be upset with him about that? And the memory of her basically stomping in and begging him to cooperate made her feel guilty all over again.

Guilt mixed with a healthy dollop of longing.

Was it crazy she wanted more?

She’d thought hard about it all week, trying to decide when things had changed. If they really had changed, or if it was her imagination working overtime after the exhaustion of long days and short nights.

Deciding to be brave and straight out ask him was difficult, especially knowing her mom could be gone soon. Having things change between her and Gabe before that happened?

She couldn’t take the risk. After would be soon enough to discover if that look in his eyes was something more than wishful thinking on her part.

So she put her plans on hold and took each day in stride. Promising to enjoy every moment as much as possible with Gabe, as well as with her mom. Because she didn’t know when either would be snatched from her.

The bonfire before them shot sparks into the indigo-coloured sky. Allison rested against Gabe’s side and looked around. “It’s a beautiful night.”

“Too early yet for the Perseids, but come August we can go lie out on the hill side and watch them all night long.”

“Shooting stars?”

“Meteor shower. Hundreds of them.”

Oh, what she wouldn’t give for a hundred stars to wish on. To miraculously make her mother better. To know her siblings would recover from the coming heartbreak.

For Gabe to feel even a little bit about her the way she’d begun to feel about him.

He leaned back on the low cushion he’d brought along and sighed.

“What’s that for?” She spoke softly to avoid interrupting the rest of their company, although she didn’t really need to worry. The Friday-eve activity had broken into two this weekend. Some still met at the bar in town while the more hardy of the Colemans made the trip to the bluff overlooking the Baptiste River.

“Just relaxing. It’s been a long week.”

She agreed. They’d moved Mom to the main floor of the house, shifting Elle upstairs. Her sister didn’t want to take over the master bedroom, so ironically, she was back in her original space, sunshine flooding in at a horrible hour.

Allison had teased Elle about it, but the taunts had been bittersweet. Maisey couldn’t do the stairs comfortably anymore, although homecare visits meant remaining in the house was still possible for a little longer. The clock kept ticking.

She added her own sigh to Gabe’s, and when he dropped his arm around her, she rolled to cuddle against his chest and soak in the warmth and comfort of his body.

Guitar music began, Steve Coleman rocking lightly as he picked out a tune. His girlfriend sang along, her voice a little too high to complement his, but it wasn’t centre stage Nashville, or even the Stampede fairgrounds. It was the middle of the summer in the foothills of Alberta, and the out-of-tune mashup fit.

You did what you could, you enjoyed yourself.

Jesse threw back his head and howled. A series of yips answered back from the not-so-distant trees, and the crowd laughed.

Another joy of the country. You didn’t take yourself too seriously.

“Was that a commentary on me?” Steve taunted. “Because you notice the coyotes didn’t start in until you piped up.”

Jesse waved a hand, not letting go of the young lady he had under his arm. “I’m not the singer of the group, just thought we needed to speed things up a little. You were going to put me to sleep with your lullabies.”

“You don’t mind a reason to hit the sack, now do you?” Travis poked his brother.

Jesse shook his head, lifting the woman at his side and depositing her in his lap. “You know I don’t.”

His date giggled. She didn’t seem to mind that he had his hands on her right out in public.

Allison leaned harder into Gabe as the talk got raunchier. Some of it was funny, but maybe she was too old for this kind of fun. It was one thing to talk dirty while they were fooling around, but the public shit talk had lost its appeal.

She would have been happy to just stay home with Gabe. Get hot and sweaty with him and not—

Drat. Stay home with Gabe?

She was so gone.

Another truck pulled into the parking area, brakes screeching, door slamming loudly. Gabe leaned forward and Allison went with him, turning to see who was joining the group this late.

Jesse hopped to his feet, dropping his cuddle bunny on the ground in his haste.

“Hey, watch it,” she complained.

He grinned and tweaked her nose. “Sorry, darling. I’ll be back in a minute with a surprise.”

Jesse jogged off.

Allison was ready to suggest they leave as well when loud voices sounded behind them—familiar voices. Angry and sharp, but far enough away to be undecipherable.

“Great. Come on, let’s see what’s happening now.” Gabe hoisted her up and took her hand.

Gabe to the rescue again. Allison went willingly, if only because she figured they could head home after dealing with the situation. She’d had enough, and spending time with the clan wasn’t what she needed tonight.

They were still a ways out when she recognized the newcomer as Joel. The twins seemed to have finished shouting at each other and moved to the scuffling part of the program. Joel grabbed his brother by the front of the shirt and laid into him.

“Crap. Stay here.”

Gabe pushed her behind him and shot forward. He couldn’t move fast enough, though, not before Joel had time to land a snapping hard crack to his brother’s chin. Jesse jerked backward and fell to the ground. Joel had him by the collar and was leaning in for more when Gabe stepped between them, catching hold of Joel’s fist before it could descend again.

“Fuck off. This is none of your business,” Joel ground out.

“Beating the crap out of someone in public is my business.” Allison cringed as Gabe shoved himself even farther between the twins.

“It’s not someone, it’s an asshole who needs a pounding. Now move.”

Joel attempted to drag Jesse closer. His brother scrambled to back out of the way. A loud rip sounded as Jesse’s shirt tore. He escaped, rushing to his feet, hands at the ready to defend himself.

“Jesus, Joel. What the hell’s got your panties in such a twist?” Jesse wiped a hand over his bloody mouth, spitting to the side without taking his gaze off his twin.

Joel stood, feet planted wide. The only thing that moved was his chest as he sucked in huge breaths, obviously fighting the urge to take another swing or two. Allison moved in closer to Gabe’s side, the sound of the guitar in the distance eerie. Its light-hearted tune didn’t make any sense while looking at Joel’s expression.

“You really want me to tell you what I’m so pissed about? Maybe if you look over there you’ll get a clue.”

Joel pointed toward the fire. Jesse didn’t bother to look, just twisted his face into a sheepish smile.

“You’re taking this the wrong way,” Jesse complained.

“How am I supposed to take it, asshole? I went to pick up my date for the night and she was already gone.”

Ouch. Allison glanced at Gabe, who shook his head slightly. He squeezed her fingers and tugged her to the side, farther away from where Jesse and Joel faced off.

Jesse held out his hands like a negotiator. “Come on. So I’ve met Sue. Sorry I didn’t tell you, but isn’t this really what you’ve been wanting? For both of us to be around?”

When Joel would have stepped in, fists rising, Gabe grabbed him and held him back. “Punching his lights out won’t get this solved. Talk to him.”

Joel snarled, “Talk? He doesn’t listen. I’ve told him what I wanted, and the jackass ignores me.”

“Because you’re being stupid,” Jesse said.

“Says you.”

Jesse snorted.

“Enough.” Gabe stepped between them and glared at them both. “You guys twenty-two or twelve? Grow up.”

“I’m trying.” Joel dragged a hand through his hair, pacing away before turning back and growling in frustration. “Jesse. I know we’ve got this reputation. But when I tell you I want to date a girl by myself that isn’t some fucked-up code for you to go and try to convince her otherwise.”