Rocky Mountain Angel

Chapter Twenty-One

August passed with a tortuous slowness. The good part was her mom had taken a slight turn for the better. Maisey wasn’t well enough to come home—everyone knew that was never again a possibility. The main hospital transferred her back to the small extended-care health unit in Rocky, which meant life returned to a simpler routine. Instead of dropping in at the house to visit, Allison stopped at the center. Her and Gabe sometimes, or her and Elle. Taking in every last moment between continuing on with the restaurant and the rest of their work.

Distracting themselves. Moving forward.

The one thing she’d never, ever expected was for a husband to be a part of the waiting. Having Gabe as a part of her world, as something greater than a friend still seemed impossible. Unreal.

Allison looked across the room at him. His hair had gotten longer in the past while, he’d been so busy running between the work of the day and the time with her.

Time spent fooling around, or resting, or curled up together as she chatted with Maisey. Passionate moments, relaxing ones. Sad and yet needed ones.

Tonight when she’d gotten home from visiting Mom, she’d found him with paperwork strewn over the table. Puss in Boots was curled up in his lap, and Gabe absently petted him as he pored over the papers.

He refused her help.

“You’ve worked all day. Put your feet up. I’ll get this done.” Gabe kissed her briefly then turned back to his mess.

That was two hours ago and he hadn’t said a word since. Even the kitten abandoned him to stalk imaginary enemies under the bed.

She finished her cup of tea and wandered over to stand behind him. Hands smoothing his tense shoulders as she pressed her thumbs into the firm muscles. “Tough job tonight?”

He leaned his head to the side as she found a knot, twisting as if to keep her focused on the spot. “Least favourite part of ranching, to be honest.”

“I hear you.” She leaned down and kissed his neck, the warm earthy scent of his skin filling her head and making her ache. “You need to finish this now? Or can I distract you?”

“Can you distract me? Woman, you distract me by breathing.”

Allison smiled and trailed her fingers through his hair. “You’ve gotten a little wild, cowboy. What do you say I give you a trim?”

She scraped her fingernails against his scalp, and he groaned, leaning his shoulders back and pressing their bodies together as much as possible with the chair between them. “You keep touching me and you can do anything you damn well please.”

She kissed his neck again before escaping to grab the scissors. “Take off your shirt and pants.”

Gabe chuckled. “What kind of trim you aim to give me?”

She was still smiling when she returned to the room. She had to swallow hard to stop from drooling over the sight that greeted her.

He’d followed her orders, all right. Stripped to nothing but his boxers. The chair was farther from the table than before, resting on solid wood floorboards instead of the area carpet.

He had one leg stretched forward as he reclined comfortably. Arms crossed over his broad chest, the dusting of hair bleached from his hours outside. A rancher’s tan line ran across his biceps—the deeper golden brown of sun-kissed skin on his forearms contrasting with the paler area usually covered by his T-shirt sleeves. She’d seen him bared to the waist occasionally, wearing nothing up top but a slick of sweat as he worked in the hot sunshine. More often, though, the men laboured on without bothering to strip. No fashion-show outfits, no trying to produce model-perfect tans.

The result was breathtaking. Rock-solid muscles formed from backbreaking labour.

She took her time admiring the view. His chest, his shoulders. When she finally lifted her gaze to look into his face, a lazy grin curved his mouth and heat shone in his eyes.

“You sure you want to cut my hair? Because the way you’re looking me over, I’m thinking of all kinds of other things we could do instead.”

He adjusted his stance slightly and she spotted another part of him that had grown rock solid and hard.

Allison moved in close, stopping to press her hands on his thighs and lean over him. “Haircut first, maybe other things later.”

His fingers slipped around her neck. “Only maybe?”

The kiss he gave her made her toes curl, but this time she wasn’t going to give in. She planted her free hand squarely on his chest and pressed herself away.

He was staring at her lips.

Oh yeah, she wanted to take this further as well. “Okay, more than maybe. Now behave.”

She walked behind him, first dropping the scissors on the side table where they were easily accessible. Then she gave in to temptation and touched him. Fingers buried in the unruly strands, pulling them into line. His hair was lovely to play with, the light curls at the end sweeping up and under at random. “You’ve got the most gorgeous hair. Makes me jealous.”

“You can have it. Girlie hair—gets to this point and I feel like a sheep.”

“Hmmm, so soft.” She leaned in, addicted to the taste of his neck. Lick. Nibble. All the while she worked with her fingers.

He reached back and caught her, his hand skimming over her head, holding her to him.

“Cut my damn hair, or I’m calling this off and taking you to the bedroom for some ravishing.”

Ravishing would be good. Only…

Allison smiled. Why not? She pulled off her top and slipped her pants down before grabbing the scissors and stepping in front of him.

His mouth stretched in a wide smile.

She held up a hand. “You seem to need distracting. One way or another, I am cutting your hair.”

She straddled his legs, moving in close enough her butt rested in the middle of his thighs.

“Nice.” Gabe stroked his knuckles along the edge of her bra. “Only, if you’re going to be snipping hair, maybe you should take this off. Don’t want to get it messy.”

She used two hands to guide the scissors, carefully making the first cut. A blond curl tumbled to the floor. “Go slowly and you can do anything you’d like.”

What he liked, it seemed, was to drive them both mad. Gabe stayed relatively motionless as she trimmed the front of his hair, careful to toss the snippings to the side. He cupped his big hand around her waist, his thumbs the only things that moved. The gentle brush as he stroked back and forth tickled her skin, sending tiny shock waves like warning signals to the rest of her body to be prepared for the next assault.

When she stood to reach around him, he pulled her closer, making contact between his warm rib cage, her torso. Slowly, as ordered, Gabe slipped his hands to her bra fastener and loosened the clips.

She lifted a section of hair between her fingers, using her knuckles as a guideline for trimming. One shoulder strap fell away. The other. She moved her hand to gather another portion. Gabe carefully caught her wrist, tugging her arm lower until the elastic of the bra slipped free.

“You’re very good at working cautiously,” she admired.

“It’s like harnessing a skittish colt.”

Allison laughed. “So now I’m one of your horses, am I?”

“Hmm, I’ll cover you any time.”

Oh dear. The images his words brought to mind. She let him slip off the other side of her bra before even attempting to return to her task.

She pressed to tiptoe to reach around his neck. Gabe took total advantage and caught hold of her breast, lifting the mound the final bit until he could suck her nipple into his mouth.

She had to concentrate hard to keep control while he played with her breasts.

By the time she’d managed to complete the back, or at least as best she could from that angle, she was tingling and needy. Wet between her thighs, her core aching for a touch. She sat slowly, sliding along his body. Making contact with the solid length of his erection. Both of them groaning out in pleasure and frustration.

“You done?” Gabe growled.

She put the scissors aside and lifted her hands to his hair, fluffing the strands. The cut wasn’t perfect, but it was better. “I guess.”

The words were still escaping and she was already in the air. She flung her arms around him, clutching his shoulders as he carried her to the bedroom and beyond.

He lowered her to the floor in the shower stall, reached behind her and flipped on the taps. The cold water hit her back the same second his lips covered hers, and her gasp of surprise was lost.

It seemed his hands were everywhere at once. Skimming over her breasts, between her legs. Briefly touching as he stripped away their underwear. She returned the favour, and stroked and played as well, letting her palms roam over the solid lines of his form. He twisted them until water cascaded over their heads, pouring over their faces as they gasped for air.

As suddenly as he’d begun, he jerked the taps off and lifted her again, his cock caught between them as he stared her in the eyes. “That takes care of the hair. Now you’re damn well going to get everything you asked for.”

The pounding in her blood screamed bring it on.

He dropped her to the mattress, water droplets still clinging to their skin. He wasn’t gentle, flipping her over onto her belly and dragging her to the edge of the bed. The crinkle of a condom wrapper being ripped open was followed by his hands touching her intimately, a finger slipping into her core.

“You’re wet. Ready for me?”

“Always.”

His cock nudged her opening, the broad head stretching her. Gabe leaned over her and thrust in.

She screamed. His name? Some other word? She wasn’t sure because what followed felt so damn good she got lost in sensation. He fucked her hard, pounding against her ass, fingers clutching tightly. He put his teeth to her shoulder, and for a second she thought he really was going to bite down like a stallion rutting on his partner.

Excitement rose so rapidly she cried out, rocking back to meet him with equal fervour, his frantic gasps and groans adding to her enjoyment.

This is what she did to him. This is what she inspired in the man. Desperate need, urgent desire.

Pleasure bloomed in her core, and she jerked under him, his hard chest pressed to her back even as his hips continued to pulse. He caught her hands in his, linking their fingers, meshing them together as he rested his forehead at the base of her neck and jolted out his release.

Hearts pounding, blood racing. His weight pressing her against the mattress.

Allison let out a long, slow breath as soon as she could do more than gasp. “Holy. Shit.”

Gabe chuckled as he peeled himself off her and helped her crawl more fully onto the bed, collapsing beside her. “I can’t seem to get enough of you, woman.”

“Never knew getting a haircut turned you on so much, Angel Boy.”

He stroked his fingers over her naked shoulder as he settled them skin-to-skin. “You cut off my curls—I lost all strength to resist.”

“I’m Delilah, now?”

He lifted her chin. “You’re mine. That’s what you are.”

The kiss that followed said the same thing as the words, and wild lovemaking. That she was his seemed so incredible. Impossible.

But the hope of forever hovered, and she was nearly ready to grasp hold of the truth.

Maisey had become frail. Fragile.

Allison kissed her mom’s cheek and mouthed “I’ll be right back” at him before slipping from the room.

Gabe stared into space. He should be trying to find a solution to his problem, but he was so damn tired. Hopelessness had a way of wearing a man down. No matter how much they’d managed to accomplish over the summer, the numbers just weren’t there. In less than a week he had to square up things with the bank, and winning the bet looked impossible.

Ben had taken to showing up every day, not saying anything, still doing the tasks Gabe left written on the board in the barn. Always taking extra time to get in Gabe’s face and wordlessly accuse him of being a failure. Gabe was so fucking close to losing the battle, and he had run out of ideas at this point of what could make the final difference.

“Gabe?”

He shot to his feet and stood beside Maisey. “You need something?”

She smiled wearily. “You’re always ready to do things, aren’t you? I like that about you.”

Gabe took her hand, holding it carefully. Parchment-like skin stretched over her thin bones. “Be pretty boring to sit all the time, I’m thinking. You want me to take you drag racing down the halls in your wheelchair?”

Her laughter came, thinner, more brittle, but still full of joy. “I think I’ll stay here. But I do want to talk to you before my daughter comes back.”

“What’s up?” Gabe pulled his chair over with a foot and settled where Maisey could see him.

“She’s stubborn.”

“I wonder who she gets that from?”

Maisey lifted her hand and shook her finger in his face. “Stop sweet-talking me and listen.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I know she’s worked hard over the years to become independent. And I’m proud of her. But I want to give her a gift, like I gave Elle and Paul, and she’s been refusing me.”

Gabe leaned forward. “That sounds strange. When did Allison ever turn you down?”

“Now.” Maisey sighed heavily. “It’s not as if I can take things with me, Gabe. You know that.”

Her sense of humour had grown on him. “Well, not unless you’ve got special arrangements made the rest of us don’t know about.”

She smiled then gestured beside the bed. “In the file. That stubborn girl of mine has argued with me twice, but I’m smart enough to get what I want.”

Gabe followed her pointing finger and pulled out an envelope addressed to Allison. He slipped the thin parchment open to discover an astonishing large cheque.

“Maisey, what the hell is this?” Manners totally forgotten.

She raised a hand, palm toward him. “Hear me out. It’s for Allison. I know the children will get money when I’m gone, but that’s not the same. This is from me. I want to give each of my children something for them to use as they please, and I want to do it while I’m still the one in charge of the giving. The other two accepted it, why can’t Allison?”

He opened his mouth to protest, then stopped.

What she said made perfect sense. A cheque now, or a lump sum from the estate down the road—it didn’t seem to make much difference to him, but if it was important to her, why not? He’d gone out of his way to fast track a wedding partly to make this woman happy.

Why on earth would he argue with her now over something so basic as money, as shocking as the amount might be?

“You’re right. It’s your money and you can do what you want with it.”

Maisey’s eyes gleamed. For a second he spotted the mischievous streak he’d always loved about Allison. Seems she came by it honestly.

“You are a fine young man.” Maisey leaned back on her pillows and smiled contentedly.

“You’re only saying that because I’m wrapped around your little finger right where you’ve got all the men in your life.” Gabe cradled her hand again, scared to squeeze for fear of hurting her.

“And don’t tell her about it until after I’m gone,” she commanded.

Only Maisey would go there so boldly. It wasn’t his first choice, but would keeping this secret really hurt anything? “I promise to keep the money safe in trust until Allison is ready to receive it.”

Maisey nodded absently. “Now, let me rest. It’s so hard keeping up with you children.”

Gabe remained where he was as she closed her eyes and fell silent. He didn’t want to pull away because she had him trapped, fingers now literally wrapped around his.

Generous, loving…he was so glad he’d gotten to have this woman as a part of his life, even for a brief while. Another kind of family—extended family by choice, not blood.

The ache inside was going to kill him. So much history was tied up in his own extended family—the Six Pack, the Whiskey Creek, and the Moonshine clans all brought something unique to the mix.

He didn’t want to lose his bet. It would be like letting down the entire family, not just his ma and Rafe.

He didn’t want to lose what he had growing with Allison. One minute he was certain she was ready to confess how she felt about him, the next moment the occasion slipped away.

He was stuck in the middle of a rocky place and an impossible decision, and it seemed there was no choice he could make that would be the right one.

One way or another, he had to do something he was going to hate like hell.