Page 76 of Rocky Mountain Devil

As if he’d been passed something a little bigger than he knew how to handle, Rafe stood in silence for a minute before eyeing the other man. “You’re not exactly how I remember you.”

“Because I saidshit?” Pastor Dave laughed. “Been preaching for nearly thirty years to men who work the land. Shit comes up fairly often.”

Rafe nodded, not sure what to say next.

Fortunately, Laurel’s father patted his shoulder, turning them both toward the door. “I’ve taken up enough of your time. And Corinne will be expecting me home soon.”

“Tell Mrs. Sitko if she’d like to come see the lambs, she’s welcome.”

There wasn’t much more said after that. Pastor Dave got in his car and headed into town, and Rafe stood motionless in the yard, feeling a little like he’d been run over by a semi.

He must have been out there long enough to get Allison’s curiosity up. He blinked and discovered his sister-in-law next to him, head tilted to the side as she looked him over, amusement in her eyes.

“What?” he snapped.

“You’re pretty cute, all embarrassed from talking to your girlfriend’s daddy,” she teased.

“I’m not embarrassed,” he protested.

“Shell-shocked, then. Did he ask what your intentions were?”

Rafe rolled his eyes. “I’m glad this is so amusing to you. And no, we didn’t talk about Laurel.”

“Interesting.” She backed up. “Come join us for supper. I made lasagna.”

He wasn’t about to turn that down, even knowing he’d have to put up with a whole lot of comments through dinner.

He didn’t mind. The distraction was appreciated, although he knew he’d be thinking about Pastor Dave’s words for a long time to come.

Chapter Seventeen

“It made sense to carpool,” Laurel said to her friend, somewhat apologetically. “We’re going the same direction.”

Nicole shrugged, adjusting her seat so she could pop her feet up on the dash. “I don’t have a problem with it, but a shopping trip with the four of us is a funny combination. That’s all I’m saying.”

Laurel turned into the driveway at Trevor Coleman’s place. “Becky’s often in the library going through magazines and books. When she heard we were sneaking away midweek to Red Deer for the day, she asked if she could come along.”

They’d hit it off, her and Becky. Laurel had been honoured when the other woman opened up and shared some of her past, but the rough life Becky had faced until recently wasn’t common knowledge. Nic wasn’t in the know about a lot of the details, and she didn’t need to be.

And Laurel’s struggles with her issues of faith paled when she considered the hell Becky had lived through. The woman had come out the other side without breaking. It was inspiring, and it was humbling, and it made Laurel all the more pleased to be counted on Becky’s list of friends.

“Oh, I get the connection with Becky. I think Ashley Coleman is a bit of a stretch, even for you,” her friend said with a smile. “Although, you do seem to have developed the ability to make just about everybody fall in love with you.”

Laurel pulled to a stop beside Trevor’s big truck. “Except a few, you mean.”

Like Ben Coleman, who glared at her as if she were possessed every time he spotted her, even from a distance.

“It’s your puppy-dog eyes,” Nicole said as they got out of the car and headed for the front porch of the old house.

Becky was waiting on the porch swing, and she wasn’t alone. Her boyfriend Trevor Coleman from the Moonshine clan had an arm stretched along the back of the swing, and she was tucked against him, her legs curled up on the bench. He was making it rock, and the two of them looked as if there was nothing more perfect they could be doing at that moment.

It wasn’t the freshly painted house trim, or the clean-scrubbed porch boards Laurel was a little jealous of. The two of them were obviously together, on so many levels.

Becky turned toward him. “I’ll miss you today.”

He kissed her, fingers cupping her chin as he took his time, lips moving slowly but thoroughly over hers.

Hot.Veryhot.