Page 81 of Rocky Mountain Devil

“Did you come to any conclusions?” Laurel asked.

Becky nodded. “I think God has a lot of good things planned for us, and sometimes people get in the way of those good things. I really don’t think it was his idea for me to end up where I did, treated the way I was. The God I believe in wants me to be with Trevor, and he’s not about to punish me for loving a man who would give upeverythingfor me.”

Which was pretty much where Laurel had hung her hat. She reached over and caught Becky’s fingers with hers, giving them a squeeze. “I’m so glad you have Trevor. I’m so glad to know that you’re happy.”

Becky smiled. “I’m glad to have you as a friend. Thanks for always being willing to talk to me. Trevor is there, but he doesn’t understand this part.”

Laurel nodded.

Becky rejoined the conversation with the women in the front seat while Laurel let her thoughts drift a little longer.

Coming back to Rocky hadn’t just been about coming back to Rafe. She had her family, and she had new friends,andshe had Rafe.

It was pretty amazing. She might not know exactly where she stood on a whole lot of issues, but like Rafe had told her—life would be pretty boring if she didn’t have things to learn.

One of which…how to seduce a man. She resisted peeking into the bag holding her pretty, seductive outfit and planned for the best time to make her move.

Chapter Eighteen

A week later the weather was holding. Contrary to Karen’s prediction that winter would come early, October temperatures dropped slowly which made finishing tasks in the fields a whole lot more enjoyable for Rafe than it could have been.

And when he wasn’t working, he and Laurel were having a blast dating. Nothing unexpected there considering their background. But at the end of each night, he went home and she went home, which even with the fooling around they were doing meant he spent a hell of a lot of time in the shower jacking off.

Keeping under control was going to kill him.

Dead.

Soon.

But that impromptu sermon from Pastor Dave had hit hard. Rafe was still working through what he believed in, but he knew pretty well where some of Laurel’s lines lay, and it made zero sense to blow past her limits without regard.

Until he knew for sure what he was offering her… What hehadto offer. Doubts struck over and over, made even worse every time he bumped into his father.

Canadian Thanksgiving weekend meant a change-up in his and Laurel’s typical last minute “do whatever fits into the time allotted” routine. If they’d been any other couple dating as long as they’d been, it would have been a simple thing. They’d attend their own family dinners without worrying about inviting the other along.

Only as long-time friends as well as dating, it made sense to join the other family, except both families had arranged to celebrate Sunday.

Add to that—both families hadissues, so figuring out where and when they’d have their holiday get-together was anything but simple.

“This is a rude question,” Laurel warned as they sat together at the picnic table outside the library, stealing lunch together, “but I honestly want to know. Do you reallydoholidays with your family anymore? I mean, just the Angel Colemans? Considering…”

He knew exactly what she was asking. What a mess.

“Considering my dad is an ass? Yeah, it’s awkward, but my mom shouldn’t have to miss out on things because of him, especially now that she’s got a grandson. Since Allison and Gabe got married they host most of the time, and Mom and I join them. Ben rarely shows up, and the couple times he did, he mostly behaved. Just glared the entire time then left after he ate.”

“I’m sorry.” Laurel rested her hand on his arm. “It’s not right that’s what family’s like for you.”

It wasn’t, but it was his reality.

Do I have any right to make it hers?

Rafe shoved the negative thoughts aside. “We deal with it, but considering how well you and he get along,Ms. Lippy, you probably don’t want to take the chance he shows up this year.”

She stuck out her tongue before offering a warning back. “And I don’t think you want to come to my house. Jeff starts work this coming week, so he’s back in town.”

“What’s that got to do with your family dinner?”

She grimaced. “My mom invited him to stop by for dessert once he arrives.”