Page 20 of Ropers Can’t Tie Knots (Kissing Ridge Cowboys #3)

thirteen

Gabe

I t’s no surprise I’m in the kitchen alone—again.

Ever since our attraction boiled over to the hottest sex ever, Hunter has been distant. I wish I could say it doesn’t bother me, but I’d be lying. I want to talk things out, but he finds creative ways to dodge the subject constantly.

Going to bed alone never hurt as much as it did that night. I thought we were on the same page, and turns out we weren’t even reading the same fucking book. With a sigh, I pour a coffee and head out to the porch swing on the back deck.

Since Hunter first showed me this swing, I come out often. With fall closing in, the mornings are chilly, and I’ve taken to bringing a blanket out with me. After wrapping it around me, I settle on the swing and let the gentle squeaks accompany me on a day just as grey as my mood.

I miss my sisters today. Both of them gone too soon, and it’s always the fall when I miss them most. Karina died on a rainy Saturday night in September at the hands of a drunk driver, and Katia took her own life the following October.

Since that October day, the only family I’ve had is the one I make myself.

Riley is the best one I found, and through him, I’ve found Jackson and a group of cowboys to befriend.

Diamond, the barista at the Thirsty Cow, would probably be a great friend, too, if I allow it.

My work friends were just that, friends through work, and while they helped me each time while I grieved my sisters, they didn’t remain close friends in the way you sometimes need.

This thing with Hunter wasn’t supposed to be complicated. It was the means to an end for both of us, but somewhere along the way, I let it mean more to me.

A light patter of rain hits the tin roof of the porch, and I wrap the blanket around me tighter while I dip into the melancholy that sneaks up on me around this time. I’m not sure how long I sit there, stewing in my sadness, but when the patio door opens, my heart lifts when Hunter steps out.

“Hey.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “Can I join you?”

“It’s your porch. Go ahead.”

I don’t mean to sound so caustic, but I’ve barely seen him for two weeks. I’m allowed to be a little pissy about it even while I hate doing it.

He settles next to me, and his warmth is welcome on the chilly day. He smells good too, like he’s been baking pie or something.

“Listen…Gabe…” He releases a long sigh, and I turn towards him.

“I’m sorry for being such a prick that night.

It…I didn’t know what to do.” His throats bobs and he keeps his gaze on his hands.

Hands that set me on fire with a single touch, but keep their distance when things get too difficult.

“I’m, ah, not good at this sort of thing, and I didn’t mean to hurt you. ”

He means it. I know he does, but I need more than words.

“You did, though. Whether you meant to or not.”

“I’m sorry.” He swallows again, and I turn to stare out into the back pasture. After a moment, a warmth settles on my thigh, and I glance down to find Hunter’s hand, palm up. When I turn to him, his gaze is open, and the soft vulnerability that he’s shared with me a few times before is back.

I’m not sure if I should accept his offering and allow myself to keep getting closer to a man who pushes me away every time things move to a deep level, but I could use a friend right now. Maybe it’s wrong for me to use him for comfort, but right now, he’s offering, so I’m taking.

Sliding my hand in his, I shift, and Hunter pulls me closer as the rain increases its intensity. It’s hard to see the individual rain drops now as the rain intensifies, but the patter on the roof has an odd comfort. His arm moves and settles around my shoulders, and I rest my head against him.

A calloused thumb wipes the wetness from my cheek. “Why are you sad, counsellor?” His gentle voice is like another blanket around me, and despite being angry with him, I talk.

“I miss my sisters today. Sometimes I get sad—depressed, actually—in the fall, around the days of their deaths. This is one of those days.”

“Do you want to talk about them? Or…anything that might help?”

“Not today. I just want to feel it for a while.”

Hunter says nothing, but his thumb keeps wiping the odd tear from my cheeks, and it shouldn’t make me feel better that he’s seeing me like this, and sitting with me, but it does. His quiet presence helps, and as much as I wish I could remain angry with him…I can’t.

“I’ll sit here and feel it with you, Gabe. For as long as you need.”

And he does.

“Mr. Davis?”

Penny pokes her head through my office door.

“Yes?”

“You have a delivery.”

“You can sign for anything. You know that.” I turn back to my screen, researching how to include intellectual property into a will for a rancher who has a secret pen name and writes romance novels. It’s an odd thing to know about a big, burly guy with a goat farm.

It’s also a distraction from the man whom I call husband in name only. Thoughts of him and his multiple layers keep invading my mind. It’s unsettling that I’m letting a man take over my thoughts so much, but Hunter Burke is a puzzle I can’t seem to walk away from.

“Not this delivery,” Penny states.

Pushing away from my desk, annoyed more than I should be, I brush by her and walk to the front of my office, where I pause in front of a man dressed as a giant teddy bear.

“Gabe Davis?”

“That’s me, yes.”

He passes me a stuffed bear that looks a lot like his outfit, and then hands me a bouquet of teal-coloured carnations. He blows into a little harmonica thing, then unfolds a sheet of paper that he sings from. Badly.

“You can’t say no to a teddy bear. Please join me at the Happy Badger tonight and don’t be square.”

It sounds like a jingle from an old television commercial.

“Don’t be square? Who even says that anymore?”

The bear shrugs and hands me an envelope. “The one who hired me to say it, I guess. Have a great day.”

The envelope is thick, and with my arms full of flowers and teddy bear, I turn to find Penny about ready to burst.

“Go on. Get it out,” I sigh as she bounces around behind me.

“The bear has tiny glasses like yours and ohmygod this is the sweetest thing ever.”

I turn the bear around and notice the tiny glasses that are indeed just like mine, and this can only be from one person. Since he sat with me on the porch and witnessed me at my lowest, there’s been a different tension between us. We’re walking on eggshells, and I hate it.

Maybe this is his way of taking a step to move us past this and, dare I hope…build something more than the strange situation we put ourselves in.

“Is it from Hunter? It must be!”

Suddenly feeling overly emotional, I don’t want to share this with Penny right now.

“If I have a secret admirer, I’ll let you know.”

Rushing back to my office, I close the door and lean against it. The bear’s glasses are cute, I have to admit, and my mood softens as I inspect the bouquet of carnations.

He remembered my favourite colour, and yeah, he gets bonus points for that.

My hands shake as I set the flowers on my desk and peel open the thick envelope to remove the single-folded sheet of paper inside.

Gabe,

I know I’m shitty about saying the right thing and I want to apologize again. Properly.

Please meet me at the Happy Badger, 7 PM tonight. Give me the chance to be good for you and wear your dancing boots.

Hunter

Is there any way I won’t fall for this guy? A handwritten note for a date to apologize is not what I expected. In fact, I thought his attempt at an apology was what happened on the porch swing.

This feels like a spark of hope.

He asked for a confirmation at the end of the note, and I’m mid-text before I stop and just call him instead.

“Gabe?”

“You asked me to confirm the date, so I thought I’d call you.”

“Oh, right…Did you, ah, like it?”

The uncertainty in his tone thaws my mood.

“I did.” My fingers brush over the cute bear. “But I have to say, I didn’t expect this from you. A teddy bear and flowers from a singing bear are pretty sentimental.”

“The teddy bear had glasses like you,” he says quietly. “I wanted to show you that you’re on my mind a lot.”

“You remembered my favourite colour, too,” I whisper.

“I remember a lot about that day, Gabe. ”

I don’t know why that shocks me, but it does. Our wedding day was so rushed and not at all romantic, and yet…Hunter is doing his best to make it that way.

“I’ll meet you tonight. I can’t wait.”

“Me neither, Gabe. Have a great day, and I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye, cowboy.”

“Bye, counsellor.”

I’m not sure how I’ll concentrate on the rest of my day now, knowing what awaits me tonight.

Once I arrived home, I changed into a red button-down shirt I know looks great on me, and my most comfortable jeans that make my ass look incredible. If he’s putting in the effort to get me there, I’m putting in the effort to showcase the goods.

With a smile, I slip on my cowboy boots. They’re surprisingly comfortable, and I started wearing them to work when I have farm visits scheduled.

For a city guy, I’m at least looking like the locals now. As I head to my car, Lewis chirps, and I change course. It’s been a while since I’ve visited the little dude.

“Hey buddy. I haven’t been out to see you for a few days. Let me get you a carrot.”

Jogging into the barn, I locate the treat bucket and pull out a small carrot for Lewis. As I’m about to leave the barn, heavy panting and stall boards rattling stop me in my tracks.

I tentatively enter the row of horse stalls, the carrot clutched in my hand in front of me like a weapon. If it’s a wild animal, I could poke it in the eye with the root vegetable if it doesn’t like carrots. That would work, wouldn’t it?

Dixie pokes her head out of a stall, but she’s not the one making the ruckus. She nickers, but not the usual way when I’m bringing her a treat. This one sounds…stressed. stall boards rattle next to her—Mack.