Gabe’s fractured heart cracked a little more. “I’ll have to do it, sweetie. Miss Piper won’t be able to come to the party with us.”
Lindsey’s face clouded with confusion. “Why can’t she come?”
Rubbing a hand along the back of his neck, Gabe considered his words carefully. He didn’t want a complete meltdown to occur in front of Kellen and Ivy. “I’ll talk to you about it while we braid your hair.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I want Piper!” Lindsey said with defiance.
Tears welled in his daughter’s eyes, and her lower lip jutted out. Gabe braced for the impending tantrum and desperately tried to think of something to ward it off. One of the puppies whimpered, and he came close to blurting out that the kids could keep one of them. But then he realized how stupid that would be. Forever and ever the puppy would remind them all of Piper.
Gabe watched as Kellen and Ivy shared a look. He envied that the newlyweds were so attuned to one another that they could communicate without words.
Ivy touched Lindsey on the arm. “Hey, if it’s okay with your dad, how would you and Shane like to come out to the ranch with Kellen and me right now? Mr. George will have the horses harnessed to the sleigh soon and will need someone to go for a ride to test it out.”
“Can we Dad?” Shane asked, apparently not bothered that Piper was no longer going with their family.
“I suppose that’s okay.” Gabe crouched down in front of Lindsey. “Do you want to go early too?”
“What about my hair?”
“I can braid it,” Ivy said, putting an arm around Lindsey’s shoulders. “I’ve been braiding my own hair since I was ten.”
Lindsey’s shoulders slumped. “Okay.”
“Perfect,” Ivy said. “You two go and get your snow pants and coats on while your dad gathers your hats and gloves to take with us.”
As soon as the children were gone, both Kellen and Ivy approached Gabe. “Dude,” Kellen said, “that’s my wife’s code word for what the heck happened between you and Piper?”
Gabe didn’t want to talk about it. This whole situation was like a flashback to when MaryEllen’s affair had become public, and he’d been the one left to field all of the questions. “Something came to my attention today that makes me believe the kids and I will be better off without her in our life.”
Ivy stared at him through narrowed lids. He could tell she wanted to pressure him into talking, but his kids were too quick and were already dressed in their winter gear.
“We’re ready!” Shane said.
“Daddy?” Lindsey looked up at Gabe with sorrowful eyes. “Will you please tell Miss Piper I’ll save a cookie for her?”
“I’ll tell her,” Ivy said. “Kellen, can you help load the kids up while I run over to tell Piper we want Tank?”
“And that I’ll save her a cookie,” Lindsey added.
Ivy winked at Lindsey. “And that you’ll save her a cookie.”
Once Ivy was gone, Gabe instructed his kids to get their hats and gloves while he transferred Lindsey’s booster seat into Kellen’s truck.
“Just so you know, my wife is interfering in your love life,” Kellen said as they walked into the garage.
Gabe ignored him. He did not want to talk about this.
“After marrying me, she’s a firm believer in happily ever after.” Kellen pumped his eyebrows up and down. “I mean, can you blame her?”
Gabe snorted a laugh as he unbuckled the booster seat. “No comment.” He hauled the seat out and headed back inside the house. “Come on, kids. Let’s get you loaded.”
Ivy returned as Gabe helped secure Lindsey’s seatbelt. “Thanks for taking the kids early. I’ll be out soon.”
“Gabe, I know I haven’t known you as long as Kellen has, but please consider talking to Piper again. There are always two sides to every story.”
His blood turned to ice at her words. There had been a few people in Snow Valley who had thought the same thing when MaryEllen left. That somehow Gabe was responsible for his wife’s indiscretion. He may not have been a perfect husband, but he hadn’t done anything to warrant his wife to have an affair.
“I appreciate your concern.” He took a step backward. “Be good, kids. I’ll bring the sleds out shortly.”
Ivy sighed heavily and climbed into the truck. Gabe avoided eye contact with either adult and waved to the kids. He went inside and immediately caught the scent of the brownies cooling in the kitchen that Piper had made. He should’ve sent them with Ivy and Kellen. It didn’t feel right for him to bring them. Maybe Piper would take them when she came over to get her dog and the puppies.
On the way up the stairs, he paused to pet Anastasia. She was the epitome of the perfect dog and so opposite of Rascal. “I’m going to miss you, girl,” he said, stroking the soft fur. She lifted her head and gazed at him with her soulful brown eyes as if to remind him that the reason she was such a good dog was because of the woman who had trained her.
Guilt for the harsh way he’d judged Piper sliced through him. He got to his feet and made his way upstairs to change out of his work clothes. Even if he had been harsh, it still didn’t mitigate the fact that she’d withheld vital communication. Trust was everything in a relationship.
He tugged off his tie and tried not to listen to the voice in his head reminding him that he may not have disclosed everything about his past if his children hadn’t spilled the beans first. He probably would’ve waited until he was a little more secure in their relationship.
As he pulled a thick sweatshirt on, his cell phone buzzed on top of the dresser. He picked up the phone and saw it was his sister calling. Although he didn’t want to admit it out loud, he had kind of hoped it was Piper.
“Gabe, Mom just called and said Dad had a heart attack. They’re on the way to the hospital, and Cam and I are heading there right now.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible.” His hands shook as he ended the call and dropped to his knees to pray for his dad. His eyes were wet with tears by the time he finished. After that, everything was a blur. He called Kellen and asked him to get the kids ready for him to pick up, but Ivy got on the phone and suggested he let the children stay and they would bring them to the hospital once Gabe had an update.
While he was grateful he didn’t have to worry about trying to wrangle Shane and Lindsey away from the party, the hour-long drive to Billings was excruciatingly lonely. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, consisting mostly about fears his father might not survive and what that would do to his mother and his siblings. It didn’t matter that he was a grown man— he didn’t want to lose his dad.
By the time he got to the hospital and found out his dad was in surgery, Gabe allowed himself to think about Piper. Watching his sister and her husband rally together made him long for someone he could lean on. No, not someone— Piper. Gabe missed her. It was then that Gabe acknowledged how quickly life could change. He wanted to give Piper a chance to explain. He just hoped it wasn’t too late.
Chapter 17
Piper knelt down next to Anastasia. “Be a good girl, and I’ll be back to get you as soon as I can.”
“She’ll be fine,” Ivy said. “Kellen and I will take good care of her and her babies. And Rascal is staying with Kellen’s Grandma Ilene, so don’t worry about him having any clandestine rendezvous with Anastasia while you’re gone.”
That dog was such a pain, and yet she’d grown to love him too. He was just another casualty in the life of Piper Jensen. Stinging tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them back. She’d done enough crying the past few days to fill a bathtub. Crying didn’t solve anything… it just made her eyes puffy and gave her a stuffy nose and a headache.
“I really appreciate you for volunteering to do this.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Ivy studied her through her dark lashes. “I wish you’d wait another day for Gabe and the kids to return from Billings. He’s texted me about a twenty times just today to beg me to get
you to talk to him.”
“You didn’t tell him I’m leaving, did you?”
“No, but I wish you hadn’t made me promise that I wouldn’t.” A frown marred Ivy’s olive colored skin. “I don’t understand why you won’t talk to him.”
Piper placed her palm over her rolling stomach. She’d already explained several times why she didn’t want to talk to Gabe again. It would open up the wounds he’d inflicted when he’d confronted her about Tucker and condemned her before giving her a chance to explain. Not that those wounds had healed. It was more like she had closed them off with a heavy-duty bandage, and she wasn’t taking it off for fear of bleeding out.
Besides, even if they did talk, he still may not be able to forgive her for not telling him about Tucker and why she was fired. Or worse, he would still believe that she couldn’t be trusted, and their relationship would still end, only this time the wounds would be fatal. Though the ache inside her chest made her believe it was already too late, Gabe Wesson had her heart, and she didn’t think she’d ever get it back.
“I told you it’s better to make a clean break. This teaching job is a great opportunity for me, and I can’t pass up the chance they’ll hire me full-time.”
The door opened and in walked Caytie McAllister, Ivy’s beautiful pseudo sister-in-law. “Knock, knock,” she said in a singsong voice. “Georgia is awake, and we wanted to say goodbye.”
Piper had met Caytie and her husband, Jace, the night before when she’d been invited to have dinner with Kellen and Ivy. The McAllister’s had been there, along with their six-month-old daughter, Georgia, who they’d named her after Caytie’s uncle George.
“All ready to go?” Caytie asked as she removed Georgia’s coat. The baby looked so cute in a navy-blue corduroy jumper with a rose and ivory plaid shirt, paired with tights and the teeniest pair of rose-colored cowboy boots Piper had ever seen.
“Did Jace have another pair of boots made for her?” Ivy asked, inspecting the exquisite stitching.
“Yes, it’s the most adorable thing the way my husband has become obsessed with our daughter’s fashion.”
Ivy laughed. “A fact Kellen loves rubbing in Jace’s face every chance he gets.”
“Speaking of cute boots,” Caytie said, pointing to Piper’s feet. She was finally wearing the pink boots her sister had given her. “Where did you get those? I love them.”
“My sister, Tomi, sent them to me.” Piper hadn’t wanted to wear them since she’d planned to wear them on her date with Gabe to the sledding party, but Rascal had gotten a hold of one of her snow boots yesterday, and she and Ivy couldn’t find it anywhere. “I can ask her where she got them and send you the info.”
“I’d love that.” She grinned. “And wouldn’t it be cute if I had a pair made for Georgia?”
“Adorable.” Piper held out a finger to the blue-eyed baby, and she gripped her tiny hand around it. “She’s so beautiful, Caytie. You and Jace are very blessed.”
“We are.” She kissed the baby’s chubby cheek. “I never dreamed I would love being a mother so much. When my poor mother was alive, she was always so miserable. Of course she was married to my father, so I guess that explains it.”
Last night after dinner, Caytie and Jace had told Piper how they’d met and a little about Caytie’s father and why he was serving a ten-year sentence in a California penitentiary.
“I can’t wait until our baby is here,” Ivy said. Then she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Kellen is gonna kill me for letting that slip.”
“You’re pregnant!” Caytie squealed, giving Ivy a one-armed hug. “When are you due?”
“Probably on our one-year anniversary in September. I’m only six weeks along.”
“Congratulations,” Piper said, giving Ivy a hug. “Are you sure you’re up to taking care of Anastasia and the puppies?”
“Of course. I’m not a wimp.” She glanced over at Caytie. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Caytie said with a wide smile. “I’m totally a wimp.”
“No, you were just very sick. So far all I’ve felt is a little tired, but no nausea or vomiting, which I hope holds true for the whole pregnancy.”
“Me too,” Caytie said. “I threw up every day until my sixth month.”
Piper felt so out of place. She was older than both these women, and yet she’d never been married and doubted she’d ever be a mother. It was a good thing she was a teacher. At least she’d be able to mother children vicariously through her work.
“Well, I better get going.” She glanced at her watch. “Park City is over eight hours away.”
“When the weather warms up, Ivy and I will come visit you,” Caytie said. “There’s a store there that’s interested in carrying my handbags.” She unwound a lock of her hair out of Georgia’s grasp. “Plus, I’ve wanted to shop in Park City for a long time, but never made it there.”
Piper hoped she was still living in the famous Utah resort town when summer came around. She was taking over for the current music teacher for the next six weeks while she was on maternity leave. Then at the end of the school year, the teacher was resigning and, if they liked Piper, she’d get the position.
Tomi had actually been the one to find Piper the lead on the job. She’d just started a new project with an independent film director from Park City, and when she overheard the director talking about her daughter’s music teacher going into early labor and they didn’t have anyone to cover for her, Tomi had jumped in with the perfect solution. Piper had interviewed two days ago via Skype. Having learned her lesson, she’d disclosed the situation with her former school right away. Mrs. Bybee, the principal, was impressed by her resume and the letter of recommendation from the previous principal and said she didn’t listen to gossip.
Piper had been surprised when Mrs. Bybee had called back within the hour and offered her the job on the condition she started immediately. She’d accepted, but hadn’t been sure what to do about Anastasia and the puppies. Ivy had stopped by to check on her later that day, and when she heard Piper’s dilemma, she and her husband had volunteered to take care of the dogs until the puppies were old enough to go to their new homes.
Fingers of anxiety gripped her and tightened around her throat, making it difficult to draw a breath. She didn’t want to leave Anastasia and would be so lonely without her. She had to keep reminding herself that the job was only for six weeks. Once the puppies were weaned and in their new homes, Piper would come back one weekend and get Anastasia and probably never set foot in Snow Valley, Montana again.
“I hope to have my own apartment by then, so you can stay at the condo.” She met Caytie’s eyes. “Thank you again for letting me use your timeshare. It was very generous of you and your husband.”
“We’re happy to do it. Since honeymooning in Italy, Jace and I haven’t had time to do much traveling, especially since having Georgia.” She nuzzled the baby’s neck, making the little girl giggle. “Besides, we’ve kind of turned into homebodies.”
Piper’s cell phone buzzed. She was afraid to look at the screen, in case it was Gabe trying to call her again, so she ignored it.
“Is that your phone?” Ivy asked.
“Yeah,” Piper said, pressing a button to make it go directly to voicemail, “I’ll call whoever it is once I get on the road.”
One of Ivy’s brows arched up. “Even if it’s Gabe?”
It would be a lot easier to answer with a tiny white lie by saying yes, but Piper was determined to be as forthright as possible from now on. “No, if it’s Gabe, I won’t be calling him back. I told you it’s better this way.”
Ivy and Caytie shared a look, and both of them sighed heavily. “What was that all about?” Piper asked, feeling slightly irritated. Just because they had found their happily-ever-after didn’t mean she was destined for the same thing.
“Nothing,” Ivy said. She tucked her fingers into the front pocket of her jeans. “It’s just that Gabe is such a good guy, and we t
hink you should give him another chance.”
Piper thought about all the messages he’d left her, asking her to forgive him. She was tempted, but giving him another chance to break whatever was left of her heart was too risky. “He is a good guy, and I’m certain he’ll find someone else who is a lot better for him than me.”
Ivy was about to argue again, but Piper had made up her mind. “I have to get going. I’m supposed to be at the school first thing in the morning.” She reached out and hugged Ivy. “Thank you for being such a good friend to me and for taking care of my dog.”
“You’re welcome.” She stepped back and smiled. “I guess we’ll see you in six weeks?”
“That’s the plan.”
Caytie handed Ivy the baby and pulled Piper into a hug. “Drive safe and let me know if you have any problems getting into the condo.”
“I will.” She stepped back. “Thank you.” Then she knelt down next to Anastasia and gave her dog one last hug. “I’m going to miss you, girl.”
Her eyes grew misty, and she absolutely refused to cry in front of her new friends. “Okay, I better get out of here.” Picking up her backpack, she waved goodbye and hurried out to her car. She’d left the motor running, so it was nice and cozy inside.
Pulling her phone from her pocket, she slipped off her coat and buckled her seatbelt. Then she slid her phone into the holder secured to the dash of the car and pressed the home button to access her audiobooks app. The alert on the screen showed a missed call from Gabe and another text message from him. She cleared the screen and opened the app to listen to a middle grade adventure book she’d read to her students last year. She wasn’t in any shape to listen to one of the many romance books she had in her audio library.
The drive to Utah was rather uneventful. Tomi had called her a handful of times to track her progress, but Gabe hadn’t made another attempt to get a hold of her since this morning when she’d ignored his call. It made her sad to think he might have finally given up on her, but still believed it was for the best. At least she kept telling herself that.
Destiny Came Knocking: A Snow Valley Romance Page 15