Diamond in the Dust (Second Chances Time Travel Romance Book 3)

by Peggy L Henderson

  She stopped, and faced him again. “You’re welcome to stay until we figure something out, okay?”

  Gabe gnashed his teeth. He couldn’t stay here much longer. He hated not knowing where to go and what to do, but now didn’t seem like the right time to ask Morgan about life in the twenty-first century. There were so many things he wanted to - needed to - ask her, but she looked tuckered out. No doubt from tending to him all night. His attraction to the woman standing in front of him only complicated matters more.

  “I have to get Logan cleaned up and ready for bed, and I’m about dead on my feet, too. The couch is all yours for tonight. Your clothes are in the dryer, so you might as well get some sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

  With another smile and a dismissive nod of her head, she turned and headed up the hall. Gabe inhaled a deep breath, then settled on the couch, tucking his hand behind his head. He stared at the ceiling for a good long while before closing his eyes, trying to erase Morgan’s hungry gaze from his mind.

  * * * * *

  Gabe woke with a start. Morgan’s voice drifted into his sleep-befuddled head. A ribbon of light streamed into the otherwise dark parlor from the kitchen. Another woman’s voice mingled with Morgan’s, which meant she must not be talking into that little box of hers.

  He raised himself to a sitting position, and ran a hand through his hair. The muscles in his gut throbbed dully where he’d been punched several times by Ian’s men. A quick touch to his head confirmed that the swelling over his eye had lessened some more. The hot water from the shower earlier had definitely helped.

  Gabe glanced toward the kitchen. Morgan’s voice rose in anger, just as it had done before she’d served him supper.

  “So, what are you going to do, now?” The unfamiliar female voice asked.

  Morgan laughed scornfully. “You know, freezing my trust was the best thing my mother ever did for me, except it couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Mr. Banks left me a message today.”

  “Banks?”

  “The guy who runs the sanctuary in Montana.”

  Gabe sat up straighter. Montana? As in Montana Territory? Of course by now it would have become a state. He’d heard talk about that. He still didn’t know where he was, but it certainly wasn’t Montana. He stood and moved toward the kitchen.

  “The one you’ve been sending money to?” the unfamiliar woman prodded.

  “Yes. He emails me all the time, sends me pictures, and lets me know how things are going,” Morgan said, her voice less heated. “He lost the land he’s been leasing, and has one month to move.”

  “And you were going to help him do it with money from your trust?”

  “Yes. If he can’t find a suitable piece of land that’s affordable, the horses could end up at the auction yard. And then they’ll most likely end up at the slaughterhouse. It’s where most of them came from, where Mr. Banks rescued them, to begin with.”

  “You’ve been that sanctuary’s biggest financial supporter, haven’t you?” the other woman asked in a sympathetic tone.

  “He depends solely on donations, and now I can’t offer him any help,” Morgan answered, a hitch of despair in her voice.

  “I know the horses have you worried, but what about you? I think you need to worry about yourself at the moment.”

  “I’m planning on getting a job, something I’ve always wanted to do. It’ll finally give me some sense of independence. Is the diner still hiring?”

  The other woman laughed. “You want to work in a diner?”

  “Dammit, Ashley,” Morgan said heatedly. “I know I’m labeled as the spoiled little rich girl, but I don’t want my mother’s lifestyle. I want to be a real person, go to work, and make my own money. If it hadn’t been for Logan, I would have looked for a job a lot sooner.”

  “I’m sorry, Morgan. I know you’re not a rich snob. Not too many women I know finish college while they’re pregnant and raising an infant.”

  Gabe stood in the shadows just outside the kitchen. Eavesdropping didn’t sit well with him, but he couldn’t help but overhear, and learning more about Morgan had him rooted to the spot. He’d had her pegged right from the start. She was a lady with means, but something had happened that she’d lost her money. That must be why she’d been so riled earlier.

  He didn’t see how that connected her to the horses she’d been talking about, but if horses were involved, might he be able to offer some help? The idea gave him a sudden sense of purpose. He was about to reveal himself, when the other woman’s next question stopped him.

  “Why don’t you go to Bryce for help regarding the horses?”

  Morgan laughed. “I’ve thought of that, but he’s the last person I want to ask.”

  “He owns tons of land in Montana, doesn’t he? Maybe you could ask him to take the horses in on a temporary basis, if Mr. Banks doesn’t find a place for them before his time’s up.”

  Gabe’s fist tightened at his side. Did Morgan have a beau? If she did, she didn’t sound as if she liked the man.

  “I’ll think about it,” Morgan said in a low tone, sounding none too pleased about the idea.

  “I’ve never asked, and I don’t want to be nosy, but Bryce pays child support, right?”

  “I don’t want anything from Bryce, you know that.”

  “When’s the last time you talked to him?”

  “I had dinner with him about a month ago, which was a mistake. He asked me again to move back in, that he wanted to make a fresh start, for Logan’s sake, as he put it.” She scoffed loudly. “Of course, when I told him no, he got mad.”

  Some strange sensation flowed through Gabe. Was the man named Bryce Logan’s father? The odd stirrings in him grew, until they erupted fully into anger. The pulse beat stronger at his temples. If Bryce was the father, it sounded as if he wanted his son, wanted his son’s mother, yet Morgan refused him?

  Images of Jonas Monroe, at least how he’d always imagined him, swam before Gabe’s eyes. Anger and hatred threatened to boil over in him. The old bastard had rejected him as his son, refused to give him his name in favor of another son. How could Morgan be so callous as to keep a child from a father who wanted him? Maybe she wasn’t the kind of woman he thought she was. Gabe cursed the mild-mannered woman he’d come to know throughout the day; cursed whatever the hell it was that drew him to her.

  The other woman spoke again. “Jim at the diner just hired another waitress today. That’s why I was there so late, to help train her.”

  “Well, I’m sure there are other places that are hiring,” Morgan mumbled. She laughed, but it wasn’t a happy laugh. “I have a college degree that is absolutely useless, and no job experience. I suppose I can list planning parties for my mother and traveling to Europe on my resume.”

  “It might sound better if you call it ‘Event Planner’.” Fingers snapped loudly. “That’s it, Morgan. I have the perfect job for you,” the woman added excitedly.

  “You do?” Morgan sounded skeptical.

  “Yes, I think your culinary classes might come in handy, too. This will be perfect. But, the job is in Montana.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “My aunt texted me just yesterday, and asked if I was interested in coming up to their ranch to help with the cooking and activities for the guests for the summer. Her daughter-in-law is pregnant and can’t help out as much right now. I’d love to do it, but I need to stay here because of my grandma. You’d be perfect, and you’d be closer to the sanctuary.”

  “That’s actually a fantastic idea,” Morgan said slowly.

  “I’ll get in touch with her in the morning. She already knows you from when we were there a few years ago.”

  “Even if your aunt doesn’t have a job opening, I’m going to go to Montana. Maybe I can help at the sanctuary somehow.” Growing excitement was evident by the tone of her voice.

  Gabe stepped out of the shadows into the kitche
n. He’d done enough eavesdropping. Morgan stood at the counter with another woman who was wearing a white dress that barely reached her knees. She was a tad shorter than Morgan, curvy in all the right places, and her dark hair was tied to fall down her back like a horse’s tail. Both women turned their heads at the same time. Morgan’s friend’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened.

  “Oh, my,” she said slowly, an appreciative smile on her face.

  Gabe ignored her, his eyes on Morgan. She no longer wore those short pants that exposed most of her legs, but rather long pants similar to the ones he had on. Her top vaguely resembled a chemise with cutoff sleeves, except that it hugged every curve of her upper body like a second skin. He swallowed, and ran a hand across his whiskered chin.

  “Miss Bartlett,” he said, concealing his anger with the woman. This might be his one shot to go where things were familiar to him. “I couldn’t help but overhear. If you’re fixing on going to Montana, I’d like to ride along.”

  Chapter Nine

  Morgan drove in silence, her eyes on the road in front of her, uncharacteristically self-conscious about her hands on the steering wheel. Even though she looked straight ahead, she was acutely aware of the man sitting next to her. Gabe was equally silent, but what else was new? For the last three days, he’d spoken only when she or Ashley started talking first, or when he had a question about something he didn’t understand. Morgan definitely hadn’t initially pegged him as the silent type. He’d been rather flirty the first day, but on the morning of Day Two of having this supposed time traveler living with them, his demeanor had changed completely.

  His request to go with her to Montana had come as a surprise at first, but in hindsight, it might be the perfect place for him. Gabe was definitely better suited for living on a ranch or something similar, doing cowboy stuff, than being stuck in the California desert. She’d hoped the reverend would have returned by now - four days after asking her to look out for Gabe - like he said he would, but he seemed to have vanished completely. How would the old man find him, if he left Hinkley? She’d brushed off that thought. Ashley could tell him where Gabe had gone, if the old man ever showed up again.

  Ashley had called her aunt the next morning, and happily announced to Morgan that she had a job waiting for her in Montana. It would only be a temporary summer job, but it was a start, something to put on a resume. Ashley had even asked about a position for Gabe, and her aunt had told her they might have something available, and they’d interview him when he arrived.

  “I assume you know how to ride?” Ashley had asked Gabe over breakfast when she announced her news. Her eager eyes still hadn’t lost their lusty gleam since the moment Gabe had first walked in on their conversation in the kitchen. The swelling on his face had gone down considerably in the last three days, revealing the handsome guy in the photo she’d seen. Morgan had to remind her friend on several occasions that she had a boyfriend, to which Ashley had responded with a shrug and casual wave of her hand.

  If Gabe had noticed Ashley’s open admiration, he didn’t let on. He’d answered her question with a quick smile and a nod of his head. “Yes, ma’am, I’ve been on a horse a few times.”

  Judging by that photo of Gabe on a horse, he looked to be more than comfortable in the saddle, but what did she know about horses and riding? Morgan had shot him a raised-eyebrow look. Why would he play down the fact that he knew how to ride? When their eyes had met across the table, his smile had vanished, replaced by an almost angry frown.

  What had she said or done? She’d left him in the living room on good terms the night before, to the best of her knowledge. His grumpy mood with her hadn’t changed in the last three days. He’d been more than polite; his behavior completely enthralling Ashley, but his demeanor toward Morgan had definitely changed, especially when she had Logan in her arms.

  He always stood from the table when she or Ashley walked into the kitchen, which delighted Ashley to no end. She openly enjoyed being called “Miss Gilbert,” and giggled whenever Gabe said “yes ma’am,” or “no ma’am.” He opened doors, said “please” and “thank you, ma’am,” and removed his dusty old hat the minute he walked into the house. Convincing her to allow Gabe to stay for a few days had been no problem. Ashley hadn’t even pressed to find out more about his background. Apparently he was too good-looking to be a criminal.

  Gabe had refused outright to let Morgan buy him new clothes, saying what he wore on his back was all he’d ever owned, and he wouldn’t allow a woman to buy him clothes. He went on to complain that it was bad enough that he lived under their roof and ate their food.

  She’d given him a toothbrush, razor, and shaving cream that she’d asked Ashley to pick up on her way home from work one evening. To prevent another argument about accepting things from her, she’d told a little lie that these items had been left behind by Ashley’s boyfriend, and they’d just get thrown away so he might as well use them.

  “I will repay you for your hospitality,” he’d said the other morning over breakfast.

  Morgan had shook her head. “There’s no need, really.”

  The dark scowl he’d tossed her way had made her squirm in her seat.

  “Don’t insult me, Miss Bartlett,” he’d scoffed. “I don’t like to be beholden to anyone.”

  To salvage his damaged male ego, Morgan had come up with a few simple repairs that needed to be done around Ashley’s house. He’d eagerly tackled fixing the squeaky hinges on Ashley’s garden gate when Morgan had casually suggested it. Since then, he’d even learned how to replace a torn screen in Morgan’s bedroom window by looking at the instructions that came with the screen repair kit.

  She hadn’t mentioned the electrical fixes in the garage for fear he would electrocute himself, but he’d fixed the leaky faucet in the bathroom without even asking. He’d simply studied everything in the toolbox she’d found for him in the garage, and had started to take the faucet apart.

  Luckily, Morgan had caught him before he’d completely disassembled it, or he might have flooded the entire house. After a brief explanation about how plumbing worked, and that the water needed to be shut off first before such a repair, he’d continued until the fixture no longer leaked. If he really had come from the past, Gabe McFarlain was an intelligent man, and by the determined look on his face, and the way he threw himself into a project, he’d been trying to absorb 150 years’ worth of knowledge in a few days.

  He’d watched endless amounts of History Channel shows after she’d introduced television to him, rationalizing that it would be the quickest way to get him up to speed on twenty-first century culture. He’d shot her a most inappropriate look once when a commercial came on TV advertising plastic surgery and body sculpting for women. The way he’d looked her up and down, there’d been no question about what he’d been thinking.

  “Mine are real,” she’d said, glaring at him, her hands on her hips, when his eyes had lingered on her chest. His lips had twitched in amusement, and for a second, Morgan had thought he might even smile, but his face had hardened up again.

  As a result of his sullen behavior, Morgan had stayed out of his way for the most part. She’d observed him from a distance during the times when he stared out the window, or when he sat in the yard, his head hung low. Obviously, Gabe had a lot on his mind and was trying to come to terms with some things, and it was best to leave him alone while he mulled things over with himself.

  Overall, he sure played the part of the nineteenth century cowboy to the fullest. Morgan had mentioned to Ashley that Gabe thought he was a time traveler, to which Ashley had laughed dismissively. Gabe hadn’t brought it up again in Ashley’s presence, and Morgan regretted her slip of the tongue. The reverend had told her not to mention it to anyone, and probably had said the same to Gabe. Ashley was so starry-eyed over Gabe that she apparently hadn’t even noticed that he needed explanations about everything.

  You’ve done your share of noticing him, too, Morgan.

  Her initi
al feelings about Gabe McFarlain had only become stronger as more time passed from when she’d picked him up in the desert. It was more than simple attraction to a good-looking guy. At first glance, they shared nothing in common, and yet, there was a connection that Morgan couldn’t explain. Maybe because they both seemed to be searching for something, wanting some feeling of purpose in life. The idea of going to Montana together had only strengthened those feelings in her. They were both on a journey, both starting new lives that neither of them knew much about.

  It was obvious that Gabe was deeply troubled about something that went beyond thinking he was stuck in a time in which he didn’t belong. He had demons inside him that ate at his very soul. She hadn’t had the courage to ask him about it, and she highly doubted he would even answer her. If they were going to be traveling together, however, maybe it was a good idea to at least find out why he seemed to be mad at her.

  Now’s as good a time as any, Morgan.

  He couldn’t simply walk away from her during their drive into Victorville. The silence was killing her. Logan had fallen asleep in his car seat, so there would be no interruptions from him. She turned her head to look at Gabe. His hat fell low over his forehead, and he appeared to be dozing, too.

  Morgan inhaled a deep breath. “Can I ask you something?”

  Gabe became instantly alert. He sat up straighter, and removed his hat from his head before he glanced her way.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he drawled slowly. His tone sounded anything but eager to hear what she wanted to ask.

  Morgan alternated her gaze from him to the highway, then asked the question that had nagged at her for days. “Did I do something to offend you in some way?”

  The muscles along his jaw tightened, and he avoided looking at her.

  “Well?” she prodded when he didn’t answer. “I know that you have things bottled up inside you, and I understand if you don’t want to talk about them, but if there’s something about me that bothers you, I think it’s best that we get it out in the open now, considering we’ll be on the road together in a few days.”