“You’ve closed your heart.”
“I can’t afford to be hurt again like Craig hurt me. I can’t let my family be hurt like that. It’s safer not to depend on anyone but myself.”
Again Peter’s laughter drew Rebecca’s attention. She looked at her son reeling in his line, and knew he laughed because of the man next to him. She owed Gabriel a lot. She wished she didn’t owe anyone a thing. Owing meant ties, and ties meant emotional involvement, which could leave her open to being hurt again.
Peter held up a small fish for her to see. “The first one, Mom. But we’re gonna throw it back because Coach says it’s too small to eat. You only keep fish that you’ll eat.”
“Then you’d better get busy. I’m mighty hungry for fish.”
“You don’t like fish.”
“Well, any fish you catch, I’ll eat.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Peter cast his line into the water, then sat on the bank next to Gabriel, listening to something he was saying. Her son’s head was bent toward Gabriel, and she could tell what Gabriel was saying held her son’s interest.
“You know, Granny, Gabriel may be good at helping others with their problems, but has anyone helped him through his?”
“What problem?”
“His wife’s untimely death.”
“Gabriel has dealt with that.”
“Has he? Remember last night when Reverend Carson mentioned George McCall was getting out of prison? Gabriel went pale and excused himself. He didn’t come back. That isn’t the action of a man who has completely dealt with his wife and child’s deaths.”
“I see what you mean. Maybe you could be there for him. The Lord sends many messengers to do His work.”
“I’m not a messenger for the Lord. My life’s in such a shambles. I wouldn’t know where to begin to help another when I’m struggling with my own problems.”
“Nonsense, child, you’re very capable of helping others. Come to church tomorrow with me, if not for yourself, then for your children.”
“Peter went with you last week. I have to stay home to take care of Josh.”
“It’s not what you say but how you act in life that has a lasting impression on children. Josh can stay in the nursery while you go to the service.”
“But—”
“Others can take care of Josh. He’s not a burden. He’s a delightful child. Just because Craig wouldn’t have anything to do with him doesn’t mean others won’t.”
Gabriel gave Peter his fishing rod and rose. He walked to Rebecca. “I’d like to show Josh how to fish.”
He hadn’t worded it as a question, but he waited for her to say something before picking up Josh.
“He’ll have to wear his hat. I don’t want him getting sunburned.” Rebecca rummaged in the tote for Josh’s cap, found it and gave it to Gabriel.
“See what I mean?” Granny asked when Gabriel took Josh to the stream and sat with him in his lap.
Rebecca watched Gabriel place Josh’s hands on the pole then cover them with his larger ones. The man was constantly doing simple things to make her care about him. He probably wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. She needed to put some emotional distance between them or she would be lost, her heart broken for the second time in her life. She only had to look at Gabriel’s ring finger to have that confirmed.
“You’re right, Granny. It isn’t fair to my children to impose my feelings on them. I’ll go with you to church tomorrow, but I’ll feel better if I take Josh to the service. He should be pretty quiet.”
“Suit yourself, but our nursery staff is quite capable of taking care of him.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Peter leaped to his feet, letting out a yell. “This has got to be a big one.”
Her son struggled to reel in the fish. Ten minutes later Rebecca groaned, realizing she would be eating fish for lunch.
“Look what I caught!” Peter displayed his catch, his chest thrust out in pride. He marched to a second cooler filled with ice and put the fish in it. “You’re gonna be so lucky. Coach says his pan-fried fish is to die for.”
She smiled at her son. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“I want to take Mrs. Wiggles for a walk.”
“I don’t want you to go far. I know this is Chief Stone’s land, but—”
“Oh, Mom, Coach said I would be okay on the trail. Quit babying me. Why don’t you fish for a while until I get back? Keep my spot warm.”
“Good idea, Rebecca. And I’ll take Josh and feed him his snack. I think he’s probably worked up quite an appetite fishing.”
Rebecca arched an eyebrow. “Granny, you can stop right there,” she said while Peter scooped up Mrs. Wiggles and started for the path that led into the woods. “I know what you’re up to.”
“More fish. That one in the cooler is for you. There are three more of us that would like some fish for lunch.”
“I’ll gladly share mine.”
“No need for that. Go get us some more.”
Her grandmother smiled too sweetly as she followed Rebecca to the stream and took Josh from Gabriel.
“I think Josh was getting the hang of fishing. I had to let go for a second, and he still held onto the pole.” Gabriel watched Rebecca sit, his eyes shadowed by the low brim of his baseball cap. “Have you fished before?”
“Once when I was a child.” She picked up Peter’s pole and looked at the end of the line. “What do I bait it with?”
“This.” Gabriel thrust a wiggling worm at her.
She shrieked.
He chuckled. “Obviously I’ll have to do the dirty work.”
“If you want me to fish.” She wrinkled her nose and eyed him while he slipped the worm on the hook. “I thought fishermen used lures nowadays.”
“Peter and I had too much fun digging around for worms.”
“So that was what you two were doing in the backyard while I was slaving away getting all the food ready.”
Rebecca settled on the rock with Gabriel next to her and her line in the water. She slid a glance toward him. “You haven’t done very well so far.”
“That’s a challenge if I ever heard one. Okay, if I get the next fish, you have to do something I want. If you get it, I’ll have to do something you want.”
“Nothing against our beliefs? Nothing illegal?”
Gabriel pressed his hand over his heart. “Rebecca Michaels, I’m shocked you would ask. After all, I am the police chief.” He winked. “You’re just gonna have to trust me.”
His chuckles were as warm as the sun caressing her skin, leaving her tingling all over. His familiar male scent of pine again reminded her of the woods behind her. His eyes glittered with a carefree promise. “Okay. I’ll trust you. It’s a deal.”
As he focused on his pole, there was nothing casual about him. He was a man on a mission, and Rebecca began to have doubts about the wisdom of agreeing to the challenge. She turned her attention to her fishing rod. She needed to win the challenge. That look in his eyes should have alerted her to the danger of agreeing to the dare.
When she got a nibble a few minutes later, she scrambled to her feet, beaming, and began to bring in her line. “I haven’t quite decided what I’ll have you do, but—”
The line went slack. Rebecca opened her mouth to say something and closed it without speaking. “It’s gone,” she finally said when she reeled in the line and saw the empty hook.
Gabriel baited it for her. “Easy come. Easy go.”
Rebecca sent the line flying through the air, determined to win. Her thumb slipped. When she glanced at the rod, she saw a tangled mess, and realized it would take hours to unravel the snarl she’d made of Peter’s line. She pulled the hook in by hand. The best she could hope for was that Gabriel wouldn’t catch anything, either. At the moment she would settle for a tie.
She sat on the large boulder they shared, her body only an arm’s length away from his. “Well, at leas
t I got a nibble. You’ve been there all morning and haven’t gotten one bite.”
“Is that disappointment I hear in your voice? You hadn’t even decided what you’d have me do, whereas I know exactly what I want you to do.”
“You do?” she murmured, picturing in her mind Gabriel cupping her face and leaning down—
“I’ve got one.”
He rose with the intention of making sure his fish didn’t get away. His every move was full of purpose as he reeled in his line. Rebecca’s mouth went dry as the minutes to her defeat neared. When Gabriel swung the fish out of the water and onto the bank, beads of sweat popped out on her forehead. Anticipation and dread mingled to form a knot in her stomach.
Gabriel did short work of taking the fish off the hook and putting it in the cooler. Then he turned to her with a predatory gleam in his eyes. He stalked toward her. She took a step back and almost lost her footing.
“Watch it, Rebecca. I know it’s spring, but that water is cold.”
Rebecca glanced at her grandmother, who was happily feeding Josh and talking to him. No help there.
Gabriel stopped in front of her. “What in the world do you think I want?”
Her voice refused to work. She shook her head.
Laughter glinted in his eyes. “What happened to that trust you said you had?”
She gulped. “It’s there—somewhere.”
He clasped her upper arm, deliberately prolonging the suspense.
“Enough. What do I need to do?”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “I want you to come with me Wednesday night to choir practice. Rose says you have a great voice. We could use another singer in the church choir.”
The picture of them kissing dissolved into disappointment. Rebecca felt the heat of her embarrassment at what she had been thinking. She was sure it had been written all over her face, too.
With laughter still in his eyes, Gabriel leaned close and whispered, “When we do kiss, it won’t be on a bet. That you can be sure of.”
He released his grip on her arm and pivoted, leaving Rebecca shaken to the core. “What time do you want me there?”
“I’ll pick you up at six forty-five,” he said without looking back.
Her trembling hands clasped in front of her, she watched him retrieve the two fish from the cooler and begin to fillet them. She pulled herself together and walked the short distance to the bags holding their food. She needed to keep busy. She couldn’t believe she had wanted him to kiss her right there in front of everyone. She was setting herself up to be hurt. This evening she would have to have a strong talk with herself about that. She couldn’t take much more of this seesawing back and forth with her emotions concerning one Gabriel Stone.
Peter bounded out of the woods, Mrs. Wiggles in his arms. “I saw a baby deer.”
“Was its mother nearby?” Gabriel pulled out a frying pan and placed the fillets in it.
“Yeah. They heard Mrs. Wiggles yelp and fled. Can I help build the fire?”
“Sure. We need twigs. Can you gather some?” Gabriel made a fire pit in the sand and put a ring of stones around it.
Peter brought back enough twigs to start a fire. Gabriel showed him how to lay the twigs properly, then he lit them, blowing on them to get the fire started.
As Gabriel and Peter worked, Rebecca observed them and couldn’t shake the feeling Peter’s father should be showing him this. When the twigs caught fire, Gabriel set the grill and pan over the flame.
Was Gabriel involved with her and her family because of her or because of her two sons? Were Josh and Peter a substitute for the son he lost? The questions came unbidden into her mind as she stared at the two of them working together. There was something going on between her and Gabriel. But what was it?
Peter watched Gabriel for a few minutes, then headed for the stream with Mrs. Wiggles in his arms. When her eldest son saw his fishing pole, he said, “Mom! It’s ruined.”
Gabriel glanced up. “Nah. I can fix it later. I was hoping, though, that we could throw the ball some.”
Peter’s frown evaporated. “Okay. But I’m not very good.”
“Is that why you don’t want to come out for the team?”
Peter stared at his feet but didn’t say anything.
“I can help you with throwing and batting, Peter. We can start this afternoon if you want.”
Rebecca held her breath. In Dallas Peter had always been active, playing with his friends. She hated to see him alone.
Peter scuffed the toe of his tennis shoe in the dirt. “It don’t look like I’ll be fishing anymore, so I guess so.”
Rebecca relaxed her tense muscles and continued arranging food on the blanket. When she lounged on her haunches and eyed the lunch before her, she smiled, pleased at what she had managed to throw together on the spur of the moment. Several bags of chips—corn, potato and tortilla—a fruit salad, rolls, pickles, carrots, celery sticks, a three-way bean salad and a chocolate sheet cake with chocolate icing adorned the blanket.
As the aroma of frying fish mingled with the scents of fresh water and forest, her stomach rumbled. Her son had caught a fish, and Gabriel was cooking it. She couldn’t ask for a better way to have one of her least favorite dishes.
“Come and get it,” Gabriel announced to the group.
Rose propped Josh in his swing, then set it in motion. Rebecca passed out paper plates, plastic forks and napkins.
After the fish was served and the other food dished up, Gabriel said, “Lord bless this food and watch over the people here today partaking in this wonderful feast. When things seem the toughest is when we need You the most. Give us the strength to see beyond our own lives and to be a messenger for You.”
When Rebecca glanced up after the prayer, she found him staring at her with an intense look that took her breath away. She’d felt a sweep of emotions today, from joy to despair. She’d witnessed a small miracle when Josh had grabbed the bar on his swing with enough strength to hold it for twenty seconds. Had she given up on the Lord too soon? Was there some purpose only God knew behind all her family had encountered this past year?
She knew what she would have asked Gabriel if she had won the challenge. She wanted him to trust her with his feelings regarding his wife and George McCall. She wanted him to lean on her for a change.
She observed him laugh at something her grandmother said, then fork a slice of fish into his mouth. By the expression on his face he enjoyed every bit as he chewed then took another bite. His eating reminded her that Gabriel was an all-or-nothing kind of guy. He had given his heart once. Could he give it again?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Peter held Lady’s last puppy close to his chest as he sat next to Rebecca in the lounge of the nursing home the following afternoon. Bess strolled into the room, surprise brightening her expression when she saw Rebecca, Peter and Gabriel on the couch.
“Oh, my, they told me I had visitors. I had no idea so many.” Bess crossed the room. “What have you there, young man?” She stroked the puppy in Peter’s grasp.
“A gift for you.”
“Oh, my, for me.” Bess pointed at herself. “May I hold him?”
“It’s a girl.” Peter held the puppy up for Bess to take.
“I can’t believe she’s mine.” Bess eased into the chair across from them and brought the puppy to her face, breathing deeply. “I’ve missed this smell. I don’t know what to say.” She shook her head. “That’s not true. I know exactly what to say. Thank you.” She looked from Rebecca to Peter, then finally to Gabriel. “I hope you can stay for tea.”
Rebecca swallowed several times before saying, “My grandmother wanted to be here, too, but Josh, my youngest, fell asleep, and she decided to stay home with him. She hated missing meeting you and seeing you get your new pet.”
“She’s really all mine?” Bess’s eyes were large, her hand continuing to stroke the puppy as though reassuring herself the animal was real.
The wonder in Bess’s vo
ice gave Rebecca a sense of satisfaction she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Gabriel shifted on the couch. “Bess, there are some ground rules I told Susan you would follow concerning your pet.”
Bess rubbed her cheek along the puppy’s fur. “What?”
“She’ll have to stay outside during the day in the garden area. She can sleep in your room at night as long as she doesn’t disturb anyone. And Susan wants all the other residents to enjoy her, too.”
“But what about bad weather?”
“Peter and I are going to build you a doghouse so she’ll be fine during bad weather.”
“You’re going to do that for me?” Bess stared at Peter.
He nodded, his shoulders thrust back, a pleased look on his face.
Gabriel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and loosely clasping his hands. “Bess, this is for a trial period. If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to take the puppy back. Susan wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, but I know it is.”
“Of course, it is. Peepers and me will do just fine.” Bess straightened in her chair with the puppy curled in her lap. “Now, young man, tell me about yourself. Do you have a dog?”
For the next hour Rebecca relaxed and enjoyed herself, sitting between Gabriel and Peter and listening to them talk about the best breeds of dogs. When it was time to leave, everyone had decided that a mutt was the best breed.
On the drive to her grandmother’s, Peter inundated Rebecca with questions concerning the nursing home and Bess Anderson. Finally she held up her hand and said, “Peter, I think you should volunteer at the home. I know you and Gabriel are going to build the doghouse for Peepers, but I bet some of the people would love to have you read to them. Some of them have poor eyesight and can’t read anymore.”
Peter leaned forward, a puzzled expression on his face. “But, Mom, when? I need to work on my batting and throwing and then there’s the team practices several times a week.”
“Hon, if you want to do something, you’ll find a way. Think about it.”
The Power of Love Page 10