“Is it one sided, Emma?”
She couldn’t believe how infuriating he was. She folded her arms over her chest. “Yes it is, and you know it,” she hissed in anger, wanting to shout but Sophie was asleep just feet away. She watched him rub the whiskers on his chin. Why must he always be so sexy?
“Really? On whose side is it one sided?” Gabe stared up at her.
She stomped her foot again, this time in frustration rather than anger. “Why are you being such a jerk?”
Gabe’s eyes widened. “A jerk? I’m being a jerk?” He rose up on his elbows.
She stalked over to him and slapped at one of his arms, making him roll away slightly. “You know you are.”
“No, I don’t know it. On whose side is it one sided, Emma?” Gabe asked her again.
“You want to know on whose side it’s one sided?” He nodded. She took a deep breath. “Mine. Okay. It’s mine. It’s one sided on my side. Are you happy now?” Emma shouted then quickly quieted, looking to see if she’d disturbed the baby.
Gabe lay back down, clasping his hands behind his head again and grinned up at her. “I’m ecstatic.”
She frowned at him, confused by his words. “What? What do you mean?”
Gabe swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled her between his thighs. “I’m ecstatic because it’s one sided on my side too.”
She gasped. “Gabe, what are you saying?”
Gabe fell back on the bed bringing her with him. “I’m saying, Emma, I’m in love with you, darlin’. I have been for quite a while. When you heard me talking to Wyatt, I was talking about me. I didn’t think you loved me. I was so afraid to tell you. I thought you’d throw it back in my face, and I couldn’t take the chance.”
She cupped his face in her hands. “You love me? Big, bad Gabriel Stone, the man who never wanted to settle down, is in love with me?”
Gabe grinned up at her. “That would be me.” She squealed and rained kisses all over his face. “Now can we go home, woman? I miss you and our little girl. Hear me well though, I will always come after you, Emma.”
She stood up, and smiled at him, her heart filled with joy. Emma put her hand out to her husband. “Let’s go home, Gabe.”
Epilogue
Madilyn Young stood in the greenhouse helping a customer, but her thoughts kept traveling back to the conversation she’d had earlier with Emma. Her dear friend had called her, all excited because Gabe had finally admitted he was in love with her. Madilyn wanted to share her friend’s joy, but her heart ached for the only man she ever wanted to love her that way. Staying busy was the best way not to think about Brody Morgan but just then she glanced toward the door. She saw Sam Garrett standing there, and her heart nearly stopped. He was looking straight at her and the serious look in his eyes told her he was there to tell her something she knew she didn’t want to hear. She started shaking when she saw Sam’s sister walk quickly toward her. Katie grabbed her gently by the arm, and pulled her aside. “Sam wants to talk with you a minute. I’ll take care of your customer.”
Madilyn nodded and slowly moved toward Sam. He took his hat off as she approached him. She swallowed hard. “Is he dead?” she asked in a whisper of a voice.
“No. He’s not dead,” Sam told her.
She almost collapsed from relief. “Then what do you want, Sam?”
Sam cleared his throat. “He may be coming back to town. I talked to him a while back and at the time he was set on coming back, but now he’s not sure.”
Madilyn shook her head. “What’s new? He’s never sure about anything.”
“That’s not true, Madilyn. He was sure about you. He loved you.”
“Did he, Sam? He left me.” She clenched her fists in an attempt to push down the rising despair and anger threatening to overwhelm her.
“You could’ve gone with him. Damn it, Madilyn, Brody supported everything you did, but you couldn’t support him when he wanted to become a US Marshal. You blamed everyone except the only person who was truly to blame. Yourself.”
She shook her head. Sam was wrong. Brody left her she hadn’t a choice. Or had she? He wanted you to go with him, but you refused. Maybe everyone was right. She sighed. Brody Morgan would be a part of her life until the day she died. That was something she had to admit to herself. If he were to come back, her life was never going to be the same. Her heart was going to be broken all over again.
“You’re wrong, Sam. I did blame myself, after I finished blaming everyone else.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I blamed you.” She gazed up at Sam. “It wasn’t your fault. I know that now. I knew it then too. I just had to blame someone.” She shrugged. “You seemed like the most logical person since you were a US Marshal, and he’d spoken to you about it before he did me.”
“I had nothing to do with his decision, Madilyn. I only told him that I liked working as a Marshal. I didn’t twist his arm,” Sam explained.
“I know, but, Sam…I don’t want him to come back here. Why would he want to come back?”
“It seems he’s left the Marshals Service and needs a job.” Sam shrugged. “I need a deputy.”
She gasped with indignation. “You’re hiring him?” She practically shouted at him.
“He’s my friend, Madilyn. What did you want me to do?” Sam put his hand up when she started to speak. “No. I know what you want me to do, but I’m not going to turn him down just because you don’t want him back here.”
“You said you aren’t even sure he’s coming back, Sam.” God help me! She prayed he didn’t come back.
Sam nodded. “I’m pretty sure he’ll be back. The way he talked he doesn’t really have much of a choice.”
She shook her head. “God no, Sam, how can I be in this town with him? You had to know what it would do to me. Why are you doing this?”
“I’m not doing anything, Madilyn,” Sam said through clenched teeth. “You just don’t get it. It’s not all about you. He’s a friend, he needs a job, and I have a job opening.”
She blinked back tears. “I guess he didn’t give you a choice. He knew all he had to do was call you and you’d help him out.”
Sam huffed. “I have to. I know he wouldn’t let me hang if it were the other way around.”
She snorted. “Of course not, you two were too close. Like brothers. All of you were the same, you, Brody, Riley Madison, Trick Dillon, the Stone brothers, and Ryder Wolfe. You were all inseparable, and you never cared who got hurt along the way.”
Sam stepped forward. “That’s bullshit, Madilyn, and you know it. We never hurt anyone. You’re the one who wouldn’t go with him. That is all on you, Madilyn. Don’t try shifting the blame again.” Sam put his hat on. “I wanted you to know he may be back. I think I just wasted my time.” He turned and stormed out the door before she could say another word. She stared at the door Sam had just disappeared through and hadn’t realized how tense she was until she felt Katie touch her shoulder. She flinched.
“Are you all right?” Katie asked softly.
“Did he tell you why he was here?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Madilyn. I know it’s going to be hard on you to see Brody again.”
Madilyn turned to stare at her friend. “Hard? It’s going to be damn near impossible.” She sighed. “Maybe I’ll be lucky and not run into him, ever. I know Clifton is a small town, but we don’t have to see each other.”
They both knew that wouldn’t happen. Clifton may have only fifteen hundred people, but the center of town was where everyone met. The Sheriff’s department was just down the street from the Clifton Greenhouse and Florist. The animal hospital was down the street from the Sheriff’s department and the Clifton Feed Store was up from the animal hospital, and the Clifton Diner was just up the street from all of them. The entire town sat in the center of ranches and farms. The hub of social gathering was here in town. There was no way she and Brody wouldn’t run into each other.
Madilyn felt hot tears roll down her face. Katie hugged her
as she cried. Brody Morgan coming back to town was the worst thing that could ever happen, and Madilyn Young wasn’t going to survive it. She knew it in the depths of her already broken heart.
*The End*
About the Author
Susan Fisher-Davis was born and raised in Cumberland, MD. She moved to Tennessee in 1996 with her husband and two children. She now lives in a small town outside of Nashville, along with her husband and their three dogs. Susan is a huge Nashville Predators hockey fan. She also enjoys fishing, taking drives down back roads, and visiting Gatlinburg, TN. She would love to hear from her readers and promises to try to respond to all. You can visit her Facebook page and website by the links below.
https://www.facebook.com/skdromanceauthor?ref=hl
www.susanfisherdavisauthor.weebly.com
Other books by Susan Fisher-Davis
Jake (Men of Clifton Montana Book 1)
Secret Cravings Publishing
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
Gabe (Men of Clifton Montana Book 2) Page 18