“C’mere,” he said to Deliah. “She’s got your nose.”
Deliah sat next to her brother, glanced at the baby, and drew her eyes up to Gabe’s bruised face. It was difficult not to stare at him whether he was perfect or marred.
“She’s so cute,” Deliah said. “I have a baby sister and big brothers.”
“I think she’s fixing to howl,” he said just as the baby woke up and made a strangled cry. He stood up and towered over Deliah. “You take over. I need to clean up.”
Deliah nestled her half-sister in her arms. She seemed to be doing okay in spite of the traumatic events of the past week—and the prospect of starting a new life in a new state with a new family. Her brothers each spent a little time with her, sharing memorabilia, photographs, family items from their finds at the scene of the tornado, though they were all preoccupied. Even Caleb had been unusually quiet during the week.
* * *
“Tomorrow? Really Joel? In the morning?” Meggie slapped a hand over her eyes and took a seat at the top of the staircase. “Okiedokie, if you say so.”
She dropped the phone, and it tumbled all the way down to the first floor of the cabin.
“We have to pack up. Your father arranged for a bus to haul us all home first thing in the morning. Apparently the spare limo was crushed in one of the garages. Thank the almighty heavens—we’re leaving Texas. I can’t wait to bring my baby home.”
The sound of beads trickled down the stairs after the phone. I looked over the banister and spotted Gabe on the landing scooping up a bag of M&M’s that had split down the middle. His hair was wet.
“Oh no,” Deliah gasped behind me in the kitchen. “I don’t have my things. My mom’s guitar and all of my books and my clothes and my sheet music are still in Memphis. I can’t go to Williston without my things! I just can’t go!”
She burst into tears.
“Dear lord, kiddo!” Meggie hustled down the stairs and wrapped her arms around the trembling girl.
I glared at Gabe as he leapt off the stairs.
“You’ll get your stuff. Cross my heart. Joel will have Tessa pack the rest of your belongings and ship them up to the farmhouse. I know, I know. The shock is wearing off. It’ll be okay.”
“I need them now. I need to go home. It’s all I have of her! My mom’s stuff is there!”
“I’ll take her to get her things,” Gabe said. “Screw the lieutenant. He can wait for her to get back.”
My lungs emptied so fast I reached back for the wall to steady myself. It would be our last night in Texas. Gabe couldn’t take off. I’d hardly had an hour alone with him all week.
“My flight leaves in the morning,” I reminded him. A horrible rush of disappointment stung my face. I hadn’t been honest with him about my plans, and he hadn’t told me exactly where he was going. I didn’t know if I would have to board a plane to Syracuse or not. Did he forget his promise to sneak me out to the guesthouse where he had a private bedroom, so we could have a night alone? Meggie had me bunking with Deliah. Gabe had been too tired to protest our separation.
“You’ll come too,” he told me. “One last road trip. Drama free, I promise.”
I didn’t want to spend the next twelve hours stuck in a pickup truck. I was so tired of being on the road, moving around even if most of the traveling took place with my hip butted against his. I wasn’t like Gabe. I didn’t welcome the chance to trudge from one boring state to the next.
Still, I would do it just to be with him.
“I’ll need Avery to stay behind if you’re taking Deliah to Memphis. Joel isn’t coming home tonight. I’m not going to be able to pack and tend to Emmie.”
“Josh will help. I’ll show him what to do,” I told her with a voice that begged for understanding.
Meggie rolled her eyes to the sky and shook her head. “You betcha he will help, but I could use your assistance with the baby and organizing. I can’t let you both go to Memphis. I’m sorry.” Baby Emmie began to cry. Meggie released Deliah and tended to her infant.
“You should eat something first,” I told Gabe as he ran a hand up my arm to console me. He could tell I was royally disappointed.
We surrounded Deliah as she continued to sob. Gabe placed his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll make good time, and we’ll rescue all of those stellar books of yours.”
I sulked in a kitchen chair as Gabe gobbled down a bowl of chili con carne covered with Fritos while Deliah went upstairs to gather her stuff for the trip.
“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t join the Army,” Gabe said with a mouthful. “I won’t miss your flight.”
“I’m not going,” I told him, surprising myself. “So don’t worry.” Was he picturing me on the flight? Was he just going to let me leave? He jerked his head to the side and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth.
“You gonna hide under the bed?”
“You want me to go home?” I countered, my voice full of despair.
“No way. I want you to be here when I get back.” He pushed out his seat and grabbed my hand. When I stood, he tugged me until I fell into his lap. “This place will finally be empty. I’ve waited long enough.”
Gabe was a genius. We could be alone if I stayed behind. “I’m not going home. I’ll be here.”
“I’m ready,” Deliah said, stepping off the last stair with a bounce in her gait. Her moods flipped as fast as Gabe’s did.
“Okay. Gimme a minute with Av’ry. You can wait in the truck. But don’t you dare take off.” He tossed the keys at Deliah and let go of my hand when I hugged her. He pulled my arm and then playfully pushed me through the kitchen into the pantry.
I didn’t protest.
“Promise you’ll be here. I got plans. We got stuff to work out. It’ll all be good,” he said as the door shut.
“I promise,” I shared.
Gabe’s hands slid from my shoulders to my back and pulled me into him. Then he tugged at the top button of my shirt.
“Are you going to be okay? So much has happened to you.”
The light turned on.
“So much hasn’t happened,” he whispered.
He undid the second button and quickly moved to the next. I looked down at his fast hands. “What are you doing?”
“Seeing what’s under there.”
“It’s in the wash,” I said, grinning. He was looking for the Rockin’ the Bakken T-shirt.
“Well, I know you’re always hiding something. I’ve got something to show you too,” he whispered and made the fine hairs on my body stand up. I raised an eyebrow. He laughed through his nose. “Not that. But yeah…that. You got a dirty mind, Av’ry Ross. God, I love you.”
He knew how to work me. He knew I couldn’t resist his twangy words. Those dreamy eyes. The way he touched me.
“Then what do you want to show me?” I asked.
“Tomorrow,” he replied. At that he took my chin and pushed my head against the shelf. My ponytail knocked over a can of food. Gabe’s lips found mine waiting, and I exhaled through my nose. He forced his kiss into me, along with his entire body. I grabbed the good side of his neck and held him tightly. His hands slip around my hips and slipped under the hem of my shirt. I felt his fingernails dig into my lower back. It was a marvelous sensation.
I didn’t want him to leave.
* * *
I sensed someone breathing behind me in the laundry room a few minutes after I watched Gabe and Deliah head out. I guessed it was Josh taking Meggie’s direction to step up and help me. “Can you carry this basket?”
“I only do windows,” Caleb’s voice whispered at my ear. “Laundry’s for sissies.”
I dropped the basket and turned around.
“Why are you…holy cow…what in the heck did you do?” I slapped a hand over my mouth and leaned into the washing machine.
“You like it, legs?” he asked and rubbed his nearly bald head, front to back.
“Caleb? Why did you buzz your hair?” My eyes m
ust have popped out of their sockets because he took a step back and offered a confused look. “I thought you were kidding about joining the Army. We all thought you were kidding. You committed four years of your life? Did you really think it over? Does your father know?”
“I think I was pretty clear about my plans. So yep,” he drawled. “He won’t miss me none.”
“Does Gabe know?” I asked in disbelief.
“He was there too, wasn’t he? Doesn’t anybody ever take me seriously?”
I planted my fists on my hips. “Nobody that I can think of.”
“Wanna touch it?” he asked.
I glared at his twinkling hazels and tried to figure out how he could look so good with such a bad haircut. “No, thanks. If Gabe found you in here—”
“He’s long gone. You tell him about us?” he asked.
I squinted. “Tell him what? There is no us.”
I knew exactly what he meant, but I acted as though I’d forgotten all about it.
“If you didn’t tell him, then I will.”
I reached up and put my hand in his face. “Don’t you dare say anything. You know I thought it was him that night and that’s all it was, Caleb Halden. Stop smirking and stop bothering me about a stupid kiss that never happened.”
He grabbed my hand and twisted my arm behind my back in a playful, flirty manner. He had a habit of doing that. His other hand covered my mouth. I didn’t try to scream even though the voice in my head told me to. If Gabe hadn’t left, he would have been in Caleb’s face in a flash and Caleb would be dead before he even started basic training.
At that moment, I didn’t know if I was happy about Caleb leaving or not.
“Come with me,” he murmured. “Just for an hour.”
“No way.”
“I’m not going to be around girls for months,” he whispered at my cheek. “One more kiss? It would be the last one ever. Come on, my mom just died.”
Shameless was his middle name.
I shook my head under his hand and tried to bite him. He couldn’t guilt me into kissing him. Was he serious?
“You’ll be sorry if I don’t return and you think about this exact moment. Something bad could happen to me. I could be tossed into the trenches straightaway. You’ll feel terrible if you don’t give me a going away present.”
He let go of my mouth but kept his chest bumped up to me. “Let me go, Caleb. I’ll scream so loud Meggie will clobber you for waking the baby.”
His hand slid down my arm and he stepped back. I straightened my blouse and glared.
“Would you at least miss me terribly, legs? I could be sent overseas.”
My shoulders lifted and I huffed my breath into his face. “Fine, I’ll miss you.”
I was suddenly scared for him. How much would I truly miss him or worry about him being shipped somewhere abroad? I appreciated how he helped me when Gabe was absent, but he was still a dog. A dog that made my body react in spite of my brain.
“Don’t we got something special, you and me?”
He was tenacious. I studied his eyes. “No. You’re my boyfriend’s pain-in-the-ass brother.”
“I’m your secret crush. I could be so much more. I have real feelings for you.”
“You’re a teaser and a wicked flirt,” I commented.
“I’m a good guy, legs.” He gave a tight laugh, but it sounded forced. “I know you can’t resist looking at me. Take it all in. I do something to your insides. It’s written all over your face. I can read that indelible writing, unlike my little brother. Wait ’til you get a load of me in a uniform.” He ran a finger over my forehead.
“Goodbye, Caleb,” I said as I wished away the chills he caused. I had to remind myself not to fall for the charm, the physical attention.
His lip fell. He looked genuinely sad. Within seconds, I felt sadness for him too. When he turned to leave, I took his hand and squeezed it even though he betrayed his brother’s trust over and over and over.
“I’m fixing to leave before the lieutenant repos my truck. Warn your boy. Tell him to clear out the coop as soon as he gets back. The real storm ain’t hit yet.”
He pulled away and I let go, one finger at a time. I choked as he rounded the corner to the stairs. He was really leaving.
* * *
Mr. Halden woke the cabin at five in the morning, honking a rhythm on a horn. Gabe’s truck hadn’t returned. Together, Josh and I ran into the yard and froze on the frosted grass. It wasn’t the crystalized lawn that had us gaping. It was the impressive tour bus with a giant Texas flag and Willie Nelson’s eight-foot-tall face plastered on the side.
“Is he off his meds?” Josh finally mumbled. “I’m not going near that thing.”
“Uff-da. I guess that man does have a hidden sense of humor deep down,” Meggie said at our backs. “We’re going on the road again. That’s going to be a sweet ride. Let’s take a look.”
“I’m not going. Gabe will be back to drive me to the airport,” I told her. I could feel my nerves ratchet. Whenever I put my foot down, trouble always followed. But I was going to follow my heart and have faith in my own decisions. I remembered what the woman in the chapel told me. Her words echoed loudly in my head as Gabe’s face filled my thoughts.
After the bus was packed, Mr. Halden started in on me. “I’m not comfortable leaving you here. The kidnapping and blackmail charges are being handled thus far. However, there are quite a few looters in the area since the tornados. While I do very much appreciate everything you’ve done to assist us in these matters, your mother would not approve of me leaving you alone. Margareta apprised me of your flight plans this morning. Unfortunately, the local airport has been closed, something to do with the arrival of more National Guard. I’ve arranged for you to board a flight in Tulsa. My driver will pass through to drop you off.”
“Gabe is coming back for me. I can’t leave Texas. What about Deliah? You have to wait for her.”
“I’m afraid you’ll be leaving, Miss Ross. This is my home and you’re my responsibility. The locks are being changed this afternoon. Tessa asked that Deliah stay with her until she can tie up loose ends and say farewell to her friends and whatnot. Deliah will finish out the semester at her school, and I’ll holler for her after the new year.”
“Aunt Meggie, Gabe didn’t know about any of this. He’s coming back soon. You know he is. I can’t call him. He has no phone! I didn’t say goodbye!”
She bit her lips tight and glanced up from the small bundle in her arms.
Mr. Halden went on. “One of these days my son will realize the value of owning a phone. For the time being, he’s left me no choice.”
“Aunt Meggie, please let me stay,” my voice begged. “Don’t make me leave with you. Gabe won’t be able to find me until it’s too late. He can take me to Tulsa. I promised him I would wait here.”
She didn’t answer.
“Actually, Miss Ross, I’m afraid Gabriel is going to be without transportation when he returns, possibly sooner. His company truck is being reclaimed this morning.”
Gabe would be lost without his truck. He would go apeshit if somebody touched his wheels, especially after he paid so much to have it fixed.
Mr. Halden stretched out his arm to glance at his watch as if he was looking forward to upsetting Gabe. “If my son wishes to abandon HalRem, he will not have the privilege of using my vehicle.”
Twenty minutes later, I was trapped on the tour bus, in a seat that was more than likely used by Mr. Nelson and his band members on a concert circuit. Meggie hummed softly to the baby as she nursed her. I sat with my knees curled into my chest, a scowl etched into my face permanently. We flew down the highway, passing oil derricks and cellphone towers. They all reminded me of Gabe.
I was too angry to cry my tears at that point. I wanted to shout my frustration. Aunt Meggie betrayed me. She didn’t even stand up for me. Gabe would show up at the cabin and think I didn’t want to be with him. I knew how his moods worked. It would hav
e killed me if it had been the other way around and he had changed his mind.
It wasn’t at all like the last time I left.
I had a good hour to consider my escape before we arrived in Tulsa. I knew after a certain point nobody would be able to witness me board the plane. I would hide until I was clear to run. I’d find a way to get back to Texas. I’d call Caleb to help me. Maybe he hadn’t reported for training yet. Somehow, I would cross Gabe’s path.
“Josh will be accompanying you to Syracuse,” Meggie said as she broke from her singing. “It won’t hurt the two of you to spend some time together. Your mom’s going to travel to Williston to help me get settled. Josh will return with her on Joel’s private jet.”
Josh didn’t look up from his iPad. I knew he was as pissed as I was. I could only guess the last thing in the world he wanted to do was ride on a bus with a man’s face plastered to the side or escort me to New York to hang out with my little sister.
It was a calculated trap. They had it all planned out with my mother. I wasn’t going to see Gabe.
“Don’t you trust me?” I cried out. “Don’t they know I’m eighteen and I can do whatever I want? You can’t control me or Josh. You can’t control Gabe or his brothers.” My words were laced with anguish and disgust. I needed to talk to Gabe. I wished Josh had warned me. Even he betrayed me.
Meggie glared at me with the blankest of stares. I thought she was cool. I thought she understood Gabe and I were in love. I didn’t dare look at Mr. Halden, though I felt his penetrating stare from the front of the bus. He’d never had to deal with a girl in love before. He was in for a rude awakening when Deliah came under his charge.
I walked to the bedroom. As soon as I was inside, I slammed the door so hard it flew open and hit me in the chin. I was going to lose my mind in Willie Nelson’s bedroom. I fell onto the bed and sobbed into my sleeve. I cursed and swore and made up words. It didn’t help. I needed to get ahold of Gabe before they forced me on a plane without him. Could they really do that?
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