“I think that’s a good idea.” Gabe stood up and smiled. “Now go get your PJ’s on and I’ll call Miss Piper.”
As soon as Shane left the room, Gabe withdrew his phone from his pocket. He was disappointed Piper still hadn’t replied to his text. Maybe her feelings really had been hurt and she didn’t want to hear from Gabe. He hesitated bothering her until another gust of wind shook the entire house. He needed to make sure she had plenty of firewood available and an emergency flashlight handy.
Tapping on her name, he made the call and walked into the family room to stand in front of the picture window. The back porch light was on, but the rest of the house remained dark.
Gabe turned away as the phone rolled over to voicemail. He nearly ended the call without leaving a message when he spied the baby grand piano he’d neglected over the past year. He shouldn’t have ever given up playing just because life got hard. It made him determined not to give up on Piper.
“Hey, I really need to talk to you. Will you please call me back? I don’t care how late it is, but in case you’re worried as long as there is a light on, you’ll know I’m up.”
Chapter 13
Piper’s car shuddered against the wind as she turned into her driveway. The drive home from Big C’s had been harrowing with nearly whiteout conditions from the drifting snow. She was so grateful she hadn’t crashed. There hadn’t been another car on the road the last few miles and— in her hasty departure— she’d forgotten her phone at home.
The garage door lifted, and she pulled into the tight space, grateful to have made it home. She turned off the engine and instantly missed the heat source. She shivered and waited until the garage door was closed before exiting the vehicle.
Anastasia barked when Piper stepped into the dark house. She flipped on the kitchen light and called out to the dog. “Hey, girl, sorry I left you and your babies in the dark,” she said when her dog skidded across the wood floor to rub against her leg. “You probably need a potty break, don’t you?” The dog barked once as if in agreement.
Piper kept her coat and gloves on and let Anastasia out back. Unable to stand on the porch, she closed the door and looked out her kitchen window to check out Gabe’s house. The snow blew sidewise, and she could barely make out the flickering lamplight in the family room.
Her heart ached and so did her stomach. Not only had she indulged in a cheeseburger and large order of fries from Big C’s, she’d also had a slice of hot apple pie and ice cream for dessert.
Anastasia scratched at the door, and Piper let her back in. Snow covered her dark coat of fur until she shook it off. Piper grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped up the floor. Then she followed the dog to her bed and watched the squirming puppies all settle down as soon as their mother was back with them. Wind rattled the windows and the lights flickered. Piper decided she better find her phone and prayed it wasn’t dead. If the power went out, she would have no way to communicate since Mrs. Williams didn’t have a landline.
After searching for a few minutes, she found her phone on top of the bed. Thankfully it still had more than fifty percent battery power remaining. The home screen revealed she had missed several text messages. Most of them were from her sister, asking if she’d received the package and if the boots fit. Piper felt guilty that she hadn’t even opened the package.
The last text was from Gabe. She clasped a hand over stomach as she read the sweet message about he and the kids coming over to have dinner with her. If only she’d stuck around a little longer instead of running away to escape the pain. As she descended the stairs, she listened to the voice message he’d left her.
Suddenly, the house shook from a burst of wind, and then everything went dark. Piper carefully navigated the last few steps. The howling wind magnified its fierceness in contrast to the eerily quiet house. Aside from the glowing embers from the fireplace, Piper couldn’t see anything. She opened the flashlight app on her phone to help guide her to the kitchen.
Gabe had said if there was still a light on it meant he was up. How would she know that with the power out?”
Frustrated, she stopped in front of the window and stared. While she was in complete darkness, Gabe’s house was still lit up. How was that possible? Feeling relieved by the sight, she found his number in her contacts and called him.
“Piper?” he said, sounding a tad on the grumpy side. “I’ve been worried about you. Where have you been?”
Ignoring his irritation, she chose to focus on the fact that he’d been worried about her. “I went out to eat and accidentally left my phone on my bed.”
“Is your power out?”
“Yes.” She pressed her face closer to the window and squinted. “Why isn’t yours?”
“I have a propane generator.” He sighed. “It’s going to get cold tonight. Do you have plenty of firewood?”
Of course there was firewood. However, since she relied on the furnace, she hadn’t bothered to bring anymore in. “Yes, but I’m guessing it’s under several inches of snow right now.”
He didn’t respond right away, and she waited for him to scold her.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all night,” he said with a laugh.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m coming over to get you, Anastasia and the puppies. Can you be ready in five minutes?”
“Gabe, I’m sure the power will come on shortly. We’ll be fine.”
“Sorry, but refusing is not an option. The power could be out for hours and the temp is supposed to drop low enough the county warned residents to keep the faucets in the house dripping so the pipes don’t freeze.”
Piper didn’t want to freeze to death. More importantly, she didn’t want the puppies to freeze. Still, she wasn’t entirely comfortable having a sleepover at the Wesson’s house.
“Piper, don’t overthink this. My couch has a bed that is actually comfortable, and you’ll be sleeping in it all by yourself.”
This was silly. Gabe was being a good neighbor. He didn’t have any nefarious plans to compromise her. However, he had said her power going out was the best news he’d heard all night. Could that possibly mean he wanted to see her again?
“All right. Can you give me fifteen minutes?” She needed to gather up some essentials like a toothbrush, her makeup, and her pillow.
“Sure. I’ll drive my truck over.”
“Okay, thank you.” She ended the call and used the flashlight on her phone to look in the kitchen junk drawer. Every kitchen seemed to have one, and Mrs. Williams’s had been no exception. Piper was pretty sure she’d spied a flashlight in there.
She opened the drawer and found two small, rubberized flashlights. Pressing the button, she was relieved when the cluster of LED lights cut through the darkness. She turned the light off on her phone and then remembered what Gabe had said about leaving the faucet on. Then pointing the flashlight in front of her, she followed the bright beacon up the stairs to the guest bedroom.
The wind sounded far more dreadful up here than it did downstairs. A branch from the tree outside her window tapped against the glass at a rapid pace. She could hear the low pitch of air forcing itself through some tiny space in the window. It kind of sounded creepy, and her imagination started to conjure up images of someone hiding in her closet or under her bed.
Anxious to get out of the room, she stuffed her belongings inside her pillowcase and made her way down to the laundry room to get a laundry basket. She would use it to carry the puppies. Placing the flashlight on top of the dryer, she lined the basket with a blanket and several of the blue pads that helped absorb any accidents the puppies might have while being transported. Poor little things wouldn’t understand what was happening to them.
She checked the time on her phone and had five more minutes until Gabe came for her. The house was already cold, the dying fire the only source of heat. If Gabe hadn’t offered for her to come to his house, she probably would’ve lowered her pride and begged him to shelter her and the dogs for the nig
ht.
“Anastasia, don’t get too excited about seeing Rascal again, but we’re all having a sleepover so we don’t freeze.” The advice to not get too excited was more for her. She couldn’t fall for Gabe’s charms only to have him shut her out before he let her in.
The first puppy she picked up was Tank. He protested at being removed from his mother’s milk source and whined and squirmed in her hands. “It’s okay, big guy. This is only temporary.” She placed him in the basket, and he immediately began to roam around while sniffing the blue pads.
She continued with the process and heard a knock on the door as she placed the last puppy into the basket. Grabbing the flashlight, she rushed to the door.
“Sorry the door was locked,” she said when she opened it. Gabe couldn’t possibly of heard her apology over the sound of the raging weather. He stepped inside, and she shoved the door closed. It took a little effort due to the resistance from the hurricane like winds.
“The house isn’t going to blow away, is it?” she asked Gabe, shining the flashlight in his direction.
His face was covered with a ski mask, but she saw the corners of his eyes crinkle. “No.” He pulled the mask down from his mouth, revealing his smile. “But losing a few shingles is highly probable.”
“Does the wind blow like this often here?”
“Maybe once or twice a year.”
Anastasia barked once, and Piper shifted the flashlight to illuminate the new mother circling the clothesbasket. “I guess we should get going,” Piper said, looking back at Gabe.
“Yeah, my kids are a little nervous with all the wind.”
“I’m sorry you had to leave them. I could’ve driven over myself.”
There was enough light from her flashlight to see his forehead crease. “I wanted to come and get you.”
A shiver ran down her back at the intense look in his eyes, and she knew he had more to say. “Thank you.”
Her dog barked twice as if to tell Piper to snap out of it and help get her babies to safety. “It’s okay, girl,” Piper said. “I’m coming.” She quickly put on her heavy-duty coat, wishing she had the matching overalls to go with it.
Gabe walked beside her. and she liked having him here with her. Life didn’t seem nearly as scary with a friend like him. Okay, so maybe this particular friend was tall and handsome and had a killer smile. And he always smelled so good.
“If you can take this stuff I can get the puppies.” Piper handed him her pillow and a garbage bag full of supplies for the dogs, including an oversized doggy bed she hoped the puppies wouldn’t be able to escape from. “Let me just cover the basket with a towel.”
“That’s a really great way to transport them. I was thinking we’d have to do it one at a time.”
The house shuddered from a gust of wind as Piper picked up the basket. “Thank you again for coming to get me. This weather is crazy.”
“Crazy weather or not, the kids and I wanted you to come over. Our evening wasn’t the same without you.”
She wanted to ask him if Shane was okay. When he’d said he hated her, it had stung, but she completely understood how he felt. She’d hated her stepmother and was pretty ticked off with her dad for getting remarried. But she loved Maggie and was grateful her father had married such a wonderful woman. Piper never called her mom, even though Maggie had asked her to multiple times. Maybe the next time she talked to her, she would allow herself to do it.
“I missed you all too.” Her voice shook from a surge of emotion just as powerful as the storm outside. Despite her best efforts not to, she was falling in love with Gabe Wesson.
Another bark from Anastasia snapped her out of her musings, and the puppies all whined in unison.
“Let me go first to load this stuff. Then I’ll come back for you so I can close the door.”
“Sounds good.”
Gabe opened the front door, and Piper was hit with a burst of wind and snow. He pulled the door closed behind him, and she waited with Anastasia for him to come back. A moment later he was back for her.
“Anastasia, come,” Piper commanded as she stepped out into a blizzard of freezing white mayhem. Holding firmly on to the leash attached to her dog’s collar, she hunched over the basket and made her way towards Gabe’s truck.
Gabe rushed past her and opened up the rear passenger door. Piper placed the basket on the seat and then gave the command for Anastasia to get into the truck. She climbed in behind her dog and was astounded by the warmth and quiet of the truck after Gabe closed the door. She watched him round the front of the truck and finally climb in behind the wheel.
“You doing okay?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.
“Yes, thanks to you.” The truck actually shook from another microburst. “Seriously, I don’t know how to thank you for rescuing us.”
With his ski mask once again covering the lower part of his face, she noticed the skin crinkle around his eyes. “I can think of a few things.”
She wanted to ask him just exactly what he had in mind, but he turned around and put the truck in gear. Her imagination was running wild with different ways she could thank him, ranging from making him a home cooked meal to kissing him in front of the fireplace. Since she’d already cooked him a meal, she was leaning more toward the kissing.
The roads were covered with heavy drifts. Piper’s car might have four-wheel drive, but she doubted the lower profile vehicle would’ve made it through this. Gabe’s truck didn’t have a problem with the drifts, and she was relieved when he pulled into his spacious three-car garage. “Hang tight and I’ll get the door,” he said before exiting the truck.
She tracked him as he came around to her door. Never had a man looked so sexy in winter wear. Yes, giving him a kiss or maybe two or three kisses seemed like the perfect way to thank him for coming to her rescue.
He opened the door, and she climbed out, bringing the basket with her. “Take the dogs inside, and I’ll bring the rest of your stuff,” he said from beside her.
“Okay.” She avoided looking into his blue eyes for fear he’d read her thoughts.
“Miss Piper!” Lindsey cried out when Piper stepped into the warm house. “You get to have a sleepover with us.”
“I do.” She pulled back the towel covering the basket. “And so do the puppies.”
“Oh, can I hold one?” Lindsey asked, peering inside the basket. “They’re so cute.”
“They’re still very young, and we need to get them settled with their mama.” The child’s enthusiasm dimmed. “But you and Shane can help me transport them.” She included the little boy since he stood behind his sister with a look of insecurity on his face.
“Shane, can you please take the leash off of Anastasia for me?”
His smile brightened the well-lit room. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Thank you.” She winked at Lindsey. “I’ll follow you to the family room.”
Lindsey led her to a spot next to the couch that usually was cluttered with her dolls and horse paraphernalia. “Daddy said Anastasia and the puppies could sleep by you.”
“Thank you, sweetie.” Piper set the basket on the floor. Anastasia bumped against her as she looked in to the basket as if making sure all five of her babies were there.
“Do you think Rascal wants to meet his kids?” Lindsey asked, putting an arm around Piper’s leg.
As fond as she was growing of the dog, Piper was grateful Gabe had crated him for now. “I think he’d like that, but we need to get Anastasia and the puppies settled before we introduce him to the puppies.”
Gabe came in the room with her things and set them on top of the coffee table. “Everyone okay?” he asked as he pulled the ski mask and hat from his head. His hair stuck out in all directions, and Piper’s fingers itched to help smooth it back down.
“Yes.” She moved to the coffee table and opened the bag. “Shane, can you please set up Anastasia’s bed next to the basket?”
“Yeah.” He held out his hands to
accept the large doggie bed.
“Thank you.” She turned toward Lindsey. “And could you please line the bed with this?” She handed her an oversized blue pad. “The plastic side goes on the bottom.”
While the kids completed their assignments, she and Gabe took off their coats. “I’ll hang it up for you,” he said, reaching for the coat.
Their fingers brushed, sending a jolt of electricity through her body that stole her breath. The deepening color to Gabe’s eyes said he felt it too. “Thanks,” she said, hearing the husky tone of her voice.
A smile tipped his mouth, and he nodded before turning away to hang up the coat. Warmth filled every cell in her body, and she felt her face flush when he glanced over his shoulder to catch her ogling him. She couldn’t help it. He was rocking those coveralls. However, when he started to remove them, she averted her gaze.
“Can we move the puppies now?” Lindsey asked.
Piper knelt down next to the basket. She noticed Shane still hung back. He didn’t appear to be hostile or resentful, so she contributed his reserved behavior to what had happened this afternoon. She wanted to hug him and tell him that she wasn’t angry with him, but wasn’t sure that would go over very well. “Okay, I’ll need both of you to help me,” she said, making eye contact with Shane and smiling at him.
The tension reflected on his face transformed into a wide grin. He eagerly knelt down next to her. “Aren’t they still too little for us to hold?” he asked.
Lindsey’s little hands were already reaching into the basket. Piper gently placed her hand atop the little girl’s. “They are still too little for you all to pick up by yourselves, so I’ll hand them to you.” She picked up the smallest female. “Let me show you how to do it first.”
She gave the order for Anastasia to get into the bed. and the dog immediately obeyed. Then the kids watched her lower the puppy to the bed. Anastasia licked the little dog before raising anxious eyes to Piper. She wanted all of her babies back with her.
Gabe came over and knelt down next to them. He helped Lindsey transfer Tank while Piper placed a puppy in Shane’s arms. “Thank you for letting us come over,” she said to him. “My house was very cold and dark.”
Winter in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance) Page 40