“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“This is a receipt for hydraulic oil. From two years ago. Nine hundred ninety-one dollars. Don’t you need stuff like this for taxes?”
Bookkeeping had never been his forte. No wonder Zac kept pestering him about his quarterly reports. How much else did he leave off the cash flow accounting?
Melanie continued to stare at him, the crinkles around her eyes totally blowing her stern facade. He gave her a quick shrug. “Hmm, well, what do you know?”
She scrunched her nose at him before turning back to the file drawer, her ponytail swinging with indignation. “I know enough not to leave tax prep in your capable hands.”
A quick shot of heat hit him like an archery arrow on its mark. Capable? She thought him capable? He liked the sounds of that.
She flipped through the hanging files. Sliding the folder into place, Melanie nodded her head, and a dimple appeared in her cheek as she waved her hand over the drawer. “See?”
He saw, all right. Now he needed to quit staring. “I love it when you talk scientific to me.”
Her grin widened and she pushed her firm palm into his chest. “Don’t mess with me, cowboy. I can twist your system into knots just as easy as I’ve untangled it.”
He didn’t doubt it at all. Just look at what her simple banter did to his insides. If he didn’t tamp down his hyped-up awareness of her, he’d be worthless to the entire Circle D operation. “So how about taking the afternoon off? The carnival’s in town.”
She pushed against the file drawer until it slid into place. “Carnival, huh? Rides and games?”
“Popcorn, peanuts and candied apples, too.” He hiked a thigh along the edge of his desk. “Today’s the last day. They leave tomorrow.”
“Hmm, I haven’t been to a carnival in years.” She raised her brow, giving him another of her challenging looks. “I suppose Jason is excited to go.”
“I wouldn’t know, ma’am. I thought I’d come clear it with the boss first. This ol’ cowboy learns his lessons fast.”
Her dimple reappeared. “Good thing. You wouldn’t know where my son is, would you?”
Gabe scooped up a pile of receipts and tapped them into a straight pile. “Down in the corral helping Hank. Actually, now that I think about it, Jason sits on his horse and looks like he’s helping Hank.”
She nodded. “That’s my boy. I suppose you like all the wild rides.”
“No, ma’am.” His stomach fluttered like the spray of a deck of cards having nothing to do with the thought of rides, wild or tame. He cleared his throat and grappled for composure. “I’m more a merry-go-round kinda guy, myself.”
Not an hour later, Melanie strolled the sidewalks of Hawk Ridge with Gabe and Hank. Jason ran in front of them. People said hi in passing. They stopped and chatted with folks who told her the advice she’d given them at Leon’s Hardware made a world of difference with their gardens, flowers and lawns. Giddiness bubbled inside of her. She never dreamed sharing her horticulture knowledge would garner so much excitement from the crowd.
Obviously, she underestimated how the town viewed their landscaping.
Small shops lined the quaint main street with brick-paved sidewalks, all doors open in the summer weather. Although the shops normally remained closed on Sunday, today the shopkeepers made an exception. The carnival brought everyone to town.
“Look, Mom, a candy shop.”
That was all the warning Jason gave before he ducked into a doorway with sweet fragrances of caramel popcorn wafting out. Melanie followed, the smell too good to be true. Black-and-white floor tiles edged up to a soda counter complete with old-fashioned rotating pedestal seats. Display cases lined the opposite side of the store. A few shoppers studied the goodies and pointed at jellied candies and plates of chocolate truffles.
“Want a malt? Ed Bergin makes the best strawberry malts in the world.” Gabe rested his thigh on a stool as he leaned against the counter. “How about it, Bud? Think you can finish one of Ed’s specials?”
“You bet.” Jason climbed up on the seat beside Gabe. “Can I, Mom?”
How could she say no? “Only if you promise to share with the rest of us.”
Jason followed Ed’s every move as he grabbed a silver malt container, heaped in ingredients and flicked the switch to the blender.
“Hey, Ed, better make that three of those. Hank and I promise to share, too.”
Now it was Melanie’s eyes that grew wide. “You’re kidding! Look at the size of those canisters.”
Ed turned off the machine and lifted the silver container from the base. He poured out the contents into a glass at least a foot tall.
“Here you go, young man.” He slipped the drink in front of Jason. “You’ll never taste a better malted than this.”
The straw stuck straight up in the thick mixture. Jason kneeled on his seat and brought the straw to his mouth. One long draw later, he grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, sir, Mr. Bergin. The best ever.”
Ed tweaked Jason’s nose. “That’s what I love to hear. You let me know if you need a refill, ya hear?”
Ed mixed up a couple more. Gabe paid and slid one to Hank before sticking a couple of straws in his own. “You go first.” He offered Melanie the glass. “Best ever.”
Gabe remained propped against the stool. Melanie stepped up to the counter and brought the straw to her lips. Flavors of tart, sweet strawberries and thick cream slid down her throat. In all her years of drinking shakes and malts, she’d never tasted anything like it. “Mmm, best ever.”
Gabe dipped his head and took a drink from his straw. They stood nose to nose as she looked into his gold-flecked eyes and suddenly the notion of sharing a drink became very intimate. She drew the straw from her mouth and licked her lips to catch the last of the strawberry flavor. Dimples appeared in his cheeks as Gabe drew the thick drink up his straw. He winked at her as he straightened and swallowed.
A crazy zing of awareness zipped down her back. She swayed toward him, her hair brushing his cheek. Gabe stilled beside her and she became aware she’d stalled at his shoulder. She moved aside without meeting his gaze, her stomach a knot of nervous energy. If she’d moved just a hair closer, she might not have been able to move away.
Get a grip.
The lazy spin of overhead ceiling fans hummed in the air. She turned toward the display case next to her and pretended interest in the dark chocolate truffles.
“Now what do you think about that?” Melanie pointed at the yellow, orange and green candy shaped like fruit slices. “Old-fashioned jellied fruit. I haven’t tasted those in years.”
Ed Bergin pulled out the tray and let her choose the slices she wanted. Rich, dark chocolate truffles too, but she couldn’t put the strawberry malt out of her mind.
“Ed, while you’re at it, bag up a pound of taffy, okay?” Gabe rested his elbow on the glass top. “Jason doesn’t have any loose teeth, does he?”
“No.” She studied the truffles before her as if their shape and texture might appear on a final exam someday. “Nothing loose at the moment.”
“Good. Ed? Make that two pounds.” He waved his finger at the confections in front of her. “And an assortment of your finest.”
She looked up. “They look delicious.”
“They are.” Gabe nodded at the choices Ed made. “But once you’ve tasted the taffy, all else will pale.”
I doubt it. Nothing would wipe away the memory of that strawberry malt.
Bagged candy in hand, the crew hit the streets again. Gabe dug out a piece of taffy, unwrapped it and offered it to Melanie. She opened her mouth and he popped it in. Soft and chewy, the taffy refused to break down. She worked it through her mouth and only managed to stick her teeth together.
“Mom,” Jason called through clenched teeth. “It won’t let go.”
Watching the concentration on the little boy’s face, Melanie laughed. Where was a camera when you needed one? Gabe chuckled beside her.
“Okay gang, think of the taffy as quicksand.” Gabe held his hands out as if to calm the waters. “The more you fight it, the more it holds firm. Just relax your jaw and the sugar will release from your teeth.”
As the taffy came loose, Melanie balled the mound into her cheek. Slow melt worked much better. The whole lot of them must have looked crazy standing on the sidewalk, jaws glued shut and laughing like there was no tomorrow.
Tomorrow. She’d begun to dread the coming of the days.
“C’mon, Bud. Let’s go see what kind of arm you have.” Gabe pointed toward the midway.
Melanie fell in line behind them as they slipped between booths until he found the one he was looking for. Three bottles, stacked two on the bottom and one on top, sat at the back of the booth. The handler gave Jason three balls. All it took was one strike for all three to fall and he’d win the prize of his choice.
“Bud, now study the setup. You want to hit the bottle on the bottom, the one on the left side, because it’s holding up more of the top bottle, okay?”
“Okay.” Jason concentrated and threw. The ball flew way off to the left. Gabe caught her gaze, his golden-brown eyes sparkling. He hunched over with an exaggerated wince. Feathers tickled her insides again. A shaky smile crossed her lips when Jason wound up for another throw.
Lots of patience and many tokens later, bells and whistles went off in the booth, signaling a happy winner. Gabe gave Jason a hug and whispered something in his ear. Jason nodded and pointed at a stuffed yellow dog in the back row. The handler poked it with a long pole and brought it down. Grabbing the prize with both arms, Jason came running.
“Look, Mom!” His toothy grin overcame his face. “Look what I won for you!”
“For me?” The stuffed toy stood almost as tall as her son. “But honey, you won him.”
“Yep.” His grin grew wider. “But the first prize of the evening always goes to the prettiest girl.”
Heat scorched across her cheeks. The prettiest girl. She glanced at Gabe. He shrugged, and nodded at Jason.
An older couple stopped and patted her shoulder. “Your young man has fine manners.”
“Thank you.” Which young man they meant, she wasn’t sure. And she didn’t care. She bent down and hugged Jason, burying her nose in his bony shoulder. “Honey, it’s the most wonderful present I’ve ever received.”
He hugged her back and then stuffed the dog in her arms. “Hank, look what I won!” His eyes opened wider. “Hey, Jennifer!”
Ever since Jennifer had convinced Melanie to try the swing, the sun rose and set on her in Jason’s eyes. She waved as she caught sight of them.
“Hi everyone.” Jennifer pushed her sleeves up her arms as she stopped beside them. “I thought I’d never find you in this crowd.”
“Look what I won for Mom.” Jason patted the bottom half of the dog. “You always give the prize to the prettiest girl.”
“Wow, your mom is the luckiest.”
Jason displayed his muscles. “Now I better win a prize for you since I’m going to be a doctor when I grow up.”
“Oh you are, are you?” Jennifer placed her hands on her hips. “Why would you want to do that?”
“So I can wear a cool coat and play around with scissors and bandages all day like you do.”
“Okay, Bud.” Hank stepped up as Jennifer’s mouth fell open and directed Jason to another booth. “How about we try our luck with darts?”
Chapter Fourteen
Gabe was the luckiest guy at the carnival.
As they wandered through the rows of vendors, he listened to Jennifer gab about different foods, fun games and the crowded midway. She seemed full of words that couldn’t help spill out. Melanie held tight to the stuffed dog and gabbed back with equal enthusiasm. People smiled at them as they passed, and he knew it sure wasn’t because of him.
Gabe had never experienced having a beautiful woman on each arm until tonight.
Of course, technically, they weren’t on each arm. No way was he going to get in the middle of their feminine nattering. He escorted them, perfectly content to have Melanie beside him with her attention directed toward Jennifer.
The sun had dipped behind the peaks a little while earlier, and the lights of the rides and midway were turning up as the sunlight turned down. Kids ran all around them. Teenage boys walked awkwardly beside teenage girls who dragged them from game to game, ride to ride. Hawkers dipped into the crowd looking for players. Gabe grinned, remembering the thrill the carnival always brought to town.
“What do you think, Gabe?” Jen looked at him.
“About what?” He turned to the two expectant faces.
She rolled her eyes. “Riding the Ferris wheel. Let’s climb on before it gets pitch-black over the valley.”
Mountain peak shadows lengthened as the sun sank lower. “Sure. Looks better when we can see beyond the ring of lights. How many tokens?”
Melanie shifted the dog in her hands. She bounced on her toes like a little kid. Fidgeting with the toy, she tilted her head toward the bench seats swaying with the wheel.
“Don’t worry, the dog will fit on the seat with us.”
She beamed. “Have you seen Jason?”
Jennifer looked around the crowd, her keen eyes checking out all the lines. “There’s Hank. I’m sure Jason’s not too far behind.” Her face brightened. “Oh, look. There’s RJ.” She tugged on Melanie’s sleeve. “Now there’s a cowboy for you. Maybe he wants to ride with us. RJ!”
Melanie dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out a handful of tokens. Wisps of blond hair fell across her cheek as she watched Jen wave RJ over. Gabe reached out and tucked the hair behind her ear, the strands as soft as down. She graced him with a smile that lit up his world as she shifted the dog square in front of her.
“I know I have more tokens.” She handed the golden disks to him. “I held some back so Jason wouldn’t spend them all in one place.”
His palm heated as her fingers remained locked with his. Packs of teenagers moved between rides like misplaced amoebas. Couples, young and old, strolled the midway. And Gabe didn’t want to let go, not for all the tokens in the world.
Her fingers slipped away as Jason ran up. “I won a stuffed pig for Jennifer. Told her it would make her remember the barbecue.” Bouncing as if springs loaded his shoes, Jason pointed across the lot. “Look, a Tilt-a-Whirl. Wanna ride with me?”
“You bet.” Melanie grabbed his hand as if he might take off without her. She turned and offered Gabe her dog. “Will you hold this? You never know what gravity will do to people in one of those things.”
He accepted the stuffed animal. Melanie captured his hand and pulled him with them. Pink and blue cotton candy on paper tubes bobbed up and down in the hands of excited kids, and the scent of fried funnel cakes filled the air. At the ride line, Melanie pulled Gabe and Jason together like window draperies.
She peeked between them. “Jennifer and RJ an item?”
Gabe twisted around. RJ stood with Jen in line for the Ferris wheel. Jen gabbed with her usual animation and RJ appeared enthralled. “If they were, it would be news for the whole town.”
“Every tidbit is news for this town.”
But Jennifer and RJ would make the front page. “Yeah, well.”
Hank strolled up and stood on the other side of Jen. The line moved and all three of them squeezed into a seat. “I think she’s well chaperoned.”
Melanie still held his hand. Her fingers squeezed. The small gesture tickled his insides. He squeezed back and looked up at the top of the ride as it squealed to a halt. “Don’t suppose I can talk you into that merry-go-round ride, huh?”
“You weren’t kidding, were you?” A smile he couldn’t decipher danced on her lips. “That’s okay. Thanks for holding the dog.”
She gave his fingers a final squeeze before she followed Jason through the line into the monstrous contraption.
His fingers tingled and his palm felt empty without her hand.
She walked toward him, her cheeks flushed. “That is the most amazing ride.”
Amazing was right. She didn’t look a bit fazed.
“Jason. How was it?” A frown replaced her delight.
He held on to his mother’s arm, his skin pasty and cheeks drawn.
“Hey Bud, looks like the wind kinda blew out of your sails.” Gabe packed the dog beneath his arm. He reached over with his other hand and urged the boy toward him. “Let’s go for a walk. I’ll bet you’ll feel better once you get your land legs back.” He started to reposition the dog when his gaze collided with the deepest, bluest, most troubled eyes he’d ever seen. Eyes that pleaded with him. For what, he wasn’t sure. “Melanie. You okay?”
“Yeah, stomach like a rock.” She clasped her arms across her chest. “I should have known better. After all he’s eaten today. Putting him into a musical centrifuge wasn’t a good idea.”
Rethinking his strategy, Gabe handed the stuffed canine to her and steered Jason toward the parking lot. He looked over his shoulder and hoped his grin encouraged her. “Go find Hank. I think someone’s fun meter just maxed out.”
“Everyone comfortable back there?” Hank gripped the wheel of the SUV and swung onto the main road out of town.
“Perfect.” Gabe answered in hushed tones beside her. “Just take it easy on the curves, okay?”
Melanie stroked Jason’s hair back from his forehead, as he lay across her lap, asleep. Way too much fun today. Malteds, cotton candy, hot dogs and taffy, all swirled together by a Tilt-a-Whirl, did not a good combination make.
Gabe handled it like a real trooper.
“Hank, you’re doing fine.” She touched Jason’s cheek, relieved to find it cool. “Thanks for driving. I like the way Gabe thinks when there’s disaster a-brewing. Good thing to have him back here, just in case.”
Rocky Mountain Hero Page 13