The Rancher's Texas Twins

by Allie Pleiter

  “Pretty clever association, if you ask me,” Gabe replied. He felt totally out of his depth and achingly guilty at the moment, as he waited for Avery to lash into him for allowing her daughter to fall injured. She looked upset, no doubt about it, but he couldn’t work out why there seemed to be so little anger in her features.

  “Well, clearly something’s up with that arm,” Dr. Delgado said. “I’ll have to take an X-ray—that’s a special kind of picture that will let me see the bones in your arm. I’ll even show you when we’re done, if you like.”

  “I wanna see my bones,” Debbie said.

  Doc went on with a tender examination, keeping Debbie talking. With each question she answered, she seemed to calm further. Gabe was calming down himself—it still startled him how personally he’d taken Debbie’s fall. When Avery and Debbie left with Dr. Delgado to go take the X-ray, Gabe felt like slumping against the wall in exhaustion.

  He looked up to see Marlene’s very direct gaze leveled straight at him. “Hurts to care, don’t it?” He couldn’t tell if she was chastising or encouraging him. The fact that it was probably both just unnerved him more.

  He pointed in the direction Debbie and Avery had gone. “That’s my fault. I put those swings up so they’d stay out of my hair.”

  Marlene leaned back against the wall cabinets and crossed her arms. “If you recall, Gabriel, I suggested the idea of some outside play equipment. And this is no one’s fault—certainly not yours. Now, getting caught for breaking the speed limit twice on the way over here like you did? That would have been your fault. But not this.”

  He didn’t have an answer to that, so Gabe simply glared at her for a moment and then began fiddling with his car keys.

  “She’ll be all right, Gabriel. Maybe not right away, but in time. You, on the other hand...well, I’m not so sure.”

  Gabe stared down the hallway. “You’re right, Avery’s bound to be furious.”

  Marlene shook her head. “I doubt that, and that’s not at all what I meant. Why is it such a fearsome thing to you that you’ve taken a shine to those little girls? You care about them, and you act as if that was some horrible itch you can’t scratch.”

  A horrible itch he couldn’t scratch. Did Marlene have any idea what a perfect picture she’d just painted of the way he felt? He felt it all over—and getting stronger by the minute—with an itch he absolutely should not, could not, scratch. Ever.

  The honest truth was that the more he came to care about Avery and her girls, the less he could ever hope to be part of their lives. They deserved someone who wanted to be a father, who had those warm, fuzzy fatherly tendencies he couldn’t hope to possess. Just because he felt a flicker of affection for the girls didn’t mean his lifelong preference for privacy, peace and quiet would suddenly evaporate.

  And even if he could manage to grow used to the tiny pink brand of chaos, there was a lot of baggage piled up in front of him and Avery: the long line of men who didn’t stay around. His father. His grandfather. His first stepfather. His second stepfather. Her grandfather. Her father. The list tightened around his throat like a pair of hands. Those girls and Avery should be doted upon, showered with affection by a man with a strong calling to family life.

  That wasn’t him.

  Even if it had felt as if his heart had left his chest and wrapped around that poor little girl as she wept in the truck seat beside him. The hole that would open up in his house—and his heart—after March 20 felt acres wide, and Gabe didn’t know what to do about it. It made him nearly hope Avery would be furious with him for this incident—her anger would be easier to bear than those looks she had given him in the mudroom the other day.

  “Ms. Marlene, Mr. Boots,” Debbie called from down the hall. “I’m broken.” She appeared in the door with a little blue sling and a white plastic splint secured to her arm with pink elastic bandages. Her voice had a “so there” tone about it, as if the injury had been an accomplishment instead of the pile of regret that currently turned in Gabe’s stomach.

  “A very small break, I’ll give you that, and some serious bruising around the wrist. She should come back in two days for me to cast it once the swelling goes down.”

  “I can have a pink cast,” Debbie said, sounding as if it was a privilege.

  “I’ll take those swings down first thing tomorrow morning,” Gabe offered.

  Debbie’s mouth fell open. “No!”

  “Why would you do that?” Avery asked.

  Gabe nodded toward the little girl with an “isn’t it obvious?” glare.

  “Well, you can’t go on them until you can hold on with both arms, but that doesn’t mean they have to come down,” Avery explained half to Gabe and half to Debbie.

  Gabe took a breath to reply, but one glance at the expressions of each of the three females in front of him shut his mouth again. To his mind, the swings needed to go, but it was crystal clear he was in the minority at the moment and he was in no mood to argue.

  “Let’s get everyone home and settled,” Marlene suggested. “I’m sure Jethro and Dinah are out of their minds with worry. I’ll call them from Gabe’s truck while Debbie heads home with her mama.”

  Chapter Twelve

  It was nearly nine thirty at night by the time Avery was able to settle Debbie and Dinah in bed after all the chaos of the accident. The novelty of her current splint and upcoming pink cast had worn off along with the pain medicine, and Debbie was fussy and uncomfortable. Dinah was worried about her sister and needy herself. By the time both girls were finally asleep, Avery felt as if she was more spent and irritable than a dozen Heaths and Josies.

  What happened to the lovely afternoon that was supposed to be spent cooing over beautiful new baby Joy?

  Marlene and Jethro, bless them, had gone to bed also exhausted from the day. Avery was just about to follow suit when she remembered a quart of peppermint-stick ice cream in the freezer. A big bowl of that with a healthy dose of chocolate sauce sounded like just the balm for her surprisingly stressful day.

  There was also one other matter to settle—and that would go better over ice cream, as well. On her way to the kitchen, Avery knocked on the door of Gabe’s study, where he’d holed himself up since their return.

  He looked up with a cautious startle. Was he expecting a lecture or another crazy tea-party invitation? With an inner smile Avery realized she had yet to knock on Gabe’s study door with any news the man would consider “good.” Tonight would be a good time to fix that.

  “I was just about to eat my stress by way of a big bowl of ice cream. Care to join me?”

  He looked shocked. Clearly, that wasn’t the statement he was expecting.

  “No special hats required, promise.”

  “Okay,” he said with a touch of hesitation. Did he really think she’d ask him to join her for ice cream so she could chew him out? Danny couldn’t even seem to embrace the concept of guilt or responsibility, but Gabe seemed to hoard it. He’d been heart stricken over Debbie’s fall, and the emotion seemed as foreign as it was endearing on a man of Gabe’s bearing.

  Gabe kept eyeing her as he pulled a pair of bowls and spoons from the cupboard while she got out the ice cream and sauce.

  “I’m not mad,” she finally said, unable to stand his “go ahead, yell at me” face. “Frightened, maybe, but not mad.”

  “You ought to be.” Avery felt as if he was going out of his way to keep his distance as he laid the scoop on the counter between them.

  “I don’t get mad at people for accidents. Deliberate pain? Yes, I get mad. You already know that.” Avery didn’t see any need to name Danny or Cyrus—Gabe knew how she felt about their manipulations. She opened the container and began scooping generous portions into the bowls. Today had clearly been a three-scoop kind of day. “But there was nothing deliberate about what happened
this afternoon.”

  “Debbie’s hurt.”

  “Yes, she is. But I’m thankful she wasn’t hurt worse. She’s a bold and brave little girl—they both are. The way I see it, bangs and bruises—and yes, breaks—come with the territory.”

  When he didn’t reply, Avery put down the scoop and stared straight at Gabe until he met her gaze. “I don’t blame you.” And then, maybe because her defenses were long past down, she added, “I’m grateful you were there to take such good care of her.”

  When he still looked as if he was crawling out of his skin with guilt, she pushed one bowl in front of him and walked over to the counter stool next to him. It was a little too close to him, but it felt wrong to go out of her way and scoot it farther toward the edge. She took the bottle of chocolate syrup and doused the pink mounds of ice cream. “This is the part where you just say ‘okay’ and stop beating yourself up about something that wasn’t your fault.” She set the bottle in front of him as if to say “your move.”

  With a rather unsteady glance in her direction, Gabe picked up the bottle, gave his ice cream a flimsy swirl of sauce and choked out, “Okay.”

  She eyed his bowl and hers. “Really? That’s the best you can do after a day like today? You men and your sensible compartmentalization slay me.”

  It had been a long day. She didn’t want to feel the slightest bit guilty for her indulgence. The words might have a bit more edge than they ought to have had.

  With a defiant look, Gabe picked the bottle back up and squeezed a small ocean of chocolate sauce on his portion.

  If he’d meant to outsauce her, he had. She laughed loudly, clamping her hand to her mouth for making too much noise and possibly waking the girls. The laugh settled into a stifled, refreshing giggle that seemed to shave all the sharp ends off the day. Avery sighed, digging her spoon in and heaving up a blissful mouthful of cold sweetness. “See now?” she mumbled in ice-cream-garbled words. “Marvelous.”

  “I don’t see how a thousand calories of sugar solves any problems,” Gabe said as he systematically assembled a spoonful of equal portions ice cream and sauce. Did the man ever stop managing circumstances?

  “That’s because you’re a guy. Believe me, this helps. Your mentioning the calorie count, however, does not.”

  “I am sorry it happened. Am I allowed to say that?”

  The true concern on his face touched her. Today had shown her his care for Debbie and Dinah in ways she could no longer hold at a distance. Gabe Everett wasn’t staying inside the neat, controllable borders she’d drawn around him and their relationship. Ever since he’d shown her the toolboxes—and the glimpse of his heart he’d been unable to hide while doing so—Avery felt her own heart venturing into very scary territory. She could not risk any more hurt—for her or the girls.

  “Yes,” she replied, frightened that the tone of her single word said a lot more than was wise.

  “Will she be okay, you think?” Again, the words were full of care. Affection, even. It made Avery think, She might, but will I?

  “Yes,” she said in something too close to a whisper, keeping her eyes on the ice cream. Every inch of her felt flushed and tingly. She ate another huge bite so she wouldn’t have to speak more.

  Gabe cleared his throat. “I know I’m gruff with them most of the time, and they are all kinds of noisy, but... I have to say they’ve...” He coughed again, making distracted circles with his spoon in the ice cream. “Well, the little pink things have grown on me.”

  Avery’s chest held a fluttery, bursting sensation as if her heart was attempting an escape. She found the notion entirely too accurate.

  Once he had spoken the first words, it seemed as if Gabe needed to spit them all out before he came to his senses. “They steal my time, they invade my study, they run down my hallways and yet I went crazy thinking about Debbie being hurt, and on my watch besides. And still, I know the minute she can, Debbie will be right back out on that swing fixing to break the other arm.” He looked up at Avery as though she was a puzzle to solve. “How do you do it?”

  Explain parenthood to a bachelor cowboy? She could gather every word in Texas and still not have enough. “You just...do.” The inadequate reply spilled a tender-hearted laugh from her. That, and a feeling of sympathy that made her heart’s escape not only likely, but also impossible to stop.

  Gabe was trying so hard not to care.

  He was failing at it, and in a way that stole her heart no matter what she deemed best for her or the girls.

  Have mercy, Lord, she wailed silently to Heaven as she looked away from his perplexed and resigned expression. You take away the man who couldn’t care enough only to give me the care of a man who’s told me he doesn’t want a family? You know we can’t stay. You know the girls need someone who’ll be over the moon for them. You know I’m raw and wounded from Danny’s discarding of me. I can’t trust what Gabe is stirring up in me.

  Gabe evidently misunderstood her evasion. “Please don’t leave on account of what’s happened. I’m trying to find Theodore—and I will, I have to—so I need you to stay.”

  It was the “I need you” that got to her. She could convince herself he was pleading for something other than the fulfillment of Cyrus’s demands. Gabe’s eyes had a way of clouding her thinking.

  “Gabe...” Avery found she couldn’t finish the sentence. She could feel herself falling, feel herself inventing reasons to stay close to this man when she should be planning her exit. She’d convinced herself, just now, that Gabe was as fond of her as he was of her daughters.

  He shook his head, shoulders hunching over as if he’d just reprimanded himself. “I know. I know it’s asking a lot.”

  He didn’t realize that if he stood up and took her in his arms right this minute, she’d melt against him faster than the ice cream. She’d lay down the steel-willed determination that was her armor in this one-woman battle. She’d let him into her life and the girls’ lives even though she knew better.

  And what would happen then? Danny could withhold his permission to let her move the girls here. Cyrus’s scheme could still backfire, leaving her only a broken-down cabin, leaving the boys ranch scaled back down and removing residents, and leaving Haven with the punishment of a strip mall the whole town would hate. How could she possibly stay and raise a family in the shadow of that?

  Staring into his questioning gaze, Avery tried to stop herself from wondering, What if it worked? What if somehow they found Theodore and Gabe was the right man for her and the girls had such a warm community to grow up in and Danny cooperated? The people in Haven were behaving as if she could stay forever and be welcome. Would it be so wrong to see if they were right?

  Hadn’t life shown her enough to stop thinking in happy endings like that? Staying in Haven wasn’t the best choice for her, and the flutter Gabe’s eyes bloomed in her stomach didn’t change that. I can’t trust my emotions here. The best thing would be to finish my ice cream without saying anything I can’t take back.

  * * *

  “I wish I had better news,” Mike admitted to Gabe over coffee at Lila’s Wednesday morning.

  “You could have told me you’d hit dead ends over the phone.” While Gabe was glad for time with his good friend, he’d assumed the request to meet meant either Mike had uncovered something about Theodore or his own team of attorneys had uncovered some loophole Harold had missed. He was wrong on both counts.

  “I know this means a lot to you. I’m as frustrated as you are that your grandfather has disappeared into thin air.”

  I doubt that, Gabe thought bitterly. Mike was a longtime friend—one of his closest—but the failure to find Theodore wouldn’t cost Mike anything but frustration. That same failure was starting to feel like it would cost Gabe everything. “I know,” he conceded, not wanting the mounting tension to get to him. Gabe ran his hands down his
face. “Is there anything else you can think of?”

  Mike sighed. “I had my two best guys go through that will with a fine-tooth comb. I’ve run through the two best investigators I’ve got and every legal channel I can think of. Short of prayer, I don’t know what else there is.”

  “We’ve got every soul in Haven praying for it now,” Gabe admitted. He wouldn’t admit—at least out loud—how he was getting pretty sore at the Almighty for leaving this hanging. The God he knew and loved would never let old Cyrus shaft a bunch of needy boys in order to build a silly strip mall. If he fought the urge to leave town if the whole thing went south, what must Avery be feeling? Right now he wouldn’t be surprised if Avery was gone before sunup Monday morning—if not before the end of the doomed “celebration” party.

  “What about the strip-mall thing?” Gabe asked in desperation. “Can we get an injunction or something to stave that off?”

  “I thought of that. Even looked for a zoning loophole. I hate to say it, but Cyrus was pretty clever on this one. If there’s a way to stop his ‘incentive,’ I haven’t found it yet.”

  Gabe stared into his coffee, feeling as dark as the brew. This was going to hurt everyone involved, and they’d dragged Avery and her girls into the middle of it.

  “But that doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying. We’ve still got four days. And the Gabe Everett I know doesn’t give up.” Mike sat back against the booth. “The Gabe Everett I know also would never invite a trio of females—two of them children, no less—into the sanctity of his home. How’s that going?”

  Well, there was a question. “I expect if you ask the six people in my house you’ll get six different answers.”

  Mike never did fall for any of Gabe’s diversions. “I’m asking you. Something’s different about you.”

  “I’m stressed, I’m surrounded by pink, my house is in total chaos and I’m behind on four different schedules. Take your pick.”