Unfinished Dreams (5 page)

With a flip of the switch, he locked the door to his apartment. Maybe he’d suggest to Tess that she rent out part of the farm to Roy for his cattle to graze. It’s what he would have offered to Roy had he still owned the farm. Then again, he wasn’t entirely certain that he wanted her to get too comfortable where she was at. That could make it more difficult for him to buy back the farm when he was ready. Perhaps it was best to leave well enough alone for now and with any luck, she’d be gone and he’d be settled back in before Roy needed the land.

“Golly dern boy, you sure smell ‘perty’. What are you hoping to find out there tonight?” Merle grinned from ear to ear as Gabe entered the garage.

“Well, I hope nothing that looks remotely like you, that’s for sure.”  Gabe volleyed back, joining Merle in his laughter. The sound seemed foreign to his ears.

Merle’s face sobered a bit, but the smile remained. “It’s good to hear you laugh, son.”

Gabe held his gaze for a moment then picked up a wrench, twirling it in his hand. “So who else is going tonight?”  He flipped the tool avoiding Merles knowing gaze.

“Vince, Jesse and Travis,” Merle leaned in and spoke in a whisper, “that’s if his wife will let him go.” He grinned at Gabe.

He smiled in return and dropped the wrench. “I’ll just meet you all over at Dusty’s.” Gabe slapped his hand to Merle’s shoulder and he quickly returned the gesture. Gabe knew it was the closest they’d ever come to a family hug. He smiled then glanced away from the older man’s mellow grin.

He paused at the entrance of the garage and took in a deep breath of autumn evening air. This time of year was his favorite. He fished for his keys as he gazed up at the stars beginning to dot the pale indigo sky. The remnant of sunset brushed deep fire red streaks across the horizon. For the first time in two years, Gabe had a sense of belonging--a feeling that he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Chapter Five

Gabe blinked his eyes once or twice, adjusting his focus to the murky darkness of the bar. The TV overhead blared with the evening football game and a few guys in the back played a game of pool. He was just as glad no one he knew was there.

“Gabe Russell, you old dog. I haven’t seen your ugly mug in a long time.” Dusty, the owner, wiped his hands on a bar towel and stuck his hand over the bar grasping his in a friendly handshake. So much for that thought, he sighed.

“Been busy.” Gabe smiled, before glancing away from the man’s gaze. They both knew the last time he’d been in the bar. He’d walked into Dusty’s the day he was evicted. It was Dusty that drove him to Merles that night or he would have kept on drinking himself to a slow death.

“Glad to see you, Gabe. Are you here alone?”

Dusty grabbed a frosty mug and filled it as he waited for a response. He recognized the subtlety of the barkeep’s friendly gesture.

“Meeting some friends,” Gabe replied, tipping his hat up.

Dusty nodded with a smile and pushed the beer toward him. “Good deal. Enjoy yourself. Young fella like you should be out having a little fun.” He smiled.

Gabe returned it glancing at Dusty with a half nod and a trifle embarrassed that Dusty seemed to be making too much of his return visit to the bar.

He leaned an elbow to the polished counter and scanned the room, noticing that not much had changed over the past couple of years. He guessed the familiarity made it home for many of the patrons. Small towns aren’t exactly known for their sudden changes.

His further assessment determined that Dusty had made some subtle changes. Now there was a small stage for live bands and a handkerchief-sized dance floor. The band playing tonight was warming up, tuning their instruments. Gabe had to admit that it was a nice touch even though he didn’t dance much anymore.

He took another sip of his beer and noticed two large rain barrels filled with whole peanuts near the dance floor, its surface now littered with discarded shells. Overall, what little changes Dusty had made certainly gave it a charm all its own. Gabe chuckled figuring in another two to fifteen years Dusty might get cable TV.

He raised the beer to his lips just as something or someone pushed into him from behind. The golden liquid arched from the mug spraying beer on his chest, soaking the front of his shirt.
Damn.
He’d forgotten how clumsy drunk people could be, and how annoying.

Glancing down he watched the dark stain spread across his chest. With his arms poised in midair he turned, his temper riding on edge. “Why don’t you watch the hell where you’re—” The words stuck in his throat as he ran headlong into a pair of china blue eyes the size of dinner plates.

“I am so sorry. I didn’t see the step.” Tess searched the floor at her feet as if there was something there that would give validity to her situation. “I’m such a klutz.” Her words tumbled out of her mouth like marbles from a gunnysack.

A small towel appeared on the bar at his elbow and Gabe nodded his thanks to Dusty, but before he could reach for it, Tess picked it up, frantically dabbing at the stain.

Geez, he’d gone and scared the poor woman to death. If the fearful look in her eyes wasn’t enough evidence, then her pounding on his chest hoping to dry the stain was proof positive.

He covered her hand, hoping his voice was gentle enough to quell her fear. “It’s okay.”

She stiffened at first, then her shoulders relaxed. Relief flooded him. This would turn out fine as long as she didn’t give him that smile—the one that wrinkled her pert—yeah, there went that nose.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

Gabe rubbed his hand over his mouth to prevent him from leaning down to kiss her. He figured he’d scared her enough for one night at any rate.

“Let me buy you another.” Her tender voice broke into his thoughts. “It’s the least I can do.” She didn’t wait for his reply, but slung her huge bag to the barstool where it landed with a thud. He glanced at it wondering what sort of paraphernalia a woman like Tess would carry around in a bag that size. On the other hand, he thought it best to leave well enough alone. She fished out her billfold and laid a couple of bills on the bar.

Dusty replaced the spilled beer and slid Gabe a sly smile, free of charge.

A raucous band of laughter sounded just to the other side of the door and without thinking, he grabbed Tess’s arm and pulled her flat to him. “Watch out.”

The door swung open and Merle and his band of merry men entered the bar, oblivious to the fact they’d nearly pancaked a customer to the wall. They stopped dead in their tracks at Gabe holding a woman solidly against him.

“See you haven’t lost your touch.” Vince teased as the happy group walked by nodding and slapping him victoriously on the shoulder.

Gabe hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to see the look on the face of the woman he held captive. Dropping his hand, he stepped back, his foot catching the edge of the barstool and plopped down on its wooden seat without much finesse.

He smiled, attempting to save face. “So, won’t you join me?” He was sure he made a tempting companion with his saturated shirt, short temper and clumsy feet.

“I’m sorry, thanks, but I’m here with a friend.” Tess reached back, groping for her friends arm. “I don’t know where my mind is tonight,” she gave him a weak grin. “Betsy, Gabe. Gabe, Betsy.” Her smile and her voice were both quick and light, but he could see the rosy glow of her cheeks. Great, on top of everything he’d embarrassed her.

Gabe tipped his hat. “Ma’am.” He hoped that at least manners might smooth over his otherwise natural clumsiness around women. The woman named Betsy reached out and snagged his hand, turning to Tess with a raised brow. She turned her gaze back to him.

“My pleasure.” Her drawl was intentionally slow and Gabe was not as comfortable as he seemed with Tess. He gently slipped it from the woman’s grasp and looked at Tess. Her focus was squarely on his chest.

“Hey, look.” He plucked his shirt from his chest and grinned hoping to see her smile again. “It’s already drying. You sure about that drink?” He stood, unbuttoning his shirt and peeled it off, glad he wore the white t-shirt underneath, but even that was soaked. He reached over her left shoulder, hanging the sodden shirt on the coat rack behind her. Something caused him to linger, maybe it was the scent of her perfume or merely the look in her eye as she glanced up at him. He held her momentary gaze a breath longer then stepped back, giving himself the room to breathe.

“It appears your friends are waiting for you anyway.” She pointed past his shoulder and he twisted to follow her gaze. The ornery expressions complete with cheesy grins met his gaze as they leaned back in their chairs openly watching the two of them. They were acting like a bunch of high school boys tonight. He turned back to Tess with a look of apology.

“Sorry about them.” He eyed his boot. “I’m not exactly known as Mr. Social around here. Guess they’re just giving me a hard time.” He smoothed a finger across his lip in thought, and looked at her, not knowing what else to say.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” She touched his forearm so lightly that he certainly wouldn’t have noticed except for the bolt of lightning that coursed through his veins. “Have a good time.” With that, she grabbed her friend’s arm and stepped around him.

* * *

“Are you out of your mind?” Betsy hissed as she scooted into a booth across from Tess. “
Mr. September
from Country Hunk Calendar asks you to have a drink with him and you turn
him
down?”

Tess gave her friend an incredulous look. “I’m here with you tonight. Remember?” She twirled her bottle between her fingers and glanced to where Gabe had been seated at the bar moments before. She dared not look up as he passed, but heard the whoops and calls issuing from the guys he was going to sit with. As much as she wanted to turn and look over her shoulder at where they sat, she forced herself to keep focused on Betsy’s expression. Perhaps if she could convince Betsy to see things in a different light, she’d calm the jitters in her own stomach. “Besides, it’s just Gabe.”

“Just Gabe? You mean you already know him well enough to call him
just Gabe
?’” Betsy’s eyebrows rose into her dark, wispy bangs.

Tess took a swallow of her drink wondering if she dare tell her that she’d recently hired
just Gabe
to do her carpentry work. She rubbed her finger along the table, deciding Betsy might not ever leave hearing this particular news, so she told her the truth…almost. “He had some mail at the house—”

“
He’s
the former owner of the house?” Betsy leaned back, curiosity etched on her face. “This is getting interesting.”

Tess needed to find a stopping point to this conversation that was going nowhere fast. Hadn’t Betsy heard Gabe’s friends?
Glad to see he hadn’t lost his touch?
What did that mean? Not that it mattered or should.

“Yes and he’s just being nice because I hired him to do some work around the place.” Tess felt awkward the minute the words slipped from her lips.

Betsy’s grin widened a bit too much for Tess to be comfortable. “It’s not like what you think.” Tess explained letting the boredom drip from her tone and hope that it did any good getting past Betsy’s radar.

“What
I
think? What
am
I thinking, Tess?” She grinned and raised one perfectly arched eyebrow.

Betsy was the stereotypical classic beauty.
She
was the woman most men made a beeline for in a crowded room or at a party. Tess loved her dearly but always felt somewhat pale in comparison. It bothered her to think that she might set her sights on Gabe, though she wasn’t at all sure why she should feel that way. She took another sip of her beer and glanced away from Betsy’s expectant gaze. So much for testing the waters.

Her eyes came face to face with a huge rodeo belt buckle, gleaming in its polished glory. Looking up she recognized one of the men who’d made comments about Gabe. She wondered if she could get him to elaborate on those comments, but she mentally stopped herself.
Good lord, what am I doing?
She frowned at her thoughts.
It is absolutely none of my business to pry into Gabe Russell’s love life, past or present.
Even if she were interested, which she had convinced herself that she wasn’t. Almost.

“May I have this dance?” Tess looked at Betsy who returned her look with a challenging gaze. Surely whoever this was, was asking Betsy to dance. Why didn’t she address the poor man?

“Excuse me, Miss?”

Tess felt a light touch to her shoulder and her gaze jerked upward to the young man grinning down at her. “Oh, me?” Tess looked at Betsy, who cast a tolerant look to the wall. “I’d love to—I didn’t catch your name.” Tess agreed, simply so she wouldn’t have to listen to Betsy’s lecture about getting out and having fun. She caught Betsy darting her gaze to the dance floor.

“Vince.”

“Okay, Vince.” She glanced at Betsy once again and received a subtle
thumbs up
sign. Tess scooted from the booth and felt the man’s hand slip around her waist as he led her to the dance floor.

“You know the two-step?” He leaned close to her ear and her shoulders hunched instinctively.

“I know a little,” she answered, turning her face to his. With a degree of certainty, she knew there was no reason to be nervous, and he was one of Gabe’s friends. For some reason, knowing this steadied her nerves.

The five-piece band pounded out a honky-tonk version of an old Garth Brooks song as the postage stamp-sized dance floor steadily began to fill up. Tess felt a bump on her shoulder and found Betsy in Gabe’s arms. She smiled at her friend. An unexpected flicker of jealousy assaulted her and she swung her attention back to Vince, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

Tess concentrated on her feet, twirling at the proper time, offering her dance partner an occasional obligatory smile, and fought the urge to scan the dance floor for her friend. Or was it her friend she was looking for?

As the song ended, Vince twirled her under his arm in fast succession, sending her thoughts spinning until she landed against something solid and black. She blinked and focused in on the bright yellow and red wording advertising Dusty’s bar and grill stretched a little too tight across a broad chest. Her eyes rose past the firm chin and slammed into a pair of dark colored orbs.

Gabe’s eyes warmed as she met his gaze. “You mind if I cut in, Vince?”

Vince smiled, then leaned in with a whisper that was clearly meant for her to hear. “That was the plan, wasn’t it?”  Vince stated. With a nod and a short, “ma’am,” he acknowledged his thanks for the dance.

Tess frowned and watched him leave the dance floor, easily sliding his arm around Betsy as he left. Her friend smiled at Vince in a way that indicated she didn’t mind losing her dance partner. Somewhere along way, Tess had a feeling she’d been the brunt of an elaborate set up.

“Tess? Would you like to dance?”  She turned her attention to Gabe, who stared at her like she was the only woman on the floor. Her gaze rested a moment on the intriguing way the outline of Dusty’s bar read across his chest, then she met his curious gaze with a heart-stopping smile. He tipped his hat back and the intense undercurrent in his eyes melted her insides.
Testing the waters? Good Lord above, she was being pulled in over her head.