Allison paused in the middle of wearing a hole in his hardwood floor. “The plan is to let them know eventually, but the most important part is making sure my mom is all right. I have gone over this again and again. I know you’d have to lie as well, and while I feel terrible about it, I don’t feel bad enough to give up asking. I’ll make it worth your while to help me.”
Gabe pulled his jaw off the floor. “Did you just offer to pay me to pretend to be your fiancé?”
Allison snorted and leaned back on the fridge. “I’m so about to pass out, I couldn’t be doing a worse job explaining this if I were drunk. No. No money, but if you’re still interested in making your section of the Coleman ranch turn organic? I promise that I will do everything I can to help you. I know regs, I know who works the front lines and can fast-track inspections. I will advise and work with you, and save you time and money. Nothing illegal, but very valuable if you’re serious about going green.”
It was the one thing she could offer that was more valuable than money. The one thing that could render him speechless. He sat without saying a word because suddenly his brain was flooded with all the ideas and information he’d researched over the past two years. All the things he’d longed to put into place to make the Angel section of the Coleman ranch a success.
He’d have to convince his father.
But…not even Ben could turn down this kind of help. The realization that the fake relationship between him and Allison might help move them past the current stalemate hit like a load of bricks.
Ben didn’t accept advice easily from anyone, especially not a woman, but if Gabe was getting what came down to valuable expert advice for free from a family member? His tight-fingered father would have a difficult time turning away that kind of an offer.
“Gabe?”
Allison stared at him in concern, and he realized he’d been silent for a lot longer than he planned.
He shook his head slowly. “You said you weren’t sure how to tell your story, and I’ll toss that right back at you. I’m not exactly sure how to respond.”
“You still interested in making changes?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.”
Allison nodded. “I can’t guarantee anything, Gabe. I don’t know the specific details of your land’s history or anything yet, so I can’t tell you timelines or even if you can successfully make the switch. But if you do this for me, I promise to work with you until you’re happy with the results, or you say you’ve had enough trying. I’ll even add a contract for you to provide as much as we can use at the restaurant. Standard prices for standard product for five years. No matter how long our fake engagement lasts, you’ll have that.”
Gabe rose to stare out the window over the nearest section of Coleman land. He imagined it producing enough to support his family, no worries if this was the year they’d have to beg for a handout. He swung to examine Allison again, taking in the sadness and frustration that clung to her like a thick coat. “You’re not a very good bargainer. That’s far too open-ended and generous an offer, and now I feel like a shit for needing to be convinced to help you.”
She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. “Then you’ll do it?”
He was closer to an answer than he should be, but he wasn’t going to let her rush either of them into something they’d regret. “Hang on a minute. I ain’t saying no. I’m still not a hundred percent sure I should say yes, but you’ve made it damn tempting.”
She shot across the room to grab his hands. “I know it’s crazy, but Mom’s been everything to us, Gabe. She kept us together after Dad died, and she’s always been there for us. Losing her is going to be so hard but…” her voice hitched once before she pulled it back together, “…but making her last days extra special is what I want to give to her. Please?”
Great. She’d been reduced to begging. That hadn’t been part of the original plan, or at least she was pretty sure it wasn’t on her list. Exhaustion poured over her in waves, and she was barely keeping vertical. This first step had to be finished now, though, if she was going to pull off the entire ploy.
Sneaking out on horseback to Gabe’s had been a bit of a wild impulse. He was right, she could have called him, but calling wouldn’t have let her double-check that he really had a place of his own like she’d heard through the grapevine. That was a vital discovery to make, because while she liked him, and their background interests overlapped so well, no way she would have asked him to join her in the facade if living next door to his parents for any length of time had been part of the deal.
Overall, the four Coleman clans were well respected in Rocky. Some more than others—some of the boys had earned a reputation for troublemaking. Like any big family they had their black sheep, and to Allison, that phrase conjured up images of Ben Coleman. Ben Coleman in a devil suit carrying a pitchfork. He had always scared her a little. That Gabe was related to the rough man made her shake her head and think even better of the son for making his own decisions and marching to his own beat.
Allison glanced around the cabin, her second reason for wanting an up-close-and-personal peek coming to the fore. “You’re not seeing anyone, are you?”
His hand cupped her face, his touch surprisingly gentle and warm, and it felt so good she was tempted to nuzzle in tighter. She sighed softly.
Gabe’s wicked, low laugh raced over her. “You’re asleep on your feet, girl. No, I’m not seeing anyone. How long since you had eight hours of shuteye?”
“Tamara stopped in Tuesday to tell me the news. I started packing my stuff that night, and gave notice when I went into work Wednesday.”
“So now it’s Thursday and you haven’t taken any time to rest, have you?”
She had no time to waste. “Gabe? Are you going to help me?”
“More than you know. Where’s your car? At your mom’s house?”
She nodded, embarrassed to find she was still clutching his hand. When she attempted to let go, he chuckled again and tugged her after him.
“I’ll take care of your car while you take a nice, long nap.”
There was some reason she should be saying no to this, but damn if she could figure out what it was. “But, Gabe…”
“No complaining. I’m not giving you any kind of answer until I know your brain is working as well as your heart.” He led her back into the bedroom and pushed her toward the oversized mattress that looked far too comfortable. “When you wake up we’ll talk through more details, but in the meantime I’ll nab your stuff and bring it here, just so there’s no bridges burned until you’re sure what you want.”
She was sure. Allison sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress giving slightly under her hips. “Keys are under the floor mat.”
“That’s what I figured.”
She must have already been falling asleep, because she swore he helped arrange her on the bed, a light quilt pulled up to her chin. He brushed a hand over her forehead, which was awfully nice.
“Night, Gabe.”
That addictive laugh stroked her again, and she decided if he did agree to the charade? That sound was going to be what kept her sane through the entire chaotic situation, because the low rumble made all sorts of interesting reactions happen inside her.
Comforting, yet dangerous.
Sleep wrapped itself around her, and her eyes were so damn heavy. “I like your laugh.”
“You talk a lot when you’re sleep-deprived. What’re you like when you’re drunk?”
“I sing. Badly.”
Something warm caressed her face again. “Stop talking and go to sleep.”
Fighting to stay awake seemed like far more work than she could manage at the moment, so she listened.
Chapter Three
Considering everything else that had happened that day, Gabe was surprised his cautious switch went off without a snag. The Parkers must have all been working at the Timberline Grill, giving him the opportunity to sneak over on Allison’s horse, exchange the low-speed steed for her stuffed-to-the-gills Toyota, and slip back to his cabin without being stopped for grand-theft auto.
While he traveled, he got hold of the idiot truck driver’s mom and informed her that her baby had been driving fast and loose that morning. It might have been wrong to gloat over the punishment coming he heard in her voice, but hell if the kid didn’t deserve it.
He parked Allison’s vehicle directly behind his cabin where it couldn’t easily be spotted unless a person was right in the yard. Once she’d gotten enough rest to straighten out her brain, she could reconsider and no one would even have to know she’d been over. And if they did go forward with the ploy, he could move whatever stuff she needed into the house…
Hell. He was as bad as her, jumping ahead, totally obsessed with the one idea that up and filled his brain.
Turning around the family circumstances was a powerful incentive, but the offer she’d made to help needed to be weighed against the downside of this ruse. How did he really feel about helping her pull off a con that would deceive a shit-ton of people? Or did it matter what people thought when her motivation was driven by the singular goal of giving to her mom?
Yeah, if it were his mom, he’d willing to do just about anything to make her final days happier.
Gabe debated staying home until Allison woke, but that was akin to twiddling his thumbs and worrying like a granny. Instead, he tossed a few things into the Crock-Pot before spending a couple minutes straightening up his shit that had taken over the extra bed in the spare room. He wrote her a note in case she woke before he returned then headed back out to complete his chores. If she’d been burning the candle at both ends for two straight days, she should sleep until at least dinnertime.
Watching her snuggling up against his pillow, all soft as she fell asleep, had caused uncalled-for reactions in his body. It was a damn good thing he had the tiny extra room—he’d built it as an office space, but Rafe had argued long and hard until he’d given in and let the kid bring over a single bed. Rafe escaped as often as possible for some time away from home.
They both knew which parent he was avoiding.
Nope, having Allison in his house was going to be difficult, that was all there was to it. He snorted. He was probably leaping to conclusions he shouldn’t. Maybe Allison planned on moving back into her mom’s house for the duration.
Bullshit on that.
His brain twisted into tighter knots than he thought possible. Concentrating on the business side of her offer was far easier than imagining sharing the confines of his small cabin with Allison for months on end and keeping things platonic. Seeing her lush figure every night and every damn morning—screw being stereotypical, but he was a fucking male, and fucking was on his mind. He’d appreciated her curves and sassy attitude long before this morning when she’d thrown herself into his arms, and if they’d ever been in a situation where they might have dated, he would have had no issues keeping them both happy in bed. Or up against the wall. Or over the back of the goddamn couch for that matter.
If this wasn’t one of the most awkward situations ever. Demanding she stay with him made it sound as if he expected her to whore herself out, and she would no doubt rightly react stronger to that suggestion than when he thought she’d offered to pay him to lie.
This was going from bad to worse in a hell of a hurry.
When his phone rang, he was half-anticipating it to be her on the other end of the line.
Nope.
Gabe stared at the call display with a sense of looming disaster. Keeping secrets in the Coleman clan was a difficult task at the best of times, although he’d done it for years. He hadn’t had nearly enough time yet to formulate alternative explanations about Allison if he got backed into a corner, but on the line was the one person he couldn’t simply blow off. He straightened and wiped his free hand on his jeans as he put through the call.
“Hey, cuz.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.” Travis’s slow drawl rose a notch in volume to carry over the background noise of a tractor. “I need this so goddamn much, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Shit. Right there, Gabe’s initial intent to beg off their previous arrangement was hog-tied, unless he could convince his cousin to delay for a few nights. “You sure you’re up for it? After spending the day seeding maybe you should make it an early evening.”
Travis swore loudly and creatively before switching to less volatile words. “What kind of pansy-assed comment is that? Sure, I’ll just have a cup of tea and knit some doilies for you to shove up your ass. If you don’t want to come along then bloody well say so and I’ll go alone, but—”
“No, it’s not that. I’m coming with you. We made a deal, remember?” Of all the lousy timing. Now he had to abandon Allison for the evening, although…maybe giving her a little more space would be for the best. They could talk over supper, then she’d have all night to figure out exactly what she wanted. Only one fire to avoid—making sure Travis didn’t see any signs of her until that final decision had been made. “I’m driving though. Where you want me to nab you?”
“Pick me up at my trailer. Jackass.”
Gabe laughed in spite of himself. “Asshole.”
Travis hung up, and Gabe shoved his phone into his pocket, recovered the pliers he’d dropped and got back to the fence post. If he used a little more force than necessary, he figured no one was there to complain.