Unfinished Dreams (12 page)

“I want what I see,” she whispered, her arms still secure around his neck. Her eyes searched his. “I want you, Gabe.”

He stood lifting her into his arms and headed inside. She grabbed the screen door and he caught it with his heel, kicking it open wide enough to pass through. Her delicate mouth nibbled soft kisses against his neck pushed him faster up the stairs. He rounded the bannister and stopped in front of the door to her room.

“Tess, honey, the doorknob. Can you reach it?”  He wanted to get back to the delicious sensation of her mouth on his skin. The bedroom door swung open and he turned her in his arms as he sat on the edge of the bed.

* * *

“You’re sure about this?”  The husky arousal in his voice melted her bones.

She fumbled with the hem of his shirt, tugging it from his jeans, her knees turning to jelly as he held his arms up and let her pull it over his head. She tossed it over her shoulder moving her hands over the muscled plane of his broad chest.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”  He chuckled quietly, taking her hands in his and bringing them to his lips. “Let’s slow this down. I want to make love with you, Tess…not just to you.”

He kissed her fingers holding her captive in his magnetic gaze, then slowly hooked her arms over his shoulders and tugged her close. “See what you do to me?”

Evidence of his arousal pressed against her as his hands slid down her back, cupping her butt, drawing her tightly to him as he bent down and took her mouth in a heated kiss. His long fingers caressed her, his kisses, slow and reverent, drugged her senses.

“Tess,” he whispered, pulling back with a hunger in his eyes that made her quiver with anticipation. He sat on the edge of the bed, tugging her to stand between his legs. Slow and methodical, he reached beneath her shirt, found the front clasp of her bra and flipped it open. His dark eyes sparkled as he held her gaze, his palms smoothing aside the fabric to free the weight of her in his hands. Pressing gently upward, he leaned forward capturing her tip through the thin cotton shirt, teasing until she was dizzy with need.

She slid her fingers through his hair, hanging on as best as she could to her sanity as a sigh escaped from her lips. There was something wonderful to be said for the slower pace of this cowboy.

Her body hung precariously on the brink of combustion, there was no reason, only glorious sensation. Her desire and his gentleness manifested something uncontrollable inside of her. Loving had never been this way with Richard. In the few times they’d had sex, he’d never produced the magic that Gabe was orchestrating from her body. Her heart faltered from the rush of seeing the appreciation in Gabe’s eyes.

“You’re so beautiful.”  He pulled her down on the bed, covering her body with his and made love to her mouth. Gently, he coaxed her, satisfying her hunger one moment with slow kisses, then driving her blind as he concentrated on bringing her to the edge.

Her heart pounded in her ears so loud it blocked out all thought and sound.

Suddenly, Gabe pulled away, looking down at her with an inquisitive, tormented look.

It took a moment for her mind to refocus. “What?” She stroked his face, seeing the image as the possibility of an every morning occurrence.

“The phone? Are we going to ignore it?” He leaned on his side, his fingers brushing lightly against her ribs. His gaze followed his hand with a smile.

It was only then that she heard the insistent reality of technology vying for her attention.

“Ignore it.”  She grinned, curling her hand around his neck to pull him into a fierce kiss. She was ready for him and it had been ages since she’d wanted to be with a man.

The phone continued to ring.

Tess considered yanking Bell’s invention clean from the wall.

He leaned back and grinned. “I suppose it could be important. Though I’d be hard pressed to think anything could be more important than what I have in mind at the moment.”

A shock ran through her system as he lightly brushed his thumb across her breast.

The phone continued its incessant wailing and she gave him a quick, deep kiss, and grinned.

“It better be the president.”  She sprang from the bed hurrying to the phone table in the hallway. “Hello?”

“Tess? Where the heck were you?” Betsy’s voice sounded more concerned than normal.

Her guard went up. She turned and leaned against the wall, brushing the hair from her face. “Are you all right? What’s the matter?”  Suddenly the reality of what she was doing washed over her like ice water.

“I just found something that I don’t think I was supposed to find on Jack’s desk.”

There was a tense silence and a hollow feeling formed in the pit of her stomach.

She felt a presence near her shoulder and turned to see Gabe leaning against the doorframe. He placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder and gave her a questioning look.

She glanced up at him with a smile, barely hearing Betsy on the other end.

“I’m coming down today, Tess. I need to show these things to you. Are you busy? I can be there in forty-five minutes.”

“Can’t you just tell me over the phone?”  Tess traced her finger along Gabe’s jaw swallowing the intense desire to drop the phone and jump into his arms.

He turned her palm and kissed it sending shivers skating over her skin.

“I’m not sure, but I think Jack’s done something that he shouldn’t have. Perhaps with noble intentions, but not quite—I don’t feel comfortable discussing this here. I want you to read through what I found.”  Betsy’s voice lowered to a fierce whisper.

Tess was pulled between the urgency in her friend’s voice and the urgency in her own body. “Okay, sure come on down.”  Tess relented closing her eyes with a sigh.

“One more thing.”

“What?”  She rubbed a hand over her forehead. What did anything that Jack did have to do with her?

“Is Gabe there?”

At that, Tess glanced at Gabe, wondering what in the world one had to do with the other. Still, with the mention of Gabe’s name, Betsy now had Tess’s full attention.

She straightened, her eyes narrowing as she anticipated an explanation.

“Um…he’s uh, doing some work around here, yes.”  She rolled her gaze at the obvious lie. Raking her teeth across her lip, a niggling fear that she’d made another poor judgment in males filled her heart. “Why?”

“His name is mentioned in these papers.”

Deciding it was better to wait and make a determination on what she read, Tess chose to end the conversation. She picked up a pencil and tapped it against the table as she spoke.

“Okay. I’ll see you in a while then.”  She swallowed again and replaced the receiver to its cradle. How was she going to tell Gabe that he had to leave? Moreover, why was Gabe’s name on any papers at her place of business?

“Everything okay? You look a little concerned?” He straightened and stood before her. The man had no idea how gorgeous his body was, or what it did to her to have to tell he had to leave.

“Betsy’s coming down to see me. It’s rather urgent business.” She wrung her hands, hoping inside that Gabe had nothing to do with anything Jack had done.

He covered her hands and spoke gently. “It’s all right.” He glanced at their linked fingers, raising his warm brown eyes to hers. “I’ll just have to finish this in my dreams for tonight.” He leaned down kissing the tips of her fingers.

Chapter Eleven

Gabe nearly didn’t make it out of the house. Every time he turned around, she stood right behind him. Then it was next to impossible not to take her into his arms and store up the kisses that would have to get him through the long cold night.

“I’ll be working on the barn tomorrow, barring weather.”  He told her as he stood at the screen door.

She held his hat, then playfully plopped it on her head.

“You better get a lot done while I’m at work.”  She arched an eyebrow and grinned wickedly.

“I may not get much sleep thinking about what I’d like to do when you get home.”  He grinned and drew her into his arms. She felt so good. A perfect fit. He breathed deep, memorizing the soft scent of her skin. Visions of lazy Sunday afternoons on the porch swing popped into his head.

“You better go so I can get dressed.”  She grabbed his hat and placed it on his head. She wore only her t-shirt and jeans. Her bra, discarded in their passion, left the fabric of her T-Shirt playing havoc with her bare breasts.

* * *

His feet felt like lead, not wanting to walk away from such a gift. Just one more kiss and he’d be on his way. “I better go, or you’ll be getting undressed.”  He kissed her soundly on her pert little, crinkled nose.

Tess waved to him as he drove past the porch. Her outline silhouetted perfectly in the light behind her. The puppies ran circles at her feet and he could hear her laughter as she tried to wave, swatting playfully at the joyous pups. It was the sexiest damn thing he’d ever seen. He waved back, his eyes darting from her to the lane and he laughed as he swerved to avoid an apple tree.

Gabe considered he had it pretty bad. Whatever
it
was. He drove through town, past the corner grocery store and thought a moment about stopping, but he was much too keyed up to try to cook a meal tonight.

The twilight sky turned the sleepy little town to a monotone blue-gray. Had he ever noticed how serene it looked at dusk? He spied Velda’s Diner, with its friendly, red neon lights, beckoning to him and he tugged at the wheel, turning into the short gravel parking lot. He wasn’t quite ready to go back to his silent, colorless apartment, not after experiencing the dazzling rainbow brilliance of Tess.

“Gabe, my boy, come on over here. Sit down and talk to an old man.”  Roy Powell waved him over to one of the five cracked and peeling vinyl-covered booths.

Gabe was glad for the distraction; perhaps it would help him take his mind off Tess. Yeah, and pigs can fly.

He scooted into the seat across from the old farmer. “How’s it going Roy? What’s good tonight?”

“You look like a mighty happy camper. Truth is, I haven’t seen
that
look on a man’s face since—” He paused as though thinking hard, “a week ago last Saturday and it’d been mine.”  He grinned and raised his bushy brows. “The Mrs. and I celebrated our fiftieth last weekend. That was a night for the record books!”

“Well, congratulations.” Gabe grinned, then gave the man back a taste of his own ribbing. “So why aren’t you at home tonight with Mrs. Powell?”

Roy waved a fork in the air. “The church women are having a meeting over to our place. I’d rather not be around when they start their talking about what repair projects need to be done on the church. Fortunately, Evelyn takes notes, so she keeps me updated.”

Gabe laughed, grateful the waitress decided to show up next to the table. Suddenly he had an appetite. “Two eggs, over easy, bacon, side of hash browns and toast. Coffee please.” He finished and caught the old farmer’s wolfish grin. “What?”

“That’s a power meal there, boy.” He pointed his butter knife at Gabe and narrowed a jaundiced eye at him. “You must’ve been working pretty hard to build up that kind of appetite.”

He grinned wishing that were so. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Uh huh.”  Roy sliced his hot turkey sandwich, then glanced at Gabe. “Sold those last two black lab pups the other day. A nice little gal, a right pretty little thing she was. Think her name was—” He looked over Gabe’s shoulder narrowing his gaze.

“Tess?” Gabe answered squinting at the old man. He leaned back and studied the old man, beginning to realize that this guy was much wiser than he let people think.

“That’s it.” He stuffed a fork of potatoes into his mouth.

Gabe watched him chew.

“You know her?” He didn’t bother to look up.
The old fart.

Not quite as well as I’d like to.
He looked at the old farmer and smiled. “I’ve heard a thing or two about her.”  Gabe averted his gaze instead staring out the front window. But he caught the old man’s reflection in the glass, gazing back at him. The look was hard to decipher.

“Heard she lives at your folks’ place. Don’t
suppose you happen
to know that
either
?”

“Yes, Roy. I’ve been doing some repair work over there.”  Gabe turned to meet the man’s steady gaze, “Like you don’t already know that as well. You happy about that, you ol’ matchmaker?”

“The point is—are you?” Powell retorted, tipping his head to the side, “I know how much you love that place, Gabe.”

His voice turned serious and the age of wisdom shone in the old man’s eyes.

“I hate to see that nice young lady get hurt. Seems she loves that place as much as you. Doesn’t seem as savvy about farm life, though I have to admit she seems determined to make a go of it, don’t you think?”

Gabe swirled the ice in his water glass, studying the cubes, pondering his words. A twinge of guilt attacked him knowing that he’d started out with the idea of sliding in as soon as she left the farm to go back to the city. Those ideas now seemed like the thoughts of a stranger, one angry at the world, bitter at life. Nothing at all like the man who within the past hour pondered long walks and summer nights on a porch swing with the woman in question.

“I won’t hurt her, Roy.” He leveled a serious gaze at the man and saw the approval in his eyes.

Roy chuckled. “Yep. Could be just about the best thing that’s ever happened to you, Son.”  He punched Gabe in the shoulder with a bright smile, “And if you don’t mind me saying so, it’s more than about time.”  He pointed his fork toward Gabe.

Gabe took a swallow of his water, pondering his words, as the waitress arrived with his meal.

“Two sunny’s with piggy strips and browns. Here’s your toast.” She wore a seasoned service type expression as she quickly poured a cup of coffee and sat the pot in front of him. “You two codgers need anything else?”  She grinned, snapping her gum between her teeth.

“Not unless you got diamond rings on the dessert list.” Roy covered his mouth with the back of his hand, purely enjoying teasing Gabe about his newfound interest.

“Eat your dinner, old man.” Gabe shook his head and smiled, but inside his gut was churning with guilt.

* * *

Tess stared at the form letters in each of her hands. She’d read them carefully, and re-read them to be certain that she didn’t miss anything. Betsy sat across the table, her coffee cup sandwiched between her hands.

“How did he do this?” She looked at her friend. “Can this hold up in court?”

Betsy shrugged her shoulder. “It’s so vaguely written that it would take a cracker-jack lawyer to make a case.

“Why Betsy? Why would Jack do something like this?”

“I guess he saw a way to please you. You must realize that Jack cares for you.”

“Betsy, a man who cares for you does not walk over another person’s dreams to get what he wants. I don’t want that kind of man caring about me.”  Tess stood and dropped the letters to the kitchen table.

Pouring herself more coffee, she thought about Gabe. Gabe who had just told her tonight how much he loved this farm. Hadn’t she known it all along? The way he worked tirelessly to repair the barn, clean the chimney? He’d done so many other things too, without even the need of her asking.

A sobering thought occurred to Tess and she stopped, leaning her hands to the countertop. What was in it for him to do all this hard work? It wasn’t like she was paying him a lot; in fact, she had yet to see a bill from him. Even before they allowed their recent feelings to show, Gabe took care of the things around the house and the land as though—

“What if Gabe knows that I worked for this company and he’s been using his time here to try to find out about the eviction notice? What if he’s trying to get back the farm?”

“How could he know where you used to work?”  Betsy tipped her head to the side, looking at her with a sympathetic expression. “Have things become
that
involved, between you two?”

She stared at her friend’s face long enough that Betsy simply nodded. “So, what now?”

Tess lowered herself to the kitchen chair. “Well, the foreclosure was eminent, right?”

Betsy grimaced and nodded. “It sorta looks that way.”

“I may be a dreamer, Betsy, but I may have found something here that I want to believe is real.” She toyed with her cup. “I’d like to wait and see what happens with Gabe and me. I want to see if he is truly interested in
me
or just in getting his farm back.”  Tess sighed, laying her aching head in the crux of her arms. “Am I an idiot?”

“No, but Jack is. Buying off a mortgage like that just to step up an eviction. Good Lord, it could land him and the realtor in jail.” Betsy shook her head and stared at Tess.

“Does Jack suspect you know anything about this?” Tess mumbled.

“No, I made copies of everything and left the originals where I found them in his stack box.”

“Okay, then, if I’m right,” Tess raised her head, “and Gabe does have real feelings for me, then its possible that together we could legally buy the farm. I’m under a rental contract with an option to buy, so that might work.”

Betsy frowned. “And if you’re wrong…granted it’s a long shot, honey, but what then?”

“I’ll move. I couldn’t stand living here, knowing the shady way Gabe was ousted from his home and I’m sure no one around here would appreciate seeing
my
face knowing the company I worked for swindled one of their own.” She rubbed the knot of tension forming in the back of her neck.

“You mind if I stay the night? I flexed my hours for tomorrow. I’ll go in at noon.”  Betsy stood.

“Sure, you can have the first room at the top of the stairs.” Tess leaned her cheek to her hand as she slumped across the table.

“Great, I just need to get my bag. Looks like you could use the sleep yourself.”  Betsy left the kitchen and headed toward the front door.

“Wait.”  Tess ran after her, “I’m sorry that first room is still a mess. You take mine, just to the left at the top of the stairs.”

Betsy eyed her warily then smiled. “Uh, huh. Well, since you’ve piqued my curiosity. You can just march in there and make some popcorn, because I am not going to sleep until I hear this story.”

Tess grinned wiggled her brows, and fanned herself.

“Give me thirty seconds to get my things.”  Betsy raced out the screen door.