Page 26 of Gabriel & Skye

“I’m excited, but a little apprehensive, too.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. We’re all so proud of you, you know that, right?”

“Gran! Are you going and getting all sappy on me?”

“Yes. Someone has to!” She wipes her eyes with a tissue and I squeeze her to my side.

I love my grandparents so much. Travis and I are both so lucky to have had a happy and loving upbringing.

I cast my eyes over to the Bassett stall in the distance, and it’s then that I see Gabe. He’s pulling a trolley along and another guy in a cowboy hat. That has to be Brooklyn. Travis gave me a rundown, and it’s not like you can’t miss a cowboy.

I smile to myself.

I can’t wait for Monday to come around.

What Gabriel doesn’t know for now won’t hurt him.

* * *

The bake sale goes very well. We’re all cleaned out of produce within two hours.

Trinity and Blake came over for some rocky road before we sold out. And a part of me wished Gabriel had come over too but they looked pretty busy like everyone else.

The vibe around the town square is epic.

I’ve never felt this close to a community before. While I take part in some events back home, none of them have the close community feeling that this does.

It adds that bit of sparkle that seems to be lacking these days.

“I think the kids are going to be happy with the proceeds this year,” Gramps says when we’re packing everything away again.

I heard Georgia-Blue is on the town committee, so I figure we’ll hand in our proceeds to her directly.

“This has been so much fun,” I say to Gran. I love the fact that we’re spending some quality time together. And now that Travis is here for good, he can keep his eye on them both.

“It always is,” Gran agrees.

“And you do this every year?”

“Without fail.”

“It’s so nice the community gets together like this to help the kids.”

“I think so too. And it all goes to such a wonderful cause.”

“Trinity Bassett seems lovely.” She knows I’ve got an interview lined up for Monday in case things don’t go as planned at the cafe.

“She is just divine,” Gran says. “They’ve been through so much too, the pair of them.”

“Oh?”

Gran lowers her tone. “Gabriel’s wife left them both early on. Trinity was just a baby. That poor man had to raise that child all by himself.”

“Oh, my God.” To say I’m shocked to hear that is no understatement. “I can’t believe it.”

“She’s some high-flying surgeon over in Seattle now.”

I swallow hard. “She left them?”

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