Page 20 of Protected By the Mountain Man

“Good?” he asked, his voice rough, pretending his gaze hadn't lingered a second too long.

“Better than good,” I replied, trying to sound casual.

We ate mostly without talking, the silence comfortable enough, punctuated by the sounds of the ranch—the distant whinnying of horses, the lowing of cattle in the field, the rustle of leaves in the wind. It gave me time to think, to replay the day's events, how Gabe had shown up out of nowhere, helped with Shadow, and now…now what?

Gabe was sitting and chatting with Livy, shooting the shit like they were the best of friends. He ate while listening to her talk about school…and she told him things she hadn’t even told me. She talked about art class, about how she was getting really good at drawing, how her teachers were supporting her.

I felt, once again, like I’d failed her. But now…it felt like I was doing something right just by letting Gabe sit here on the porch.

“Alright, I better hit the road before it gets any later,” Gabe finally said, pushing off the stairs.

“Wait,” I heard myself say before my brain caught up with my mouth. “It's late, and those roads are treacherous at night. You should stay.”

He hesitated, his brow furrowing slightly as he considered my offer. “I don't want to impose?—”

“You're not imposing. It's been a long day, and you helped a lot with Shadow. Stay.”

Livy looked at me, then back at Gabe. She could sense something was up. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to share just yet.

“Okay,” he agreed. “If you're sure.”

“Take a shower first,” I gestured vaguely towards the house. “You'll feel better.”

“Thanks, Kat.” He paused and then added, “Where should I bunk down for the night?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, suddenly aware of the intimacy of the situation. “Well,” I started, feeling the heat creeping up my neck, “I've been crashing in my old bedroom, so you can have the master. Ben's…there are some clothes in there that should fit you.”

Gabe glanced over at Livy, who was still munching contentedly on the remaining cookies. She was playing coy, but I could tell she was listening. She always was. “That alright with you, Liv?” he asked gently.

“Sure, go ahead.” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Okay then,” he said. “Thanks again, Kat.”

After Gabe disappeared into the house, I turned to Livy, my heart thumping. “You okay with him staying over?”

Yeah, I like Gabe,” she said simply.

“Good.” I nodded, trying to ignore the confusing tangle of emotions inside me. “I'm gonna go shower.”

“About time,” Livy teased, scrunching her nose. “You stink.”

“Hey!” I pretended to be offended, but the laughter bubbled out of me, light and easy.

It felt good to laugh after everything that had happened.

A few minutes later I was alone at last, the doors locked and everyone safely ensconced inside the house. I shut the bathroom door behind me and leaned against it for a moment. The house was quiet except for the distant sound of water running in the master bath. I twisted the shower knob, listening as the pipes groaned to life and water began to cascade down.

Gabe was right on the other side of the wall.

I peeled off my filthy clothes, dropping them into a heap on the floor, and stepped into the steam-filled shower. As hot water sluiced over my body, washing away the grime and sweat, I caught myself wondering about Gabe. He'd just turned off the water in the master bath.

Suddenly, an image flashed unbidden into my mind; Gabe, stepping out of the shower, droplets of water trailing down his skin, muscles flexing…

I shook my head, trying to dispel the image. The sensation of finally getting clean was almost a physical relief, and I couldn't help but moan softly. But that sound triggered another memory—the hunger in Gabe's eyes as he watched me devour that burger.

“Stop it,” I murmured to myself.

But I didn't stop.

---