Page 8 of An Alaskan Twin Surprise (Home to Owl Creek 2)

“And I’ll whip up that chocolate shake for you,” she said with a wink.

Rachel let out a sigh of relief as she sat down at the counter and waited for her mother’s treat. She was happy she’d taken the leap of faith and come to the Snowy Owl diner today. It hadn’t been easy to face Piper, but in order to walk a righteous path she knew she would confront obstacles and awkward situations. She’d done enough running.

Her mother’s illness brought everything into perspective. She had to live each day to the fullest and seek out the forgiveness she knew she might not deserve, but that she truly wanted in order to move forward in her life. Tomorrow wasn’t promised. She needed to make things right with everyone she’d harmed. And Gabriel was at the top of her list.

* * *

“Why don’t you just go over there?” Connor asked, looking across the table at Gabriel. “You can’t seem to stop staring at them.” He took a big bite of his bison burger and let out a satisfied sound.

“And you’re wasting a perfectly good salmon melt and cheddar fries,” Hank said, nodding in the direction of Gabriel’s plate. “I never thought I’d see the day when you didn’t scarf down your lunch.”

“Well, I’m not the only one looking,” Gabriel muttered. “Everyone in here is gawking at them as if their lives depended on it. Their conversation will probably be detailed in the Owl Creek Gazette word for word.”

“It’s not your place to worry about it. Don’t let Rachel’s return drag you under,” Hank warned. “Connor and I both remember how gutted you were after she left you. There were days when it was hard for you to get out of bed.”

Gabriel knew he was probably blaming the messengers, but he was feeling a bit annoyed at his best friends and their all-knowing comments. Did Hank actually think he had forgotten the agony he’d endured at the hands of his ex-fiancée? To this day Gabriel still had nightmares where he was standing at an altar in an empty church looking around for his missing bride-to-be. When he least expected it, Gabriel always came across some old memento from their time together. Ticket stubs. A photograph. A birthday card with her sweet words and signature inside. He hadn’t forgotten a single thing, even though he wished he could.

He gritted his teeth and slowly counted to ten in his head. “I’m not likely to forget what she put me through, Hank, and I have no intention of allowing myself to get swept up by Rachel’s beauty and charm. Been there, done that.”

“Well, it looks like they’re friends again,” Connor said matter-of-factly. “Raised voices. Hugs. Laughter. A few tears. And all is forgiven.”

“It’s not that simple,” Gabriel gritted out. “Even if your head urges you to forgive someone, your heart might have a hard time doing so.” He reached into his pocket and slapped some bills down on the table. “I’m going to head home. I’ve lost my appetite. See you guys later.”

Gabriel got up from the table and walked away. He knew his mood was all over the place, so there was really no point in putting on a smile and pretending as if his head wasn’t about to explode. He’d done that for way too long now and it hadn’t done anything to help him heal. Although he heard his buddies calling his name, he simply raised a hand in farewell and kept moving toward the exit.

He headed outside and zipped up his parka, bracing himself for a blast of cold air. The temperature today was a frigid sixteen degrees. As he made his way to his car, Gabriel caught a glimpse of Rachel walking ahead of him. He knew it was her, due to the bright pink coat she was wearing along with a matching hat. It had always been her favorite color, and clearly that hadn’t changed.

He really couldn’t win today. Despite his best intentions to stay far away from his ex-fiancée, Rachel seemed to be everywhere.

At the moment Rachel was juggling a drink in her hand and searching inside her purse, presumably for her car keys. She was clearly struggling and leaning her hip against the truck for balance. Force of habit caused him to make a beeline to her side in order to help her out. He hadn’t even realized she’d left the diner and now he was rushing to her rescue as if he was Sir Galahad. Was this how it was going to be for the duration of her stay in Owl Creek? Would it be impossible for him to steer clear of her?

“Need some help there?” he asked when he was within a few feet of her.

Rachel swung her gaze up, a look of relief sweeping across her face as she laid eyes on him. “Thanks. I’m about to drop this milkshake, which would be a real shame for Mama. Can you grab it?” Gabriel stepped in and rescued the drink before it slid from her hand. Rachel then dug into her purse and held the keys up with a triumphant cry.

“How did it go with Piper? I couldn’t help but notice the two of you seemed to have patched things up by the end of your talk.” Maybe he was prying, but their conversation had been on full display for all of the diner’s customers. It wasn’t exactly a state secret.

Rachel gifted him with a sweet smile that lit up her entire face. “It’s going to take some time to get back to where we used to be, but I really think we can move forward. Piper’s heart is as wide as Kachemak Bay. It always has been.” She shook her head ruefully. “I feel very blessed.”

He could see a major difference in her demeanor between earlier and right now. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her chest by making peace with Piper. Gabriel wasn’t certain why he still cared about Rachel’s happiness, but it meant something to him to see her so pleased.

A burst of anger rose up inside him. Why was he being so kind to the woman who had kicked his heart around like a football? He needed to listen to Hank’s warnings about getting tangled up again in Rachel’s web. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to let her know where things stood between them. For now and for always. Maybe if he set her straight, he wouldn’t feel so unsettled around her.

“I wanted to tell you I’m going to be hanging out at your mom’s place a lot in the next few weeks. I’m doing some work on a home-improvement project she asked me to help her with a few months ago,” he explained. “I agreed to help out before I knew you were going to be here.”

Rachel’s brows were furrowed as she looked at him. “Okay. And? I’m not sure why you’re telling me this. Are you going to be making a lot of noise or something?”

“Hopefully not, although I’ll definitely keep it to a minimum so I won’t disturb your kids.” He shifted from one foot to the other, trying to find the words to make sure the lines between them were established. “I didn’t want you to think I was coming around to see you, because that’s not the case. I made a promise to Helene and I plan to fulfill it. That’s it, plain and simple,” he explained in a curt voice.

Perhaps he was imagining it, but the color of Rachel’s eyes seemed to deepen as he spoke, going from a russet to a mahogany. It was a sure sign he’d angered her. He couldn’t help but notice her jaw tightly clenching.

“Gabriel, I have no illusions about the two of us. My main focus in my life these days is my children. And seeing Mama through her illness. My plate is really full at the moment.” She reached out and took the milkshake from his

hands. “We ended a long time ago. I think it’s safe to say we both know there’s nothing between us but the past.” She ran a shaky hand through her long mane of hair. “I really should get going. I need to run to the pharmacy before I head back home. I’ve been away too long already.”

She turned back toward her truck and got behind the wheel. He stood by and watched as she revved the engine and roared off toward the other end of Main Street. There was no disputing the fact that he’d ruffled her feathers.

He should feel better for having set things straight with Rachel. But he didn’t. There was still an ache in his soul the size of Alaska. She’d made him feel rather foolish for his comments, as if he thought her world revolved around him. But Gabriel had no delusions about Rachel’s feelings. She had made it abundantly clear she had no use for him when she’d hightailed it out of town rather than spend a lifetime with him.

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