Page 14 of The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

She patted his hand, a spontaneous reaction that she had done lots of times in the past, except now, tingles radiated from the casual contact and she yanked her hand away as if burned.

Gabe didn’t seem to notice and she guessed he was lost in thoughts about his father.

“Do you want something to drink? Iced tea, cold beer—”

“Yes, I want something,” he said in a husky voice that took her breath away.

Her heart skipped again. How had a kiss changed their whole relationship?

“A drink, Gabe. Do you want iced tea, cold beer—”

“You said the magic words—cold beer.”

“Coming right up,” she said as she went into the kitchen.

When she turned from the fridge, she was surprised to see him right in front of her. Her gaze ran over him, reminding her of standing in his embrace while he kissed her. She cleared her throat before she could speak. “Why don’t you get cookies out of the cookie jar on the counter or get some pretzels from the cabinet while I get my juice.” Truthfully, she just wanted to put some distance between them.

He rummaged in a cabinet and got a sack of pretzels while she poured her grape juice over ice.

“Come on and have a quick tour and we’ll sit on the patio and talk. It’s shaded from the sun after three or four and it’s bearable. We have a breeze today.”

He took a sip of beer and set the bottle on the table to follow her into the adjoining living area and he glanced around. He seemed to fill the small room and her gaze ran over him again. “I’m surprised that you like contemporary furniture. I figured you for the fancy, old-fashioned furniture you grew up with.”

“This room is what I prefer, but I have both because Mom gave me my bedroom furniture.”

He smiled. “I know what that looks like then. The big four-poster mahogany bed,” he said walking around the living room and looking through an open door. “I’m right. There it is,” he said. “Hey...” He disappeared through the door into a narrow hallway and she followed, curious why he went to look at something.

The minute she stepped into her room, she regretted not checking things over before she offered a tour. Gabe crossed the room to the bed and picked up the little brown teddy bear he had given her so many years ago.

He turned to look at her. “Is my memory right? Why have you hung on to this all these years? Or is it out here for Justin’s benefit?”

“No, it is not for Justin’s benefit, because Justin doesn’t get invited into this room. I just thought I might need it so I got it out of the closet.”

Gabe laughed and tossed it back on the bed. He crossed the room to her to put his hands on her shoulders again and his blue eyes twinkled with devilment. “So Justin has never gotten into your bedroom, but he expects to marry you? I’ve forgotten how old-fashioned you can be. Justin is probably being and doing whatever you want to get a ring on your finger.”

“I told you that we’re both being pushed by our families.”

Gabe laughed and shook his head. “I’m ready to sit and drink my beer. I’ve seen enough to indicate that I know my way around the place.” He started out of the room and she walked with him, stepping through the door ahead of him.

“I forget that sometimes you can be annoying.”

“But you still love me, don’t you? You even still want to be engaged to me,” he said, laughing as he teased her. “You need me, so you can’t really get mad at me,” he said, draping his arm casually across her shoulders. Only his touch wasn’t casual to her. She had a prickly awareness of him and a sudden vivid recollection of his kiss.

As if he knew her thoughts, he turned her to face him. “We could have a lot more fun if we spend our time kissing.”

“Will you stop?” she said. “We don’t have an audience, therefore there is no point in kissing.”

“Au contraire, my darlin’,” he said. He laughed and threw up his hands, walking away. “I can see my teasing is getting to you. We’ll go sit, make plans while I drink my beer and then I’ll go home.”

“That’s better.”

Holding his beer and the pretzels in one hand, he draped his arm around her shoulders. “This is great, to renew our friendship. I’d forgotten how much I liked having you for a friend. And now that we’re kissin’ friends, I really like having you for a friend.” They stepped out on her shaded patio and he held a black metal chair for her. After she sat, he pulled a chair beside her, sat and propped his booted feet on a low iron table in front of him. “So you’ll tell Justin goodbye tonight and Saturday night you’ll go out with me. Right?”

“Correct. Tonight I expect to break it off with him for good.”

“Should I gulp down my beer and go? Am I keeping you from getting ready?”

“Heavens, no. It’s only four in the afternoon and I don’t see him until eight.”

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