Chapter 17

Gabriel

Hudson pats me on the shoulder when he returns and I turn to look at him. Travis is following behind but got accosted by a couple of locals on the short walk through the bar. Everyone wants to meet the new sheriff.

“Just met that cute nanny of yours.” He whistles low. “No wonder you’re whistling while you work these days. I would be too. She’s cute.”

Gray chuckles into his bourbon. “A woman like that is bound to do that to you.”

Thank fuck they can’t read minds. If they knew what I really thought about my hot nanny — or the vivid dream I had — they’d be giving me shit about it all night.

“I don’t know about whistling while I work, but she’s great with Trinity, and she’s happy. That’s gotta be a good start.”

“Can you get out of dad mode for five seconds?” Hudson points a finger at me.

“It’s a little hard to do that,” I sigh. “You two might live lives of complete freedom, but not all of us do.”

“Do you like the woman or not?” he presses. “Because if you don’t…”

I bristle at his words, jealousy running through me. “Since when did this turn into an inquisition about me?” I balk.

“Just answer the question,” Gray says. “Should be simple enough to do, even for you.”

My eyes narrow at him. I told him the other day I thought she was cute, so he’s now ganging up with Hudson, purely just to spite me. “I have eyes, so of course I’ve noticed. And if I didn’t like her, she wouldn’t be working for me.”

“Ask her on a fucking date,” Hudson mutters just before Travis walks up with his beer.

“Ask who on a fucking date?” He gives me a chin lift.

I can’t exactly tell him the truth. “Someone I can’t have — it’s complicated.” Fuck. Why did I say that?

Gray and Huds try to contain their amusement, but barely.

“Isn’t it about time you jumped back on the horse?” Trav goes on, oblivious.

This is kinda awkward when I’m picturing his sister. “Don’t you start. If you want to dig the knife in, start with Hudson.” I glance over toward him. “He’s been dateless for quite some time now. We’re all a little concerned.”

“Just waitin’ for the right one, boys. Had a lot of wrong ones, believe me. It ain’t what it’s cracked up to be. Broads are trouble with a capital T.”

“The right one.” Gray’s shoulders shake with laughter. “One day I might believe it; when I see it with my own eyes.”

“Hey, it shouldn’t come as a surprise,” he says. “I told you this not so long ago, and it’s not like I’m gettin’ any younger.”

“I thought you were joking!” Gray balks. “I seriously misjudged you, my friend.”

Hudson has been known to have had extensive experience in one-night stands, just as bad as me in the couple of years after my wife destroyed my life. All of that’s behind me now, but I can’t say I was an angel.

“I heard Dolly Simpson is on the prowl.” Travis coughs into his hand.

She’s the local beautification in town who’s a little bit of a man-eater, in the nicest possible way.

“Been there, done that,” Huds sighs. “I’m talking about a good, sweet, southern girl who knows how to stand on her own two feet, doesn’t talk back too much, and is willing to put up with my array of shit; the days vary.”

Us guys all laugh. “Yeah? And how’s that going for you?” I shake my head.

“No takers, but your sister is always spinning her woo-woo shit about one door closing and another opening. She tried to cleanse me with a rose quartz earlier; said I had bad juju and I could do with a chakra realignment.”

We all burst out laughing. “She gets it from our mother.” Gray wipes a tear from his eye. “The Bassett women are horribly superstitious, too. Rumor has it our great-grandmother could hex people.”

Something about what he said about a good southern woman has me backing up as I blurt out, “And what’s wrong with Georgia-Blue?”

He turns to look at me. “What?”

“She’s a good southern woman who can stand on her own two feet. Then again, she does talk back, and I doubt she’d put up with any of your shit — my bad, forget I said anything.” I take a pull of my beer, trying not to laugh.

“GB?” Huds and Gray say at the same time.

They both look at each other. “I’m just sayin’ she’s on some pilgrimage to find the right guy. She’s gonna end up a spinster if she keeps fixing everyone else up.”

“Wait, I thought you two hated each other?” Gray quirks a brow at his friend.

“We don’t hate each other. We just often have a big difference of opinions most of the time.” Hudson shrugs.

Gray shakes his head. “I can’t see it, Gabe. Have you been into the Moonshine again, brother?” He looks over at me, chuckling.

I grin. “They say opposites attract?”

Hudson sputters his beer as Gray pats him on the back. “I’m sorry, but your little sister is way too opinionated and way too outspoken,” he says, wiping his mouth. “We’d be clashing on the color of orange juice. The woman would be over with her smudge stick the first chance she got. I don’t have time for that kinda shit.”

“Hey, don’t knock the smudge stick,” Trav puts in. “I could do with some cleansing down at the station.”

I pat him on the back. “I feel for ya.”

He chuckles.

“I love my sister,” Gray goes on. “But if you could get through one date with her without the two of you trying to strangle one another, I’d pay to see it.”

Gray is just as protective of our sister as I am, but he trusts Hudson. Personally, I think they’d be a great match, if they could get over their differences. Gray jokes, but I’m pretty sure he’d snap his legs if he tried anything.

Hudson shakes it off. “It’s not like that.”

“Glad to hear it.” Gray takes a sip of his drink as their eyes meet.

“What’s wrong with me, anyway?” Hudson goes on. “I’m not good enough for Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes Bluebelle who rides my ass any chance she gets.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you specifically,” Gray explains. “I’ve just never considered my best friend and my little sister until this very moment. Like I say, you’d need a set of earplugs and a good resting bitch face; one you’ve pretty much mastered over the years.”

“Thanks a lot.” He quirks a brow.

“I don’t know, I think Huds would be a great guy for GB; he’s strong, dependable, he can fix shit,” I say. “We know Georgia can’t even hang a picture frame without injuring herself.”

The guys chuckle.

Huds gives me a pointed look. “That’s fantastic. Any more bright ideas that are never gonna happen, sparky?”

“Can we please shut up about Georgia-Blue? I didn’t come here to discuss my best friend and my baby sister hooking up,” Gray mutters. “I came here to have a drink with my buddies.”

I feel a little warmth in my chest that Gray would include me in the word buddies. It wasn’t so long ago we practically had our hands around each other’s necks.

The jukebox fires up, drowning out any more small talk. I heard its karaoke tonight and I groan internally, knowing our sister will be up there with the microphone. She has zero inhibitions, but she isn’t a bad singer.

Riding the Moose doesn’t kick off until after nine. Hudson will be up there if anyone even comes close to beating his record.

Out of my periphery, I see a flash of red and turn to look over at the bar where I see Skye with my sister and Celeste. I frown a whole lot more when some guys move over to them and start talking. I watch as Trudy walks in, joining them as she hugs the girls and the guys loiter. I don’t know any of them, so they must be from out of town.

Skye looks beautiful, as always; her curls bobbing around her shoulders and her lacey black top outlining her profile beautifully. She’s pretty slight, but has some curves in all the right places.

I look away because I don’t want to get caught staring, and I don’t need to converse with her. We’re both here on our own time. What she does with her friends is none of my business.

It doesn’t take long before Georgia and Celeste get up to dance, leaving Skye, Trudy and the guys who have plucked up the courage to talk to them.

I feel a surge of jealousy as Skye looks around, disinterested in the douchebag trying to engage with her. I watch curiously as he leans in and whispers something in her ear.

She immediately shakes her head adamantly.

Anger boils my blood, and it tips me over the edge, my hand squeezing my glass so hard it may shatter.

Then he slides his arm around her as she tries to shrug him off. I see Trudy saying something to the other guy as he tries to pull his friend away.

“Back in a moment,” I say to the guys. I place my beer on the bar and walk briskly over to where the girls are sitting.

I’m right behind them when I hear the guy calling out as his friend pulls him back. He’s clearly intoxicated. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that, you’re a sweet little thing…” He slides a hand around her waist.

I tap him on the shoulder, and he barely turns his head before I have a chance to think it through. I just swing, punching him in the face.

“Fuck!” he yells, covering his nose with his hands. “You asshole!”

I hear Skye squeal as she covers her mouth with her hands. Trudy does the same. They both stare at me in shock.

“Nope, you’re the asshole. Now beat it before I get the rest of my friends over here.”

The friend steers him away as he clutches his face; his nose is bleeding.

I used to be known as the town brawler, but I lost the title years ago. Nothing sets me off like a man not getting the message when it’s spelled out loud and clear. Drunk or not, he deserved it.

“I didn’t know she was yours, man,” he whines from behind his hand.

“She said no, that should be enough for you. Now get out of here!” I bark.

They both scurry away and out of the bar. People around us are staring, but I don’t give a fuck. I glance across the bar and see Gray looking over at me, trying to work out what’s going on. He must’ve missed the punch because he’d be over here like a shot. He pushes off the bar and heads over here with the other guys. Great.

My eyes flick back to Skye’s. Beautiful deep emeralds are staring back at me, still in shock.

“Are you girls okay?” I ask both of them.

Trudy nods. “That was unpleasant, and I just got here!”

Skye looks a little shaken up and I don’t know if it’s from the guy bothering her or the punch.

“We were handling it,” she says, a little breathless.

I shake my head. “He touched you. You said no. End of story.”

Her eyes go round. “You punched him.”

“Again, he was bothering you when you said no. He deserved it.”

Trudy is staring at me with some new sense of appreciation and awe. “That was amazing, Gabe.”

“Thank you, Trudes. That goes to you too; about anyone bothering either of you.”

“You would have punched a guy for me as well?”

“Of course I would.” She’s my cousin, for heaven’s sake.

“You know, I appreciate it, but I can handle things myself, Gabriel. I’ve been doing it long enough,” Skye says, and it makes me wonder if she’s ever had a guy stand up for her. It’s not like I meant to. I just acted on instinct. My eyes flick down to her gorgeous lips, which she’s gone and painted red; bringing out the color of her hair and green eyes even more. “But thank you.”

“That’s how we do things around here. Right Trudy?”

“Yes, sir,” she laughs.

“What the fuck is going on?” Gray says as he gets closer. “Did you just punch a dude?”

“Some douchebag touched Skye when she told him no. I had to intervene.”

“He was being a creep,” Skye says, looking a little shaken.

“He’s drunk, not that that’s any excuse.” I scowl, wondering if I should go chase him down. Damn asshole.

Callan appears, giving us a wave as he heads toward where Georgia and Celeste are dancing.

“I’m gonna go show Blue belle my boot scootin’ skills,” Hudson chuckles. “See how long it takes before I get a punch in the face.”

Everyone laughs. At least that lightens the mood somewhat. Gray excuses himself to the bathroom.

I feel Skye’s eyes on me as she takes a sip of her wine.

“Can I get you a refill?” I ask her, bending toward her ear so she can hear me over the music.

“Thank you, that would be lovely.”

I nod, waving a hand to get the bartender’s attention. “Trudes?” I look at her, empty-handed. The poor girl didn’t even get a chance to order a drink before those two perverts accosted them.

“A shandy please.” She turns and starts talking to another girl who’s sitting on the other side of her that she knows.

“Coming up.” I fish my wallet out of my back pocket and order the girls drinks. I wore black pants tonight, and a button-down long sleeve charcoal shirt. It’s as casual as I can go, especially with no tie.

“That was very gallant of you,” Skye says while she waits for her drink. “A little shocking, maybe. I guess I’m just not used to all this ‘southern hospitality’.”

“I just didn’t like the guy bothering you.” I don’t care how that might sound. “He needs to learn to keep his hands to himself.”

“That’s kinda sweet,” she says, pressing her lips together. “Country guys are very… different.”

My heart thuds a little at hearing those words, even though I don’t know what she means about country guys. Don’t all guys stick up for a woman in distress?

She thinks it’s sweet, at least that’s something.

I get a waft of her sweet perfume, soft like peonies through a Tennessee summer, and it goes straight to my dick. Great. Here we go again.

“So, how did the last few days go? Sorry, I wasn’t there yesterday; I had to get to work early.” I had to avoid you all day because I had an erotic dream about you on top of me screaming my name.

“No problem. I know duty calls. And it was great. I’m loving it and spending time with Trinity. She’s gorgeous, a real sweetheart, and bright too.” My heart warms at her words.

I texted her after she’d gone home to check all was well with her day, even though Geraldine already told me it went perfectly.

“She’ll keep you on your toes.” I smirk.

“Oh yes, I can see she has that cheeky personality. They’re so adorable at that age.”

“It’s nice to see you out and about.” Why do I say that? I’ve had half a beer and I’m already talking smack.

“Well, what choice did I have? They have karaoke and a moose you can ride for free.”

I chuckle. “We have to keep ourselves amused somehow in a small place.”

Our eyes meet and I’m pretty fucking sure I see something in her eyes other than amusement.

Is it possible she’s feeling the same way as me?

She clears her throat. “I can imagine. But I just wanted to say that I think you’ve done a great job with your daughter. You’re very dedicated and she’s a happy little girl.”

Her words hit me in the chest with far more meaning than she even realizes. “Thank you. I appreciate that. She’s with her grandparents tonight; her and Bunnykins are having a sleepover.”

She smiles. “That’s so cute.”

“Handy, when my parents live across the field.”

“Well, you have to have one night off, boss. Do you dance?”

Boss? Fucking hell. Why do I love the way that sounds rolling off her tongue?

If only she knew what those words do to me.

I might be hard-hitting, and a grump most of the time, but she has no idea that I’m a tender man between the sheets. I’m all about pleasing. There’s nothing I won’t do to please a woman. Nothing.

“Well, I have two left feet, so that would be a no,” I inform her.

“I can’t imagine you being bad at anything, Gabriel.”

“Call me, Gabe,” I say without even thinking. “I mean, if you want to.”

She smiles as the fresh drinks make their way over. “Cheers to that, Gabe.” She holds her glass up toward me.

“Cheers.” We clink glasses and take a sip, my eyes never leaving hers.

She’s a vision, and I’ve no idea what I’m going to do about the crush I have on my fucking nanny.