Chapter 19: John

Chapter 19 – John

It’s a long, uneventful day by the time we return to the barn. I tell the guests they’d better high tail it to the restaurant so they can eat before it closes. Nora sticks around to help me take care of the horses.

When the horses are all out to pasture, Nora says, “Go. Get cleaned up, and then go find your girlfriend.” She chuckles. “You know you want to.”

“You don’t mind?” There’s still a lot of work to be done—cleaning the tack and putting it away, and later bringing the horses in to their stalls to eat their grain.

“Go,” she says, nodding toward the door.

“Thanks, Nora.”

She shoos me away. “Hey, Burke?”

I pause. “Yes?”

“She’s way too good for you, but you deserve to be happy.”

“Gee, thanks.”

I head out the back door and race up the hill to my cabin. Upstairs, I grab a quick shower and change into jeans and a plaid shirt and go downstairs. I’m grabbing a much-needed drink of water in the kitchen when I hear a knock at my door.

I glance out the peephole and am both surprised and pleased to see Gabrielle standing there holding a tray with two covered plates.

“Hi,” I say as soon as I have the door open. I step back. “Come in.”

She steps inside. “I brought us some dinner. I thought we could eat here in your cabin if you don’t mind.”

I take the heavy tray from her and set it on my dining table. I lift one of the covers to see filet mignon, tiny red potatoes in melted butter, and something that looks like long, skinny broccoli with small tops. “Fancy. Hey, is that supposed to be broccoli?”

She smiles. “No. It’s broccolini, a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan, also known as Chinese kale. Try it.”

I pick one up and take a bite. “Mm. That’s good.”

“They’re roasted with garlic. Everything tastes good when it’s roasted with garlic.”

I return the rest of broccolini to my plate and wipe my hands on a napkin. “My compliments to the chef,” I say as I pull her into my arms.

She laughs. “You haven’t even tried the steak yet.”

“If you had anything to do with it, I know it’ll be good. Where’d you get the meat?”

“Oh, good news. Killian gave me the keys to the spare Jeep today. I went into town to buy groceries from Maggie and the filets from Ed. And speaking of food, I presented my menu to Hannah and Killian this morning. They liked it. They also approved my staffing requests. Killian suggested we have a grand opening when the renovations are complete. They’ll invite everyone in town.”

“Of course, they liked your plans. They’re lucky to have you, Gabrielle. I hope you realize that.” I head for the fridge. “What would you like to drink? I have water, beer, wine, and soft drinks.”

“White or red?”

“Red. Would you like a glass? It’s not anything fancy. I bought it at the gas station in town.”

She nods. “Red wine would be a nice complement to the meal.”

“Coming right up.” I grab a wine glass from the cupboard. “Do you mind if I have a soft drink?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, as we’re having a fancy dinner, I wasn’t sure.”

“You can do whatever you want,” she says.

I grin. “If that’s the case, then let’s skip dinner altogether. I’m hungry, yes, but not necessarily for food.”

She laughs. “I think we can have both. I’m sure you’re starved after a long day’s ride. I think you should eat first.”

My stomach growls, proving her right.

“See? I told you. You slept over at my place last night. If you want, I can sleep over at yours tonight.” She looks almost hesitant, as if she’s not sure what I’ll say. Maybe she thinks she’s being presumptuous—she’s not.

I pull out a chair for her at the table. “I would love that.”

Halfway through dinner, I get an idea. “I have the next two days off. Would you be interested in riding up to Pine Lake with me for an overnight camping trip? Just the two of us. We can pitch a tent and sleep lakeside.”

Her eyes widen momentarily.

I can tell I took her by surprise. “What’s wrong? Is that too much roughing it for you? If you don’t want to—”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just—I’ve never camped before. I don’t know how to do it.”

I smile. “That’s fine. I know what to do.”

“You said ride up. You mean, on horseback?”

“It’s either we ride or we hike. There’s no way to get a vehicle up there—not even a four-wheeler. Our only other option would be to sweet-talk Micah into flying us up there on his chopper.”

She seems to be considering. “I can ride Odin?”

The hopeful expression on her face makes me smile. “Honey, as far as I’m concerned, Odin’s yours, anytime you want him.”

She cuts a small piece of her filet and pops it into her mouth. “Then let’s go camping.” She cuts a tiny potato in half and eats it. “We’ll be sleeping in the wilderness, under the stars where wolves, mountain lions, and bears live. What could possibly go wrong?”

* * *

After dinner, we clear the table and load the dishwasher. I glance out the kitchen window and see that night is falling quickly. “Would you like to sit out on the porch? It’s pretty peaceful this time of the evening.”

“Sure.” She pours herself a second glass of wine, and we go out to sit on the porch swing.

The sun is setting, and the sky is already a dark blue. The insects are out in full force, serenading us with their incessant chatter. The temperature has dropped a good ten degrees in the past hour, and it’s a bit chilly.

When Gabrielle shivers, I draw her close and put my arm across her shoulders.

“You should bring a jacket with you when you’re out in the evening. The temps here in the mountains can drop quickly. Do you want me to grab you a jacket?”

She leans her head against my shoulder. “That’s okay. Your body is radiating heat like a furnace. I’ll be all right.” She pushes off with her foot, setting the swing in motion.

I rub lazy circles on her right arm. She smells good—like vanilla, maybe? Or frosting. “Why do you smell like cupcakes?”

She laughs. “I made cupcakes this afternoon for dessert. I would have brought you one, but they were all gone by the time I packed up our dinners.”

The swing sways gently forward and back, and our feet push in unison on the porch boards to keep it moving.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted this morning,” I say. I figure I might as well get that out there. “I was a real jerk. I worried about it all day.”

“It’s okay. It was just a misunderstanding. Hannah thought I was talking about Chris, when I was really talking about you.” She tilts her face up to look at me. “I have no interest in the sheriff, you know. Just so we’re clear on that.”

A ton of weight lifts off my chest. “I have no interest in him either.”

She laughs, as I hoped she would.

I twirl a length of her hair around my index finger. “I want you to know, I don’t usually react like that. It was a bit of a shock, especially after last night. When I left your bed this morning, I thought there might be something between us.”

“Oh, there’s something,” she says. She links our fingers together, then brings my hand to her mouth to kiss it. “I felt the same way.”

As the last of the evening light begins to fade, we spot a couple of bats swooping overhead.

“It’s kind of late for birds to be out, isn’t it?” she asks.

“Those aren’t birds. They’re bats.”

“Bats!” She bolts upright, shaking the swing. “Are you serious?”

I rub her back. “It’s all right. They won’t hurt you.”

“No, it’s cool.” She leans back against me once more. “I always wanted to see a bat.”

“Oh, right. I guess there aren’t too many bats in the city.”

“I never saw one.”

She relaxes against me again, and her closeness feels so damn good. Part of me is afraid to get my hopes up that somethin’ can come of this. She’s so young and vibrant, not to mention beautiful. I imagine she could have anyone she wanted.

Gabrielle lays her palm on my thigh. “So, what’s the plan? For our camping trip, I mean.”

“We’ll get up and have breakfast. Then I’ll pack us some gear and saddle the horses.”

“What can I do?”

“Maybe pack us some food? Things we can cook easily over a campfire. I can bring a pot for soup, or a skillet. There’s a grill up at the lake, so we could cook burgers.”

She nods. “Burgers sound good. And maybe some chili. Leave the food and drink to me. That’s sort of my thing.”

I shift in the swing to face her. It’s dark now, so the yard is nearly pitch black. The porch light casts a soft glow on Gabrielle, making her look impossibly lovely. I reach out with my left index finger and brush her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. “How is it that you’re sitting here with me planning a camping trip? How did I get so lucky? Why me, Gabrielle?”

She meets my gaze, studying me for a moment. There’s a hint of a sad smile on her face. “You underestimate yourself, John.” She reaches for my left hand.

Out of habit, I try to pull my hand away—not wanting her to touch my rough, damaged skin—but she holds on tight.

“Your scars don’t define you,” she says quietly. “You’re a good man, John. Dependable, strong, honest. And sexy as hell. Did I mention that?”

“Nope, you didn’t. I’m glad to hear you think so. You know all that about me already? In the short amount of time we’ve known each other?”

“I’m a good judge of character.”

“Honey, you don’t need to settle—”

“I’m not settling.” She stands abruptly and takes my hand. “Take me to bed, John Burke. You promised me orgasms—a dozen in fact—and I fully intend to collect.”

I stand. “Yes, ma’am.” One of the things I love about this woman is that she’s direct and speaks her mind. I lean close and kiss her. “Your wish is my command.”