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Picking out an outfit for a fancy dinner had been worse than being pinned down behind enemy lines—or talking about family. She’d told Selena a story of one time Clare and Kara had been at a bar in Hawaii and Selena had laughed herself silly over her mother’s antics.
And then she’d laughed even more at the idea Clare started the whole thing.
Her mother’s actions were the most confusing part of the last few weeks. Instead of going back to Seattle, her mother had signed contracts on a house in the hills outside Benson and declared she was moving back to town.
The whole thing was bizarre—more than Gage’s nervousness right now.
She frowned at him. “What’s up?”
“Talked to my dad today.”
“Okay.”
Gage had been working long shifts this last week, taking care of a gang case that turned into hostages and the whole thing had been a mess. He waded in and settled tense situations like it was nothing. But ask the man to watch rice while it cooked? You’d think she asked him to hijack a container ship.
He pulled off the road into a wide driveway.
“You know the person who lives here?” She’d helped him clean out his mom’s house, and Gage had put it up for sale. Maybe he used the money to buy this place. He had a condo, but maybe he wanted space.
“This is the McCauley family home.”
“Oh. Is this where we’re having dinner?”
Clare had met Alistair once, when they visited his home at the retirement center. He seemed like a nice guy who genuinely cared about his son, and who wanted to make up for the wrong he’d done. Gage’s mother was the one who’d shut Alistair out of his life, not allowing him to give Gage anything. He’d been denied access to his son.
“Dad talked to Dennis and Jeanie. He’s giving me the house. He says I can do whatever I want with it, sell it or live here.” Gage turned off the car but didn’t get out. “Start a family here.”
Clare felt her brows rise.
“Let’s go inside.” He grabbed some keys and got out.
She followed him to the front door, and he let her in. “Your half-brother and sister don’t want the house?”
“Apparently they agreed with him. Alistair paid for their college, but he was denied helping me out. Or having a relationship with me. He wants to do this, and they think it’s a great idea, apparently.”
Clare looked around the entryway. “It’s a nice house.”In a nice neighborhood. Not terribly snooty like the one she’d grown up in, but not rundown.
“Fancy but not so fancy it’s pretentious.” Gage made a face.
“Like my house when I was growing up?” She waited a beat. “Because itwasridiculous. Mom is now buying a far-too-big, far-too-fancy place in the mountains so she can call it ‘the cottage.’ Like it’s quaint.”
He chuckled. “Right.”
Gage set his hand on the small of her back. He led her into a wide living room with no furniture. Just a big open space with gorgeous wood floors. The kind of place where she could imagine kids running around and big family meals on a long table with everyone talking and passing dishes. The kind of upbringing she and Gage hadn’t had.
“What do you say?” He grinned.
She turned to look at him. “About what?”
“Starting a family.” He dug in his pocket and produced a ring. Gold, with a huge diamond. “Apparently this was your grandmother’s, and it’s a family heirloom. Your motherinsisted.” He shrugged. “I figure if you don’t want to wear it all the time, I can get you something more everyday wearable, and you can do whatever you want.”
Clare studied him. “And what do you want?”
“You.” Gage waited a beat, then said, “It’s always been you.”
She had to agree with that. “Same.”
He smiled and tugged her close, the ring in his hand now behind her back. “I’ve always loved you.”
