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“Very funny.”
“This is Hilary Fluff. And over there are Fried and Nuggets.”
“That’s terrible.”
I giggled. “Well, not really, since that’s not actually their destiny. Speaking of Destiny, I can’t find Beyhence or Eggy Rowland.”
“No Michelle?”
“Who’s Michelle?”
“Exactly. No one remembers Michelle.”
Grinning that he got the joke, I turned back to the coop. “Girls? Girls?” They were roosting at the very back of the coop and looked like they had no plans to come out. “Nope, sorry, you’ll have to meet them another day. They’re too comfy in there.”
“No problem.”
“Well, I guess it’s time to get busy.” He quirked his brow at me and I realized how that must have sounded. I blushed. In the bright spring sunshine, so there was absolutely no way to hide it from him. “I meant busy planning. The garden stuff. Work stuff. The reason we’re, you know, here.”
“Yes. So… You want the coop moved over there and more fruit trees to go in here, right?”
“Yes.”
Moving into the shade of a maple tree near the coop, he started making notes on his tablet. I stayed quiet, trying not to ogle him and spectacularly failing.
“How much do you think your mom would love some flower beds?”
“Um, a lot. Why?”
“It would be easy enough to set up. There are lots of flowers that require very little water but still look gorgeous. And there are irrigation systems and timers and all kinds of options for automation and stuff like that. It wouldn’t be too much of an issue.”
“Could you draw up a rough plan and I can talk to my dad about it? Maybe we could even surprise Mom. I know he’d get a kick out of that.”
He smiled and I felt my stomach do a backflip. “Sure.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve got some things to check over, for other plans your dad is considering. Do you mind if I have a wander?”
“No, that’s fine.”
He spent the next half hour wandering around, a look of concentration on his face. He was so engrossed in his work that I almost thought he’d forgotten I was there, until he said, without looking at me, “Two more minutes and we’re done, okay?”
“Okay.” As I sat on the top step of the back porch, I tried my best not to think too much of everything Gabe had told me about his family. I was already so strongly attracted to him physically, that it was hard enough to keep him at arm’s length. I couldn’t afford to start feeling other, deeper feelings for him. No. No way. I needed to rally my defences, put him firmly back behind the wall I’d carefully built around myself, because I knew for damn sure I wasn’t strong enough to let him all the way in.
CHAPTER8
Gabe
Idid the same thing as we drove away from the farm as I’d done on the way in – studiously avoided looking at Ally’s legs. It took a superhuman effort because they looked amazing in that short skirt and cute, sexy flats. But she’d caught me looking and I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing how desperate I was to touch her again. She’d said it was a one-time thing and I’d agreed, so if she’d changed her mind and wanted another round, she’d have to come to me. I certainly wouldn’t turn her down, though.
It was a short drive into Dover and in no time, we were knocking on the door of a comfortable, red brick home on a quiet street. A tall woman with light blond hair and friendly brown eyes opened it. “Gabe and Ally, right?”
“That’s us.”
“Great. I’m Fiona. Thanks so much for coming by. I’ve got so much baby stuff, the house is about to explode. Come on in.” We followed her in, through a neat living room where a baby was lying on the floor in a playpen, batting at some hanging toys above his head. “That’s Thomas. Say hello, Thomas!”
“He’s a cutie.”
