In Too Deep (6 page)

“Leave that to me and Tommy. You talk to her. She’s family now—whether she’s married you or not. He’s our kin.”

Gabe nodded, relief spilling through him. He groaned. “She’s probably mad as hell at me right now. Soon as she told me, I got up and ran. Had to get away. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t shake her.”

“Get a grip. You talk to her.”

After he ended the call, Gabe sat in his room thinking about his life. About what could have been. Regret piled on top of regret. He took a shower and dressed. All the while running through everything he might say to a woman who couldn’t have had it easy raising a boy on her own. Who might resent him if he waded in and tried to take over.

He listed in his mind all his arguments. He was the boy’s dad, and a child needed a father. He was wealthy, from a stable, respected family. Lena’s child would never want for a thing and stood to inherit a lot. She’d be a fool to deny him his place at the Triple Horn.

And then there was their relationship. Sure, they’d made missteps along the way. She’d withheld something so important most men would find it hard to forgive, but he was willing to overlook her sin of omission. He’d lied to her in order to seduce her, but only because he’d been in denial over the fact that he’d always yearned for her.

Fact was, he’d held other women up against her and never felt the spark. Not until he’d been intimate with her again, held her so close there was no hiding the truth, not even from himself, had he realized. She was his one and only. Same way Colt had never been able to love another woman. Neither had he.

Sure, they’d been kids. But for two weeks in one golden summer, he’d become a man. She’d left an indelible stamp upon his soul. He’d left behind living proof that their brief affair was meant to be so much more.

Feeling more sure of himself, more determined not to let her push him away or deny everything he offered, he set out to convince Lena Twohig to become his wife.

Chapter Five

Lena served dinner with a brittle smile and an eye for the entrance of the dining room, dreading the moment Gabe joined them. She’d had time to think about how he’d reacted, time to pile regrets on her shoulders for the fact she’d succumbed to temptation, and then spilled her guts in a stupid moment of weakness.

“Just plain stupid, that’s what I am,” she whispered to herself. What had she expected? That he’d sweep her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay? That he’d forgive her for never seeking him out?

Now, she worried about what he might do. The Triplehorns weren’t unknown in these parts. They owned a major spread in the big state of Texas. They could buy better lawyers, come after her and Jake with all guns blazing. And just maybe, they’d win.

“Dessert’s on the buffet table,” Kayla said, coming to her side. “Gonna eat?”

Lena wiped her sweaty hands on her apron, glanced around the tables filled with families eating meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits straight from her oven. “I couldn’t swallow a bite.”

“He sure had me fooled. I thought he’d be a gentleman,” Kayla said softly.

Lena stiffened. “We had an argument. Wasn’t any of his fault. Don’t you worry about me.” She reached behind her to untie her apron and draped it over a chair.

“Um, don’t look now, but you know who just walked in. Want to slip out the kitchen door?”

Lena shook her head. “How about you sit him at a table. I’ll start emptying the dishwasher.”

Kayla nodded, pasted on a smile and swept toward Gabe, whose laser gaze locked on Lena.

Lena’s stomach did a somersault and she turned on her heel to push through the kitchen door and hide.

Only, of course, that didn’t work. The door swung open with a whoosh behind her, but she didn’t glance back. Instead, she opened the dishwasher and began unloading glasses into the cupboard.

“We have to talk.”

She stiffened, but then grabbed another glass to put away. “Nothin’ more to say. I got your message loud and clear.”

Hands landed on her hips and firmly turned her. He was standing too close. She didn’t dare lift her head. Instead, she stared at the collar of his shirt.

“I didn’t handle that well back at the river.”

“I’m not grading you on your ability to handle upsetting news.”

“Teacher, if you were, I’d have earned a big fat F. I was dead wrong for the way I behaved.”

He tucked a finger under her chin, and she resisted for a moment but didn’t want to seem cowardly. Now was the time to show some strength. Let him know she wasn’t cowed—not by his rudeness, not by the power he might wield if he had a mind to fight her for Jake.

She slowly let him raise her head and met his stormy gaze. For a moment, she softened inside. Felt that familiar spark and nearly swayed toward him. But she caught herself just in time because she couldn’t read his expression.

“Come walk with me,” he said softly.

“I have work to do here.”

“I’ll help you with it, later.”

“It’s not your place. You’re a paying guest.”

He drew in a deep breath and then let it sift slowly out. “I don’t want to start this conversation with an argument. I’m calm now. I apologize for my reaction earlier. I have no excuse for leaving you like that.”

The backs of her eyes began to burn, but she blinked. No way was she going to cry. She was made of sterner stuff than that. Lena Twohig didn’t disintegrate into tears just because a man made a pretty apology. Not even if the way he’d exploded, rushing from the river, had been the worst, most harsh rejection she’d ever received.

She gave him a nod. “All right. We’ll walk.” When he didn’t move away, she arched a brow. “You first.”

Gabe cleared his throat and backed up a step.

She slipped to the side and walked as sedately as she could manage to the door leading out onto the back porch. But she didn’t want to talk with the possibility of anyone overhearing, so she continued striding toward the river, hoping the sound of the water gently trickling by would soothe her nerves.

At the river’s edge, she sought a picnic bench and sat.

Gabe removed his hat and lowered beside her. They both stared out over the water.

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry as hell for what happened. I didn’t act like a man. It’s embarrassing to admit. But your…news…was unexpected. I felt sucker punched.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything. Should have let things go on as they have for ten years, but I was surprised as well.” She shot him a sideways glance. “I never would have taken up with you if I’d realized it was you, Gabe.”

“Did you ever intend to tell me about the boy?”

She shook her head. “I’d have told Jake when he was older, and let him make up his mind whether he wanted to seek you out. He’d have had my support.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Why didn’t you want to tell me? I thought we had…a thing. I cared about you.”

She swung toward him. “You were seventeen years old. I was nineteen. When I realized I was pregnant, thinking about the fact I was about to become a parent, I felt pretty foolish. But bringing you into the equation, so damn young, I didn’t want to make a bigger mess of it.”

“You didn’t trust me.”

“You were a kid. A kid I seduced.”

His mouth curved. “I like to think the seduction was mutual, Lena.”

Lena frowned. “Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Tease me. Like you can wrap me around your finger just by lowering your voice and looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” he drawled.

“Like you could—” She pressed her lips together and shook her head.

“Eat you up?” he whispered. “I sure as hell want to. But we’ve got some problems to solve first.”

Lena took a deep breath and turned away again. His words surprised her. She’d expected nothing but recriminations, but he was treating her like this was still about them, instead of all about Jake.

He acted like they actually had something to work out in their relationship. That thought gave her a burst of hope. But she couldn’t trust that feeling. Couldn’t trust herself around him. Because more than anything, she wanted him to be real, for her feelings for him to be real. The fact he still wanted her sexually was clear. And she wasn’t denying she wanted nothing more than to give both their libidos free rein. Sex with Gabe was as natural as breathing, as heady and intoxicating as the strongest tequila.

He tucked her hair behind her ear and she shivered.

“What’s his name?” he whispered.

“Jake. Jacob Anthony Twohig.”

“Would you consider changing his last name to Triplehorn?”

“We have bigger things to think about.”

“I want you both to come to the Triple Horn Ranch.”

She aimed a bald stare his way. “You didn’t want to ease into that?”

“What would be the point?”

“Want us to come for a visit? Because I have work, and then school’ll be startin’ up in the fall.” She lifted her shoulders. She needed time to get her head around this, to prepare Jake. “Maybe Christmas.”

He shook his head slowly and his gaze hardened. “Now. To stay. The both of you. With me.”

Lena’s chest constricted. “I barely know you. It’s the truth. You know that.”

“We know each other, Lena. We just haven’t spent a lot of time together.
We work
.”

“So we like to fuck. That’s not reason enough for me to change my child’s whole world so you can see whether you like playing daddy.”

“I won’t be
playing
. I’ll be his father. And you’ll be my wife.”

She shot off the bench and rounded on him. “You’re not even going to ask me? You think because you’re a high and mighty Triplehorn you can just make a pronouncement, wave your hand and I’m supposed to just fall in line?”

Gabe rose and walked slowly toward her.

She wanted to back away, but stiffened her spine. She wasn’t afraid of him. But the closer he came, the more unsure she felt. Part of her wanted to run, the other part wanted him to force her to accept him so she wouldn’t have to make a logical choice.

He reached out his arms, slowly smoothed his hands down to settle at the small of her back and pulled her against his chest. His cheek slid against her hair.

He held her until her fluttering heart slowed, and she could breathe again.

“Feel better?” he murmured.

Her next breath quivered. “Yes.”

“I don’t want to fight. I want to help. And more than anything, I want you and Jake in my life. I know I’m rushing you off your feet, darlin’, but I have years to make up to you. Come for a visit. For now. No pressure.”

Not looking at his face made it easier to think. “I have a campground to run.”

“My brother’s makin’ arrangements for help, even as we speak.”

“Jake’s with Grandpa.”

“We can pick him up on our way to the ranch.”

She shook her head, her cheek rubbing his chest. “This is crazy.”

“Lena, only thing crazy is either of us walkin’ away again.” He tightened his arms around her.

She exhaled and sank against his chest. He dropped his head to the corner of her shoulder and they stood like that, gently rocking as all the fight left her body. She was tired of going it alone. Of making every decision. Being the rock for her small family. “My grandpa? He’s at my place. He’s been in a wheelchair since he had a fall and broke his hip.”

“Soon as Colt sees him, he’ll have the hands buildin’ a ramp. Your grandpa’s welcome at the ranch. We have a couple of guest rooms. We’ll make them both comfortable.”

“There’s so much to consider. And I’m not sayin’ yes to marryin’ you, just
maybe
to coming to stay for a while and seein’ how things go.”

“Sounds sensible,” he growled.

“You sound like you don’t like sensible.”

“I like going with my instincts.”

She snorted. “See where that got you?”

“Got me a son. And a woman who’s as hot as a fuckin’ firecracker.”

She leaned back to study his face.

Wicked lust shone in his slate-colored eyes.

“I’ll need my own room too. My son doesn’t need to see the intimate side of us just yet.”

He nodded. “I agree. Just so we don’t shock Jake or Grandpa. But you’ll be sleepin’ with me.”

She swallowed hard. “When will the help arrive?”

“I’ll have to call Colt and see. When can we go pick up Jake and Grandpa?”

“Guess we both have arrangements to make,” she muttered, already ticking through a list of things she’d have to do.

He smoothed his hands over her butt. “Mind makin’ those arrangements a little bit later?”

She didn’t miss the sweet tension in his voice, or the stirring of his sex trapped against her belly.

Her breaths deepened. “I have dishes to do.”

“I imagine Kayla won’t mind takin’ over.”

She arched a brow. “She’s a little disappointed in you.”

“Then I’ll have to redeem myself in her eyes.”