Gabe (Men of Clifton Montana Book 2) (13 page)

“Now I
need another bath.” She laughed as she climbed off him to lie ne
xt to him, her fingers trailing through the hair on his
chest.

“I need
a nap.” Gabe yawned.

Emma
swatted at him and left him to take a quick shower. She loved him so much that
at times like this, it was easy to believe he loved her too, but she knew he
did
n’t. He’d never said the words, not once. She
could only pray, one day he would.

The next
day, Emma met Olivia at the diner for lunch. After she settled into the booth,
she glanced around and almost gasped when she spotted the man from the other
day who ha
d made her feel nervous.

“Are you
all right? You’ve gone white as a sheet,” Olivia said leaning over and touching
her hand in concern.

Emma
looked at her and spoke in a low voice. “There’s a man in the back who was here
before and he keeps staring at me. H
e gives me the
heebie-jeebies.”

Olivia
immediately looked around the restaurant until her eyes landed on him.
Frowning, she turned back to Emma. “He looks familiar.” Emma nodded and was
about to say something when
Becca
stopped at their table.

“I
thought I
recognized your cars,” she said smiling but
it faded when she saw the looks on their faces. “What’s wrong? Are you all
right, Emma?”

“Please
sit down beside me for a minute,” Emma said patting the seat next to her.
Becca
slid into the booth alongside
her.
“See the man in the back at the table by
himself? He keeps watching me and it’s giving me the creeps. Liv thinks he
looks familiar. Do you know him?”

Emma
waited as
Becca
glanced around. Her sudden gasp
confirmed she’d seen him. “Oh my God,
he
kind of loo
ks like Steve,”
Becca
whispered.

Olivia
gasped. “That’s it! That’s exactly who he looks like.” She turned to look at
him again, but then turned back around. “He’s not paying any attention to you
now, Emma. Maybe you were imagining it.”

She
hoped so but she
didn’t believe it was her
imagination. Her appetite now gone, she sat back and looked around. She knew
everyone in the diner except that man. Who was he? Was it coincidence that he
bore a resemblance to Steve? She shivered at the thought he might be relat
ed to the man who’d tried to kill
Becca
. Her gaze involuntarily shifted
back to him. He was looking at her again. She elbowed
Becca
and gave a slight nod toward the man. This time,
Becca
saw the man looking at them.
Together, they watched him stand and wal
k to the
counter to pay his bill. Without looking their way, he left by the front door.
Emma released a breath just as their server came over and laid down their bill.

“Connie,
do you know the man who just left?” she asked glancing toward the door.

“No.
He’s been coming in here every day, though. Not much of a
tipper.” Connie sniffed in an indignant manner before strolling away.

“Emma,
it’s probably just a coincidence that he looks like Steve. All that shit
happened just a few months ago, and we’re all st
ill a
little on edge,” Olivia said.

Becca
agreed with Olivia. “We can’t keep looking over our
shoulders. Steve is dead, and there’s no way he can ever hurt us again.”

Emma
looked at each of her friends and nodded in agreement, before turning her
attention
to
Becca
with a frown. “Why are you here,
Becca
? You said you couldn’t join us
for lunch.”

Becca
opened her mouth to reply when the bells on the door
jangled and they watched Jake stroll in. She smiled a smug grin. “I couldn’t
because I’m spending the day
with my man. It’s not
often he takes a day off. So…” She shrugged then stood up to greet him. He
pulled her into his arms and kissed her until the other diners started
whistling. They broke apart and laughed. Emma envied them their love.

A few
minutes
later, she and Olivia paid their bill and
left, but Emma couldn’t shake the strange man’s face or the way he watched her.

* * * *

Gabe
rolled over and kissed Emma’s cheek.

“Time to
get up, darlin’,” he whispered alongside her ear, and then chuckled when
she slapped at him. He nuzzled her neck, and smiled when
she moaned. She rolled over to face him. “As much as I would love staying here
in bed with you, we have to get moving if we’re going to get to Butte on time.”

“
Ohmigod
, the competitions start today.”
Emma practically flew out of the bed. Gabe watched her
scurrying around the bedroom, gathering up clothes. God help him, he really
loved her and the baby. He got out of bed, and after brushing his teeth, he
pulled his boxer briefs on, grabbed his jeans, T
-shirt,
socks and went downstairs.

He
needed coffee. It was early. Hell, the sun wasn’t even up yet. It was a
two-hour drive to Butte and he still had to load his horse, Dandy. He poured
himself a cup of coffee and gazed out the window. The sky was beginni
ng to wake up, glowing with pink and yellow hues above the
mountains. He sighed with satisfaction. Life was good. No one could have told
him he’d like married life. Like? He shook his head. He loved it.

Gabe set
his cup on the table, and pulled on his jean
s and
T-shirt. After taking a seat at the table, he pulled on his socks, and then his
worn cowboy boots. Hearing a couple of vehicles pull up outside, he stomped a
boot on as he stepped to the door and
opened it. He watched Wyatt and
Jake get out of their
trucks with
Becca
and Olivia following them.

He left
the door open and went back to his coffee. A moment later, Emma entered the
kitchen, stood on tiptoe, and pressed her lips to his. He started to deepen the
kiss when someone cleared his throat. Still kis
sing
Emma, he glanced over her shoulder to see Jake grinning at him. He reluctantly
broke the kiss. “What? I can’t kiss my wife good morning?” Gabe grinned when
Jake laughed while Emma buried her head into his chest, and blushed. He kissed
the top of her h
ead. Olivia took a seat at the table
and grumbled. “What was that, Liv?” he asked.

“Why did
we have to get up before the sun?” Everyone laughed when she yawned and laid
her head on her folded arms.

“Because,
sleepy head, we have a two-hour drive, then we h
ave
to sign in and get to our rooms,” Gabe told her while he hugged Emma against
him.

“
Pffft
…” Olivia waved her hand and
yawned again.

Becca
laughed. “And you all wonder why I love her.”

“If you
behave yourself, Liv, Emma and I will give you the last puppy
.” Gabe smiled when Olivia lifted her head and looked at
him with wide eyes.

“Really?
You still have one left?” She looked to Emma, who nodded,
and then Olivia glanced over her shoulder to
Becca
. “Can I have one,
Becs
?”

Becca
shrugged. “I don’t see why not
.”

Olivia
squealed, leaped up, and hugged
Becca
, and then Emma. Then she went to
Gabe who was standing out of the way, wrapped her arms around him, and glanced
over her shoulder to Emma. “Don’t hate me.” She kissed Gabe quickly on the
lips. Emma burst out
laughing. Gabe could feel the
heat in his face as he stepped back from Olivia, especially when she winked at
him.

He
cleared his throat. “I don’t think that’s behaving, Liv,” he choked out, making
them all laugh except Wyatt, who he noted was standing in t
he doorway to the hall scowling at Olivia. He had to wonder
what his brother’s problem was with Olivia. Gabe mentally shook his head.
Whatever it was, Wyatt needed to get over it since they were all going to be
together for the next week.

Chapter Seven

Emma,
Becca
, and Olivia sat on the metal
seats in the arena watching the rodeo while Emma explained to them what was
going on. She chuckled when Olivia shuddered at the details of bull riding even
as she sat on the edge of her seat watching it.
Becca
seemed entranced by it all, though. As the day wore on,
the women decided to get a late lunch at a nearby diner. The men were relaxing
at the hotel since their competitions weren’t until the next day. As they left
the diner to head for the hotel, Emma fel
t the hair
rise on the back of her neck. She stopped and looked around, letting her gut
lead her.

Becca
touched her arm. “What is it?” she asked softly.

Emma
shook her head. “I don’t know. I just had the feeling someone was watching us.”
She shivered again
st the sensation.

Olivia
glanced around quickly. “That’s not even funny.”

“I’m
probably just imagining it. Maybe it’s my hormones out of whack.” Emma tried to
smile, but she knew it didn’t quite reach her eyes when both women frowned at
her. They walked a
little faster toward the hotel and
the safety of the men. Once they reached it and went to their rooms,
Becca
hugged each of them.

“I feel
like a damn fifth wheel,” Olivia muttered.

“That’s
crazy, Liv. We love having you with us.” Emma hugged her. Olivia n
odded with a sigh, and went into her room alone.
Becca
smiled sadly at Emma before they
separated to enter their separate rooms.

The next
morning, Emma woke to an empty bed. She knew Gabe had to be at the arena early
to check the line-up so she pulled his
pillow to her
and tried to go back to sleep, but it evaded her. Her mind played over the
night before when they’d made love. She’d almost told him she loved him. It had
been on the tip of her tongue and she literally had to bite it to keep from
shouting it
out. Tears filled her eyes. Damn
hormones! Lately, she cried at the drop of a hat. Why couldn’t he love her? He
had no problem telling the baby. He’d put his mouth to her belly and say it to
the baby. Emma tried choking back the sobs, but they tore out fr
om her. She buried her face in the pillow and let her tears
loose.

Two
hours later, she sat with
Becca
and Olivia in the stands once
again watching the competitions. Emma was surprised when she saw Wyatt join
them and take a seat beside Olivia. He opened t
he
program and scanned through it. Emma noticed Olivia hadn’t acknowledged him.
The arena smelled of horses, leather, sweat, and manure. She loved it. She sat
up with excitement when they announced the barrel racing was next. Jake and
Gabe moved along the
aisle and took seats beside
them. Emma looked to Jake. “I’m sorry I couldn’t compete with Misty for you.”
She smiled and nodded. “I’ll compete next year.”

Gabe
leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Not if I get you pregnant again.” She
elbowed him, and he
grunted. “I take that as a no?”

“You,
Gabriel Stone, are not going to keep me barefoot and pregnant,” she hissed low,
hoping no one around them could hear their conversation.

Gabe
chuckled. “Okay, you can wear shoes.” She burst out laughing and shook her
head. She looked to the arena when Stephanie Taylor’s name
came over the speakers as the next competitor. Stephanie came roaring out of
the tunnel and headed her horse for the first barrel. She cleared it, and
pushed her horse toward the second barrel. She
cut it
too close and knocked it over. The crowd groaned.
Becca
and Olivia giggled. Emma grinned
with satisfaction.