The memory burst over her. “The first day we made love.”

“That too. There wasn’t any reason to tell you, not in the middle of what else was going on. Plus the bet didn’t really matter.”

She frowned. “What? How can you say that?”

“It didn’t,” he insisted. “We were already doing everything we could to make changes, and you knowing I had a deadline wouldn’t have effected what you suggested, would it?”

She wrinkled her nose. “No. I guess not.”

“You know not. All along you’ve talked about being realistic. Even though accepting the bet wasn’t sensible, it was my only choice. I still feel kind of sick at the final solution. I guess it’s worth losing some prime land if it means surviving the extra years we need for transition.”

Allison shook her head. “Stubborn fool.”

She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the bedroom.

“Not stubborn. Just…”

“Trying to save me the worry?”

She’d got him on that one. “Yeah.”

Allison pushed him toward the bed. She nabbed a towel from the bathroom and threw it at his head. “Now you’re a dumb fool.”

Gabe stripped off his shirt and rubbed the material over his torso and head, waiting for the final shoe to fall.

She removed her sweater, the one he’d gotten soaked by hugging her while dripping wet. Stepped in front of him and stilled his hands. How someone so much smaller could seem to loom over him was rather impressive.

“What about my mom?”

He groaned. “She swore me to secrecy. Do I really have to tell you the details?”

Her eyes rolled upward and she grimaced. “Dammit, did she sweet-talk you into accepting money for me?”

“What was I supposed to do?” he complained. “She turned those big eyes on me, and it was like watching a puppy beg. I couldn’t say no.”

“And you didn’t think you should tell me?”

He caught her and stopped her fidgeting, trapping her hands in his and pulling her between his legs. “I couldn’t tell you because she asked me not to. Keeping the gift a secret wasn’t hurting anything. The money is in a separate account, and I can sign it over anytime you want. Only I think you should pretend it’s not there, that you don’t know about it. That would make your mom the happiest.”

“Happier pulling one over on me than me saying thank you?”

He nodded.

She snorted. “You’re probably right.” Allison buried her face against him and snuggled in tight. “Oh God, Gabe, I’m so exhausted.”

He held her. Little by little their breaths synchronized, the tension in her body fading. She had one palm pressed to his naked chest, slowly tracing designs with her fingertips.

He felt every stroke as if she were permanently branding him.

“Why were you soaking wet and not wearing a jacket?” she asked.

That one was easy. “When Rafe came bursting into the barn to tell me Ben had tore off, madder than a hornet, I jumped. I’d parked across the way and had to run through the field to get to my truck to make sure you were okay. I didn’t trust him.”

He’d driven like a damn madman. Having something happen to her because he wasn’t there in time—even the thought of it tore him up inside.

Not being a part of her life would be nearly as bad. No way he could let this go for any longer, but hell if he could decide the best way to convince her this was real.

He could blurt it out, or arrange to take her out for dinner. Maybe wait until they’d finished fooling around, but none of those options were right. He’d already said he’d loved her, but it seemed to need repeating.

Bigger. Louder.

The heavy rain dancing on the ceiling had changed to a steady fall, the wind calmer, and inspiration hit.

“Come on.” He scooped her up. Ignored her squeal of protest as he carried her through the house and out the front door.

They were both instantly soaked, his hair completely wet this time with his hat abandoned.

Allison clung to his neck and laughed. “What are you doing, you crazy cowboy?”

He walked in his stocking feet all the way across to where the trail led up the small rise at the back of the cabin. “I need to show you something.”

Gabe placed her down carefully, her bare toes resting on the thick grass. He knelt on one knee and pulled her to sit on his thigh, her eyes level with his.

Allison shook her head as she laughed, one arm looped over his shoulders. “Rain dance? Harvest ritual I’m not aware of?”

He would totally make sacrifices to the gods of nature if he had to. “I want you to know what I’m offering.”

The little crease between her brows that appeared at his words was cute, but he refused to be distracted. He pointed back where they’d come from. “One nearly finished rustic cabin.”

Her frown broke into a smile. “Gabe?”

He kept going, pointing over the rise, passing his hand from east to west. “One section of not yet, but on its way to being self-sufficient, organic grazing and seed land.”

She fell silent as he caught her right hand and pressed their linked hands against his chest. “And one slightly beat-up heart. All of them are yours. For real. Forever.”

Her bright gaze darted over his face. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I love you. And I think you love me. Isn’t it about damn time you admit it?”

She bit her lip and sniffled once. Then again. Then the sniffle turned into a smile and she laughed. Softly at first, then louder. Laughter that carried over the land and the little cabin, and filled his heart with exactly what he needed.

It was infectious and addictive. Her smile, the sound of her joy—

There it was again. What she’d brought to him. Joy. In the midst of the tears, in the midst of the rain.

She stroked his cheek, wiping the moisture away, and he savoured her touch. Loved how in the middle of trying to save her, she’d saved him.

Gabe played with the ring that adorned her finger. “Does the fact I made you laugh mean yes?”

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “It means I love you too.”

The words hit like a branding iron. Scorching deep, permanently marking him, and he couldn’t have been happier.

He caught her by the cheeks, cradling her face, and kissed her. Full out, no holds barred, marking her as much as she’d done to him. The rain streaking down to baptize them with a fresh, clean start.

When they separated, she shook her head in wonder. “Never expected this to happen when I raced over to your place at the start of the summer.”

“One season of changes.” He brushed her lips with his thumb and spoke softly as he leaned in for another kiss. “I can hardly wait to see what we can accomplish in five.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

The scent of autumn in the air warned winter approached, but for one more week Indian summer had burst out bringing glorious hot days and sultry starlit nights. A light breeze danced over the tall grasses to set them swaying, the river beyond them gurgling and rushing forward like usual.

Allison tipped the container and let the ashes trickle out.

Elle clutched the fingers of her other hand hard, Paul’s hand rested on her shoulder. Sorrow lay like a blanket over them all, only the pain wasn’t unbearable.

Sending her mom off on a day that screamed happiness seemed appropriate.

A few steps behind them the horses shuffled their feet. Gabe stood patiently holding the reins as he waited for the family to finish saying goodbye.

They’d been saying it all summer long.

“I miss her, but I’m…” Elle shook her head sadly as she turned. “I’m glad she’s not suffering. That she’s happy and at peace, and there’s nothing that can hurt her anymore.”

“I love that we were all there when she went.” Allison snuck her fingers free so she could wipe the tears from her eyes. “Smiling—just like always.”

Paul didn’t speak at first. Cleared his throat and stared over the land. “I understand better now why Mom did it. She wanted to be strong for us, didn’t she?”

“She was strong. To the end.” Elle caught them both in a tight hug before stepping back and blowing her nose into a hankie. “I’ve got to go. I love you guys.”

“Mind if I walk with you?” Paul asked.

Elle shook her head.

“I’ll come by the house in the morning,” Allison said, “Right after breakfast.”

Paul leaned over and kissed her cheek, “See you at the restaurant in the afternoon.” He tipped his head toward Gabe. “Take care of her.”

“I will,” Gabe promised.

Her brother and sister walked slowly back toward the trail that led to where they’d parked. Allison watched them until they disappeared into the trees.

It hurt terribly to have Maisey gone, but her family—they were still there for each other. Their family hadn’t disappeared when their mom died.

She tucked the small box back into Patches’s saddlebag and turned to find Gabe at her side, his love-filled eyes staring down.

“You were the best daughter she could have ever hoped for.”

Allison rested her cheek against his chest and gazed over the land. He rubbed her back, his strength and power right there for her to cling to if she needed. But what she appreciated even more was how he let her go when she straightened. How he accepted her tight hug.

He didn’t just try to save her, he let her save him as well.

“Ready to ride for a while?” Gabe passed her the reins.

Allison swung into the saddle and nodded. “You never did point out the section of land you switched with the Whiskey Creek Colemans. Can we get there from here?”

He laughed. “Gabe’s Folly? Sure, I can show you that.”

“Oh no, did the crew name it already?”

“Hell, yeah.” He pointed toward a shallow ford in the river, and she tugged the reins to direct Patches that way. “You knew it would happen. Not sure if it was one of the Whiskey Creek girls, but probably not. Karen wouldn’t care, since it doesn’t affect her precious horses. Tamara’s still too busy getting into everyone’s business in other ways. I figure it was someone on the Moonshine side.”

Allison was quiet for a minute as a whisper of guilt rose. “I never did tell you something.”

Gabe took her offered fingers and squeezed them before the horses stepped too far apart, breaking their handhold. “A secret? Hmm, those aren’t allowed, right?”

“Right.” Ever since they’d turned this fake marriage into a real one. “Way back when I first contacted you, it was Tamara who’d snitched about Mom being sick.”

He chuckled. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“What?” That was good, yet surprising. “All this time you knew? How?”

“You told me.”

The splash of the water sounded rhythmically as the horses paced forward. Allison searched her memory for a time or place that she’d shared that bit of info. “I…was sure I hadn’t.”

“Oh, darling, first day out you were spouting all kinds of things. Sleep-deprived, you don’t do so good. You’ll never get a job as a secret agent.” He grinned at her. “Don’t worry, I know how to keep my mouth shut.”

“A little too well.” She took it in. His love, his acceptance. Gave it back. “I think you need to open your mouth more often.”

“Hmm, now that’s an invitation I’m happy to take you up on.”

He reached for her and she laughingly pulled Patches out of reach. “No. No sex on a horse.”

“We’ve had sex everywhere else,” he pointed out.

True. “You’ve very inventive, I’ll give you that. Now hush and show me this land you foolishly traded for.”

He sighed. “Four more years until things are completely switched over. We’ll just keep our heads above water until then, if no more disasters go south.”

Which partly meant Ben. He’d stopped fighting the changes, and he’d stopped taunting Gabe, but he’d grown even colder in some ways.

Allison avoided him as much as possible.

They rode in silence, both deep in their own thoughts as the land passed under the horses’ steady stride.

She knew finances were going to be tight. She also knew if it really came down to it, the money her mom had given her would be the first thing they’d use. The funds were hers to spend as she pleased. Not even Gabe, especially not Gabe, would deny her the right to use them however she chose.

Allison stared across at her husband—Lord, the word still made a chill zip along her spine—and admired him all over again. From his boots on up to his firmly positioned hat, he was hundred-percent Canadian free-range cowboy.