Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
JASMINE
Rowan: Who wants to come over and help me bake twenty loaves of bread for the Honeysuckle Festival?
Jacek: there is nothing I would rather do LESS than that.
Jasmine: Sorry, bub, I’ve got riding lessons.
Iwas tempted to cancel them, though, since Rory was my student and that meant I’d have to spend an entire uninterrupted hour with Gabe.
He’d been so busy this past week, I’d hardly seen him and had only spoken to him briefly, and every time I did, he wore a sad expression like a lost puppy.
But I missed Rory, and she didn’t deserve to suffer because her dad was an idiot.
Rowan: Nash, I’m counting on you. Help your big brother out
It was several minutes before Nash’s response came through. I was shocked, but also pleased to see him actually participate in the group chat. When I opened his message, I burst into laughter.
Nash:
Rowan: I’m going to disown you all.
I finished out the rest of my chores in time to take Juniper on a ride before Rory arrived.
She trained hard yesterday, so I wanted to give her a little break but still ensure she got some exercise.
When I passed by the rescue barn, I saw my dad, Gabe, and Rowan huddled together engaged in deep conversation, and my chest tightened.
This whole time I’d been trying to convince myself that my family would eventually accept Gabe and me being together.
I thought maybe if we showed them that this thing between us was real that they’d accept it.
But what if Gabe was right? Maybe us being together would blow up all our lives, not just mine and his.
The ranch was finally running like a well-oiled machine again.
Rowan had everything in place to expand his rescue operation and establish an official horse sanctuary, and Dad had his best friend back.
If I was wrong, and my family never came around to the idea of Gabe and me being together, all their hopes and dreams would crumble.
Still, there was this selfish part of me—a part I wasn’t proud of—who wished he would choose me anyway. I never wanted to do anything to hurt my family, but what if Gabe and I were meant to be together? What if he was the love of my life and I never found true happiness because I couldn’t have him?
Swallowing the emotion clogging my throat, I continued down the trail and looped back around to the main barn.
I was dismounting Juniper when I heard a car coming up the gravel drive.
Celeste’s sporty little Mercedes pulled to a stop next to the barn, and Rory hopped out.
She ran straight into my arms, and I hugged her tight to my chest, breathing in the scent of her strawberry shampoo.
I was so excited to see her, I nearly blurted out that I had a surprise for her, but that needed to wait.
“I missed you!” Rory crooned.
“I missed you too, kiddo,” I said as she pulled back to look up at me.
“I get to go to the Honeysuckle Festival,” she announced, excitement gleaming in her eyes.
“You do?” I asked, gasping in mock surprise.
“Yes!” she squealed. “Dad is taking me, and I’m going to ride all the rides, and eat a funnel cake, and get my face painted.
“That’s awesome! You guys will have such a great time.”
“You’re coming too, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I promised. It was the biggest event of the year in Poplar Ridge, and everyone attended.
Just like at the ranch, honeysuckle grew abundantly around much of our small town and the surrounding area, and the festival took place when it was in full bloom.
The tulip poplar, the state tree for which our town was named, bloomed at the same time.
Main Street was lined with them, and they were dotted throughout the community park, creating an explosion of colorful blooms.
Rory continued to chatter away as Celeste approached. She offered me a kind smile. “She hasn’t stopped talking about that festival,” she began, then tilted her head and looked at me inquisitively, “or you.”
I stiffened, my gaze drifting anxiously to Rory who was now playing in the dirt with Tiny.
“She is very fond of you,” Celeste continued.
“It sounds like you’re good to her. I appreciate that.
” My shoulders relaxed, and I released a relieved breath.
“When you get divorced, you always hope your ex finds someone to … spend his time with who will treat your child like their own and not as an inconvenience,” she added, choosing her words carefully.
“Celeste, we’re not… He doesn’t—” She held her hand up to cut off my half-hearted denial.
“I see the way he looks at you and the way your face lights up when he’s around.
There’s something there. Maybe it hasn’t happened yet, but it will.
” I shook my head, wishing with all I had that she was right, but I was losing hope that Gabe would ever choose me.
“Just be patient with him. He is noble to a fault. He will try to do the right thing even if it means sacrificing his own happiness. I watched him do it for nine years.” She smiled sadly, and my heart clenched.
Gabe had given up his home and the job he loved to be a father and husband.
Was I enough for him to risk losing them again now that he finally had them back?
“Get the lead out. The auctions start in fifteen minutes,” my grandmother fussed as I followed behind her, two oversized bags slung over my shoulders.
“Easy for you to say. You’re not carrying around fifty pounds of knitted animals.
“Oh, quit being so dramatic. They’re not that heavy,” she retorted. I was being a little dramatic, but they probably weighed nearly twenty pounds each, and it was a long walk from the car to the auctioneer’s tent.
“They’re pretty heavy,” Hazel confirmed, and I shot her a grateful smile.
“Thank you. At least someone recognizes my efforts,” I said with a grunt as I hefted the bag slipping down my arm back onto my shoulder, playing up my exertion.
“Jasmine.” The sound of Gabe’s voice licked up my spine, and tingles erupted across my overheated skin.
I turned to find Gabe striding toward me with Rory skipping giddily next to him.
He stopped in front of me, his blue eyes filled with concern.
“Let me take those. They look heavy.” Before I could protest, he slipped a finger beneath each of the straps and lifted them off my shoulders.
The contact sent a buzz of electricity crackling over my skin.
The memory of how those fingers had brushed against my thighs only a week ago caused a shiver to race down my spine.
It had been nothing more than a gentle caress, but it had still made my heart race.
With my arms empty, Rory jumped in to greet me with a hug.
“Hey, kiddo,” I said, twirling one of her French braided pigtails in my hand. “Did you do these yourself?” I’d been teaching her how to French braid when she came over for lessons. She was catching on quick.
She beamed up at me, nodding enthusiastically. “Uh huh.” I ooh’d and ahh’d and murmured praises over her improving skills. When I turned back to Gabe, my stomach dipped at the sight of him. He’d gotten a haircut, and his beard was trimmed close to his face. He was as handsome as I’d ever seen him.
“Thank you, but I can take one of those back so you don’t have to carry both,” I offered.
“Not a chance,” he replied with a crooked grin, and my knees went weak. My body somehow didn’t get the memo that we were still mad at him.
“My goodness, do you see the muscles on that boy?” Fern said, pressing a wrinkled hand to her chest. Gabe’s biceps strained against the sleeves of his plain white tee and the way the snug material stretched over the tanned skin had me daydreaming about licking his arms.
A chuckle rumbled up Gabe’s throat. “I haven’t been called a boy in a very long time. You ladies make me feel young again,” he declared, and I swear, all three of them swooned. I rolled my eyes and pinched my lips together.
“You are young, sweetie,” Hazel said, patting his cheek. “You’ve got plenty of life left ahead of you. Don’t waste a minute of it.”
Gabe’s sapphire gaze drifted to mine and held for a long moment. I silently prayed that he would take her sage advice.
“Yolo,” Rory chirped her agreement, and the tense moment was broken as we all dissolved into a fit of laughter.
“Exactly,” Gigi confirmed. “Sometimes adults need a reminder, but you’ve got it all figured out already.” Rory let out a giggle when Gigi booped her nose and looped her arm through hers. They took off toward the auctioneer’s tent while the rest of us trailed behind them.
When we arrived, Gigi, Hazel, and Fern began laying out their creations.
One of the bags had the beautiful horse blanket my great aunts had been working on the day I’d gone to brunch with them.
It was gorgeous. The level of detail was equally impressive and enviable.
In the same bag were beanies done in the local high school’s colors and matching scarves.
In the second bag, there were baby blankets, stuffed animals, purses, and a few other miscellaneous items all knitted by my grandmother and great aunts.
All the proceeds from these items would go to the local children’s hospital where I’d recently learned the Granny Gang donated lots of knitted hats for babies and cancer patients and stuffed animals for other sick children.
I felt terrible for thinking they used their knitting club as an excuse to day drink, but now that I knew, I was determined to join in when I could since I was mastering the art of knitting thanks to them.
“Wow, I love these,” Rory said, picking up an axolotl in one hand and an octopus in the other. “Dad, will you bid on one of these for me?” she asked, turning her pleading eyes on him.