“How do you think Amy will like living with you?” Dean asked, pulling him away from his thoughts.
“Mia and Billy like my place, and I’ve got a lot of plans in place. I hope she’ll enjoy living with me.” He declined any more beer. He wanted to be sober when he took them back home.
“I wanted to apologise for my behaviour outside the nursery. Laura has told me that your feelings for Amy are the real deal.”
“Then she’s the only one who knows. I don’t think Amy has a clue how I feel about her.” Gabriel stared at the woman in question. How could he begin to tell her how he felt? What would he do if she rejected him?
The confusion with his emotions was really starting to piss him off. He was a man who took control. He was not the type of man to wait for things to happen. He made them happen.
“I don’t know. I bet Laura and Anna are telling her how you can’t stop staring in her direction. Just so you know, the age gap means nothing when you’re in love with someone. I still worry about Laura being on her own when I’m gone. Time doesn’t change the way we feel. I know I’d rather be with her than away from her.”
Amy made her way over to him with Anna and Laura in tow. Mia and Billy were playing on the swings. David and Paul joined the other adults.
“So these changes to CapeFalls, are they going to happen, or will they fall through?” Gabriel asked.
“They’re going to happen whether the residents like it or not. Something needs to change in this town. I’ve lived here my whole life where they refuse to move forwards. I think a little gentle push is in order,” Paul said. Amy stood next to Gabriel, and he felt her presence against his body, the heat from her pulling him closer.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her close. The only way he would move out of the rut was to show her how he felt. She smiled at him and settled back.
Dean raised his bottle to him. Time for change was round the corner, and he intended to make Amy his woman.
Chapter Six
In no time at all, Amy was taking her children to school for their first day. She waved them inside where she stood at the gate. Gabriel was by her side, and she appreciated his presence. He held her hand as they both saw her children off to school. The strength he gave with his touch meant so much to her. She noticed a few parents were whispering behind their hands and pointing in their direction but not as many as she thought. Life with Gabriel had been an exciting one. They’d spent the last few weeks redecorating some of the rooms. Mia now had her own bedroom, and Billy had his own room, too.
Amy had the room next to Gabriel. There was a door connecting to the two rooms. He explained the house was very old, and it was designed for the husband to visit his wife during night-time hours. She’d felt her cheeks heat and thought about him entering her room for sex. When she had been with Steven, the sex had repulsed her. His touch as a man had repulsed everything about her. Gabriel made her feel differently. Instead of being disgusted, she lay in bed at night wondering what it would be like to lie beneath him as he had his wicked way with her.
She got wet at the thought and found herself praying for him to enter her room. During the days, she walked the children to school or Gabriel drove them in his truck on his way to work. She made him lunch and walked into town. The walk did her good as it helped to clear her head. When she was at home, she found herself cleaning every room she could get her hands on. The jobs available at CapeFalls were filled when she phoned. Gabriel told her to stop looking for work. She didn’t need to work. He was more than happy to support her. Anna and Laura visited regularly, helping her to settle in. In her spare time she found herself baking fresh bread and cookies.
Two months after moving in, every room was clean, and she’d baked enough cookies to sink a ship. There was one room she couldn’t get inside. The room was locked, and all the keys Gabriel gave her wouldn’t open the door.
One night after putting the children to bed, she sat down with a glass of fresh orange juice and asked him about it.
“I can’t open the door off the kitchen to clean.”
“That’s the basement. You don’t need to clean it. Leave it alone,” he said.
“Are you sure? You know I don’t mind cleaning. I’d rather have something to do with my spare time.” She tucked her hair behind her ears, staring at the floor.
“Do you really want to spend the rest of your life cleaning for me?” he asked.
Amy stayed quiet and kept her gaze on the floor. She heard movement, and seconds later he was kneeling in front of her.
“Look at me, Amy.”
There was no way she could deny him. She lifted her gaze to his. “Do you want to clean for the rest of your life?”
She shook her head unable to voice her opinion.
“What did you want to become before you became a mother?” he asked.
“I never wanted to be anything,” she said. Motherhood had come to her, and any thoughts of a future disappeared the moment she got a ring on her finger.
“You didn’t want to go to college?”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, not many women from CapeFalls end up in college.” Amy never thought of what her life could have been like if she hadn’t gotten pregnant.
“Laura went to college. She told me so.”
“I wanted to go. I remember thinking about college, but my parents said I couldn’t, so I stopped thinking about it.”
“This town has a shit-load to answer for,” he said.
Amy giggled. “We sure are a f**ked-up bunch. I do know that Mia and Billy can make their own choices. If they want to go to college when they’re older, then I’ll let them. I’d do anything I could for my babies.”
“And I’ll do anything for you.”
Her heart melted when he said sweet stuff. He made her feel cherished.
“I want to take you out Friday night. I’ve talked with Laura, and they’re happy to have the kids. Will you go on a date with me?” he asked.
“You’ve already arranged it. How could I refuse?”
“You can refuse, Amy. I’m just hoping you’ll give this old man a yes and make him happy.”
She chuckled. “You’re not an old man, Gabriel Anderson. Far from it.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes. I’d really love to go on a date with you.”
“Good. Because I got you a little something for the occasion.” He got off his knees and left the room.