FRIDAY NIGHT, THREE days later, Gabriel finally drove into the small town of Union Junction. He could see what had drawn his father to this place. For one thing, it looked like a melding of the old West and a Norman Rockwell card. There was a main street where families were enjoying a warm June stroll, ice-cream cones or sodas in hand. A kissing booth sat in front of a bakery. Other booths lined the street in front of various shops.
He glanced at the kissing booth again, caught by a glimpse of blond hair and the long line outside the booth. All the booths had lines, but none as long as the kissing booth, which Gabriel figured was probably appropriate. If he was offered the choice of getting a kiss or throwing rings over a bottle, he’d definitely take the kiss.
“What’s going on?” he asked a young cowboy at the back of the line.
“Town fair.” The young man grinned at him. “You’re Morgan, aren’t you?”
He looked at him. “Aren’t you too young to be buying kisses?”
He got a laugh for that. “Get in line and spend a buck, Mr. Morgan.”
“Why?” He wasn’t inclined to participate in the fun of a town fair. He’d just been looking around, trying to figure out why Pop had settled near here, trying to stave off some boredom.
“We’re raising money for the elementary school. Need more desks. The town is certainly growing.”
“Shouldn’t the town be paying for that from taxes or something?”
“We like to do some recreational fund-raising, too.”
Gabriel reluctantly fell into line. “So who are we kissing?”
“Laura Adams.”
“We can’t kiss her!” He had to admit the idea was inviting, but he also wanted to jerk the young man out of line—and every other man, too.
The line kept growing behind him.
“Why not?” His companion appeared puzzled.
Gabriel frowned. “She’s married. And she’s a mom.”
The young man laughed. “Mimi Jefferson was working the booth an hour ago. It’s the only time any of us can get near Mimi without getting our tails kicked by Mason, so most of us went through twice.”
Gabriel’s frown deepened.
“It’s for a good cause,” his new friend said. “Besides which, Laura’s not married anymore.”
Gabriel’s mood lifted slightly. He felt his boots shuffling closer to the booth behind his talkative friend. “She’s not?”
“Nah. Her husband died shortly after she gave birth to Perrin.” His friend looked at him with surprise. “You should know all this. Your dad loved Laura’s kids. Said they were probably the only—”
“I know. I know. Jeez.” Gabriel rubbed at his chin, trying to decide if he liked how quickly the line was moving. And the young man was right. The gentlemen were leaving the line to catcalls and whistles and hurrying to the back of the line for another kiss. It was a never-ending kiss line of rascals. “I’m pretty sure I don’t belong here.”
“No better way to get to know people,” his friend said cheerfully. “My name’s Buck, by the way.”
“Hi, Buck.” He absently shook his hand. “I guess kissing’s as good a way as any to get to know someone.” He supposed he should get to know Laura better since they sort of had a connection.
Buck stared at him. “Hanging out at the town fair being sociable is the way to get to know people.”
“That’s what I meant.” Gabriel noticed there were only five people in front of him now. His heart rate sped up. Should he kiss a woman his father had such a close relationship with? Clearly Pop had depended upon Laura for the sense of family he was lacking. It almost felt like Laura could be a sister.
He heard cheers as Buck laid a smooch on Laura. To Gabriel’s relief, it was mercifully short and definitely respectful. Just good clean fun.
He found himself standing in front of her booth, staring down at her like a nervous schoolboy. Her blue eyes lit on him with curiosity and nothing else, no lingering resentment over their initial meeting. He noted a distressing jump in his jeans, a problem he hadn’t anticipated. But he’d always been a sucker for full lips and fine cheekbones. He could smell a sweet perfume, something like flowers in summer.
Laura was nothing like a sister to him.
He laid a twenty-dollar bill on the booth ledge and walked away.
GABRIEL FOUND A BETTER way to support the local elementary school: drinking keg beer some thoughtful and enterprising young man had set up far away from the kissing booth. Here he was safe. No one bothered him while he sat on a hay bale and people-watched, which was good because he really needed to think. He hadn’t expected his father to have a family connection in Union Junction.
He sat up. Surely his father hadn’t been trying to build his own family here? With a ready-made mom and grandchildren? All it would take was one out of the four brothers to meet the lady and her children, to whom some of the Morgan money had been put in trust, and maybe, just maybe, Pop might get that family he’d been itching for?
He wouldn’t put it past Pop. Throw in a scheme that required all four brothers to be on the premises for a year, and Pop had a one in four chance of seeing that dream come true.
Gabriel resolved not to fall for it. In fact, he congratulated himself for staying one step ahead of the wily old man. He didn’t know for sure that was what Pop had been up to, but with Pop there was always an angle.
He’d be very cautious.
“Hi.” Someone soft and warm slid onto the hay bale beside him. Laura didn’t smile at him, but her lips were full and plump from being kissed. “Guess you changed your mind about kissing me.”
He hung between fear and self-loathing for being a coward. “Seems we should keep our relationship professional.”
“Awkward.”
“That, too.”
“Fine by me.”
He slid her a glance. She had nice breasts under her blue-flowered dress—very feminine. A breast man by nature, he was shocked he hadn’t taken note of her physical charms before. He’d been completely preoccupied by the swarm of women descending upon him. Although he had to admit that after just thirty minutes of being in his house, it looked and smelled more welcoming than it was ever going to be under his watch. But now he was checking out Laura’s attributes, a subconscious flick of his gaze that dismayed him. God, they really were gorgeous. And he hadn’t noticed her small, graceful hands before, either.
He felt his temperature rise uncomfortably. “Where are the kids?” Not that he was really interested, but it was best to remind himself that this woman was a mother, not someone to be ogled as if she were single and available for some casual fun.
Which was all he was interested in, for now and for always. Damn Pop for throwing temptation my way.
