The tension that had haunted her since their reunion had faded over the last week. The acceptance of her mom to Allison’s return, and a few good nights’ sleep seemed to have done wonders in helping her recover her spirit. The woman who accepted his hand as he helped her out of the truck was closer to the one he recalled from so long ago.
He remembered liking her. Liking her a lot.
She grinned and tilted her head again, the flirty look she pulled on so easily appearing. “Your family is fun. And I want to dance. I don’t have to be over at Mom’s until around ten o’clock tomorrow, so let’s get some Friday night relaxing in.”
He twined his fingers with hers and led her through the doors.
Something was different tonight. Less like deception, more as if this was a real date.
Only he had to watch out for that—she hadn’t said anything about changing the status quo. Sure, they’d shared a couple kisses, and damn if seeing her staring at him in the shower yesterday hadn’t made his heart skip a beat or two.
But Allison had always had that streak of mischief. He squeezed her fingers and pulled her toward the back of the bar, pleased things were going well enough she was able to relax and be herself.
It wasn’t anything to do with him. He had to remember that.
A cheer rose as they stepped into view of the clan’s usual section. Allison’s grasp in his tightened before she slipped her arm around his waist and glanced up. “Holy. Shit.”
“I warned you.”
She blew out a quick breath before shaking her head slightly. “Into the lair I go…”
He laughed, holding her close as he led them to one of the tables and pulled out chairs.
“Oh no, she’s not sitting way over there.” The girl cousins at the next table overrode his seating decisions and surrounded Allison like a swarm of puppies with a new toy. Allison stared over her shoulder at him, her expression filled with laughter as she was led to the side and plopped down with great ceremony in the middle of a group of six ladies.
“You may as well give up all thoughts of getting any time with her tonight.” Joel passed over a beer and motioned to the empty chair in front of him. “Congrats, by the way.”
Gabe dipped his chin. “What’s happening tonight? Anything special on the agenda?”
His younger cousin leaned back his chair and gestured with his bottle as he spoke. “Pool table—Travis is grinding everyone into the ground. Don’t know how he can see straight with that shiner he’s got, but he’s already won over fifty bucks each from Steve and Trevor. My big brothers have been shanghaied to the dance floor by their women. Jesse isn’t back from his trip to Red Deer yet—he called to say he’s still about thirty minutes out. Other than that, it looks as if Karen and Tamara are determined to interrogate your woman. You will have no secrets left whatsoever by the end of the evening.”
Gabe leaned back to catch Allison’s eye, just to make sure she was still comfortable. The brief glimpse he got showed her smiling widely, laughing at something someone said. She looked as if she was handling his kin no problem.
Relaxing back in his chair was exactly what he needed for a while. The area around them was filled with cousins and friends. Wild, noisy and perfect.
He’d missed this when he’d left.
“That’s a very serious face for someone with a bottle in their hand,” Joel teased.
Gabe considered. Out of all the boisterous lot, Daniel and Joel from the Six Pack side were the closest to him in temperament. Daniel was happily married now, and usually too busy running after his adopted boys to spend tons of time with Gabe anymore. Even at eight years younger Joel would probably understand.
“Thinking about the time I lived away from Rocky. I worked hard and met some nice folks, but in the five years something was always missing. This whole nosy, noisy clan gets under your skin, and it was tough being away, no matter how annoying everyone can be.”
“I hear you. At college, Jesse and me would sit and shoot the breeze with people from all over the province, but they only understood part of the picture. There’s a feel to family, isn’t there?” Joel twirled a bottle cap in his fingers, staring over the room slowly as if thinking it through. “Still, there’s something to be said about looking a little farther from home when it comes to dating.”
“You seeing someone?” Gabe refrained from asking if Jesse was seeing her as well. It wasn’t his place to poke, not when he had a few threesomes in his sexual history. Although, his few previous experimentations and the twin’s typical two-on-one reputation were very different things.
Joel glanced around cautiously. “Just started. Don’t want to talk about her.”
A loud roar sounded from behind them, and Gabe stood to get a better look at what was making the girls so rowdy.
“Oh hell, you’re in for it,” Joel warned. “They’re doing shots.”
Gabe snuck his chair back and made his way over to the section the ladies had taken control of. A surprising amount of teeny glasses littered the table considering they’d only just gotten there.
Allison was very red in the face. He stepped behind her chair and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You okay?”
Karen Coleman shook her finger. “Oh no, you don’t. No interference from the guys allowed.”
“Maybe he’s here for the—”
Tamara got cut off, a hand slapped over her mouth by her little sister, Lisa. “Don’t say it!”
Feminine laughter rang out again.
“I think you should allow us guys to join your party,” Gabe suggested, squatting beside Allison’s chair.
For some reason, that only made the laughter get louder.
A huge tray was lowered to the table, small shooter glasses covering its surface. Karen looked around at the other ladies. Universal headshakes were the instant reaction. She shrugged. “Sorry, Gabe. Looks like you’ve been voted off the island.”
Now he was more curious than before. “I’ll just stay and watch then.”
“No,” Allison shouted.
More laughter ensued.
“Oh boy.” She covered her cheeks with her hands before glancing at him. “It’s okay. You go have fun.”
Tamara giggled. “He’s gonna…”
Allison held her finger to her lips before giving up and grinning. “You are so bad.”
“Which is why you like me. Go on, pick another shot.”
Allison eyed the tray as if it might explode.
“Let Gabe pick one for you,” Karen suggested.
That suggestion was greeted with a lot more enthusiasm. Whatever the hell they were up to, Gabe would go along with it if he could keep an eye on Allison. He reached forward for a creamy brown shooter.
“No, not that one,” Allison gasped.
Gabe jerked his hand back. “Why not?”
She flushed so red. “Already had one of those.”
“Oh yeah, she did.”
He shook his head and ignored the jokes and nudges going on. Instead he picked up a nearly white drink with whipped cream on the top and handed it to Allison. “You let them know if you want to stop, okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. This is fun.”
Across the table Lisa tipped back a shot, swallowed, then slammed the glass upside down in front of her. All the women leaned forward. Lisa covered her face as her friend nabbed the small piece of paper stuck to the bottom and read it out loud. “Passed Out Naked on the Bathroom Floor.”
Oh jeez
. Now Gabe knew what they were doing. “Dirty shots?”
“Aren’t most of them dirty?” Karen asked. “Go on, pick one. If you dare.”
He glanced at Allison, wondering which shot she’d had that put that blush on her cheeks. It was mostly harmless fun, though. “What the hell.”
Gabe selected one and tossed it back, hoping he had managed to pick something not too terrible. The alcohol went down smoothly, too many fruit juices along with it for his taste. He tipped the glass over.
“Read it,” the chorus demanded.
“Really? Fine.” He leaned over and checked the shot name.
Ah shit.
“Sex on My Face.”
It took a while for the laughter to slow. He took the teasing with a grin. “Here I thought the male Colemans were the dirty perverts of the group, but I can tell I was wrong.”
When he went to stand, Allison caught at his hand. “Don’t forget you promised to take me dancing.”
Loud protests greeted her suggestion. Gabe raised his hands in submission. “Tell you what, I’ll come back in a bit.”
“She’s got to have the shot you picked for her before you go,” Tamara warned.
Allison gave Tamara a dirty look. “You know something.”
Tamara opened her eyes wide. “Me? I’m truly innocent.”
“Right—you were the one to order the drinks.” Karen poked her sister good-naturedly.
Allison shook her head, but she took the shot, passing the empty glass to Gabe. He turned it over.
Angel’s Kiss.
He glanced at his cousin to discover Tamara grinning from ear to ear. She waggled her brows suggestively, tilting her head toward Allison.
“That was a setup. I don’t know how you did it, but that was a total setup.”
“Hey, be happy you didn’t pull the Suck, Bang and Blow.”
“Troublemaker.” Gabe cupped Allison’s chin carefully and pressed his lips to hers. He meant to make it a quick, easy kiss, nothing too showy for the group of rowdies watching keenly.
Only she slipped her arms around his neck, and her mouth edged open, and next thing he knew his tongue had slipped in to taste the sweet remainder of her shot. Or maybe it wasn’t the shot. Maybe it was just her. She tangled her fingers in his hair, and he could have happily sat there on his knees kissing her for the rest of the evening.
The taunting when he did pull away was to be expected. He ignored them all and stared into Allison’s eyes. “You have fun. I’ll come get you in a bit to dance.”
After Gabe left, her third and final shot had been one with the unfortunate name of
Bull Rider
. Still, it had to be the alcohol dancing in her veins that made her face feel so heated when Gabe returned to claim her and take her out on the dance floor. The slow music was exactly what she needed so she could catch her breath.
Except being in his arms, swaying slowly, was making it tough to breathe for all sorts of other reasons.
She rested her cheek on his chest and gave in to the urge to relax as she let him lead. “I think I’m more tired than I knew.”
Gabe chuckled. “I think you’re more drunk than you know.”
“Three shots, that’s all I had,” she protested.
“Fine. It’s not the alcohol. It’s all the stress from the past week. Taking an evening off and relaxing—you’re feeling it.”
They moved together easily and she had to agree. “Kind of like after exams when everyone succumbs to the flu.”
“Right. Don’t worry, I’ll get you home okay.”
A yawn snuck out and she barely covered her mouth in time. “I think my plans for kicking up my heels for a few hours of dancing needs to be revised.”
“We can head out anytime you’d like. There’s someone here most Fridays, and if you don’t have things happening with your mom, I don’t mind bringing you.”
She bit her lip for a second. “It feels wrong. Laughing and dancing knowing that…”
“Allison, don’t.” He stopped right in the middle of the dance floor and lifted her chin until she had to look in his eyes. “Don’t do that to yourself. Your mom is so happy you are here, and she’s not going to begrudge you enjoying yourself and having a few laughs.”
“I guess, only—”
“No only. It’s true.” He tugged her off of the main floor, bringing her back into his arms more like a hug of reassurance than actual dancing. He spoke softly. “You came to give to Maisey, to help her. You need to stay healthy so you can be there for her. Don’t sacrifice your happiness thinking that’s what she wants. Because it’s not true.”
Allison squeezed him tight, nodding her agreement. “You’re right.”
They danced for a few minutes, the music pouring over them gently, others moving around in an easy rhythm.
The room was a little blurry through her tears and she wiped them away as discreetly as she could.
“Gabe?”
“Yeah?” He pulled back and gazed over her face, concern in his expression.
“Thank you.”
He tweaked her nose and motioned toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Ten
Gabe squeezed Allison’s shoulder before leaning over to grab her plate, stacking it with his and making tracks for the clean-up area. The laughter of the Coleman Canada Day gathering that surrounded him was part of why he’d worked so damn hard to come back. To make things work for his family—so they could continue to be a part of the extended family. He scraped the dishes and brought them around the corner to where a makeshift kitchen had been established for washing.
The Six Pack twins were elbow deep in clean up. “Did you lose a bet?” Gabe asked.
“Shut up,” Jesse snapped.
Gabe snorted. “You did. You must have, or you two would be so long gone by now we wouldn’t even see your dust.”