Vivian Arend - Rocky Mountain Angel

“My snitch.”

Hell. “Someone spilt the beans to you about your mom being sick?”

Allison nodded, that bottom lip of hers back between her teeth.

“That’s probably wrong in all kinds of ways.”

She nodded again.

Gabe thought quickly. “How about for now you don’t name no names, just, are you positive they got the details right?”

He let her go when she reached for the tissues. “This isn’t some clerical error or wild idea, I saw paperwork. Even without that, it’s someone I trust completely, someone who would know. She only told me because it’s serious, and she’s worried about us losing Mom without any warning.”

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. “Mothers don’t always need much more of a reason than they think it’s best for us. Maybe she doesn’t want you guys to remember how hard it was to lose your dad.”

Allison sniffed. “I think that’s it. She’s wrong, but…she’s right. Losing her is going to be painful. I don’t know how Elle and Paul will take it.”

“So you need an excuse to come back. Your suggestion to fake an engagement seems extreme.”

“I know my mom. I’m pretty sure she’s doing this for our good and all, and yet—the fact she’s keeping it a secret allows her to hold on to her dignity. To remain in charge of her life. How can I barge in and rip that from her? I’ll confront her when necessary, but if she’s only got three to six months left, and I have to lie my ass off during that time to make her happy, I’m willing.”

Allison paced the space between his kitchen and sofa. Half her dilemma made sense to him now, but there were a hell of a lot more answers he needed. He spoke slowly. “So you’ll willingly lie to make her happy. But…and don’t take this the wrong way, but why would I lie to everyone I know? I like your mom plenty, Allison, and I’m damn sorry you have to face this, but…”

Even thinking that it wasn’t really his issue made him feel like all kinds of an asshole for not wanting to go the extra mile for Allison. Yet putting on that kind of a charade in front of the entire clan? What would his ma think when they called it off down the road? What kind of grief would his cousins give him, and how difficult was it going to be in the duration to actually pull it off?

She was right. The situation was tangling his brain into knots, and he’d only been dealing with it for a few minutes.

He sighed. “I’m wondering if you thought this through beyond making your mom’s last days easier. What about your brother and sister? How are they going to like finding out you’ve lied to them?”

Allison paused in the middle of wearing a hole in his hardwood floor. “The plan is to let them know eventually, but the most important part is making sure my mom is all right. I have gone over this again and again. I know you’d have to lie as well, and while I feel terrible about it, I don’t feel bad enough to give up asking. I’ll make it worth your while to help me.”

Gabe pulled his jaw off the floor. “Did you just offer to pay me to pretend to be your fiancé?”

Allison snorted and leaned back on the fridge. “I’m so about to pass out, I couldn’t be doing a worse job explaining this if I were drunk. No. No money, but if you’re still interested in making your section of the Coleman ranch turn organic? I promise that I will do everything I can to help you. I know regs, I know who works the front lines and can fast-track inspections. I will advise and work with you, and save you time and money. Nothing illegal, but very valuable if you’re serious about going green.”

It was the one thing she could offer that was more valuable than money. The one thing that could render him speechless. He sat without saying a word because suddenly his brain was flooded with all the ideas and information he’d researched over the past two years. All the things he’d longed to put into place to make the Angel section of the Coleman ranch a success.

He’d have to convince his father.

But…not even Ben could turn down this kind of help. The realization that the fake relationship between him and Allison might help move them past the current stalemate hit like a load of bricks.

Ben didn’t accept advice easily from anyone, especially not a woman, but if Gabe was getting what came down to valuable expert advice for free from a family member? His tight-fingered father would have a difficult time turning away that kind of an offer.

“Gabe?”

Allison stared at him in concern, and he realized he’d been silent for a lot longer than he planned.

He shook his head slowly. “You said you weren’t sure how to tell your story, and I’ll toss that right back at you. I’m not exactly sure how to respond.”

“You still interested in making changes?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

Allison nodded. “I can’t guarantee anything, Gabe. I don’t know the specific details of your land’s history or anything yet, so I can’t tell you timelines or even if you can successfully make the switch. But if you do this for me, I promise to work with you until you’re happy with the results, or you say you’ve had enough trying. I’ll even add a contract for you to provide as much as we can use at the restaurant. Standard prices for standard product for five years. No matter how long our fake engagement lasts, you’ll have that.”

Gabe rose to stare out the window over the nearest section of Coleman land. He imagined it producing enough to support his family, no worries if this was the year they’d have to beg for a handout. He swung to examine Allison again, taking in the sadness and frustration that clung to her like a thick coat. “You’re not a very good bargainer. That’s far too open-ended and generous an offer, and now I feel like a shit for needing to be convinced to help you.”

She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. “Then you’ll do it?”

He was closer to an answer than he should be, but he wasn’t going to let her rush either of them into something they’d regret. “Hang on a minute. I ain’t saying no. I’m still not a hundred percent sure I should say yes, but you’ve made it damn tempting.”

She shot across the room to grab his hands. “I know it’s crazy, but Mom’s been everything to us, Gabe. She kept us together after Dad died, and she’s always been there for us. Losing her is going to be so hard but…” her voice hitched once before she pulled it back together, “…but making her last days extra special is what I want to give to her. Please?”

Great. She’d been reduced to begging. That hadn’t been part of the original plan, or at least she was pretty sure it wasn’t on her list. Exhaustion poured over her in waves, and she was barely keeping vertical. This first step had to be finished now, though, if she was going to pull off the entire ploy.

Sneaking out on horseback to Gabe’s had been a bit of a wild impulse. He was right, she could have called him, but calling wouldn’t have let her double-check that he really had a place of his own like she’d heard through the grapevine. That was a vital discovery to make, because while she liked him, and their background interests overlapped so well, no way she would have asked him to join her in the facade if living next door to his parents for any length of time had been part of the deal.

Overall, the four Coleman clans were well respected in Rocky. Some more than others—some of the boys had earned a reputation for troublemaking. Like any big family they had their black sheep, and to Allison, that phrase conjured up images of Ben Coleman. Ben Coleman in a devil suit carrying a pitchfork. He had always scared her a little. That Gabe was related to the rough man made her shake her head and think even better of the son for making his own decisions and marching to his own beat.