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“Oh, sorry, Gabe. The sun made it hard for me to see you. What are you doing in Cactus?”
“You know what I’m doing here!”
The customers in the shop, those sitting at the small tables and others in line to be waited on, were staring at them. Even the two women who worked for Katherine were frozen.
She didn’t know what he was talking about, but she knew she didn’t want to discuss it with an audience. “Why don’t you find a table outside? I’ll bring us some drinks and a snack.”
“It won’t do you any good to try to sweeten me up. It’s not going to work!”
Had the man gone stark raving mad? She hadn’t seen him since she’d turned down his marriage proposal ten years ago. Well, that wasn’t quite true. She’d occasionally seen him from a distance and hastily run in the opposite direction.
But he hadn’t come to visit Mrs. Dawson all that often. For which she’d been grateful.
“I’ll be right out,” she muttered, avoiding everyone’s stare. “Mary, Evelyn, I believe some of our customers are waiting.”
The two ladies snapped out of their stupor and began waiting on the customers again, and Katherine returned to the workroom. She didn’t look to see whether Gabe had followed her suggestion. If he decided to storm out as abruptly as he’d stormed in, she wouldn’t object.
She didn’t need any grief from him.
Putting several of the butterfly cookies on a plate, she loaded the plate on a tray and added two glasses of lemonade, along with napkins and straws.
After taking a deep breath, she pushed her way through the swinging door. She paused when she realized Gabe wasn’t still standing in the middle of her shop.
“He’s outside,” Evelyn whispered.
Katherine gave her employee a calm smile and walked to the glass door. One of her male customers immediately sprang to his feet to hold the door open for her. With a quiet thank-you, she stepped outside.
It was spring in Cactus, when a cool breeze kept the air pleasant and everything was still green. In summer it got hot and the grass turned a dingy brown-green.
But Gabriel Dawson didn’t look like he was enjoying the season. He glowered at her, standing as she approached the table.
With fourteen years experience as a waitress behind her, Katherine set the two glasses and the plate on the table, then added the napkins and straws. She handed the tray to her brother, Paul, who worked for her in the afternoon.
“Thanks, Paul.”
Her words gave her companion pause.
“Paul? Is that you?” Gabe demanded.
When he’d left, Paul had been a seven-year-old who idolized him, following him around whenever he saw him.
“Yeah, Gabe,” Paul said with a grin. After a sharp look from Katherine, he added, “I mean, Mr. Dawson.”
Gabe glared at her again. “I think Gabe will be just fine, Paul. It’s good to see you.” He stuck out his hand and Paul took it.
Katherine was proud of her brother. He worked hard for her without complaint. After her shop closed, he returned home and did the chores. Then he attacked his homework with the same fervor.
He would graduate this year as the valedictorian if his grades held up this last semester.
“You’re all grown-up,” Gabe told her brother, smiling for the first time.
Katherine quickly looked away. That smile had been her world, once upon a time. It hurt too much to see it now.
“Yeah. It’s been a long time,” Paul returned, then glanced hurriedly at his sister. “Well, I’d better—I’ve got things to do. Let me know if I can get you anything.”
“Sure. Thanks. Maybe we can visit later.”
Paul gave a quick nod, followed by another wary look at his sister, before he nodded again and grinned.
Gabe said nothing until Paul had disappeared inside the shop. Then he sat down at the small table and took a drink of lemonade.
Katherine did the same, hoping the liquid would make it easier to talk. When he still said nothing, she ventured a question. “What has upset you?”
His features, somewhat softened by Paul’s presence, hardened, and he looked like a man on a death mission. “Cut the BS, Katie.”
“No one calls me Katie these days. Please call me Katherine.” She didn’t need to be reminded of her youth, when everything had seemed possible.
“Katherine?”
She sighed. “Gabe, tell me why you’re angry. And what it has to do with me.”
“I don’t know how you convinced her to do it, Katie, but I won’t stand for it. You won’t win.” His hands clenched into fists.
It had to be Gran—Mrs. Dawson. She was the only connection between Katherine and Gabe. “What did your grandmother do?” she asked softly.
“You know exactly what she did. She wouldn’t have done such an awful thing if you hadn’t put her up to it.”
“I visited your grandmother, Gabe, because—because she was lonely sometimes. But we never discussed you.” Never, except for once. And Mrs. Dawson had promised never to reveal what Katherine had told her.
“Yeah, don’t try that sob story on me. I talked to Gran every week.”
“I know you did. She was very proud of your accomplishments.” While they’d never discussed Gabe, Mrs. Dawson had always bragged on her grandson. Katherine had figured that was her due.
“So proud she didn’t want to leave me anything?”
Katherine stared at him. When they’d dated, she’d known the Dawsons came from the wealthy side of town. His parents had had a nice house. His father had worked in Lubbock.
It wasn’t until after Gabe left that her world had fallen apart, that she’d discovered his grandmother had money, too. While the Dawsons weren’t as rich as some of the oil-rich families in town, Gabe’s grandmother was well provided for.
“Did she leave it to your father?”
“Don’t play games with me.”
“Gabe, what are you talking about? I swear I don’t know.” And she was getting tired of being accused of something she didn’t understand. “Now, you either explain what has upset you, or go away and stop bothering me.”
“So you didn’t know that she left me her estate on the condition that I marry you?”
His skepticism told her he didn’t believe it. But she was too stunned by what he’d said. Finally she muttered, “That can’t be true.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s true. And you know what’s even better? If I don’t comply with her terms, you get half her estate and the other half goes to charity.” He stood up, putting his fists on the table and leaning toward her. “But don’t think you’ve won. I’m a pretty good lawyer. I’ll find a way around it!”
Then he stalked back across the town square.
Katherine buried her face in her hands. Dear God, what had Gran done? Why? She knew Katie’s secret. But that was no reason to—was that why? Because she’d broken down one day and let her think… She’d talk to Mac. If she refused the bequest, surely that would solve the problem.
Because Gabe was right.
Mrs. Dawson’s solution wasn’t going to happen.
GABE RETURNED to Mac’s office because he didn’t know where else to go. Would he be allowed to go to his grandmother’s house without fulfilling the terms of the will? Should he see if the bed-and-breakfast on the square could take him? What was he going to do?
By the time he reached the reception room, he’d run out of steam. Fortunately, the secretary wasn’t in sight, and he sank down in one of the leather chairs that filled the room.
Lordy, Katie looked good.
As good as she’d looked when she was eighteen and had broken his heart. Maybe even better. She had a woman’s body and face, but she was still slender, with curves in all the right places.
The surge of desire that his anger had hidden hit him full blast. Damn it, he didn’t want her!
Like hell he didn’t.
He had to pull himself together, figure out what to do. He damned sure wasn’t going to let Katie Peters have his grandmother’s money. No way.
“You okay, pal?” Mac asked.
Gabe looked up to find his friend leaning against the door that opened onto the hall, sympathy on his face.
“Yeah, sure, I’m fine. It’s been a shock, of course, but I’m fine.” He was used to role-playing, hiding his weaknesses. A successful lawyer had to.
“Good. I called the other guys, and we wondered if you’d like to have dinner together. Cal married Jessica. You remember Jessica Hoya, don’t you?” At Gabe’s nod, Mac continued, “She’s got a great restaurant, The Last Roundup. We can have steaks and catch up on everything.”
“Yeah, fine, great idea. I’d like to see all of you before I leave town.”
“Leave? You’re not going to do what your grandmother asked?” Mac drew a couple of steps closer, concern on his face.
“Hey, I’m a lawyer. There’ll be a way around it. I’m going to find a way.”
Mac crossed over and sat down in the chair next to Gabe. “Buddy, I’m sorry, but she insisted I fix it so it couldn’t be broken.”
“Come on, Mac, you can’t be serious. She can’t force me into a marriage I don’t want.”
Mac sighed. “She left you an out—if Katherine marries someone else. But if you refuse and Katherine remains single, you lose everything.”
“My marrying Katherine, as she calls herself now, isn’t an option. So just cross that off your list. It’s not going to happen.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. Can I stay at Gran’s place?”
“Sure. You’ve got a year. You don’t lose anything for a year.” He stood up and headed for his office. “I’ll get the keys for you. I’ve had someone go in once a week and open up, dust a little. So everything should be in good shape.”
Gabe sat there, waiting. When Mac came back into sight, he said, “I have another request.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to visit with your mothers.”
“Mothers? Why? I mean, they’ll be glad to see you, of course, but…”
“I need some lessons on matchmaking. Mrs. Katherine Hill is going to marry before the year is out…one way or another.”
Chapter Two
“Alex, this is Katherine Hill at The Lemon Drop Shop.”
“Hi, Katherine. How’s everything going?”
Katherine didn’t bother to pretend. “Not well. I have a problem. Do you have time to see me this afternoon?”
There was a pause and Katherine held her breath.
“Yes, I can talk to you at four-thirty. Does that work with your schedule?”
“Yes, thank you.” The school rush would be slowing down by four-thirty, and her two employees could handle the business. She didn’t think her talk with Alex would take too long. She’d asked for Mac, but he was booked for the rest of the afternoon, and Katherine couldn’t wait that long to get legal advice.
AT FOUR-THIRTY, she crossed the square and entered the law office of Gibbons & Langford. She’d removed her apron, of course, but she wished she’d dressed up. Only, this morning, when she’d started her day at six, she hadn’t expected to need legal advice.
Alex rose and came around the desk to greet her. “I haven’t seen you in a while, Katherine. I had to give up those cinnamon rolls in the mornings. My doctor told me to cut back on sugar.” She gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk as she sat back down.
Katherine sat as she said, “Oh, I’m sorry. Is everything all right?”
“Yes, but I’m expecting again.” Alex beamed.
“How wonderful! Your little girl is almost a year old, isn’t she?”
“Yes. She’ll be eighteen months when this one is born. But enough about me. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here.”
“Do you have to inherit something if it’s left to you?”
Alex frowned slightly. “Do you mean someone has left you something you don’t want?”
“Yes, that’s it, exactly.” Katherine leaned back with a sigh, glad Alex grasped the situation.
“Do you want to give me details?”
“I guess so. Did you meet Mrs. Dawson?” Katherine thought everyone in town knew Mrs. Dawson, but Alex had only been there a couple of years.
“Yes, several times. Mac drew up her will just a few months ago and—she’s the one who left you something?”
