Read Online One Night with her Bachelor by Kat Latham - Free Book Online Page B

a few times, whenever bill collectors had caught up with their mom. But one benefit of being in the military and having no dependents was that Gabriel had saved enough to make a down payment on this single-story, two-bedroom home and given his mom a little breathing room.
    He got out of the truck and blinked against the glare of the sun reflecting off fresh snow. It was lunchtime, and he’d come to show Camila how wrong she was about him and the f-word. Coming into town during the day didn’t make him feel fear.
    It really didn’t.
    So far he’d gone to the store and the post office, just to prove he could. People’s stares had followed him everywhere, warming his back even through his winter coat. Only one person had approached him—old Buck, the cattle auctioneer. He’d been a couple people in front of Gabriel in line at the store and, when he’d noticed Gabriel, had beckoned him forward. Never one to disrespect his elders—unless they were assholes—Gabriel had stepped out of line to say hello.
    “What you did for that boy,” Buck had said, shaking his head. “Remarkable.” He’d stuck out his hand, and Gabriel had forced himself to shake it. Then Buck had put Gabriel’s basket of groceries in front of his and told the checkout woman, “I’m paying for these.”
    Gabriel couldn’t remember ever feeling more uncomfortable.
    He knocked on his mom’s door and waited till he heard the lock tumble. Camila opened it, her face registering her shock, followed by a critical once-over of his whole body.
    He made an exasperated noise. “I washed my hair, my body and my clothes. I’m even wearing deodorant. What else do you want from me?”
    “Can I introduce you to a razor and a mirror? I think you’d really get along.”
    He rolled his eyes. “Baby steps, Mila. Baby steps. The beard stays for now.”
    Personally he felt like a rock star just for being here.
    He kissed her cheek and followed her into the living room, where their mom was buzzing around with a vacuum cleaner. Gabriel’s brows drew together.
    “I told her you might come over while I was here. She’s vacuumed every day, just in case.”
    Their mom looked up, and her face transformed with a huge smile. She tapped her toe against the machine, and it turned off. “Gabriel!”
    “Hi, Mom.” He gave her a big hug. “What’s with the vacuuming?”
    “It’s always dinnertime when you come over.”
    He and Camila exchanged confused looks.
    “You can’t see the dirt after dark. I wanted to make sure everything was nice and clean for you.”
    “O-kay.” He was hardly a neat freak. If she’d ever come out to his cabin, she would know that.
    “Anyway, sit down. Take a load off. Lunch’ll be ready in ten minutes.” She shouted over her shoulder as she put the vacuum away in the hall closet and then went into the kitchen. “Just a tuna casserole, I’m afraid. And a salad and pickled beets. And mashed potatoes. And broccoli. And apple pie for dessert. Or cherry pie, if you’d rather have that. I hope that’ll be enough. I have cold cuts if it isn’t.”
    “It’s just us, Mom,” Camila shouted back. “Not Gabriel’s squadron.”
    They ate and chatted, but halfway through the meal the doorbell rang. Ann stood. “Who on earth?”
    She disappeared into the hall, and Gabriel heard her talking to a woman. He didn’t recognize the voice, but his mom’s voice suddenly turned excited, carrying through the living room and into the kitchen as she said, “What a coincidence! He’s right here.”
    Dread pooled in Gabriel’s belly. Someone was looking for him? Never a good thing—except that one time, when Molly had sought him out. But look how that had turned out.
    Determined to face the intruder bravely, he got up from the table and went to the door, where one of Marietta’s most whispered-about residents stood wearing a triumphant smile.
    Whenever he’d come home on leave, he’d heard talk about Lily Taylor. They’d never actually