Clouds and Rain

possible either.”
    “I guess I never gave up hoping that I‟d find a way,” Flynn confessed. “Don‟t ask me how I was going to manage that, but when that doctor told me I was infertile, my world fell apart.” Gable squeezed him tightly and Flynn had to admit it felt good. “The only up side was when you agreed to be the donor. At least I‟d get to watch your kids grow up, even if it was just from afar.”
    “I can ask Calley to share it with you, Flynn. I think if I explain it to her, she‟d be more than willing.”
    Flynn shook his head.
    “Frankly, I think she needs someone to share these feelings with.
    She‟s so afraid to be happy, so afraid that things will go wrong again, 219

    Zahra Owens

    and Bill‟s not feeling like a dad yet, so he‟s ignoring them too,” Gable continued. “It‟s so strange to feel the babies move inside her. They‟re so real. I think I felt a foot when one of them kicked, a tiny little foot, like you can sometimes feel a hoof through a mare‟s belly when the foal is about to be born. I know you‟ve felt that, Flynn. I saw you patting the mares more than once just before they foaled.” Flynn nodded this time, both acknowledging what Gable had said and conceding that Gable was right. He wanted to share Calley‟s baby joy. His sadness was slowly dissipating as he realized that Gable understood him. There was one thing he wanted to clarify, though.
    “I‟m not jealous that you‟re their biological father, Gabe.” His arm hooked underneath Gable‟s, they turned to the side and started walking, a horse at either side.
    “Oh?”
    “I‟d probably mess that up too. Didn‟t exactly have the best role model where fathering is concerned.”
    “I have no doubt you would make one hell of a father, Flynn.” Flynn looked at Gable suspiciously and then returned his gaze to the path they were walking. “I just hope we‟ll get more than a casual glance of them growing up. I‟ll settle for watching to see if I recognize certain things about you in them.” At that moment Bridget squeezed herself between them.
    “Go on home, girl,” Gable said, patting her behind. “Stop coming between my man and me,” he added with a laugh.
    Bridget ran ahead, but not much. She made sure she was always watching them.
    “She‟s your baby, isn‟t she?”
    Gable nodded. “And her mother before her.”
    “Ever thought of letting her have puppies?” Gable smiled. “Tried. Didn‟t work. She and the male dog didn‟t exactly get along and although he had his way with her a few times, no puppies for Bridget. She‟s a bit old now.”
    “She‟s happy, though.”

    220

    Clouds and Rain

    “She‟s got two dads. She should be,” Gable concluded. “You feeling a bit better now?”
    Flynn nodded. “Thanks.”

    THE next Saturday, they drove to Hunter‟s ranch after morning chores and found the outline of the new house already staked out. As they got out of the truck, Hunter darted over to them like a young puppy.
    “They delivered quite a bit of the lumber on Thursday and we put the flags up when everything was still covered in snow,” Hunter said eagerly. “What do you think? Does it look good?” Gable looked over at the short spikes sticking out of ground and the red and white ribbon between them. He raised his eyebrows when he realized the new house was bigger than his own ranch house.
    “Are you sure the four of us can manage building this?” Hunter smiled. “Tim and Hugh are going to help, as well as some of the ranch hands who are eager for some extra money. And there‟s no real rush. We have a roof over our heads.”
    “Speak for yourself, Cowboy,” Grant interrupted, knocking Hunter‟s hat off his head. “I can‟t wait for us to get our own place.” Hunter swatted at Grant, trying to grab back his hat, and would have tackled him if Grant hadn‟t been so steady on his feet. With Hunter still hanging half around his neck, Grant looked at Gable and smiled. “Thanks for helping us out.”
    Gable tipped his hat. “You‟re welcome.” He watched how Hunter turned and started tickling Grant.
    “There‟s coffee and lemonade and sandwiches under the tarp there,” Hunter said while he and Grant walked to greet another group of helpers approaching.
    “Thanks,” Gable replied.
    “Told you he‟d be fine,” Flynn said after the others were out of earshot.
    Flynn hugged Gable from behind, and although Gable‟s instant reaction was to freeze up, he tried to