More Than Neighbors by Janice Kay Johnson Page B

afraid she’d be outside hovering.
    Her several phone conversations with Audrey had wandered from the subject of reliable local plumbers, electricians and carpenters into personal interests. It had turned out that not only was Audrey a fount of local knowledge, she was a quilter like Ciara used to be, when she had time.
    “He’s been really nice to Mark,” she said now, pretending her ears weren’t acutely tuned to the sounds outside. As long as there weren’t any screams...
    Surely they’d give up soon, as chilly as it was out there. She’d peered out earlier to see the thermometer reading only forty-two degrees Fahrenheit. They were now in the first week of May. When was spring around here? June? she thought indignantly. July? And neither Gabe nor Mark was bundled up the way she would have been, if she were doing outside work.
    “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never seen him be anything but kind,” the other woman assured her, in a tone that suggested she was giving the devil his due. “He rides in cutting-horse competitions. I don’t know if you’re aware of that.”
    “He’s mentioned it.”
    The whine was replaced by silence then the steady thud of nails being driven. Thank God. Mark would live with a swollen thumb.
    “Gabe has friends from that. But otherwise...” Audrey hesitated. “He stays to himself.”
    “I...had that impression,” Ciara admitted. “Would you like a refill?”
    “Thanks.” Audrey grinned. “Your coffee is better than my coffee.”
    Rising, Ciara found the empty bag that had held the beans and held it up so the other woman could see the logo featuring a stylized bull. “Chimayo Coffee Company. I don’t suppose the local store carries it, but it’s worth ordering online.”
    Audrey accepted a fresh cup, inhaling the rich, dark aroma. “I’m sold.”
    It had been a long time since Ciara had made a new friend, so she was warmed by this budding relationship. She knew Audrey was the driving force; between work and being a single mother, Ciara didn’t have time to look for activities where she’d meet other women.
    Men—well, she was off men. A disquieting whisper suggested, Except for Gabe .
    Ridiculous. He was a godsend for Mark, assuming he didn’t abruptly lose interest. That was all.
    “He was married and had a daughter, you know,” Audrey said abruptly.
    “What?” Had a daughter? Alarm speared Ciara. What did that mean? He’d lost contact?
    “I’m not just gossiping,” this new friend said slowly, before making a face. “Oh, well, I guess it is gossip, but you should know.”
    “Know what?”
    The steady beat of the hammer was like background music. Occasionally, she heard Mark’s voice, but Gabe’s was too deep and quiet to carry. Plus, she suspected he said only an occasional few words of direction or encouragement. He wasn’t a big talker. The couple of times he’d come to dinner now, she could tell he’d been making an effort.
    “His little girl was only five. She’d just started kindergarten.” Audrey’s brown eyes were fixed on the past. This wasn’t just gossip; sadness had transformed her plump, usually happy face, reminding Ciara that, in a town this size, everyone knew everyone. “They’d gone to see The Lion King at the INB Performing Arts Center in Spokane. Abby was so excited. On their way home, a drunk driver ran a red light and rammed into the passenger side of Gabe’s truck. Abby was killed immediately. His wife, Ginny, lived for a couple of days in a coma but never came out of it. He was a quiet man even before that, but since then...he’s never been the same.”
    Ciara had listened with horror. Of course he’d never been the same! If Mark was killed, what would she have to live for? And his wife and child both? For the first time, she fully understood the desperate reluctance she’d seen on his face when Mark had been so insistent on being friendly. It was a miracle that Gabe had let down his guard as much as he had.
    “That