The sun had already set by the time Gabriel approached Brookfield. He had sent Lillian a telegram before he left saying he would be back tonight and that he would be out to see her in the morning. If it was just him, Gabriel would have stopped by the orphanage before coming into town. However, it wasn't just him and though Billy had been cooperative and easy going throughout the entire trip. There had not been one complaint from the boy but Gabriel knew exactly how tiring the trip was. Having Billy with him had meant more frequent stops than he would have made if he was on his own, as the boy wasn't use to riding on horseback. Right then, all Gabriel wanted to do was get Billy home.
Home?
Gabriel had never referred to those two rooms behind the Mounted Police Office as home before. They had simply been living quarters, just like at all the other posts he had been at since becoming a Mountie. Home had always been his parents' ranch. Yes, he had felt a draw to Brookfield that was unlike he had felt at any of his other postings. He liked the town. He liked the people. That was why he had come back. Well, that and the unsettling feeling that there had been something more to the bank robbery. As he had told the man that shot him - giving up just wasn't in his nature.
However, his connection to Brookfield had been the people not the town. Home had still been his parents' ranch. Or so he had thought. Gabriel had figured once he and Lillian were married and living together he would feel differently. He just hadn't expected it this soon.
The building and the town had not changed. Clearly something had.
Gabriel felt Billy rest his head against his back and suddenly Gabriel had his answer. Having Billy with him is what made those two rooms feel like home. Letting go of the reigns with one hand, Gabriel let his gloved hand rest on Billy's mittened one that was holding onto him.
"We're almost home, Billy," Gabriel told the boy. "I will get you settled there and then get Apollo settled in his stall."
"No," Billy replied lifting his head from Gabriel's back. "I want to help you get Apollo settled. Please?"
Gabriel smiled. "All right," he agreed, knowing that the task would be more enjoyable with the boy at his side.
After getting Apollo settled in his stall, Billy having brushed the horse out while Gabriel took care of the tack and gear. Gabriel watched the boy carefully, noticing that he seemed stiff while moving around the barn at first. By the time Apollo was settled though, the stiffness in Billy's movements was gone though he still seemed tired.
Lifting their belongings in one hand, Gabriel put the other arm around the boy's shoulders. "Let's go get you fed and into bed," he told the boy.
"I'm not tired," Billy said, though the statement was followed by a yawn.
Gabriel chuckled. "You were saying?"
"Maybe I am a little tired," Billy admitted. "I suppose climbing in bed would be nice."
"For you and me both," Gabriel said, as they walked toward the Mounted Police Office.
Not even wanting to think about work tonight, Gabriel bypassed the entrance through the office, instead leading Billy along the side of the building to the living quarters entrance. As he approached the door though, a flickering light caught his attention. It was clear that someone was inside. He just didn't know who or why. As he knew, he had pulled the blind when he left, apparently the person inside did not care about being noticed. It still did not sit well with him.
Stopping, Gabriel put the gear he was carrying down against the building. "Billy, I want you to stay right here," he told the boy.
"Is something wrong?" Billy asked.
"I am not sure," Gabriel said. "Just stay there," he repeated, even as he undid the snap on his holster. Though he was not in uniform, he still had traveled wearing the baldric so that his gun was handy if he had needed it.
Now, leaving a worried looking Billy behind, Gabriel walked slowly toward the door and the window beyond. Though his pistol still rested in the holster, he let his hand hover near it, ready to draw it if necessary.
Walking cautiously past the door, Gabriel went to the window. He peered cautiously into it, not wanting to be seen by whoever was inside. Seeing a familiar redhead at the stove, Gabriel let his hand fall from his gun feeling silly at his paranoia.
Turning from the window, Gabriel went back to Billy. "Go on inside. It is just Miss Walsh," he told the boy, reaching down for the gear he had put down.
"Bet you feel silly," Billy said with a grin as he headed for the door.
Gabriel chuckled. The boy definitely had a point. Still, in his field it was better to be overly cautious rather than caught by surprise.
"Hello, Billy," Lillian greeted as Billy walked into the room. "I thought I would have the place warmed up and a meal waiting for you and Gabriel after your long trip."
"Hello, Miss Walsh. It smells good."
"I will second that opinion," Gabriel said, stepping into the room behind Billy. "Hello, Lillian," he added, closing the door and placing his gear down on the floor next to it. "This is a nice surprise," he added as Lillian crossed over to him.
"That is what I was going for," Lillian told him, holding the stirring spoon she held out to the side as she moved in close for a kiss.
"Gabe thought you were an intruder," Billy commented as he stood by the stove as he removed his outer clothing.
Lillian took a step back, an amused smile on her face. "An intruder?" she asked. As her gaze moved from the sheepish look on Gabriel's face down lower, she noticed the still unsnapped holster. "Were you going to shoot me?" she teased.
"I never drew the gun," Gabriel said, holding up his hands in submission. "Though maybe next times tell me, you plan on being here to greet me when I get home. Not that I don't appreciate it, but surprising a Mountie is not necessarily a good thing."
"I will keep that in mind," Lillian replied as she turned and returning to the stove, stirring the contents of one of the pots.
"I'll start taking our things back to the bedroom," Billy commented, his hat, mittens and coat under one arm as he moved toward the pile of things by the door. He grabbed a few things and headed for the bedroom.
"I started the stove in there as well, so it should be warm by now," Lillian told him.
"Thank you, Miss Walsh," the boy said as he disappeared into the room.
Alone with Lillian, Gabriel moved over to the stove to stand behind her. Gabriel put his hands around her waist, making sure not to hinder the movements of her arms as she tended to the dinner she had started. "I missed you," he told her, placing his cheek against hers.
Despite the fact that Gabriel's skin was still cold, Lillian let her cheek rest against him as she put the spoon down on the stove. Her hands, came to rest over top of Gabriel's still gloved hands.
"I missed you, too," Lillian told him. "I really did not mean to worry you," she added. "The idea to have a fire going and dinner ready for you when you and Billy came home came to me this afternoon. I did not consider the fact that you might think someone had broken in or something."
"It is fine," Gabriel told her. "I always check out a situation before I go into it. You really are a nice surprise to come home to," he added, placing a kiss on her neck.
Lillian giggled at the feeling of Gabriel's cold lips against her neck. "You really are cold."
"Being near you is starting to warm me up," Gabriel whispered in her ear before placing a kiss there as well.
"I am sure," Lillian replied. "However, the food is ready, so why don't you get out of your winter clothing while I get it on the table."
"All right," Gabriel said, placing another quick kiss to the side of her neck before letting Lillian go. "Are you eating with us?"
"That was the plan," Lillian said as she moved rice from the pan to a serving bowl that she had brought from home knowing that Gabriel's dishes were limited.
"Good," Gabriel replied.
It wasn't long before the three of them were seated at the table together enjoying dinner. As he put butter on his roll, Gabriel found himself looking forward to this would be a normal daily activity. Granted, there would be a few more people around the table out at the Orphanage but he was okay with that as long as Lillian was there with him.
"So Gabriel, what do you know about chickens?" Lillian asked as she put a slice of ham from the platter onto her plate.
"Chickens?" Gabriel asked, surprised by the question. "How did that topic come out?"
"Vincent and Christian asked if they could have some chickens. Grace's idea about getting a cow for the milk and making cheese and butter from it has actually worked out well. I figured having a source of eggs might be beneficial too, as well as give the boys a project. Not that I know any thing about keeping chickens."
Gabriel smiled. "It would probably be good to wait until warmer weather to get them, but I can help with that project. Use to help my mom with her chickens when I was a boy."
"What about your sisters?"
"With the exception of Angela, my sisters would not go near the coop. They did not care for the racket they made when you tried to retrieve the eggs and claimed they stunk. I will talk to my mom. I may even be able to get your starter flock from her if her flock is doing well."
"I would appreciate any help you can give me," Lillian told him.
"I can even get Christian and Vincent to help me build the coop and pen."
Lillian nodded and looked down at Billy. "Perhaps you would like to join them, Billy," she suggested.
"Could I?" Billy asked looking from Lillian to Gabriel.
"The more the merrier," Gabriel replied, giving the boy an encouraging smile.
When Billy looked down at his plate with a smile on his face, Gabriel looked over at Lillian and mouthed 'thank you'. Lillian nodded in response, happy to work on getting Billy to feel like he was a part of things out at the orphanage even before he started calling the place home.
"Miss Maggie, Valentine's day is in two days?" Billy commented one afternoon as he helped Maggie unpack a crate of supplies that arrived.
"It is," Maggie agreed. "What brought that subject up?"
"We were making decorations in school today for the class party we are going to have on Valentine's Day."
"That sounds like fun," Maggie said.
Billy nodded. "Are you and Mr. Moody doing anything special that day?"
Maggie smiled. "We are. I am going to have Mr. Moody out to my house and cook him dinner."
"Will he buy you flowers?"
"I sure hope so," Maggie replied.
Billy nodded and was quiet for a bit. Then he spoke again. "Gabe and I are going out to the orphanage for dinner. He bought Miss Walsh a box of chocolates but Miss Walsh wants to let Miss Bennett and Mr. Stewart have dinner together at the hotel so she is staying home."
"Well that is sweet of her," Maggie ventured, still trying to figure out where the boy was going with the conversation.
"It is, but Gabe has been so kind to me. I want him to have a special Valentine's Day too. Instead he has to share his time with me and the other children."
Maggie nodded. "The fact that he and Miss Walsh can be together might make it special to them even with all you children around," Maggie told him. "However, perhaps you and the other children could do something nice for Gabriel and Miss Walsh."
"Like what? We are just kids."
Maggie smiled. "That is true but I am sure you could do something to make the evening special."
Billy nodded and thought about what she said as they continued to work. Finally he spoke again. "What if we let Gabe and Ms. Walsh eat alone at the table. Us kids could serve them dinner and then have a picnic in the living room if Ms. Winters would be okay with supervising us."
Maggie smiled. "I have a feeling Ms. Winters could be convinced to help out and I bet the other children would love to be a part of the surprise."
"Could you take me out there to ask?" Billy asked.
Maggie nodded. She had no patients and the supplies could wait. "Let's go," she informed him.
Maggie and Billy bundled up against the cold. Then, after a quick detour for Maggie to leave a quick note for Gabriel that she had taken Billy out to the orphanage in case he got back before they returned, the two set out across the snow-covered field for New Hope Orphanage.