She stared at the gun he’d tucked into the back of his jeans. “I should tell you that I don’t like weapons of any kind.”
Gabe stared at her in mock horror.“Really?You could have fooled me.”
“I’m serious. Guns freak me out. I don’t care whether they’re stun guns, tasers, or guns with bullets. All of them are dangerous.”
“Only when you don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Maybe.” Natalie slid into the truck. While Gabe adjusted his seat, she checked her cell phone. “Mom’s flight must be on time. She was going to text me if her plane was delayed.”
“Where does she live?”
“Indianapolis. When my grandparents died she moved from Bozeman and bought a house around the corner from her sister.”
“Are you and your mom close?”
Natalie thought about the long phone calls and unexpected gifts they sent each other. “Yes. After my parents divorced I didn’t see dad very much. Mom means the world to me.”
“Have you thought about living in Indianapolis?”
“I have, but I’m not sure I want to live there.” She turned right and headed out of town. “When I was younger, I thought moving away from Montana sounded exciting. Going to college in New York City was a dream come true. But it didn’t take long to miss what we had in Bozeman and Sapphire Bay. Nothing beats waking up to birds singing in the trees and hiking in clean, fresh air.”
She glanced across the cab. “What about you? Before you moved here, had you ever thought about living in a small town?”
Gabe shook his head. “My job was in New York City and my family was in Brooklyn. Leaving wasn’t an option.”
“And now?”
“I’m not sure.”
Natalie thought about the person who was stalking Gabe and the constant worry about what they’d do next. She didn’t blame him for not knowing where he wanted to live.
“What’s your mom like?” Gabe asked.
She grinned. “I hate to say this, but she’s an awful lot like me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Wait until you see us together. Mom’s like a human dynamo. She never slows down.”
“It sounds as though we’re going to have a busy day.”
Gabe didn’t realize how right he was. The festival was one of the biggest events in Polson. There would be people, food, and cherry-themed activities everywhere. It was the perfect place for a runaway novelist, a reclusive painter, and a mom who wanted to make sure her daughter was okay.
* * *
Gabe searchedthe faces of the people coming through the arrivals gate. So far, he hadn’t seen anyone who looked like Natalie.
“There she is.” Natalie walked toward a woman wearing a blue dress.
He wasn’t surprised he hadn’t seen a family resemblance because there wasn’t one. Natalie’s mom was a few inches shorter than her daughter. Blond hair, cropped close to her head, framed a smiling face. If Gabe had to guess her age, he’d say she was in her late fifties, but he could be wrong.
So far, she hadn’t looked away from her daughter.
Natalie wrapped her arms around her mom and gave her a hug. It was the kind of reunion that made him homesick for his own parents. It had been too long since he’d last seen them, but he wasn’t taking any chances with their safety.
After she’d finished hugging her mom, Natalie brought her across to meet him. “Gabe, this is my mom, Kathleen Armstrong. Mom, this is Gabe, the man who’s renting grandma and granddad’s cottage.”
Gabe took off his baseball cap and held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Armstrong.”
