Page 49 of Gabriel & Skye

Guilty as charged.

12

Skye

I dress in a pair of floaty black high-waisted pants and a short-sleeved teal colored blouse. Opting for flats seems like a good idea, since I’m doing the school run. I wear my long hair up in a high ponytail and tie a ribbon in my hair.

I keep my makeup minimal and understated, but still give my lashes a generous helping of mascara to make my eyes pop.

Gran has kindly lent me her car again, because she doesn’t need it all that much, and she says she can use Gramps’ Camry if she needs to go anywhere.

I’m in high spirits for the day, and for the rest of the week. I ended up exchanging numbers with both Georgia and Celeste, and we’re all on for Friday night drinks at Moose’s. I chuckle to myself thinking about the way Georgia described the moose-riding entertainment called ‘the raging moose’.

Stoney Creek’s version of a raging bull ride where you have to hang on for dear life.

Apparently, Hudson holds the record for the longest time on the Moose-ride. Being an ex-bull rider, I guess he’s experienced.

I’m not sure I’ll be tackling the raging moose anytime soon, but it could be fun watching the others. I can’t quite imagine petite Georgia-Blue being thrown around on a giant moose while she tries to hang on, but she says she’s pretty good at it. Maybe on Friday she’ll demonstrate her moose-riding skills.

I’m excited about today. I ended up telling Aunt May at my shift yesterday about my new job with Gabriel Bassett, and that I can still do Thursday this week. I can also still help in the mornings if not doing the school run.

She was more than understanding and glad that Gabriel had found me to help out. She was happy for me to keep a couple of shifts here and there if I wanted, but I’m kinda hoping the new barista works out, so I’m off the hook.

I guess I’ll see how the day goes. I’ll have a couple of days to learn the ropes with Geraldine before she leaves next week. Travis is starting Monday and will be learning the ropes from Hank in his new role as sheriff. I’ve told him to enjoy the freedom while it lasts because he only has this week left. He loves what he does and is chomping to start.

I navigate to the distillery again with ease. There are signposts, but they’re all to the parking area and tasting rooms. I pull into the entryway, where the gates adjoining the large limestone wall are swung open. I pull out my cell to check Gabe’s instructions.

So if I keep traveling down the straight dirt road for about half a mile, I should find the turning. Seems easy enough.

I pull back onto the dirt road and continue forward until I find the other unmarked entrance. There’s an automatic gate that’s been left open. I drive straight in and through a canopy of trees from either side, creating a kind of tunnel effect. I hit the bend, and the road diverts right, and then left. His instructions were to keep on driving past Brooklyn’s large homestead with stables on the right, another half mile, and his place is on the left.

It amazes me that the farm is this huge. It expands for as far as the eye can see. Rows and rows of barley grow on either side, creating a real country feel. Travis said the whole family lives on the property which I think is pretty awesome, and why not? They have the space.

After a few more bends, I finally see his house in the distance.

It’s a single story and has huge glass windows at the front with a sloping, mono-pitched roof in dark gray with cladding on the outside. It has a mixture of contemporary with hints of rustic charm, but it’s also very eye-catching.

The trees surround the back of the property for miles. The house just kind of nestles into the backdrop, looking completely at ease with itself. It’s homey, I decide.

I know I really don’t know a thing about Gabriel Bassett, but when I drive up to his house and take a look at the sleek lines and soft edges of his house, I get the impression that this place is really his style. It suits him. And it is just a little bit adorable that a CEO like Gabriel lives on a farm with chickens over in a pen on one side of the house, and a veggie garden on the other.

I shut off the engine and straighten myself out before I step onto the gravel driveway, relieved I wore flats. I walk up to the huge wooden front door and ring the bell.

I hear running footsteps a few moments later, and then the door swings open.

I look down and see Trinity smiling and waving her bunny toward me. Gabe follows behind, catching onto the door before it swings back.

“Good morning,” I say brightly as Trinity leaps forward and hugs me around the legs.

Gabriel stares at her, surprised, to say the least. “Trin, let Skye get in the doorway.” He glances at me apologetically. “Good morning.”

“Hi. And what a lovely greeting, Trinity. Do you remember me from the Bake’ n’ Shake on the weekend?”

“Yep, Bwake and I had wocky wode!”

“Aw, that’s right, you did. How was it?”

“It was great!” Bunnykins does a little dance and I can’t help but laugh.

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