Read Gabe (Steele Brothers #6) for Free Online Page A

Ryker and Kane. They go to his gym, right?”
    “Yeah, and apparently his kids are friends with Ryker’s.” I glanced at the fair-haired little angel who reminded me of her mother every time I heard her laugh. “That would make his kids a whole lot older than yours. You two are different stages in your life… no?”
    She rolled her eyes before slipping her sunglasses in place while I stepped back to pull my shirt over my head. “We went out for dinner, Gabe. No wedding plans in our immediate future.”
    “A second date though?” I knew I had no right to ask, but I had to know whether she’d liked this guy enough to see him again.
    “About the zoo,” she said, obviously avoiding my question. “You want to come or not?”
    I looked at Poncho, who was lying on his back, his feet in the air as Char rubbed his belly. “I shouldn’t leave this guy alone for too long.” He was crate trained to avoid any accidents while I was gone, but I felt guilty keeping him cooped up while I went out to have fun. Especially since I had to work all week and weekends we were supposed to hang out together.
    “You’re worried about the dog?” Kendra guessed. Pointing to her friend’s car in the driveway next to hers, she said, “It looks like Liz is home. You know her kids love Poncho almost as much as Char does. I could ask her if she would mind if the puppy hung out with them today.”
    I’d been friends with Liz even before Kendra and her daughter moved in, but I didn’t want to impose.
    My phone was sitting on the truck’s console because I didn’t want to risk getting it wet. I opened the door and grabbed it. “I have a girl who comes by to let Poncho out and walk him while I’m at work. Maybe she wouldn’t mind stopping by today. Let me text her—”
    “Why don’t you let me check with Liz first?” Kendra said, resting her hand on my forearm. “I know her kids would love it and she told me she’s thinking of getting them a puppy. Taking care of Poncho would be good practice for them.”
    I wasn’t convinced that it wasn’t an imposition, but Kendra knew Liz better than I did. “Okay, but if she’s got something else going on, I’m sure I can work something out.” Worst-case scenario, I’d ask one of my nephews or brothers to pass by to check in on the dog.
    “I’ll be right back,” she promised, walking backward. “You don’t mind keeping an eye on Char for a few minutes, do you?”
    “Of course not.”
    I loved spending time with Char and often questioned why Jason didn’t make more of an effort to hang out with his little girl. She really was a sweetheart. Funny, inquisitive, and well-mannered. But also compassionate and a little silly, just like her mama.
    “Char, I’m just going to run next door for a minute,” Kendra told her daughter. “You be good for Gabe and I’ll be right back, okay?”
    “K,” Char said, rubbing Poncho behind the ears when he rolled over and flopped down on his belly, his chin resting on one of her folded legs.
    I braced my foot on the bottom step of my new porch, smiling at the two of them.
    My brothers teased that I should have worked on getting a woman before a dog, but Poncho had been a great addition to my life. And a nice bonus had been the puppy had given me an excuse to spend more time with Char and her beautiful mommy. They often joined me for evening walks or tagged along when I took Poncho to the park.
    “She likes this,” Char said, scratching Poncho’s chin.
    “I think most dogs do.”
    “Did you have a puppy when you were growing up?” Char asked, squinting into the bright sun as she looked up at me.
    “Uh, no. My mother had enough trouble taking care of six rowdy boys without adding a dog to the mix.”
    “You’re lucky. I wish I had a bunch of sisters to play with.”
    I sat down on the bottom step, facing her. “You don’t like being an only child?” I couldn’t say I blamed her. While my brothers and I routinely mixed it up as kids,