by Katie Ashley
“That’s right.”
“But after spending a little time with me and seeing me in the process, don’t you believe me now?”
Rae’s dark eyes held mine for a long moment. “Yes, I do.”
Inwardly, I did a fist bump. “Does that mean you’ll reconsider hanging out with me?”
“I don’t know…maybe.”
“I promise I won’t interfere with your life or with Linc’s. When you have some downtime, you can just hit me up.”
“You mean you don’t want to follow me around all day?”
I laughed. “Would that be so horrible?”
“It certainly wouldn’t be ideal.”
“I’ll take whatever you can give me, Rae.”
She slowly nodded her head. “Okay. I guess I can try to make time to hang out with you.”
“Can you try not to make it sound like it’s absolute torture being in my presence?”
A small smile curved her lips. “It’s a hard job, but I’ll give it a shot.”
“Good. Why don’t I come by for breakfast in the morning?”
Rae’s smile faded slightly. “Oh, I don’t know. The mornings are kinda hectic with my sisters and me trying to get to work and getting Linc to school.”
“Just sit me at the table. I promise you won’t even know I’m there.”
With a roll of her eyes, Rae said, “Considering I’ll have to make sure I’m decent, I’m pretty sure I’ll know you’re there.”
“Please don’t feel you have to be decent on my account.” I waggled my brows at her.
She groaned. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
I laughed. “Yep. You did.”
“Fine. You can come by in the morning, but just be warned that while my younger sister will be drooling over you, my older sister will be out for your balls.”
“Damn. Do I even want to know why your sister has an axe to grind with me?”
“Let’s just say I filled her in on what happened between us the other day.”
“I see. I’ll be sure to steer clear of her, especially if she’s carrying a knife.”
Rae laughed, and I could help noticing how good it sounded. I certainly hadn’t heard it much; I supposed I hadn’t given her very many reasons to laugh.
“Since she owns a bakery, that wouldn’t be out of the norm.”
“Wait, is it the one down the street from the Grandview?”
With a nod, Rae replied, “Yep. Harts and Flowers. The longer you’re in town, the more you’ll find that all the stores and businesses are either on or right off Main Street.”
“That’s good to know. I’ll have to stop in there.” Grinning, I added, “After I try to smooth things over with her tomorrow.”
“Good luck with that one.”
At that moment, the wide brim of Aunt Sadie’s red hat came around the corner, and she eyed the two of us suspiciously. “Are you trying to cut out on the check, Mr. Rich and Famous?” she demanded.
I laughed. “No ma’am, I’m not.”
“May begged to buy his dinner,” Rae piped up in my defense.
“If you’re not trying to run out on the check, what other nefarious things are the two of you doing back here?”
Rae sighed. “We’re not doing anything, Aunt Sadie.”
“Unfortunately,” I quipped with a wink.
While an Aha! look flashed in Aunt Sadie’s eyes, Rae appeared ready to kick me in the balls. “I thought Linc told you what was going on with Gabe and his songwriting,” Rae said.
“He did, but what am I supposed to think when the two of you don’t come back immediately?”
“Maybe that we’re talking?”
“Mmhmm,” she harrumphed.
“You’re impossible,” Rae replied as she brushed past her aunt.
Aunt Sadie whirled around, suprisingly agile for an old lady. “I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want the gossip tongues in town wagging about how you were found in a compromising position with a strange man.”
“It would be a nice change from ‘Poor Rae, she’s never going to find a husband working in a man’s job like she does’ or ‘Men don’t like strong women who act like they don’t need a man.’”
“That’s bullshit,” I muttered.
Rae’s brows shot up. “Excuse me?”
“The part about men not liking strong women.”
“I’m sorry to disagree with you, but it’s often been the case for me,” Rae replied.
“Then you’re obviously surrounded by a bunch of little boys in this town, rather than men,” I countered.
Rae’s stony expression melted before my eyes. As she stared almost incredulously at me, it was like she was seeing me for the first time—or maybe she was seeing the real me for the first time and not the opinion of me she’d formed in her mind. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“You don’t have to thank me for calling it as I see it.”
“Regardless, I’m grateful that you’re able to see it that way. I wish more men could be like you.”
“You might be rethinking that statement as you get to know me better,” I countered.
With a grin, Rae said, “I might. We’ll just have to see.” She jerked her chin toward the front of the restaurant. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“While mine is covered, I would like to buy yours and Linc’s dinners.” I winked at Aunt Sadie. “And your pie.”
“You really don’t need to do that,” Rae protested.
“But I want to, for your trouble.”
She laughed. “The trouble of hanging out with you?”
“Exactly.”
“Okay then, I’ll let you get dinner—but just this time.”
“That seems fair to me.” As we started back to the table, I asked, “What time should I come by tomorrow morning?”
“We usually get up between six and six thirty.”
Linc made a face. “That’s when you get up. I don’t get up until around seven.”
“That’s because you’re young and can look super cute in five minutes. It takes me and your aunts way longer.”
With a laugh, I said, “How about I see you at seven?”
“That sounds good.”
“See you tomorrow, Rae.”
“Bye, Gabe.”
Something in the way she said my name took me by surprise, and I couldn’t help glancing back at her. God, she really was gorgeous. It was no wonder she’d become my muse, and if I was right, she was softening toward me. My plan was starting to work.
Normally when the alarm clock went off in the mornings, I blew through three or four snooze alarms. On this day, however, the instant I heard the shrill decibels going off, I threw back the covers and practically sprinted from the bed. There was no way in hell I was going to let Gabe Renard catch me not dressed, least of all not looking my absolute best.
As I showered at record speed, I couldn’t help slightly regretting telling Gabe to come by the house. Although I was being silly, there was a small part of me that didn’t want him seeing where I lived. It wasn’t so much about keeping things somewhat impersonal, but more about me worrying what he might think of the house. I was sure when he was off the road, he lived in some palatial mansion with a butler and a housekeeper while I lived at home with my two sisters, my son, and my geriatric aunt. It was hardly glamorous, not to mention most men found it rather unattractive.
After I got out of the shower, I pushed those thoughts out of my head and focused on my appearance. Most mornings I just dried my hair before sweeping it back into a ponytail. Today, I put extra gel and product into it. I also left it down and flowing over my shoulders. As for my makeup, I went so far as to put on lip liner, which I only used for special occasions. When I pursed my fuller lips at the mirror, I knew I’d made the right choice.
When I went into the kitchen, I expected to find both Kennedy and Ellie in their bathrobes with their usual bed hair. After breaking the news to them the night before
that Gabe was coming to hang out with me before work, I should have known they would pull out all the stops. Both were already outfitted in their work attire with perfectly coiffed hair and gorgeous faces.
A pang of jealously shot through my chest at their appearances. Although I hated myself for it, I couldn’t help thinking Gabe might find one of them hotter than me. Even worse, what if him writing songs in my presence was just a fluke and suddenly he was able to make music with Kennedy or Ellie?
Great. Gabe wasn’t even there yet, and he was already bringing out the worst in me. First, it was completely uncharacteristic of me to feel threatened by my sisters. I always wanted the best for them in life, especially when it came to love, and I knew they felt the same about me. Although it would be hard when one of us found someone and moved out, we ultimately wanted each other to be happy.
Second, I couldn’t believe I even cared if Gabe was attracted to them. I mean, it wasn’t like I wanted him for myself. I wasn’t remotely interested in pursuing anything with Gabe other than a relationship built on a professional basis, i.e. his songwriting.
But something had happened the previous night at dinner. Children were always a good judge of character, and Linc had a finely tuned radar for fakeness. He hadn’t just been star-struck by Gabe; he’d found someone who genuinely took an interest in him.
As for me, I hated to admit it, but I’d been charmed as well by the fact that Gabe seemed interested in the mundane aspects of my life.
Inwardly, I rolled my eyes at how delusional I sounded. Of course there was a small part of me that was interested in Gabe. He was insanely good-looking, and although he could be a little cocky for my liking, it was certainly warranted considering his profession. Handsome and deserving of praise were two traits alone that were often hard to come by in Hayesville. There was also the fact that he seemed genuinely attracted to me. The odds were forever not in my favor that I found a man I wanted to date who in turn wanted to date me as well.
“You guys look great,” I remarked as I went over to get my usual morning espresso.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, sis. I’m especially digging the uncharacteristically low-cut shirt you’re wearing, not to mention the tight jeans in place of your usual khakis,” Kennedy said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kennedy snorted. “What I’m talking about is the fact that you haven’t worn a low-cut shirt to work since they caught Wes jerking off in the shop bathroom.”
“No one could prove that was about my shirt,” I countered.
“Considering he’d been standing over you at your desk for the ten minutes beforehand, I’d say it was most definitely your cleavage that sent him over the edge.”
With a roll of my eyes, I said, “Like you’re one to talk. When’s the last time you wore makeup to work?”
Kennedy dropped her gaze back down to the pan of blueberry scones cooling on the stovetop. “The ovens are hot, and I end up sweating it off.”
“Riiiight,” I muttered.
Sweeping a hand to her hip, Ellie said, “For your information, I’m dressed with my makeup on because Aunt Sadie always said to put your best foot and face forward when company was coming.”
I laughed. “Thank you, Emily Post.” Glancing around the kitchen, I said, “Speaking of Aunt Sadie, I’m surprised she’s not out here already.”
“She was gone before we got up this morning. She has that AARP trip to Harrah’s in Cherokee,” Ellie replied.
“Ah, I should have known the only thing that would keep her from aggravating me about Gabe would be gambling.”
“True on that one,” Kennedy said.
Just as I threw a glance at the clock, the doorbell rang, causing my sisters and me to all jump out of our skins. “Oh shit, he’s here!” I screeched. After momentarily wringing our hands, all three of us then proceeded to fluff our hair and smooth our clothes.
As I checked my appearance in the stainless steel refrigerator for probably the millionth time, Kennedy nudged me. “Go on. Let him in.”
“I’m going, I’m going,” I snapped back. Of course, it was at that moment that I found my feet seemed to be frozen to the black and white checkered floor. After my mind screamed at them to pick their sorry asses up, I started out of the kitchen and down the hallway.
When I threw open the front door, I found Gabe smiling at me. “You know, you really should have asked who it was before you just opened the door. It could have been a pervert.
“Oh, but it is a pervert,” I teased.
Gabe rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Thanks for the tip. While that might be standard practice in Atlanta, it’s not really an issue here. I think the last real crime we had was when someone painted a giant dick on the side of the mayor’s face on one of his campaign signs.”
With a laugh, Gabe said, “Seriously?”
“Yep. People obviously have way too much time on their hands around here.”
“At least they have a sense of humor about it. I would assume the mayor really is a dick if they did that?”
“Yeah, he is for the most part.” I furrowed my brows at the bag in his hand. “What’s that?”
“Breakfast.”
“You didn’t have to bring yourself something to eat. We would have fixed you something.”
“It’s not for me. It’s for you.”
My traitorous heart melted at gesture. “You brought me breakfast?”
Gabe grinned. “Not just any breakfast, your favorite breakfast.”
I sucked in a breath so fast I wheezed. “Whoa, hold the phone—you brought me French toast?”
“And not just any French toast. It’s French toast from Rafferty’s.”
“You’re joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“But they’re like forty-five minutes away.”
“It was actually a nice drive.”
Oh. My. God. This so wasn’t happening. Gabe Renard had not just spent an hour and a half on the road to bring me my favorite breakfast. It was like a scene out of a cheesy Hallmark movie, and so help me God, I loved every minute of it. Of course, then it hit me: how in the world did he know what my favorite breakfast was, least of all where it came from? “Wait, how did you know about the French toast?”
Gabe grinned. “A little birdy told me.”
My mind flashed back to the night before. “Ah, one named Lincoln.”
“Yep. That’s right.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I sure as hell hope you say you’re starving because I don’t want this to go to waste.”
I smiled. “There’s no way I would ever let French toast from Rafferty’s go untouched. I would probably have to be in the hospital in a body cast or something. Even then, I’d demand for someone to feed it to me.”
Gabe laughed. “I’d be happy to feed it to you today if you’d like.”
With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “That won’t be necessary. Next you’ll suggest I have breakfast in bed and you’ll join me.”
“Actually, that sounds quite nice. Will you be dressed in some form of lingerie while you have your breakfast?”
I smacked his arm playfully. “Keep this up and you won’t be enjoying any of my presence today.”
He winked at me. “Okay, okay, I’ll rein it in.”
“For you, I think that’s easier said than done.”
We stood there for a moment before Gabe asked, “Uh, are you going to invite me in?”
Slapping my hand to my forehead, I said, “Oh my God, I’m such an idiot. Yes, please come in.”
As he stepped into the foyer, Gabe tilted his head to take in the interior of the house.
“I love your place.”
“You do?” I questioned incredulously.
He nodded. “It reminds me of the house we moved into when we came back to the States.”
“How long were you guys out of the country?”
“I was two when my dad got his first assignment, and then I was almost thirteen when we moved back.”
“That’s amazing. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in a different town, least of all in a different country. Hayesville is all I’ve ever known.” I motioned around the foyer.
“This house is really all I’ve ever known—we moved in when I was three.”
“Do you live with your dad?”
His question sent heat to my cheeks. “No. He lives about five minutes from here.”
“You mean it’s only you and Linc in this big place?”
“No, my two sisters have the upstairs.” I gave him a tight smile. “And the house belongs to Aunt Sadie. She’s in the room across from me.”
Gabe nodded. “It must be nice having your family here to support you and Linc.” At what must’ve been my slightly horrified expression, Gabe quickly added, “I don’t mean financially. I mean, it must be nice to have them here emotionally.”
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. “Yes, it is…although there are times when I wouldn’t mind having a place for just Linc and me.”
“I know what you mean. My brother and I are in such close quarters on the bus when we’re touring. There are days when I want to strangle him.”
With a laugh, I replied, “Oh yeah, I have many days like that.”
When Gabe and I walked into the kitchen, I saw that Linc had joined Kennedy and Ellie at the table. At the sight of Gabe, he bounded out of his chair. “Hey Gabe, good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you again, too, buddy,” Gabe replied with a smile.
Motioning to the others, I said, “I’d like to introduce you to my sisters, Kennedy and Ellie.”
Gabe extended his hand to Ellie first. “It’s nice to meet you.”
With her face flushing bright red, Ellie emitted a nervous giggle. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
When Gabe turned to Kennedy, a smirk spread across his lips. “You’re not packing any sharp utensils at the moment, are you?”
Kennedy’s brows furrowed. “No. Why?”
“Rae said you might harbor a little ill will toward me.”
