by Kris Bryant
Chloe stood and tapped Jackie on the shoulder. “Listen, we should go. I’m getting tired because I ate too much food and drank too much wine.”
“What? We’re leaving? But we’re having such a great time.”
“Yeah, busy day tomorrow.”
“It’s Saturday,” Jackie said.
Serena saw Chloe squeeze Jackie’s waist.
“Oh, oh yeah. Tomorrow is Saturday. Chore day or planting flowers day. Something like that.” Jackie stood and finished her drink. She kissed Serena on the cheek and leaned over and hugged Gabrielle. “It was so nice getting to know you, and I hope we see you again soon.”
“Likewise. Serena has great friends,” Gabrielle said.
Serena waited until they left the bar. “Sorry about all of that. My friends are extremely protective. I had no idea they were going to show up.”
Gabrielle finished her water and reached over to touch Serena’s arm. “It’s okay. You got to meet my friends and so I met yours. And they’re really cool. I don’t mind that they crashed our date at all.”
It was a date. Serena smiled at the confirmation. When she’d asked Gabrielle out, it was such a spur-of-the-moment thing and Gabrielle accepted so quickly that lines weren’t established.
“Come on. Let’s go outside for some fresh mountain air.” Gabrielle reached for Serena’s hand and walked her through the throngs of people. Once they were outside, instead of dropping her hand, Gabrielle entwined their fingers. Serena smiled hard.
“What’s your favorite thing about Denver?” Serena asked. “Have you lived here your entire life?”
Serena felt Gabrielle pull her close and out of the way when a couple crossed their path. Gabrielle felt warm and soft. And tall. Her skin smelled like orange blossoms and her breath had a hint of wine when she spoke.
“Born and raised. I love it. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Even in the winters, when I get so sick of snow and whine in May when most of the world is swimming and I’m trying to get by with a sweater and a scarf. What about you?”
“I’ve lived in western Kansas and Colorado most of my life. When my mom moved to Vail, I fell in love with it. It’s expensive, but it’s the town of my fairy tales. Plus, when it’s cold, I have a legit reason to hibernate. Nobody bothers me, nobody tries to drag me out. It’s perfect,” Serena said.
“Western Kansas is brutally boring,” Gabrielle said.
“That’s true. But it was cheap and I could get a decent paying job at fourteen. I also got my learner’s permit then. I worked on a farm after school every day feeding horses and cattle, so I needed to drive around to get to all the different corrals. Real corrals with horses and cows.”
“Wait, you had a car at fourteen?”
“No, but I could drive the farm trucks around to get feed and deliver it to the barns. It was a good job.”
“What happened?”
“Two words: my mother.” Serena rolled her eyes and leaned into Gabrielle. “She met a guy who promised her the world, so we packed up and headed to Vail. The relationship lasted about a year, but he left us with a stack of bills. Let’s just say the high school years were tough.”
Gabrielle pulled her close again and stopped. “Tonight is only about the good. You were in a different place back then. Now you have the entire world at your disposal and there’s nothing stopping you. Especially not your mother.”
“You’re right. Okay. No more talk about that.”
Serena walked in silence, enjoying the night air and the feel of Gabrielle’s hand in hers. She hated that it was getting late and she had to get home. If it wasn’t for L.B., she’d have agreed to stay with Chloe and Jackie at their hotel and the night could have continued. As they made their way back to Serena’s Jeep, slowly, the butterflies queued up in her stomach and she had to squelch them down for fear of embarrassing herself at the simultaneously exciting and dreaded end-of-the-date moment.
“Do me a favor? Text me when you get home? It’s eleven now, so if I don’t hear from you by one, I’ll send out a search party.” Gabrielle walked Serena to her door and opened it. “Okay?”
With the car door between them, Serena missed their contact. She was hoping for a long hug and maybe even a kiss, but she’d take right here right now because it was as close to cloud nine as she’d ever been. “I promise.” She held her breath when Gabrielle leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
“Be careful going home.”
Serena nodded only because she was afraid to say the wrong thing. She slipped into her seat and waved goodbye. On her way back to Vail, she called Chloe and Jackie and they talked the entire drive about Gabrielle and the possibility of something happening. It was the best night Serena had in a long time. She pulled up into her driveway and texted Gabrielle immediately. The text she received back and the promise of a phone call over the weekend made her smile. She slipped into the house and was warmly greeted by L.B. Faith was asleep on the couch even though she had her own room upstairs. She put a thin blanket over Faith and watched her sleep. It was amazing how much her life had changed, all for the better, and all because of a choice she made based solely on a whim.
Chapter Sixteen
Gabrielle set her phone on the coffee table for the fifth time. It was only ten in the morning, but she wanted to connect with Serena. Last night was relaxing and fun. Chloe and Jackie were hilarious, and Gabrielle appreciated that they were looking out for their friend. The only time the conversation turned serious was when they talked about Serena’s ex-girlfriend Amber, who was demanding and jealous, and cheated on her not once, but three times. Gabrielle talked about her one and only long-term relationship. Even though they’d never had a deep connection, she embellished. Truth be told, she hadn’t fallen in love since high school. Once her heart hit the ceiling because of a nasty breakup, she’d blocked herself off and made education her number one priority. Quick hook-ups and casual dating worked in her twenties, but now she saw life and the opportunity for love a little differently.
Her phone rang and she leapt to answer it, but it was only Rosie. “I think we should work with Muppet for a bit today. You up for it? I’ll even make lunch.”
Gabrielle mulled the offer and decided it was a good idea to take a step away from Serena. She’d call or text her later. “Is this a ploy to get me to talk about my date last night?”
Rosie paused five dramatic seconds before answering, “Yes. One hundred percent.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in twenty.”
“Wear good workout shoes.”
“Where the hell are you taking me?”
“To the park.”
“The one with the off-leash park?”
“Maybe, but you won’t go inside. I thought it might be good to be on the other side of the fence from all the dogs. You’ll be safe. That way when Serena gets the vacation pet place built, you won’t be so awkward or scared to visit.”
“Okay.” Gabrielle was still hesitant. She trusted Muppet, but didn’t know about other dogs. She hung up and slipped on a T-shirt, yoga pants, and her old Adidas that she wore to wash the car and help her mother garden. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, threw on light makeup, and was out of the house in ten minutes. Even though it was already hot, she took the top down on her coupe and cranked up 98°. She slipped on her sunglasses and slid into weekend traffic. By the time she got to Rosie’s, they were in the minivan waiting for her.
“What took you so long?”
“Traffic sucked.”
“You should move closer to us.”
“Now see? That translates to babysitter in my head and makes me want to move farther away,” Gabrielle said.
“Get in here. Muppet, go in the back like a good boy.” Rosie pointed her finger to the third row seats, which he promptly hopped to. “Don’t look back at him because then he’ll think it’s okay to come up a row of seats and plant slobbery kisses on you. I mean, if that’s okay with you, go ahead and look at him.”
/> Gabrielle kept her eyes straight ahead. “No, thank you. Let’s go before I lose my confidence.”
Rosie gunned the minivan and peeled out once she hit the asphalt.
“This is the one thing that prevents me from nominating you for Mother of the Year,” Gabrielle said. She clutched the “oh, shit” handle with her right hand and wrapped her left around the armrest. “Who drives like this in a minivan?”
“Moms do. We always have to be in five places at once.”
“It’s just me and Muppet.”
“It’s a habit at this point.” Rosie slowed to the speed limit and turned into the park. Muppet made little happy dog noises once he realized where they were. “Okay, you get out first and I’ll hook him up to his leash.”
Gabrielle opened the door and squeezed out of the small space between the passenger door and the giant truck Rosie parked next to. “It’s a good thing I’m in shape to maneuver out of this spot.” She grabbed her baseball cap and waited at the front of the minivan for Rosie and Muppet. He hopped with excitement in the small space the leash afforded him. Gabrielle took a step back out of habit.
“At this point, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with him, so he doesn’t care that you’re here,” Rosie said. At her command, he sat, and they waited for him to settle down. Even though Muppet weighed in at forty pounds, Rosie walked him through the two-gate entrance to the big dog park where packs of large dogs romped and played together. She let him loose and leaned on the inside of the chain link fence next to Gabrielle, who was safely on the other side. They watched him get reacquainted with the big dogs before they all galloped off to smell, play, and do whatever dogs did best.
“Aren’t you worried he’ll get hurt on the big dog side?”
“Nah, he knows most of the dogs. Plus, there are only four dogs in the small dog park, and he would get bored. Somebody would get mad and say he’s too big to play with their little chihuahua and then I’d have to get ugly.” Rosie leaned closer to Gabrielle. “Anyway, now that Muppet is taken care of, tell me about last night. Most importantly, tell me about the good-night kiss.”
Gabrielle playfully nudged her with her shoulder. “Our evening was really nice. Her friends showed up at the same restaurant and we all had drinks and chatted after dinner.” Gabrielle smiled remembering the horrified look on Serena’s face when she realized her friends, who lived almost two hours away, were at the same restaurant. “I kissed her on her cheek after I walked her to her car. It was all very innocent and nice.”
“You look happy. Actually, you look fantastic.” Rosie looked her up and down and nodded her approval. “Spin class has really worked well for you. You’ve lost weight and tightened up.”
Gabrielle blushed but appreciated her best friend’s compliment. “The winter was harsh, so I needed to push myself. Ten pounds is getting harder and harder to lose.”
“Wait until you have three kids. Then you’ll wish it was only ten pounds you have to lose every winter,” Rosie said.
Even though Rosie was softer and probably twenty pounds heavier than Gabrielle, her curves were gorgeous, and Gabrielle couldn’t understand why Rosie was so hard on herself. She had the vivacious body of a 1940s pin-up model. Gabrielle would give anything to have Rosie’s full breasts. She sighed when she looked at her B cup. “You’re perfect. Besides, you know how much I enjoy a little meat on the bone.” Except for the last woman she slept with and the one she was presently pursuing. Dani was firm and trim, and based on their time together, drank most of her calories. Serena was slight but wasn’t afraid to eat carbs. She was probably someone whose metabolism was sky high and she never had to worry about her weight.
“Tell me about the kiss.” Rosie looked at her dreamy-eyed.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes at Rosie’s overactive imagination. “It was just a sweet kiss on the cheek. It was very natural. She’s my client. I need to have some boundaries.”
“Any hugging?”
“No, but we did hold hands. A few times, actually. I told her about Muppet and petting him. She held my hands because she was excited about it. And then we held hands on our short walk around the block.”
“You know, you think you’re all business without any romantic bones in your body, but deep down, you’re a softie. I’ve known you for a long time, and I’ve seen you blow through women, but I think you just haven’t found the perfect match. Until now.”
“One date. We had one date,” Gabrielle said.
“It’s a start. Have you talked to her since?”
Gabrielle groaned. “It was last night.” Rosie stared at her, eyebrow lifted, until Gabrielle answered. “She texted me when she got home and I texted her that I would call her this weekend. That’s it.” She shrugged, indicating there wasn’t more to the story.
Muppet chose that moment to race over to them, breaking up what would have been a serious moment. Even though he was on the other side of the fence, Gabrielle backed away until Muppet calmed down. Rosie whipped out a collapsible bowl from her bag and poured water into it. He happily lapped it up, spilling most of it in the process. “Are you enjoying your play time?” Rosie asked and petted the top of his head. “Maybe Auntie Gabrielle will pet you, too.”
With a few more encouraging words, Gabrielle leaned over the wobbly fence to pet the top of Muppet’s head. He leaned his snout up once to smell her, then happily leaned into her hand and accepted her soft pets. “Who’s a good boy? Are you a good boy?” Gabrielle moved her fingers down his coat until she reached the tender spot above his tail. He wiggled into her nails, dancing side to side. “What’s happening here?”
“He likes to be scratched there. It feels good. And with your nails, he’s probably in heaven.”
Confidently, Gabrielle scratched and petted him until five dogs who were running in the large field worked their way over to them. Gabrielle stepped back as they invaded her space. Much to Rosie and Gabrielle’s surprise, Muppet stood in front of her and growled at the other dogs. It was as if he understood the other dogs would cause her grief.
“Wow. Good job, Muppet,” Rosie said as the carefree pack took off to frolic on the other side of the park.
“That was incredible,” Gabrielle said. She reached down and stroked the fur on Muppet’s back that had stiffened when the other dogs showed up. “Thank you, Muppet.” He looked up at her and wagged his tail. It took a few minutes for all of his fur to fall flat, but after several minutes of praising and petting, he slipped back into carefree, happy Muppet and trotted off to find new friends.
“See? Not only would he not hurt you, but he wouldn’t let anyone else hurt you either.” Rosie puffed out her chest with pride. “Want to head over to the small dog park? They seem pretty tame. And small. Maybe you can say hi to a few of them.”
After twenty minutes of meeting and carefully petting the four small dogs in the adjacent park, Gabrielle decided she’d had enough. When a pug jumped on her leg, she didn’t freak out. Not completely. And the chihuahua was as nervous as she was. After much coaxing he finally sniffed her hand and let her touch him. “He’s adorable, but I’m ready to get out of here.”
Rosie didn’t hesitate. She whistled over the fence for Muppet. He perked up and raced over to the gate. “You ready, boy?”
“Should I get out his bowl?” Gabrielle asked.
“Let’s get back to the car and we’ll do it there. That will give him time to calm down and chill for a bit,” Rosie said. She snapped his leash to his collar and grabbed her backpack. “Look at you, making friends with a few dogs.”
Gabrielle waved her off. “Let’s not go that far. I petted three different dogs today. That’s my limit. For a long time.”
Rosie squeezed her arm. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Can we go home so you can make me a delicious lunch?”
Rosie handed Gabrielle Muppet’s leash. “Lead the way.”
* * *
Gabrielle looked at the clock for the seventh time. She
bounced her phone in her hand. Why was she so nervous to call Serena? It was because Rosie put thoughts into her head. She was in complete control of their date last night from the moment she said hello to the soft kiss on the cheek. Now she was acting like a nervous teenager. She took a deep breath and hit call.
“Hi.”
Serena sounded out of breath.
“Hi. How are you?”
“I’m good. Hang on just a minute.”
Gabrielle heard rustling, laughing, and finally Serena’s voice again.
“Okay. Hi. Sorry about that.”
“Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Oh, no. I was playing fetch with L.B. I’m throwing the ball out the window and he’s returning it via the doggie door. He slid on the kitchen floor this last time, so maybe this isn’t the best idea.”
Gabrielle smiled at Serena’s carefree voice. “Speaking of fun dog things, I took Muppet for a walk today. Sort of.”
“That’s great. Every time I talk to you, you surprise me with something big.”
She heard pride and encouragement in Serena’s voice and continued. “Rosie invited me to the dog park. Then she made meatball sandwiches for the family. It was a good afternoon. She didn’t even have to put up Muppet and Kittypurrs.”
“Are you still feeling adventurous? Feel like a short hike tomorrow with me and L.B.?” Serena asked.
Gabrielle had plans to work on the Pet Posh Inn, but spending one-on-one time with her client seemed like the smarter move, professionally and personally. “Sure. I mean, that sounds like fun. What should I bring?” Even though Gabrielle was in fact in the best shape of her life, she didn’t get that way by hiking.
“Good hiking shoes, water, and maybe a towel. I’ll bring the snacks.”
Where the hell was Serena taking them? “A towel?”
“There’s a waterfall trail I want to hit, and the last few times I went, I got a little wet,” Serena said.
