She paused, then nodded. “Maybe you’re right. For a night or two, anyway.” She spoke slowly, though, sounding unsure if she really believed it.
“We’ll stop by the house to get a few of your things. I can grab them for you if you want.” He didn’t want to freak her out with bad memories.
She shook her head slowly. “No, I can get them. Really.” She bit her lip—something he hadn’t seen her do in years.
They walked into the house and the emptiness seemed to echo back to him. He went first to his mom’s room while Natalie waited in the hall, nervously. Gage was relieved to see that everything looked normal there. He didn’t see blood or disorder of any kind. They continued on to Natalie’s room, which had been even worse off than their mom’s. He relaxed when he walked in to find the doors securely locked, all of the things that had been strewn across the room were cleaned up and put away; the bottles and jars from her bathroom counter were back in place where they belonged. It smelled fresh and clean; bless the housekeeper.
She smiled at him. “This is okay, better than I expected.” She started digging into her closet for clothes. When she merged from the bathroom, her bags packed, she nodded. “Everything’s back to the way it should be. Thanks for everything, Gage.” She pulled him into a hug. “I knew you would take care of me. You always do.”
His guilt rose and grew—she’d counted on him and he’d fallen through. If he had really been there for her, she wouldn’t have been kidnapped in the first place. He didn’t say it though, instead smiling as if unworried. “I’m really glad you’re safe. You have no idea how worried I was that they would hurt or kill you.”
“Especially with Mom…” Natalie covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry. I just can’t believe she’s gone. I can’t imagine life without her here. I know sometimes I got frustrated with her hypochondria, but I liked living with her or I would have moved out ages ago.”
And here Gage had thought she preferred living at home because she could spend the rent money on new jewelry instead. But he kept his mouth closed on that uncharitable thought. “I’m really glad you’re back safe. Let’s go to my place.”
“Thanks.” She set a hand on his arm. “You need to go home and sleep, You look totally wiped. It’s been a rough few days for both of us.”
“It has at that.” He grabbed one of the bags and led her out to his car. Even though it wasn’t four o’clock yet, sleep sounded like a really good idea.
As he drifted off twenty minutes after settling his sister in the spare room, he realized he hadn’t called Jonquil. He made a mental note to call her when he woke up in an hour.
Jonquil waited on pins and needles while she listened to the police radio earlier that afternoon. Gage and Joel talked back and forth as they approached the drop off location. Deputies and a couple of state troopers who were assisting reported in as they got into position as well as they could.
Would they get Natalie back safely? Would Gage be hurt in the process? She hoped not. She trusted Joel—he’d proved himself over and over in the past year, but that didn’t mean he was infallible. Her relief grew as she listened to each step as he dropped the money and was reunited with his sister.
She stood and moved to his kitchen window. The backyard was partially fenced with a little spot of grass, a big barbecue, a table and chairs. There was plenty of shade along the one side of the deck so you could soak up the sun or stay out of the heat. A trail led from his back gate into the forest. If her mental map worked correctly, the ski resort owned the land directly behind his house. She wondered if he ever hiked to work in the summer. Or rode his mountain bike.
“We’re finished up here,” Detective Carlson said from behind her.
“Oh, well, thanks for everything. We appreciate it.” When did it become “we”?
“You’re welcome. Vince is headed back to get you. Have a good day, miss.”
“Thanks.” Jonquil rubbed her arms, feeling a sudden chill. Vince was coming back for her, not Gage?
“Gage is taking his sister to the hospital for a checkup,” the detective said as if he could read her thoughts.
“Oh, of course. Was she hurt? I thought they said she was okay.”
“Just minor stuff from what I understand, the visit is precautionary mostly. You’ll have to ask him for more details later.”
“I’m glad.” She felt like an idiot. Of course he wanted to have Natalie checked out. She’d been locked up somewhere for a couple of days, even if her injuries were minor, it was a good idea to be sure.
The detective left, taking the rest of his men with him.
Jonquil looked at the dishes spread across the counters and table and started cleaning up. Paper plates again? She put away leftovers, cleared the trash, washed out coffee cups and left them to dry on a slightly musty towel she’d found in a linen closet. The man needed managing.
The front door opened and Vince entered, pausing to glance around the room before speaking. “You and your little organizing heart. It looks great in here. I’m sure Gage will appreciate it.”
Jonquil shrugged. “I didn’t have anything else to do. Can you drop me back at work?” She had hoped Gage would call sometime soon. Maybe while he waited with his sister to see a doctor. She went back to work for the day and tried to focus on what still had to be done.
When an hour passed and he didn’t call, she decided she would hear from him when he got home and had Natalie settled for the afternoon.
Three more hours passed. Jonquil double-checked the setup for the wedding, added a last-minute boutonniere for an unexpected stepfather, and got things going for the next day’s centerpiece arrangements.
When five o’clock came and she had still heard nothing, Jonquil went home, grabbed a granola bar for sustenance, and went down to her bedroom to sleep. So much for Gage calling her. Was she being unrealistic in her expectations or was he avoiding her?
Jonquil rose with her alarm clock in the morning to find a text message from Gage. It had come through a little after three.
Sorry I didn’t call in earlier. All but collapsed into bed after getting Natalie settled. Just woke for the first time. I’ll contact you at work.
She smiled, relieved that it had just been sheer exhaustion that had kept him away. She hadn’t even heard the phone chime, which was unusual—she had been overly tired as well. She stood and stretched, feeling rested for the first time in several days. She was glad Gage had slept so well—he’d been through the ringer.
Feeling decidedly better than she had the night before—and not just physically—she got ready for the day.
He didn’t wait long to contact her. Jonquil returned to the floral department after the morning executive meeting to find him waiting, talking sports with one of the guys.
Gage turned toward her and smiled as she came in. “Hey, you’re looking better. Sleep looks good on you.”
She grinned back. “Ditto. Come on back to my office.” She led the way, setting her meeting notes on the desk and then turning back to him as he shut her office door behind them. “I didn’t expect you so early.”
“I felt bad about letting you down last night.”
She shrugged. “I was surprised not to hear from you, but I know you had your hands full, and honestly, when I left work I went straight to bed and slept like a log all night.” She took his hand. “Have you heard anything from the detective?”
Gage shrugged. “I left him a message this morning. I wondered if Joel’s information helped them catch the guy who picked up the cash, but I haven’t heard anything yet.”
She wanted to reach up and touch his face, then brush at the worry lines beside his eyes and sooth them away, but wasn’t sure how he would react. She’d been there when he’d needed someone to lean on, but now that things were somewhat less frazzled, did he regret how close they’d grown? “I’m sure he’ll call when he knows something. Or Joel will badger him until he shares what he knows. Joel’s good at that.”
H
e smiled. “Thank you. For being there through all of that, staying with me at the hospital and coming to the house yesterday while I waited for the call.”
“Of course. That’s what friends do.”
He nodded, studying her for several seconds before speaking. “That’s another thing that has me confused, but this will have to do for now.” He leaned in, hesitating slightly before pressing his lips to hers, soft and inviting, a little tentative and unsure.
When she slid her hands up around his neck, drawing him closer, his hands came to her waist, large and warm against her skin. She hummed a little at the way it made heat spiral in her chest, at the way emotions made her throat tighten even as their kiss deepened, drawing her into it more as need edged in—though whether it was passion or desperation to sink himself in something that wasn’t the stress and grief of real life, she wasn’t sure.
Which is why she finally drew back. “Wow. Well, that was. Wow.”
“Yeah. Kissing you is always pretty wow.” Regret filled his expression as he stepped away. “I have a ton of stuff to do today for the funeral, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you.”
“Is that how you always show appreciation? Because if so, is there anything else I can do to help?” She felt a little shaky.
A smiled flashed over his mouth and was gone again. His expression grew serious and it took him a few seconds to speak. “I don’t know what this is. And I’m not entirely sure I’m happy about where it’s going, but I can’t seem to walk away, either.”
“I know.” It made her ache, knowing that he could come to his senses and leave her any time. But she was going to grab a few more days, a few more hours with him before deciding what to do about it. Did that make her weak? “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll come by after work for an update and to make sure you eat something. How’s Natalie?”
He shrugged and leaned back against the door. “She seemed to be fine when we went to bed last night. A little nervous, maybe, but she said she was fine. She was still asleep when I left this morning.”
“Well good. Hopefully she slept as well as you did.”
“Yeah. I’ll check on her next. Hopefully she’ll be up by now. I’ll see you later.” Even as his hand reached for the doorknob, his eyes drifted back to her mouth, but he just gave her a weak smile and exited.
Jonquil sat at her desk, still feeling a little disoriented from his kiss. She’d known he was confused, it was why she’d ended the kiss, wasn’t it? So why was she so disappointed that he’d said as much?
Because he might be unhappy about what seemed to be developing between them. And Jonquil had no way to fix or change that. All she could do was hope that when his emotions settled a little he’d decide it wasn’t a bad thing.
When Gage went to check on Natalie, he found her still sleeping. It was after nine, but Natalie had never been a real early riser, so he wasn’t too surprised. She looked so peaceful that he didn’t want to wake her. Instead, he went to his mom’s house to get a few pictures for the funeral and see if he could find documents regarding the funeral plan his father had purchased years earlier.
He tried to block out the grief and worry pounding through him as he got into the safe and removed documents for the lawyer and funeral director. He knew everything that hadn’t already been gifted to himself and Natalie was held in trust to simplify probate, but there would still be a ton of mess to wade through. Once he got the file to the lawyer, he could forget about it for now and focus on other things.
Like trying to find peace about his mom’s death when neither it—nor their relationship—had been peaceful.
He was out making arrangements for hours. Vince and Jeremy grabbed him for lunch to give him a break, and Natalie finally met up with him that afternoon to plan the funeral after Gage called and asked her if she wanted to be involved.
Diane Mathews had not been a big fan of thinking ahead—at least not when it came to her own death. Her husband had arranged the funeral plans, but when Gage tried to get her to make some plans for the actual funeral after his father died. She refused to even think about it.
When he and Natalie left the funeral home, he was tired and ready to relax. “Come on, let’s go back to my place,” he said to Natalie as they walked out into the warm evening air. It wouldn’t be dark for hours yet and the sun shone brightly on his face. He tipped his head up to enjoy the light and warmth for a moment.
Natalie didn’t speak right away. “I think I’d rather go back to the house.”
Gage looked at her, surprised. “You mean Mom’s place?”
“It’s where I live.” She shrugged a little. “I thought it would be worse to be there than it was when we stopped by for my things. You’ve been really great, but I’d rather be in my own space.”
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll get spooked or have nightmares or something?” he asked carefully.
She shrugged. “I had nightmares last night anyway. How is this different? I just really want to be in my own room tonight. If you don’t mind.”
What could he say to that? “Of course not. Let’s get your things from my place.”
She shook her head. “Drop me home. My car is there. I’ll come out a little later to get my things. Really.” She touched his arm when he opened his mouth to argue again. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. This is what I want.”
Gage nodded and opened the car door for her.
By the time he dropped her off and reached home, he was exhausted, starving and just wanted to sleep for a day or so, but they’d accomplished a lot and that was a relief. He hoped Natalie was as sure about going home again as she seemed.
When he turned the car onto his street, he shifted his thoughts again to Jonquil—as he had several times during the day. Maybe he should ask her over and order in some pizza. He was definitely not up to being out in public. He’d gotten more than enough sympathetic phone calls throughout the day.
He found Jonquil’s car parked in front of his house when he reached his driveway, but she wasn’t around. Had she gone inside, and how?
Sure enough, when he walked from the garage into the kitchen a couple of minutes later, he found her bent over in front of an open oven, checking on something that was in it.
“What’s going on?” Not that he minded finding her there, or the amazing scents that filled the room. And he was a big fan of her shapely backside, so seeing that when he walked in the door was an extra bonus.
She stood and pivoted to him, smiling. “I thought you might like some comfort food in your own house tonight. Jeremy loaned me his key.” She leaned against the cupboard beside the oven. “Rough day?”
“And how.” He walked over, closed his hands over her shoulders and shifted her toward him so he could cover her mouth with his.
She was beautiful, sweet, thoughtful, fun and nearly perfect. How could he not have realized this? He slanted his mouth over hers and boxed her against the counter, letting his hands slide down her arms, onto her ribs and along her waist to her hips. She was soft and strong and—
Her arms came around him and all thoughts ceased as he lost himself in the moment. His thumb had just slid under the bottom of her shirt to caress the silky skin of her waist when the alarm rang on the oven.
When she released him, he kissed her again. “Forget the food. I want…”
She shifted him back away from her a little. “Yeah. So let’s back up and breathe while we still can. I need to pull this out so it doesn’t burn and we need to eat.”
Gage let her go, turned to the fridge and pulled out a couple of Cokes, really not wanting to talk about anything. She was exasperating and sexy and… he turned around and saw her setting the pan of casserole and some rolls on the table beside his grandma’s good china. The big goblets he’d let his mom unwrap and stick in the cupboard two years ago were on the table for the first time. A large bottle of Perrier with condensation on the sides sat between a couple of long, red tapers. He’d been so focused on
her from the moment he walked in the door that he hadn’t even noticed. “You went all out.”
“It’s lovely china. You ought to try using it once in a while.” She set a spatula next to the pan of lasagna and picked up the sparkling water. “You have a bottle opener around here, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” He pulled one out of a drawer and passed it over, entranced by her movements, trying to figure out what was running through him. He always thought he didn’t want this, that the quiet little moments between two people, a family or a relationship, weren’t real for most people, but just a facade people put on for company. Everyone except Vince’s family—but they were the exception that proved the rule. Could he have been wrong? Could he really have this with her, and for more than a few weeks or months of dating?
“I didn’t get wine. I didn’t think we needed to be any more confused than we already are,” she said as she pulled off the bottle cap. “And it isn’t exactly a celebration anyway.”
“What is this?” he asked, suddenly desperate to know.
“Dinner.” She didn’t glance his way as she poured the water.
“No, this. Tonight. Dinner at my house. On my good dishes that haven’t been out of the cupboard in, I don’t know, years.”
She set the bottle on the table, then turned to face him. “You’ve been putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own. You need time to unwind, to relax a little, preferably at home where you are comfortable and don’t have to worry about people stopping to tell you how sorry they are. It’s wonderful to know people care, but it can be a little overwhelming sometimes.”
He stared at her, wondering how she could see him so clearly. “Yeah.”
“I watch people, you know? I watch the way they act around others, the way they cover the pain in their eyes with a smile. I see things they probably don’t want others to know or see. I’ve watched you since the first time we met. When you weren’t looking at me, I watched and noticed. Besides, I know pain and loss as much as the next person.”
The Last Bride (DiCarlo Brides #6) Page 17
