“No fair,” Gabriel said.
As he walked closer to them, Temperance sensed something wasn’t quite right with Gabriel. “Is anything the matter? You seem tense.”
“Ugh. Yeah.” He relayed to them the situation with Anders and the bachelor party.
“Pshaw,” Ginny bounded up and waved a hand at him. “Don’t worry, bro. I got a guy who can help. I’ll send you his number, and you tell him what you need. He’ll take care of everything.”
“Thanks, Ginny,” he said. “Now I only have to convince Damon to come. He’s going to hate it, and he’ll be miserable knowing Anna Victoria’s at home.”
“I have an idea,” Temperance blurted out. “Some way you can make them both happy and keep your promise to Anders.”
“Really?” he said.
She nodded. “Why don’t we head to Rosie’s? I can whip up something quick for breakfast, and then we can talk about it there.” It would give her time to think about this plan, though she already knew where to begin.
“All right,” Gabriel said as he walked to the door and grabbed his keys. “Let’s go.”
After picking up her car, they drove back to Rosie’s, Ginny following them on her motorcycle.
They arrived at Rosie’s, and she unlocked the door, letting them in. On the way here, the idea for what she would make the siblings for breakfast was brewing in her head. She told them to get comfortable as she set out to work, going in her usual trancelike state as she got the pies for the day ready, alongside with her inspired original creation. As soon as they were done, she cooled them on the counter, then served it up to Ginny and Gabriel, who were out in the darkened dining room sitting in one of the booths.
“This is ah-maze-balls,” Ginny said as she took another bite of the bacon and hash brown pie. “Oh God, marry me, Temperance.”
“Hey!” Gabriel protested, then swiped Ginny’s plate. “Um, that’s your third piece.”
She yanked it back. “So? You’ve had four already.”
“I’m a growing boy,” Gabriel said with a wink at Temperance. “I hope we aren’t disturbing you.”
“What? No, not at all,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’t mind having you both around while I work, and you know Rosie won’t fuss over it. Though I do tend to get lost in my own head when I start work, but it gave me time to think.” She sat down on the booth to tell them her idea.
“That’s actually genius,” Ginny said when Temperance finished.
“I don’t know why I didn’t think of that,” he said. “I’ll have to hustle to get it all done, but I think it’ll work.”
“And I’m sure Damon will be grateful,” she said.
“Yeah. Speaking of Damon …” He glanced down at his watch. “I should get to work.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Temperance said.
“Would you mind if I hung around for a bit?” Ginny said. “I’d love to say hi to Rosie. I’m sure she’ll be surprised to see me.”
“Of course.”
She and Gabriel walked out to the back where he was parked. “Now what’s wrong?” she asked as they stopped beside his Jeep.
“What?”
“You’re frowning again,” she said. “Don’t you think it’ll work?”
“Huh? Oh.” He shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I just … I don’t want to go to this bachelor party at all.”
“Why not? I thought you were the best man? And one of your roles is to plan the bachelor party, right?”
“Yeah, but that would mean I’d have to leave you here for the weekend.”
Warmth crept up her cheeks, while butterflies fluttered in her stomach. “Damon’s your best friend. You should be with him and have fun.”
“I know,” he said, slipping his arms around her. “But I don’t want to be away from you.” Leaning his head down, he brushed his lips against her forehead. “You should come with us. I’ll get us a suite, you can stay there or go to the spa, maybe see some shows.”
“Go with you? To Vegas?” She laughed. “You’re joking, right?”
“No, I’m serious.” The expression on his face told her he wasn’t kidding.
“Gabriel, I have to work. Rosie doesn’t have anyone else.” Oh, she wanted to say yes, there was no doubt. But it was too soon to be going away together. “From what you told me about Damon, it sounds like he deserves all your time and attention this weekend.” She gripped his forearms and looked him straight in the eyes. “So go be his friend. Hang out with him while you can, and make this memorable for him. I’ll be here when you get back, I promise.”
His nose wrinkled. “Fine,” he relented. “I mean, you’re right about Damon. I’ll go to Vegas and get this over with.”
An ugly feeling crept into her chest, but she knew she had to say it. “And Gabriel … it’s a bachelor party and everything, and you and I haven’t really … well we only started seeing each other and …” She took a deep breath. “If anything happens out there, I would understand.”
Golden brows knitted together. “What do you—” Sky-blue eyes turned stormy. “Baby, no.” He shook his head. “No, no, no.” His arms tightened around her. “I won’t lie to you because I can guess what kind of ‘entertainment’ Anders has up his sleeve, but I promise you: there’s no way I would be with any other woman but you. Not after last night.”
Her heart wanted to leap out of her chest in happiness, but she pushed down the giddy feeling. “But if—”
“No.” His voice was more adamant now. “No ifs. No buts.”
She let out a squeak as his lips descended on hers forcefully. He pushed her against the side of his Jeep, his body pressing up against hers. A gasp left her mouth as she felt something hard brush against her stomach, and he took the opportunity to snake his tongue into her mouth, tasting and devouring her. She didn’t know how long they were entwined like that, but when he finally stepped back, she was boneless and practically hanging onto the side of the Jeep to keep from melting to the floor.
“Remember what I said,” he growled.
She nodded, unsure what to do. He kissed her again, softly this time, then moved her aside so he could get into his truck. “Be a good girl now,” he said cheekily. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Uh-huh,” she mumbled, her head still reeling from that intense, possessive kiss.
As he drove off, she touched her fingers to her lips, as if she could still feel his mouth on hers. God, maybe I should have just had sex with him last night. It was obvious her body wanted him, but she couldn’t get over the idea that he would see all her scars. Maybe she could keep her top on or turn the lights off if they did eventually have sex. That’s usually what she did in the past. But she had a feeling Gabriel wouldn’t be the type to make love in the dark. The thought of him seeing her—all of her—made her anxious as hell, but at the same time, she just wanted to know what it would be like to bare herself to someone without any hesitation.
Turning on her heel, she headed back into the restaurant. Ginny was still sitting at the booth, and when their eyes met, the other woman gave her a knowing look.
“Um, did you need anything else? More coffee?” she asked.
“I’m great, no need to make a fuss.” She waved her away. “Go and do what you need to do, I can clean up after us.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll wait until Rosie gets here.” Ginny got up and began to gather the plates. “Shoo. I don’t want to get you in trouble with the boss.”
“All right.” With a deep internal sigh, she tried to put that kiss out of her mind and focused on work. It would be a long weekend without him, but soon, Gabriel would be back. Besides, having some space from him might be what she needed to get herself in the right mental state.
Gabriel called her a few hours later while she was on her break to let her know he would be gone for most of the weekend. He was successful in convincing Damon to come—as well as put into place the other part of their plan
—and would be flying out that evening after his shift.
Disappointment crept into her as they spoke on the phone, but she tried not to let him hear that. Despite his words this morning, the feeling that this was all happening too soon still bothered her. But she went about her day, heading straight home after her shift and went to bed as she usually did. Gabriel had called while she was in the shower, and she called him back right away but he was probably on his flight so didn’t pick up. However, she was so tired that she fell asleep before she could even wait for him to call back.
She got up early as usual the next day and saw a missed call from him, followed by a message.
Sorry we keep missing each other. Anders is being an asshole about cellphone use. Our “package” is being picked up at one today—last chance to join me here. Smiley face emoji.
Her heart leapt. It was so tempting. But still …
Sorry, I can’t do that to Rosie, she texted back. But why don’t you come over as soon as you get back tomorrow? I’ll whip up a special pie for you.
He was probably still sleeping, so she didn’t wait for a reply from him, and instead, got ready for work. She went through her morning routine at work as she usually did, though she couldn’t help but feel like something was off. Missing even. Oh, it was so tempting to check her phone, but her morning was extra busy, seeing that it was Saturday which meant she had to make more than the usual amount of pies. It was mid-morning, and the dining room was already packed by the time she was able to stop for a quick break and grab her phone.
Special pie, huh? Tongue-licking emoji. I’ll be back by six and head straight back to your place. I’ll bring my appetite.
Oh God. Heat shot straight to her core as memories of the other night rushed to her brain. Gabriel’s mouth on her … his blue eyes burning like fire as he looked up at her from between her thighs … that orgasm that shattered her body. What the hell am I supposed to reply to that? Maybe something flirty? Or ignore—
“Temperance?” came Rosie’s voice as she peeked into the employee’s break room.
“Hey, Rosie.” Temperance quickly put her phone back into her purse. “Sorry, I was just taking a break.” Hopefully Rosie wouldn’t notice how red her cheeks were. “I’ll get back—”
“It’s not that, you know you can take your break when you need to.” Her red-painted lips pursed together. “You have a visitor.”
“Visitor?” Who the heck would come to her work? She didn’t know anyone else in town except Rosie, the employees, and Gabriel.
“Yeah. Says he’s from Chicago. Wouldn’t give me his name.” Rosie looked annoyed. “Kept pestering Bridgette until she gave in and confirmed you worked here.”
Chicago? “I’m sorry, Rosie. Let me take care of it.”
She followed Rosie to the dining room. Every table was full, so she wasn’t sure where her “visitor” was seated, but Rosie cocked her head toward the two-top in the middle of the room. A dark-haired man sat with his back to her, chatting with an uncomfortable-looking Bridgette, who was obviously trying to get away, but at the same time, being polite.
Oh no.
She didn’t even have to see the man’s face to know who it was. If anything, that pit growing in her stomach told her the identity of her visitor. “I’ll take care of this, Rosie,” she said as she walked stiffly toward him. “What do you want, Tony?”
Her ex turned his head toward her. Slowly, that flirty expression on his face turned into a cruel smile. “Well, look who it is.” Whipping back toward Bridgette, he snapped his fingers at her. “Get me another apple pie, will you, sweetheart?”
She ground her teeth together and sent an apologetic look to Bridgette. “He’s not staying. You don’t have to get him anything,” she said, surprised at her own courage. As soon as the young woman was out of earshot, she turned back to Tony. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” When she left Chicago, she didn’t tell anyone where she was going. Only Stacy knew, but she doubted her old boss would have told him. She had hated Tony from the beginning, even before the breakup.
“Baby, you just left without saying goodbye.” He mockingly put his hand over his heart. “I was so hurt.”
“Really? Didn’t that skank I found you in bed with soothe your broken heart?”
“You clearly misunderstood the situation. It’s not what you think.”
“Not what I think?” He was joking right? She’d seen the evidence with her own eyes. But this was classic Tony. He would deny, deny, deny, and even when there was evidence against him, he would say it was still her fault. God, I was such an idiot. “I don’t have time for this. What do you want, Tony? Is it money? I already paid the landlord the rest of the month, even though I left early. You had plenty of time to move out or sign a new contract.”
“Baby, that’s not why I came,” he said sheepishly. “You just left … you didn’t even give me a second chance.”
“Second chance?” she hissed.
“Yeah,” he replied. “After everythin’ we went through, you just run out like that? Remember when you were sick and I took care of you? Or how about when I took you to that fancy place for your birthday?” He nodded at the obscenely large bouquet of red roses on the chair next to him. “Look, I even got you flowers. Do you have any idea how much these cost me?”
Everything seemed so clear now—all the tactics he used to manipulate her. If only she’d seen it all from the beginning. “Tell me honestly: Was she even the first one? Or just the first one I caught you with?”
Maybe her standing up for herself surprised him, but she saw a flash of guilt on his face, then followed by a sneer. However, he quickly composed himself. “C’mon, baby. You owe me.”
“Owe you? I don’t owe you anything.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. “Well, I won’t leave until you agree to talk to me.”
“Excuse me?” Glancing around, she saw the people around them were beginning to stare. “What do you mean?”
“Please, baby.” He shot up from the chair, and then got down on one knee. “I love you. I always have, you know that.” His tone was desperate. “What do I have to do to prove it to you?”
She stared down at him, her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. From across the room, Rosie sent her a disapproving look. “Get up, Tony. Please.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Not until you agree to talk with me.” He swung his arms as if to catch her.
“Tony!” She evaded his grasp by stepping away, but he didn’t get up. Staring down at him, she could see the determination—or was that desperation—in his eyes. “Fine,” she relented. “Will you leave if I agree to talk?”
He nodded. “Where can we go?”
“I’m working right now, I just can’t take off,” she exclaimed. Pursuing her lips, she continued, “There’s a place called Full Moon Diner on Highway Seventy-Five. I’ll meet you there at seven thirty.” It would be perfect timing so she could tell him she had to go home right away to wake up for work the next day.
Tony shot up to his feet and dusted himself off. “Seven thirty. Don’t be late, baby.”
Temperance watched him leave, just to make sure he really did go. When the door closed behind him, she let out a sigh of relief. Though a few people were still staring at her, she ignored them, and instead spun around and marched away from the table.
“What do you want me to do about the flowers?” Bridgette asked before she went into the kitchen.
“Ugh, throw them away,” she said.
“And, uh,” Bridgette glanced around sheepishly. “He didn’t pay his check.”
Temperance grumbled inwardly. Typical. “I’ll take care of it. Sorry about that, Bridgette.” With a deep sigh, she pushed the door open.
I should have told him to go fuck off. That was her thought the rest of the day. Tony was like a disease, and everything he touched turned to shit. Her heart plummeted as her thoughts immediately turned to Gabriel. It was a good thing he w
asn’t here, because she didn’t want to have to explain to him about Tony and the shame she felt at what she allowed him to do to her.
He can never find out about Tony or that he’s even here. She’d meet Tony and get rid of him before Gabriel came back from Vegas. And for now, she would focus on work and hopefully just get through the day.
The rest of the workday passed much quicker than she wanted, even though she procrastinated and stayed until it was time to leave to meet Tony. She had prepped for tomorrow, telling Rosie she wanted to be ready, but the truth was, there was no way she would be able to stay sane if she went home and waited there for a couple of hours until tonight. Busywork would help her get through the day without anxiety driving her crazy, so she made enough pies to at least get through the next morning. Rosie had asked her if she was okay, but she just waved her away, saying everything was fine.
Soon, she found herself entering the Full Moon Diner at seven thirty on the dot. Tony wasn’t there, which wasn’t really a surprise. She sat in the farthest booth in the corner, and waved the waitress away when she came to get her order. “I’m waiting for someone,” she said. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to eat until this entire thing was over and Tony finally got out of town and out of her life.
Tapping her fingertips on the table, she waited. And waited. Finally, it was nearing eight o’clock, and she had just about had enough. Tony always did this, kept her waiting whenever they would meet somewhere, and now she understood that it was his way of keeping her on her toes and asserting his dominance over her, because he knew she would always wait. Knew that she would always feel like she couldn’t do better than him and she should bend over backwards to keep him happy. Well, no more.
It was strange, but as she got up to leave, a moment of clarity came over her. In the last few months as she’d learned to be independent, be alone and stand on her own two feet, it was now obvious that he’d been the problem all this time. And it was a freeing thought. The inhibitions she felt began to melt away and—damn Tony or anyone else—she was going to get out there and take what it is she wanted, including allowing herself to open up to Gabriel.
Blackstone Ranger Charmer Page 10
