This Time You

by T. M. Cromer

  “You look pale, kid. Should you be up and about?”

  “What’s the deal with you and my mom?”

  Now her reason for seeking him out became clearer. Talk about cutting to the chase, the girl was as direct as they came.

  “We met the morning you skipped school. About two minutes before my brother Gordie dumped you in the pool to be exact. Today’s the first time I’ve spoken to her since.”

  She frowned.

  The paleness of her skin bothered him, and he pulled out a chair. “Sit before you fall down.”

  Leaning back against the opposite counter, he crossed his arms and waited for her continue. It didn’t take long.

  “Why did you go with her to the hospital?”

  “When we heard you fall, we came running in. Your mom was pretty torn up. I couldn’t, in all good conscious, leave her alone.”

  “Do you believe me?”

  “That someone was in the house?”

  She nodded, and he studied her, looking for signs of falseness or guile.

  He nodded in return. “I do.”

  Tears crowded her eyes, and she ducked her head.

  Again, he waited her out, staring at his feet to give her time to regain her composure.

  “What about my mom? She thinks I’m a liar, doesn’t she?”

  “No, she doesn’t.” Margaret’s voice startled them both.

  Gabriel straightened, and Kaley slipped on a rebellious mask. He couldn’t fail to notice Margaret’s heavy sigh. The woman was at a complete loss as to how to communicate with her daughter. Whatever had happened to cause the tension must’ve been a doozy. If he’d have been better acquainted with them, he’d have sat them down and had a come-to-Jesus meeting. These two needed to get out of their own way and resolve whatever their issues were.

  Margaret shuffled in his direction. As she stood in front of him, all kinds of inappropriate thoughts crowded his mind. First and foremost was the desire to ease her burden and kiss her worry away.

  “Do you mind?” She gestured to the single-serve coffee machine.

  With reluctance, Gabriel shifted sideways.

  A giggle sounded, and Gabriel looked to the source. Kaley was about ready to bust a seam in her effort to contain her laughter. The kid hadn’t missed his interest in her mom—unlike her oblivious mother. Because his large frame took up a good portion of the room, he moved to stand beside Kaley. He bumped her shoulder when she snorted.

  “Pathetic,” she whispered.

  “Ya think,” he whispered back.

  “Dude, you need game. She’s never going to acknowledge you exist.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  Their whispered conversation brought Margaret’s head around. “What’s the secret?”

  Kaley, the little fink, spilled the beans. “Your not-so-secret admirer is super into you, Mom. You totally dissed him without even realizing it.”

  Color flared to life in Margaret’s cheeks, and Kaley burst out laughing. Her laugh turned into a groan of pain and brought Margaret rushing to her side.

  “You okay, sweetheart? Is it your head? Should I call the doctor?”

  The girl waved her away. “I’m fine, Mom. My head hurts a little if I move too fast. And if I laugh.”

  “Such is the curse of a concussion,” Gabriel inserted. He leaned down and murmured in Margaret’s ear, “She’s fine. Try not to worry, okay?”

  “I can hear you. I have a headache. I’m not deaf.”

  He snorted and decided coffee sounded like a great idea. Anything to occupy his hands, or he was likely to flick the kid’s ear. He opened one other cabinet before he found the one containing the mugs. Like the contents of the first cabinet, the shelves were extremely organized. All the coffee-cup handles were on the right, shifted about a half-inch forward. Equal amounts of space separated them. Like little soldiers.

  Curious, he spun in a slow circle. For a house with children, no papers or art projects rested on the counters, and not one thing was out of place. Canisters were lined along one wall, an inch spacing between them. The magnets on the fridge were all the small, round black kind. No ornamentation of any type.

  He couldn’t recall seeing anyone’s kitchen this clean and organized. Or at least not anyone who legitimately used theirs. He turned his incredulous gaze to Margaret.

  Embarrassment flushed her cheeks and parted her lips. The tinge of pink highlighted the blue of her eyes.

  Damn, the woman was beautiful.

  Kaley held her head with one hand and had the palm of her other pressed to her lips to fight her laughter. She must see his kind of reaction often.

  He opened his mouth and closed it twice not quite sure what to say. “I didn’t notice before because of the pizza boxes, plates, and people, but is your whole house this… um… organized?”

  “It was messy this morning when you arrived.” Margaret’s color deepened.

  Yes, it had been, but the remains of a morning meal was to be expected, and apparently someone had cleaned it up before they arrived earlier.

  “You should see my Aunt Annie’s place,” Kaley volunteered. “She has her whole pantry alphabetized, and all the labels have to be facing forward. My brothers like to mess with her by mixing everything up when she’s not looking. Oh, and Aunt Sammy color-codes everything. We’d screw with her, but she’s threatened to cut us if we do.”

  His brows shot up. “Should your sister go around threatening to harm your children?”

  Margie waved a hand in dismissal. “She’d never really do it. Threatening violence is the Holt way.”

  “I think your family frightens me.”

  * * *

  Margie liked the way Gabriel joked with Kaley. Her daughter blossomed under his attention. Normally, Kaley didn’t respond to any adults outside the family to any degree. She always held herself in reserve, and Margie suspected it was the distinct lack of fatherly affection.

  “I’m going to make a cup of tea, and then I want to discuss what happened this morning. Kaley, are you up for it?” Margie filled the brewer’s water reservoir.

  The sullen-teen attitude was back.

  Of course it was. Margie had only to open her mouth for her daughter to hold her in contempt.

  “I’ll leave you two to talk alone.” Gabriel moved toward the door.

  “Will you stay?” Kaley’s tentative question surprised her.

  Gabriel’s silvery gaze met Margie’s across the distance, a brow raised in question. Since he’d been here from the moment the attack happened, she inclined her head in agreement. Why not? He’d probably never return after today anyway. And didn’t that make her sad?

  “Absolutely. How about you and your mom go get comfortable on the couch, and I’ll fix the tea?” Gabriel paused, a slight frown tugging at his brow. “Should I make you a cup, too? Do teenagers even drink tea?”

  Kaley’s wide grin warmed Margie’s heart. “I’m good.”

  “Right. I’ll be out in a sec.”

  In an effort to keep the conversation light until it was time to get to the meat of the discussion, Margie asked, “Where did everyone go? I thought Mom was going to stay with you.”

  “Dad brought Scotty and Aaron home. He said he couldn’t keep them overnight.” Kaley’s anger vibrated in her tone. Her large blue eyes were clouded, and her cheeks were flushed.

  The hurt Margie understood well. There were many times in the past when Scott aborted their plans for an agenda all his own. His continued inconsideration affected her children and infuriated Margie. If he was in front of her now, she’d show him the Holt family violence for real.

  “Gram said she was going to take the boys for ice cream to keep the noise down. She didn’t want to make my headache worse. And you know Aunt Annie.”

  Her sister always sought isolation when she could.

  Margie nodded. “What about Jamie? Did he head home?”

  “He said he’d be back tonight after he took care of a few things at
work.”

  “Back?”

  “Yeah, he’s staying until you get a security system installed. His words.”

  “I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel better to think he’ll be here,” Margie confessed, although she probably shouldn’t have shown her anxiety.

  “Me, too, Mom.”

  Margie could have been knocked over with a feather. This day, this very moment, needed to be marked down in her calendar for posterity. Unsure where to go from here, she sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to her.

  Kaley took the armchair.

  So much for bonding.

  Gabriel poked his head around the corner. “How do you take your tea?”

  “Black, one sugar.”

  In another minute, he joined them and settled in the spot Kaley had ignored. He stretched one arm along the back on the couch and covertly caressed the back of Margie’s neck. The gesture was quick and oddly reassuring. Probably exactly what he’d intended, but his light touch woke the butterflies in her belly.

  Smoothing her features to appear unflustered, she addressed Kaley. “I want to start with the fact that I do believe you were attacked this morning, sweetheart.” At the skeptical look, she emphasized, “I do.”

  A small portion of the attitude disappeared from Kaley’s face, and Margie thanked her lucky stars. The next few minutes would be a challenge. “The first thing we need to do is to figure out who would’ve wanted to hurt you. In order to do that, I need you to be upfront with me. Can you?”

  “Yeah,” Kaley said, looking forlorn.

  Margie wanted to go to her and cuddle her close, but for the moment, they needed to discuss this as if they were all adults.

  “Lies aren’t going to help this time, Kaley. If you’re in trouble, I need to know.”

  “I’m not! I swear!” Her earnestness was plainly visible, and her wide eyes begged for understanding. “I know I’ve lied in the past, Mom, but it was only because I wanted to have some fun. You…”

  Margie forced herself to remain calm. The accusation was on the tip of her daughter’s tongue, and it was only one of many always being thrown her way. Conversing with Kaley was exhausting lately. “I what?”

  “I feel like you never want me to have any fun. You never like my boyfriends. Ever.”

  “Skipping school was your answer?” If her voice rose a little, it couldn’t be helped. Again, Gabriel brushed her neck. A warning of sorts. One designed to encourage her to focus on the matter at hand. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Margie sighed, moderated her tone, and continued. “You’re too young for boyfriends. And your generation isn’t the first to feel the sting of rules, Kaley. Can I be honest with you?”

  A sullen nod was her answer.

  At least the lines of communications were somewhat open.

  “I was your age when I started dating your father. I snuck out constantly. At fourteen, you think you know what love is. You don’t. In high school, those feelings are purely infatuation. Until the pressures of the real world have had a chance to take a toll on your relationship, and until both people can step up to the plate as equals, working for a mutual goal, love can’t happen.”

  The lost look on Kaley’s face was disheartening. Resentment was sure to follow. By now, Margie could recognize the signs. Frustrated, she stood to pace. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gabriel bite back a grin. She halted in her tracks and shot him a glare. The jerk was enjoying her predicament. Wait until the day he had kids and had to deal with this crap.

  She turned her back on him and paused before Kaley. “Okay, let me put this another way. Boys in high school want pretty much one thing. Girls your age put out because they want the boy to like them in return.”

  Margie ignored the choking sound behind her. Gabriel was going to get an earful when this was over. Her cheeks burned hot. Like Chernobyl-meltdown temperatures. God, this was embarrassing. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t discussed the birds and bees with her child before. Her ire rose up, and she decided to throw her nosy neighbor under the bus. “I’m sure Gabriel can confirm what I’m saying, right?”

  Knocking the ball in his court didn’t cause her one second of guilt. However, it appeared he was smarter and more prepared for her tactic. Damned lawyers. He stretched out his long legs in front of him and crossed his arms behind his head.

  Margie’s mouth went dry. Good grief, the man was smexy. Smart and sexy all rolled into one—her personal catnip.

  “As fascinating as we’re all finding this conversation, is there a point in there somewhere, Margaret? I thought we were going to discuss the break-in.”

  He smirked.

  She fumed.

  “Yes, dammit.” She glared one final time before facing Kaley. “Bottom line is this: at your age, it’s difficult to weed out the asshats from the good guys. And now, I’m worried you’ve attracted the wrong type of person.”

  Two shocked pairs of eyes stared up at her. Shit. She’d ventured way off the reservation.

  “Ah, fuck.” Margie plunked down on the ottoman in front of Kaley. “I’m sorry. It’s not you I don’t trust. Not completely anyway. Kaley, what I’m trying to say is this: you are beautiful and vibrant like the rarest butterfly. Others want to capture your uniqueness for themselves. But sometimes, people don’t know how to do that without destroying what makes you special. And if you’ve attracted someone who wants to hurt you or is threatening you, I need to know so I can protect you.”

  Thin arms grabbed her neck in a stranglehold, and she barely paused before returning Kaley’s fierce hug. The two could have been fused together, so tight was their embrace. Her daughter hadn’t hugged her like this since she was a small child, and fierce emotion clogged Margie’s throat. She had to clear it twice before she could speak.

  “I love you, baby girl. I just want you safe as long as possible. Can you understand I only have your best interests at heart and I’m not trying to be a fun miser?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. Let’s get back to figuring out who the scum bucket was that attacked you. I have to know whose ass I need to kick.”

  As expected, Kaley giggled at her mother’s profanity. Teens loved it when their parents did things like swear. “Um, Mom? No one says scum bucket anymore.”

  “Shut up, you ungrateful punkass.” To belie her words, Margie lovingly smoothed back Kaley’s colorful hair.

  Gabriel suggested writing down names of potential threats, and the three of them spent the next twenty minutes listing anyone Kaley thought might fit the bill. It frustrated Margie to see the list was practically nonexistent. In the end, no one person stuck out.

  Gabriel called a halt to their little meeting. “You’re looking tired, kid. Why don’t you go lie down for a bit? Your mom and I need to talk.”

  Kaley didn’t argue, and it was a testament to how poorly she must’ve been feeling.

  “I’ll be right back.” Margie gave in to the overwhelming need to see her daughter tucked safely in bed as she’d done when Kaley was a small child. The two of them were on the same wavelength because she hugged Margie tightly before she rolled on her side to sleep.

  Gabriel was in the kitchen, washing their dirty dishes, when she returned.

  “Something occurred to you, hasn’t it? Care to share?” she asked.

  He took an exceedingly long time rinsing the mug he was holding. He set it in the rack, dried his hands, and finally shifted to face her. “You’ve been going on the assumption the attacker was after your daughter. What if he wasn’t? What if he’s just a random stranger who took advantage of the house being empty while we were out on the deck? Or perhaps it was someone who’s been watching your house for a different reason.”

  Margie sagged against the counter. Dear God! She’d never even spared a thought to any other explanation.

  “Not to scare you, but let’s take this one step further. What if the intruder was waiting for you to come back inside? Anyone who knows your schedule would know Kaley was supposed
to be with her dad. She could’ve surprised your would-be attacker, and he panicked.”

  “That’s the more likely explanation, isn’t it? Ohmygod, Gabriel! I’ve been so oblivious. Here I am, lecturing my daughter on attracting unsavory characters, and it probably wasn’t even her.”

  “Do you tend to attract a lot of unsavory characters?”

  The teasing glint in his eye warmed her. She offered him a half smile. “Sometimes.”

  “Come here, Margaret.”

  The intent behind those words was clear as crystal, and she’d be a fool to miss it. Nervous and a bit giddy, she approached where he lounged back against her counter. He separated his legs when she got close, and tugged her to stand between them. Due to his half-slouched position, they were nearly the same height. His face was mere inches above her own.

  “I want to do something unsavory to you. Have since the moment I saw you relaxing in your swing.”

  Oh, hell yes!

  Her gaze dropped to his full, smiling mouth. All the unsavory acts he could perform on her with those lips flitted through her mind. Her deep inhale brought his pure male scent, clean with a spicy aftershave and a hint of deliciousness. It felt like a million years since she’d experienced any type of desire. But one searing look from him, one touch, and her girls puckered along with an ache starting low in her abdomen.

  She leaned into him. Welcoming. Encouraging.

  He lowered his head.

  The front door slammed open. “Mom! We’re home!”

  She wanted to beat her fists against her chest and scream her disappointment. Instead, she backed away and put distance between herself and Gabriel.

  His disappointed sigh made her feel marginally better.

  In the instant when he’d almost kissed her, it all became clear. This was her Sebastian. Her Marcus. Her Hugh. And now her Gabriel. He was always the same—bold, beautiful, and commanding. She’d loved him in every lifetime and, in all probability, would continue to do so.

  Chapter 6

  Gabriel sat with his feet propped on his porch railing, listening to Gordie prattle on. He tuned his brother out and concentrated on his neighbor’s house. The light from Margaret’s master bedroom taunted him. He hadn’t stopped thinking about their aborted kiss since he left her alone that afternoon.