But, blowing out a breath, he made the only decision he could make. He’d be patient and see where things went because it was still early, but he was pretty sure Cait was worth it.
Chapter Twelve
Because she’d picked up what turned out to be an outrageously busy Saturday shift that wiped her out so much she didn’t have the energy to do more than talk to Gavin on the phone for a few minutes, Cait slept in on Sunday morning.
She probably would have slept in even later, but she thought she could smell bacon. Bacon was worth getting out of bed for. And if her mom was getting back into the routine of making Sunday breakfast, Cait would show up for it.
When she finally made her way down the stairs, she was pleasantly surprised to find her mom and Carter in the kitchen together. She was laughing and scrambling eggs while he buttered toast.
For a few seconds, she was tempted to sneak back up to her room because this kind of moment—her mom and brother learning to laugh and enjoy each other’s company again—was what she’d been waiting for for months.
But her brother spotted her and gave her a smile. “Hey, I was wondering if you’d get up today.”
“I smelled bacon.”
She was stealing sips of her coffee while setting the table when her phone chimed. Gavin.
But it was Monica, and she tried not to show her disappointment when she realized her mom and Carter were looking at her. “It’s Monica.”
They both went back to what they were doing, and she shook her head before opening the message.
Have to meet sister-in-law for a dress fitting for her wedding and I’ll be going near your area. Meet for coffee at 2? It’ll be a quick one.
Usually she would jump at the chance for in-person time with Monica, but because she’d worked yesterday, Cait hadn’t done the big shopping trip and she’d planned on doing that today.
“Everything okay, honey?”
Cait looked at her mom. “Yeah. Monica’s going through this afternoon and wants to meet for coffee.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“We have to go shopping.”
Her mom smiled and shrugged. “I can do that. You go and see Monica.”
Cait’s first instinct was to ask if she was sure or to postpone coffee, but she squashed it. There was no uncertainty in her mom’s expression and, once again, this is what she’d been hoping for. “Thanks, Mom.”
She responded with the address of a coffee shop that would be easy for Monica to get to and then sat down to breakfast. While they ate, Carter talked more about how much fun he’d had playing basketball with the guys. He’d told her about it last night, as had Gavin on the telephone, but Cait didn’t mind hearing it again because it was so good to have her happy, chatty brother back for a little while.
Since she’d missed out on the cooking part of breakfast, Cait washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. She took her time, keeping an eye on her mother as she prepared for her shopping trip. After double-checking the fridge and pantry, comparing the contents to the big list, she kissed Cait’s cheek.
“You have fun with Monica. Don’t rush home.”
Carter even looked up from his phone long enough to give his mom a goodbye smile, and Cait felt something loosen in her chest. They were going to be okay. It had been a long road and they weren’t there yet, but there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Because it sounded like Monica wouldn’t have much time, Cait made sure she was at the coffee shop ten minutes early. After ordering two coffees, she was reaching for her phone when it chimed, and this time it was Gavin.
She really needed to pick a text tone just for him, she thought, so her heart wouldn’t do that hopeful leap every time. She’d know.
You working tomorrow?
She wasn’t working tomorrow. And her mother would be at work and her brother at school. Her entire day was her own, and damn the chores and errands she’d planned to do.
Nope. You going to fill me full of more junk food?
Whatever you want to do. I’m all yours.
Cait read the words a few times, her heart hammering in her chest. Her cheeks were warm and she felt ridiculous, but she couldn’t help wondering if she was reading too much into a casual turn of phrase.
Was he all hers?
Text me when you get up and I’ll come over. She smiled to herself. I’m sure we can figure out something to do.
Yeah, we can. What are you doing now?
As much as she loved seeing her friend, she wished she could say nothing and maybe they’d get together now. Meeting a friend for coffee, but it won’t take long.
I promised a friend of my dad I’d help fix his deck this afternoon and his wife will want to feed me dinner. Dad will be there, so they’ll talk forever.
So later was out. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.
Definitely. Have fun with your friend.
Monica rushed in, so Cait fired off a quick emoji and tucked her phone back in her pocket. She was only a few minutes late, but Monica looked flustered as she sat down and took a sip of the blueberry coffee Cait had ordered for her, even though she personally couldn’t stand the smell of it.
“I have thirty minutes max,” Monica said. “Give me the highlights.”
“We could have rescheduled.”
“No way. I feel like I’m always rescheduling you and you are not only getting laid, but you’re dating somebody. As in multiple dates? I want to hear more details and text messages aren’t cutting it. So spill all of it, but quickly, so I have time to comment.”
Cait laughed and considered where to begin. Then she started with the day she—with Gavin’s help, of course—delivered the baby in the hallway and went straight through to the present. Luckily, she talked fast and there was still plenty of time for comments from Monica. Or maybe not luckily, depending on her opinion.
“He took you to a plumbing emergency? It’s been a while since I was out there dating, but it seems like the bar used to be higher.”
Cait laughed, because Monica had a point. “It wasn’t really like that. I mean, sure, it’s a thing that happened over the course of our date, but it wasn’t part of the date.”
“He should have told her he was busy and to call a plumber. Or brought you back to his place to wait so you weren’t on a plumbing call.”
It probably would have been the gentlemanly thing to do, but then Cait would have lost out on the extra time with Gavin. She liked riding shotgun with him, actually. He was a relaxed and confident driver, and he liked talking while he drove. Or sometimes singing along with the radio, which was fun because he was probably one of the worst singers she’d ever heard. He knew and didn’t care. He just sang, anyway.
“Or,” Monica continued, “maybe it was a sneaky way of introducing you to his sister without the pressure of an official meeting. It was all very casual, but now you’ve met her.”
“We’re nowhere near the meeting-the-family phase, if we’re even heading in that direction,” she responded, but Monica’s words had already started the mental wheels turning.
She could be right. Gavin was obviously close with his family, which was one of the things she liked about him.
“You said Carter played basketball with him yesterday, so there has been meeting of the family,” Monica pointed out.
“Yeah, but he’d already met Carter. Remember the Snapchat photo?” She paused while Monica laughed, remembering the string of text messages they’d exchanged about that one. “But he hasn’t come to the house and been introduced to my mother. And I haven’t met his parents.”
“Introducing a girl to your older sister is probably almost as daunting as introducing her to your mother.”
Cait smiled, remembering the look on his face when Jill told her she’d be in touch about the thing. She hadn’t gotten to talk to his sister for very
long, thanks to his anxiety about what she might tell Cait, but she liked her.
“Look at you,” Monica said, leaning back in her chair. “You practically glow when you think about him.”
“Maybe I’m thinking about how good the pie in that case looks.” But she knew Monica wouldn’t buy that. “Yeah, I like him. A lot. Which still seems bizarre to me because he’s the last person I ever thought I’d date because...well, I told you about how he called me ma’am. I guess he was just being a gentleman.”
“Those are the ones you’ve gotta watch out for. When are you seeing him again?”
“Tomorrow. We both have it off, so it’ll be like a Saturday on a Monday, I guess.”
Monica shook her head. “I don’t think I could survive weird schedules. I like my nine-to-five just fine.”
Cait kind of liked it. Sometimes it was hard to mesh their schedules—especially hers, since it tended to change a lot—but having a weekday off together felt almost like stolen time just for them while everybody else was stuck in their usual routine.
“What’s your schedule look like for the end of the month?” Monica asked, pulling up the calendar on her phone. “We have to schedule drinks or a coffee or something so I can get an update.”
“I don’t even know.” But she pulled out her phone and unlocked the screen, which was still in the texting app. “Oh...shit.”
“What? Are you that busy?”
Cait turned the phone so she could see the screen. “I meant to send him the thumbs-up emoji and I must have missed and sent him the heart. I use it to end conversations with my mom, mostly, so they’re next to each other.”
“Girl.” Monica inhaled slowly, and then let it out with a breathy chuckle. “I guess that sends a message.”
“Maybe he’ll think it’s just a girl thing. He’s probably used to women signing off with hearts.”
“Maybe. How long have you guys been texting back and forth?”
“A couple of weeks, I guess.” Cait sighed. “And no, I haven’t signed off with a heart before.”
But she had now, and she had no idea what Gavin would make of it.
* * *
Gavin was up and showered by the time Cait sent him a text the next morning. And as soon as he opened the conversation to respond, he saw the heart again.
He’d spent quite a bit of time yesterday pondering what that meant. He’d even managed to hit his thumb with a hammer in front of his dad and his friend, which had been embarrassing as hell. But his mind wouldn’t leave it alone.
It was just an emoji, he kept telling himself. But Cait always ended their conversations with words or with the thumbs-up, so the heart was definitely a new development.
It had to be a mistake, he thought. Or maybe the heart was meant as a thank-you because he’d told her to enjoy her time with her friend. Cait wasn’t the kind of woman who’d rush into things and throw the L-word around too soon.
Love.
He sucked in a breath and forced himself to focus on the text at hand. It was definitely too soon for the L-word, even if the thought of a just-right moment being in their future made his pulse pick up speed.
Are you awake yet?
He tried not to look at the heart while he typed. Hopefully it would scroll up and out of sight soon. I’m awake. Are you here yet?
On my way.
By the time she buzzed at the door, Gavin had gotten his mind straight. It had to have been a mistake or a thank-you, and if she didn’t bring it up, neither would he. If the heart popped up again in future conversations, he’d know it wasn’t a mistake.
When he opened the door and Cait pressed her body against his for a hello kiss, he stopped caring about emojis entirely. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she said, holding up a bag. “I grabbed some muffins on my way because I walked by the bakery and the smell was too good to resist.”
“Healthy muffins or good muffins?”
She laughed and walked past him to set the bag on the table. Then she slipped off her coat and went to hang it in the closet. “Are healthy muffins even a thing?”
“I don’t know. My mom said something to my dad about bran muffins, but I tuned it out.”
“These muffins are not the healthy kind, I don’t think. Although, someday we’re going to have to start eating better or I’m going to have to order new uniforms in a bigger size. Trust me, no woman likes doing that.”
“But we burned a lot of calories last week, even if I didn’t get to see you over the weekend,” he pointed out while he peeked into the bag. “Oh, I think we’ll have to burn a little extra today.”
They ate the apple cinnamon muffins drizzled with a sugary white glaze and drank coffee, debating on what to do for the day. In the end, they came up with a crazy plan to bundle up and find a beach to explore on the South Shore. They both loved the ocean in winter and there probably wouldn’t be a crowd.
Despite a frigid winter wind blowing off the water, it was damn close to a perfect day for Gavin. They found a little mom-and-pop-type diner for lunch and then walked the beach for as long as they could stand the cold. Every so often she’d turn her face up to his for a kiss or burrow her face against his neck to warm it up.
With his arms around her and her breath against his skin, he couldn’t believe what a lucky bastard he was.
And it was time to maybe step up his game a little. They weren’t just dating anymore. They were a couple—she was his—and he hoped it was going to stay that way for a long damn time.
They thawed out in his truck and stopped on the road for a quick bite to eat. And once they were on the highway, heading back into the city, he decided it was time to broach the subject that had been in the back of his mind all day. Or for days, really.
“So... Wednesday is Valentine’s Day.”
“I’ve heard the rumors.”
That didn’t give him much to go on, as far as her expectations. “I, uh... Maybe we could go out for a dinner. Someplace that has food you eat with a knife and fork instead of your fingers?”
She widened her eyes in exaggerated shock. “No paper-lined baskets?”
He squeezed her hand, which, as always, was laced with his between them. “I haven’t heard you complain, smart-ass.”
“Just so you know, I’m not big into Valentine’s Day. I mean, dinner sounds great. I just don’t want you to feel any pressure to make it a big deal.”
“I’m a little more into it this year than usual,” he admitted, earning him a warm smile that encouraged him to take the plunge. “Actually, I’ve been thinking all the hearts and romance stuff might be hard on your mom, so maybe I could take all three of you out.”
She got very still and that made him nervous. And then she sighed, which made it worse. He knew meeting her mom should have been her idea, but he was hoping including her would make the date more special for Cait.
“That’s really sweet, but you don’t have to do that.”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to, Cait.”
“I don’t know how it’s going to affect her. She hasn’t said anything, but I know Duke used to always get her a little something. So she might be good company or she might sit and be miserable the entire time. Or burst into tears.”
“I understand that. Why don’t you ask her? And if she’s up for it, we’ll go. And if it proves too hard for her, we’ll leave.” He squeezed her hand. “Or if you feel like it’s too much, then forget I said anything. We can do whatever you want to do.”
“I’d like to invite her and Carter, if you’re sure.” He nodded. “I’ve been thinking about inviting you over for dinner, anyway. The whole meet-the-mom thing, since I met your sister.”
“And my mom’s been up my ass about meeting you, so expect that to happen soon. Hopefully it won’t be when she shows up on your doorstep because it
didn’t happen fast enough for her.”
Cait laughed. “If she’s anything like your sister, I can actually imagine her doing that.”
“Trust me, she’s not shy.”
“Let’s get through you meeting my mom first and then—Gavin!”
He barely had a second to glance in his mirror before jerking his wheel to the left and hitting the brakes as the tire blew on the car in front of them. The driver overreacted and hit the guardrail. It started to spin and the tires caught and it flipped, rolling totally before landing with a thud on its wheels across two lanes.
Gavin skidded to a stop, barely avoiding contact with the wrecked car, and hit the button for the four-way flashers. Then he took a few precious seconds to back up and position the truck to block the highway and hopefully offer some protection for all of them until a state trooper or the local first responders arrived.
“Bag?” Cait barked as she unbuckled her seat belt.
“Floor, behind your seat. Gloves in the front pocket.”
She was already giving the 911 operator their location as he put the truck in park. They hit the ground at the same time, but she had to grab his bag, so he got to the cars first.
A quick visual sweep told him the victims’ injuries posed more of a threat than fire or debris, so he turned as Cait reached him. She’d already put on a pair of gloves, and she handed him a pair.
“I’ll take the phone. You check them,” he said as he pulled them on, and she tossed him her phone and dropped the bag. By the time he identified himself to the 911 operator, Cait had her head through the window of the car.
He heard the squeal as another vehicle came to an abrupt stop, but he didn’t hear an impact. After a few seconds, a guy ran around his truck. “Are you guys okay? Can I do anything?”
“We’re first responders. Stay in your car with your seat belt on, sir.”
“I need you to be still,” he heard Cait say before she called Gavin’s name. “Gauze, and I need you here.”
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