by Jody Holford
He was yanking a shirt out of the closet and turned to her with it in his hand. He took a deep breath and gave her a sheepish grin. “I know. I’m sorry. Just feels weird to be sitting half-naked on my bed with you and my mom at the door.”
Gabby nodded, keeping her thoughts about how adorable he was to herself. She had things to do today and now that they were up, she needed to get started. “I’ll grab my things and shower at my place.”
Owen tossed the shirt beside her and pulled her up to standing. “What? Why? There’s no reason for that. We’ll get ready here, have breakfast, and go to the mall.”
She liked that he didn’t want her to leave, but since they’d spent every moment together so far, she hadn’t even wrapped his gifts. A little space would do them both some good. He could spend some time with his family and she could get herself together so that just looking at him didn’t make her want to strip him naked. She ran her hands over his chest again. Maybe she should try her hand at sculpting. “I’d like to paint a bit today, if there’s time. Maybe I’ll meet you guys at the mall, if that’s okay? I also have a few errands to run and little things to pick up.”
Owen sat down on the bed, pulling her between his legs. “What kinds of things?”
“Owen,” his mother called through the door again. “Everything is ready.”
Owen shook his head and stood up, grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. “Seriously?” He muttered it so only she could hear and then called back, “Okay, Mom.”
Gabby laughed. “You’d better get out there. I’ll be out in a minute.”
He sighed, kissed the tip of her nose, and ran his hand down the length of her hair. Happiness settled deeply into Gabby’s bones. When he left, she stayed in the same spot and closed her eyes, reliving the feeling of his breath on her face, his words in her ear, and his lips on hers. Since she was alone, she treated herself to a ten-second happy dance and then went to brush her teeth. This Christmas was already special because she was spending it with Owen and finally getting the family holiday she’d been craving. But the memory of Owen’s touch brought it to a whole new level. She pushed aside the little voice that said it was too good to be true. She deserved this and so did Owen. Whatever happened, they’d always be friends. But the fact that she wasn’t the only one who wanted more was the best Christmas present she could imagine.
Chapter Thirteen
Gabby finished up showering, enjoying the bit of quiet. Breakfast had been boisterous and fun. She liked listening to Owen’s family talk. They moved from one topic to another without pause, making each other laugh. Dressing in jeans and a T-shirt, she tied her hair back. Owen’s touches during breakfast had been more casual, less heated, which made sense. If he was feeling like her, it was better they not touch at all. Like the doughnuts again, once she took a bite…she wanted more. He’d tried to convince her to come to the mall with them again, but she’d held strong.
While she pulled gifts out of plastic bags, she tried not to worry about the fact that she’d gotten exactly what she wanted by being part of a lie. They’d work it out. Maybe if she could get him alone later, she could talk to him about coming clean.
Pulling out her phone, she selected a Christmas playlist. She’d been so worried that she didn’t meet Owen’s requirements for “dream girl.” It troubled her she still didn’t, but she reminded herself that wants could change and Owen definitely wanted her. It was obvious from his words. The way he touched her. The way his eyes darkened at her touch. She’d focus on that. On them. On trusting him to step outside his carefully created parameters and explore what had been lying there this whole time, waiting for him to notice.
“Enough. Have some faith,” she told herself. She’d never had trouble believing in Owen before. She wouldn’t start now. Turning up the volume on her docking station, she wrapped the box set of Firefly she’d bought for Owen. Next, she checked to see if the paint was dry on the sign she’d made for Owen’s mom. She ran her fingers over the black script that read Family Is Everything. She’d stenciled it onto three pieces of a palette she’d connected at the back. After painting it a cheery yellow, she’d added the words and then the stain. One thing about staying at Owen’s, she was able to spread her work out and move from one project to the next without worrying about space.
She wasn’t sure what would happen between them, but unlike Owen, she could handle the not knowing. For a while. Certainly until they got through Christmas with his family. Despite Owen’s reluctance to spend holidays with them, Gabby loved having them around. They were lively and funny. A different side of Owen was revealed in their presence. They laughed constantly and loved without restraint, and it was difficult not to want to be part of that. Even if she’d tried to shrink back from it, they would have pulled her into the fold. It was just how they were. And she loved it.
So, enjoy it. Once they went home, she and Owen could go back to their own spaces and figure out where they stood.
Gabby refused to let a little thing like being hopelessly in love with him ruin their friendship or rush him into declaring his own feelings.
She heard the knock at her door only because the music had quieted to switch songs. Looking through the peephole was more habit than worry, but in light of recent events, it was also smart.
“What’s up, Jake?” She wasn’t in the mood for him. His eyes were bloodshot and his clothes were more rumpled than usual.
Tunneling a hand through his hair, he cast a quick glance around. “Hey. There are a couple of officers in the multipurpose room. They told me to gather everyone, but it’s a pain in the ass. I gotta knock on every damn door. Since they’re the ones who want to interview every damn tenant, you’d think they could go door to door themselves. Can you help me?”
Gabby bit back her smile. There were four floors in the building, but only three held apartments. She was betting Jake had come to her first, which meant there was no reason for him to look like he’d climbed Everest.
“Sure.” It was Christmas. She could be generous. And it would get her out of her own head. Or heart. Or both.
“Yeah? Okay, I’ll go back to the lobby and you start gathering them.”
He turned and walked away, leaving Gabby with her mouth hanging open. Collecting herself before he stepped onto the elevator, she called out, “That’s more like doing it for you than helping.”
He gave her a creepy half grin then turned as the doors slid open. “You’re a doll,” he said as they closed.
Gabby huffed out a sigh. More like an idiot. She quickly texted Brady, asking him to knock on the doors on the second floor, since he lived there. She grabbed her phone and wallet and shoved them in her back pocket, made sure she had her keys in case she didn’t come back later, and headed out to start her floor. She finished hers easily enough, since Owen was out with his family. When she went down to the third floor, three neighbors didn’t answer, and two were heading down now. She knocked on the final door on the third floor, a corner unit like Owen’s. Not-so-Neighborly-Wyatt yanked it open, his scowl fully intact.
“What?” His dark hair stuck out at odd angles.
Really? She put her hands on her hips. “Why are you so grumpy?” She didn’t need to know, but she was curious.
His eyes widened. “Are you joking? You did not knock on my door to ask me that.”
Gabby took a step back, mildly amused but not stupid. Clearly, he didn’t want to open up to her. “No. I came to tell you that the police are interviewing all the tenants downstairs. Your charming presence has been requested, along with everyone else.”
She turned, neighborly duty complete, and stalked toward the elevator. Men.
She gave a small gasp when she stepped onto the elevator and Wyatt stepped in with her. He seemed bigger in the small space. He was wearing jeans and a pullover hoody that read Boston Strong. He definitely didn’t dress like a mobster.
“You should wear a bell,” Gabby said. She gripped the railing that went around three
-quarters of the elevator. It occurred to her whoever was breaking into things could very well be dangerous.
“Excuse me?”
Gabby stared at him, waiting for her instincts to speak up and tell her she should fear this man. But they didn’t. He looked more exasperated than deadly.
“You’re too quiet. I didn’t hear you close your door or come down the hallway after me.”
“Maybe I should just keep up a constant stream of chatter, like you.”
Were his lips twitching? “It’s not a bad idea. But the bell would work, too.”
He shook his head and gestured for her to go first when the elevator doors opened to the lobby. Gabby recognized many of the people milling about, but not all of them. In one room, like this, it felt like a lot more than eighteen apartments.
He crossed his arms beside her. “And I’m not grumpy. Old men are grumpy.”
“I’m sorry, how does that support your argument? Because from my side, it sounds like you just confirmed your grumpiness and called yourself old.”
This time, his smile was hard to miss. It changed his face, brightening his eyes, and, ironically, made him look younger. Definitely more approachable.
“Careful. Someone might see you with that smile on your face,” Gabby said.
“Do you ever shut up?”
For some reason, his dry tone made it impossible for her to feel insulted. She shrugged. “Rarely.”
He started to respond but then his smile faded and his body tensed. He took a step closer to her when a hand gripped her wrist. She turned, just as he did, and saw it was Owen. Wyatt didn’t seem to care and his eyes zeroed in on the spot where Owen held her arm.
Owen met his gaze, arched an eyebrow, and stepped closer to Gabby. “Hey, babe.” He kissed her cheek, but his body stayed angled toward their neighbor. Wyatt’s glare softened before he gave a chin nod and walked away. Their other neighbors chatted nosily around them, but Gabby focused only on Owen. His eyes were a little wild and his dark hair was falling onto his forehead. She brushed it back, her fingers tingling with the urge to play with the dark strands.
Her belly tumbled just at the sight of him. “Hey.” Her voice was too breathy.
“Hi. What’s going on?” He looked around, waved at someone, and then pulled Gabby over to the side. There was nowhere to sit. Three uniformed officers were asking a series of questions, jotting down answers and sending people away. It was busy, but fairly organized. Jake was pacing the small area of carpet near the door, rubbing the back of his neck.
“They’re asking questions,” Gabby clarified. “Jake said it shouldn’t take long. I think they’re going by unit number. They told him it was easier than knocking on every door, which he didn’t seem to agree with, seeing as it meant he had to.”
“Okay. Gabs, about this morning…about my freaking out when my mom came to the door,” Owen said. He lowered his forehead to hers. His glasses felt like a barrier.
She shook her head. “It’s okay. Everything is fine. We’ll figure things out after your family leaves.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled the way they did when he was working out a problem. “I don’t want you to think—”
“Unit 403,” one of the uniforms called.
“That’s you. I’ll meet you upstairs when I’m done, okay?” Gabby kissed his cheek and gave him a little shove when he hesitated. He looked back at her once before he reached the table, where he spoke with an older, burlier cop.
Mrs. Haverman was talking about her cats, loudly, to the youngest looking officer, who was trying to hurry her up.
“Just answer the question, ma’am,” he said.
Gabby leaned against the wall, watching her neighbors. People were grumbling about their holiday plans being interrupted, but it was better than having the cops show up on Christmas Day. It was hard to believe it was tomorrow. His parents were leaving a few days after Christmas, and she couldn’t help thinking about what would happen when they were alone. She’d thought Owen would have to tell his family, by phone of course, that they’d broken up. All pretending done. But maybe now, he wouldn’t have to. She hated lying, but was it different when that lie became the truth? Definitely a gray area. Gabby pushed off the wall, startled when Owen returned only a moment later.
“That was fast.”
Owen took her hand, linking their fingers in a way that was becoming routine. He looked down at their hands, then met her gaze.
“Not much to say. They have our names and apartments. Nothing of mine was stolen or broken, so I’m not much help. I’ll wait for you.”
Before Gabby could tell him she still needed to finish up some things, she heard Owen’s mother calling his name from the other end of the crowd.
Beth smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Hi Gabby. Owen, honey. I forgot something in your truck. Is Gabby okay with us just ordering in tonight?”
“Sounds good,” Gabby said. Though, the home cooked-mom meals were pretty fantastic.
“I hadn’t asked her yet, but I had a feeling she’d be fine with it,” Owen said, bumping her hip with his. She grinned at him.
He knew her better than anyone. Did he know this wasn’t just physical attraction for her? Could he see it? Feel how much she loved him? Owen squeezed her hand and when he looked at her, his brows were furrowed together. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, I hope you’re not coming down with something,” Beth said, stepping closer.
“I’m fine. I’m totally fine,” Gabby said. Owen didn’t look convinced. He pulled her a bit closer, leaned down so his lips were at her ear.
“We need to talk,” he said.
Gabby shivered. When his lips brushed her ear like that, talking wasn’t the first thing that came to mind.
“Owen, honey. Your truck?”
Owen’s growl vibrated against Gabby’s skin. “How does she always manage to interrupt at the worst time?”
Gabby went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “She’s a mom. I think it’s part of the training. I’ll meet you upstairs.”
Owen stepped back, and his eyes were shadowed in a way that made Gabby’s heart squeeze. “Sorry, Mom. Let’s go get your stuff.” He rubbed Gabby’s shoulder. “We’ll talk later.”
Gabby was called up by one of the officers a few minutes after Owen and his mom left. He was kind and routine, making it easy to answer the questions.
“Did someone mention the mailboxes to you?” she asked when they were finishing up.
The officer looked down at some sheets of paper in front of him. “Hmm. We’re collecting information on the storage room damage and thefts. Was your mailbox broken into?”
“No. But someone tried.”
He made a note and promised to speak with the other officers. When she made her way to the elevators, Jake stopped her with a hand on her arm. She looked down at it with a hard frown and back up at him. He removed his hand.
“What’d they ask you?” What is his problem?
“Probably the same things they asked you,” Gabby snapped.
Wyatt caught her eye and started heading in her direction. When Jake noticed, he mumbled something and stalked away. The other neighbor stopped walking toward her and just stared for a moment before his eyes trailed Jake. She couldn’t think about whatever was happening right now. Gabby’s mind and heart were jumping around for joy, and it was starting to make her dizzy. As if the holiday wasn’t thrilling enough, she was pretty certain Owen was going to give her the best gift she could ever imagine: him. With him came family. Talk about icing on the proverbial cake.
When she made it back to the apartment, the TV was blaring clear into the hallway. Leo was sprawled on the couch, watching sports highlights.
“Hey there, Gabby. You missed out on mini doughnuts at the mall,” he said.
“She wouldn’t have if you hadn’t eaten the ones we brought back for her,” Patty said. Owen’s family liked to eat almost as much as she did. One more thing to love about them.
> “No worries. Once I have one, I can’t stop. It can get a little dangerous. Where’s everyone else?”
Leo turned the volume down on the TV. “Lia’s in the shower, and Beth went to get something out of Owen’s truck. We’re going to order in. Owen says there’s a little Italian place around the corner that you guys love.”
Love. The word was trapped in her brain. God, she was becoming a ball of sap. “Yes, it’s great. Okay. I’m going to go back to my place. I have a few things I need to bring over and put under the tree.”
Leo waved and turned back to the TV. The door was slightly open, making her pause and frown. She’d shut it when she left with Jake, hadn’t she? Pushing it open enough to slip inside, she heard voices. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she realized they were coming from the living room. She was frozen, one hand on the door, her body half in the hall, half in her home. When she recognized Owen’s voice, she sighed in relief. Way to spook yourself. She heard Beth’s voice as well. Argh. She hadn’t covered the present. She started toward the living room, hoping Beth hadn’t seen the sign.
“I want you to give it to her. When you said she was the one, I took it out of the safe,” Beth said.
Gabby froze. She didn’t even breathe. Standing in the hallway, she listened to their conversation.
She slapped a hand silently to her mouth at Beth’s next words: “It’s Grandma Shelly’s engagement ring.”
Dots danced in front of Gabby’s eyes. She’d tried to play it cool, but maybe Owen did know exactly how she felt. And maybe he felt the same way. Maybe what Owen meant by “we need to talk” was code for “hey, did you know I’m totally head over heels in love with you, too?” She just wanted the chance to see where they could go. She wasn’t thinking marriage. At least not right this minute. But it’d be another lie to say she’d never imagined spending her life with him. It had worried her to think he didn’t want kids, but now she knew she’d been wrong there, too. She’d been tying her hopes around the idea that they could try a real relationship. The idea of so much more was a balloon expanding in her chest. Oh my God…
