At the first signs of movement, Cassidy began her morning song and dance for breakfast. Julia swung her feet to the floor and they landed on Shamus’s soft fur. She reached down and scratched behind his ears. “Mornin’ buddy.”
“Mornin’.” Gabe said from the spot next to her.
“And good morning to you, too.” She felt her face flush as she remembered he was still here. Today was day two of their fateful week together. “You’re still here.”
They had slept on the couch together, which was probably roomier than her bed anyway.
“Would it sound corny if I told you that yesterday was the best day of my life?”
She laughed. “You really don’t get out much, do you, Gabe Crawford?”
“Why leave when we have everything right here?”
Julia couldn’t argue with that. She had her animals and her music and leftover fried rice in the fridge. Now that Gabe was here, everything felt complete.
* * *
“Oh! I almost forgot. I bought you something from Chicago.”
“I hope it’s not a deep-dish pizza.”
Gabe laughed and dug the gift out of his duffel bag. When he placed it in her hand, Julia’s fingers closed around the box.
“Open it.”
Inside, was something cool and smooth like glass. She tapped her fingernail against it. It was glass.
“It’s a paperweight. There’s a pansy inside. It won’t die or crumple.”
Julia swallowed. So, he’d remembered the story she’d told him.
She held tightly to the paperweight and hugged him. “Thank you.”
Thank you for remembering and thank you for chiseling through my defenses one pansy at a time.
Chapter Fourteen
Lunch and Sunshine
The next day, Kate met Julia at the park near her office for lunch. Julia brought tacos from Tico’s Tacos, the best taco joint in town. Gabe was having a lunch of his own with his big shot friend from college. Julia knew she’d drive herself nuts if she stayed home waiting for him to come back, so she had invited Kate out. Her sister spent too much time cooped up in that stuffy office of hers anyway.
The midday sun was warm on their shoulders and Julia heard Shamus grunt as he lay down on the grass and stretched out on his side. Soon he was panting and she listened to the comforting sound of his breath whooshing in and out of his lungs. He was happiest outside with the sunshine warming his bones and she felt guilty for keeping him cooped up while she worked on her sonata.
“So,” Kate began, “Gabe is in town.”
“Yeah,” Julia answered dreamily. “Gabe is in town.” She quickly reeled in her hormones for fear of being subject to one of her sister’s renowned “I Told You So” speeches.
“His face lit up when he saw you,” Kate mentioned. “It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
The observation made Julia feel all warm and gooey inside and it wasn’t from the tacos. “Tell me what he looks like.” It didn’t really matter, but she was still curious what Kate thought of him.
“He’s very handsome.”
“You’re just saying that because I like him.”
“No, I’m not. If he was goofy looking, I’d say it. I swear.”
“So he’s not goofy looking?”
Kate chewed a bite of her taco thoughtfully. “Not at all. He looks like one of those cute guys on a romance novel, except not as cheesy. His hair is longer, but he can totally pull it off. Where Logan looks like a California surfer dude, Gabe looks like he’s from the east coast. He dresses nice… He’s about the same build as Logan. Maybe not quite as tall.”
“Quit comparing him to Logan.”
“Sorry.”
“Yeah, sorry because he’s all you can ever think about these days,” Julia teased out of habit. In all reality Logan brought out the best in her sister and she knew he was good for her. “Gabe’s thinner and shorter than Logan. Okay, I get it. You’re dating a Greek god.”
“Swedish god,” Kate corrected. “Well, technically he’s half Scottish, too. Anyway, you don’t need to remind me. So, what did you and Gabe do after I left last night?”
Julia ignored the insinuation in her sister’s voice. “We sat and talked for hours.” She didn’t know what time they’d finally fallen asleep on the couch because it hadn’t really mattered.
“How do you guys have anything left to talk about?”
“I don’t know, but we do. He told me more about Chicago, his job and his coworkers. I told him about you and Logan...”
They had talked like old friends and held hands like new lovers. He felt comfortable to be around and she enjoyed his company.
And that’s what scared Julia the most.
* * *
When Gabe contacted Colby McCauley to reminisce about old times while he was in town, he didn’t expect to be invited to lunch by the chairman and CEO of MacDaddy Games himself. The fact that Colby had insisted on making time for him—especially since he’d recently been shouldered with running an entire company by himself—had been a pleasant surprise. Gabe would never pass up the chance to talk shop with an old friend from college, even if that meant a few less hours spent with Julia. He hated to take time away from his visit with her, but there was no telling when he’d get the opportunity to see Colby again.
Gabe grinned when Colby strode into the restaurant. Colby looked the same as he had in college and if anything, looked even leaner. Despite the hardships he’d suffered that year, the guy could still draw the attention of a room. Tall, dark and tan, he was the polar opposite of Gabe Crawford.
They dug into a lunch of prime rib sandwiches and seasoned French fries.
“I’m sorry about your brother.”
Zachary McCauley had died in an extreme sports accident a few months ago and his death had shaken the gaming community to the core. Like Gabe, Colby’s passion was software technology, but he kept the game end of the company going because it was his brother’s legacy—that and the fact that MacDaddy Games was one of the largest producer of video games in the country.
Pain flashed in Colby’s eyes. “Yeah, we miss him a lot.”
They each knew the grief of losing a sibling, but they hadn’t met to discuss the past. The subject inevitably shifted to Gabe’s work and he eagerly told Colby about VINCE.
“I love the idea,” Colby mused. “When will you have the prototype ready?”
“As soon as I get back to Chicago. A few weeks at the most.”
“If you ever want to relocate to Red Valley, you have a job waiting for you at MacDaddy.”
Gabe paused. He’d never put much thought into leaving Intelliteck before. As crummy as his boss was, he and VINCE had both found homes there.
“Really?”
Colby nodded.
“Thanks Colby.” Gabe might not have entertained an idea like that in the past, but Julia had turned his world upside down.
Or maybe it was more like right-side up.
* * *
After being on the road for an excruciatingly long road trip, Logan wanted to get Kate alone where she would be all his until he had to leave for his next game. The appetite she fueled in him could never be satiated with ice time or food or anything else but her.
Every time they were together he just ended up wanting more of her. She tasted like heaven and her body was sinful between the sheets. Well, he assumed it was, but they rarely seemed to make it all the way to the bed. The couch, a chair, up against the wall…they tackled each other at every opportunity and always made good use of their surroundings. Once they even did it on her back porch, the chaise lounge on her patio proving to be surprisingly comfortable. Keeping quiet so the neighbors wouldn’t hear was half the fun.
This weekend Logan had other plans for the two of them. And this time they included a hotel room and room service.
He knew the fatigue of the back-to-back games and the flight home would drain away when he saw her again. And when he finally kissed her it wou
ld be like coming home all over again.
* * *
If there was one surprise Kate had enjoyed over the last several months, it was finding Logan on her doorstep at unexpected times throughout the day. Or the week. Or whenever he felt like showing up. This time he was sporting a grin the size of a Zamboni and his eyes were full of boyish mischief.
He wore cargo shorts and flip-flops and his biceps were bulging out of his T-shirt.
Kate waved him inside, but he had ideas of his own. He scooped her up right there at the door and melded his lips to hers in a kiss hot enough to melt the ice at The Garden.
When he had thoroughly kissed off the last of her lipstick, Logan set her back down and breezed past her and into the house.
Dazed, Kate stood on her front porch, flushed and panting like Shamus after a vigorous game of fetch. When she regained clarity and walked into the living room, her smile matched Logan’s. She could never get enough of being wanted by him.
She might struggle with words after a greeting such as that, but he beat her to the punch. “How soon can you get ready to leave town?”
Those were the last words she expected to come out of his mouth. Hadn’t he just come back into town?
Her brow furrowed. “Leave town?”
“Yeah.” He closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I want to take you to Cabo.”
“Cabo San Lucas?” she sputtered, her brain working a million miles a minute. “In Mexico?”
“You have a passport, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I can’t just leave. This is all very last minute, Logan,” she chided and then cringed at the sudden schoolmarm tone her voice had taken on. Where did her adventurous spirit go? What happened to spontaneity and improvisation?
“Yeah, it’s last minute,” he agreed. “That’s what makes it so fun. I have a couple of days off before we play Vegas. All we have to do is hop on a plane and we can be in Mexico in a few hours. We’ll be drinking margaritas on the beach by dinnertime. And then we can be back in time for you to go to work on Monday and my game Monday night.”
That all sounded well and good—all that hopping and drinking, Kate thought, but there were plans to be made, travel arrangements to see to, luggage to pack…
As if he could sense her inner distress, Logan pulled her to him and buried his nose in her hair. “I’ll take care of everything,” he said, breathing in the fragrance of her shampoo. “All you have to do is pack a bag, come with me and trust me. We can have ‘sex on the beach’ without the vodka.”
She pushed back and smirked. “How long have you been waiting to use that line?”
“Since I thought of it on the ride over here.” He pulled her close again.
His breath was hot and moist in her ear and he placed a kiss so chaste on her lobe that she shivered within his grasp.
“I want to make love with you as the sun goes down over the Pacific Ocean and watch the salty air caress your body as I move inside you.” His tongue flicked out and traced the curve of her ear. He couldn’t risk deepening the kiss because then they’d never make it out the door.
“I—” Kate cleared her throat when she found it thick with desire and started the sentence over. “I’ll go pack.”
* * *
An hour later when she called Julia from the airport, Kate was still breathless from the impromptu vacation. “I’m boarding a plane to Cabo with Logan.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line as Julia absorbed the out of the ordinary information. “I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number,” she said curtly. “This is Julia, sister of a very practical and sensible Kate.”
“It’s me, JuJu and I know VINCE already told you that. I’m going on vacation.”
“That’s great, Katie,” she finally said. “A trip like that would usually require months of planning and preparation and you’ve gone and done it by the seat of your pants.”
Kate was actually wearing a skirt and Logan’s hand was currently snaking up her bare leg and dangerously close to the hem.
“I know,” Kate replied, squirming in her seat. “Isn’t it wonderful? To just throw caution to the wind and just do something without overthinking it?”
“Yes,” Julia said, thinking about Gabe flying to Red Valley. “It’s wonderful.”
Chapter Fifteen
Pet Friendly
After several days of take-out, Julia knew Gabe deserved better. When he suggested going out to eat, she was relieved yet skeptical.
“You really want to take a blind girl out to eat in public?”
“Why? Is that wrong?”
“You’ll get a lot of looks,” she informed him, her voice tight. She didn’t give a damn what people thought, but she wasn’t about to put him in a situation that made him uncomfortable.
“Just slap on some big sunglasses and they’ll think you’re a celebrity.”
Julia laughed and wondered why she’d been so worried in the first place.
Ironically, Gabe and Julia ended up at a Chinese restaurant. Hey, if it wasn’t broken…
They settled into a cozy booth in the corner and ordered an assortment of food. When the food came, Gabe pointed out where each item was on her plate. “Rice on the right, Chow Mein on the left.”
It was something Kate would do and it brought a smile to Julia’s face. “Thank you.”
Gabe was caring and attentive to her. Not because he felt sorry for her, but because he seemed to genuinely care for her.
Shamus was perfectly behaved. He lay quietly at her feet with his head on his paws. When Gabe commented on the dog’s impeccable behavior, Julia grinned. “He knows he’s getting a treat when we get home,” she said, pride rising in her chest. He was such a good boy. He remained faithful by her side and all he ever asked for in return was a treat once in a while and a nice scratch behind the ears.
Shamus’s dog collar jingled as he lifted his head at the word ‘treat’ and rested it back down again.
At the end of the meal, Gabe and Julia sat back with a groan and marveled at the huge amount of food they were able to put away.
The busier the restaurant became, the noisier it got. Julia had no problem hearing each individual conversation, but she chose to tune them out and focus only on Gabe.
When he offered to pay for dinner, Julia smirked. “I won’t play tug-of-war with you for the check.”
He laughed and cracked open his fortune cookie. “You like participating in competitive sports.”
She handed him hers and he read it for her. “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
They had a good laugh at their “fortunes” and joked about how they expected something profound like “Your natural charm will attract someone special.” Then they got creative and made up their own fortunes. What did a little slip of paper with lottery numbers printed on it know about life anyway?
On their way out, Julia could sense tension behind her and it wasn’t coming from Gabe. Gabe must have sensed it too because he tightened his grip on her hand.
“You can’t bring a dog into a restaurant. That’s disgusting.”
Julia turned toward the source of the voice. “He’s a service dog,” she explained despite Shamus’s bright orange vest with the words service animal printed on it. “What’s disgusting is the cheap perfume you’re trying to pass off as deodorant. By the way, it’s not working.”
The woman blew out a huff of air like the windbag she so clearly was.
The person she was with must have had half a brain cell because Julia heard her whisper, “She’s blind. That’s her seeing eye dog.”
Without saying anything further, the woman huffed again and shuffled away.
Gabe and Julia followed Shamus to the exit and when they were outside Julia let out a sigh of relief.
“I didn’t expect a catfight on our first date,” Gabe said, squeezing her hand.
“Sorry about that. I probably should have kept my mouth shut, b
ut some people are just so ignorant.”
“That’s okay. I just wish you could’ve seen the look on her face after you put her in her place.”
Julia laughed.
Gabe took her hands and placed them on his face. “She was like ehhhh.” He distorted his face and it moved underneath her fingers.
“Stop!” she cried. “It’s going to freeze that way!”
They laughed together on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, neither one of them giving a good damn what people thought of them.
The evening was too wonderful to end it so soon, so they decided to take a walk. They walked hand-in-hand along downtown, passing shops and restaurants. Smells and laughter drifted out from inside. The night air was chilly and Gabe’s hand was warm holding tight to hers.
The magical sounds of an acoustic guitar caused Julia’s attention to shift. You didn’t need to step into the foyer of a fancy restaurant or a museum to find beauty. It was right here on the dirty sidewalk for everyone to enjoy.
She slowed Shamus to a stop and stood to listen. The music reverberated through her body. Julia didn’t have to have the gift of sight to know that magic was happening on the sidewalk. Tears slid down her cheeks. It was so beautiful and so pure. She felt every note dance through her veins and settle seep into her soul.
Listening to classical music on her iPod was a completely different experience from hearing someone pluck the strings of a guitar in person.
Gabe laced his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. She smiled and wiped the tears away with her free hand.
Beauty was definitely all around her.
* * *
“I never thought I’d ever have this,” Julia said, snuggling closer to Gabe in her too-small bed. Their legs twined around each other’s and Shamus and Cassidy fought for space. With her animals on her right and Gabe on her left, Julia felt like the luckiest girl in Red Valley.
“What?” he asked, tightening his arm around her.
Blind Ice (Razors Ice Book 5) Page 13
