by Cindy Kirk
Gabe rocked back on his heels.
“You two looked pretty cozy when I walked up,” he said once the door closed behind Tripp.
Michelle exhaled a breath. At least they were talking. Ed used to give her the silent treatment whenever he was upset.
“Looks can be deceiving,” Michelle patted the spot next to her on the bench.
He shook his head. “I’m fine where I am.”
But she didn’t want him way over there. Michelle wanted him beside her. Where she could feel the heat from his body and reassure herself that all was okay between them.
“Please, Gabe, sit by me.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to call Tripp back?” he asked when he sat down.
She punched him in the arm. Hard.
“Hey,” he said. “What was that for?”
“You know very well who I want to be with, and he’s sitting beside me now. Tripp is a friend. We were talking about Adrianna.”
“He didn’t look like he had your nurse-midwife on his mind when I walked up.” Gabe took a finger and brushed a curl behind her ear. “It was you who appeared to be in his crosshairs.”
“Tripp thinks a relationship with me would be easier.” Michelle gave a humorless laugh. “It’s Adrianna he wants, but there’s stuff between them.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Other than she was schoolgirl friends with his deceased wife, I’m not sure.”
“What about Adrianna? Does she want him?”
“I think so, but I can’t be positive. Adrianna is a very private person.”
Gabe didn’t press. “You’re telling me he wasn’t hitting on you?”
Michelle’s initial impulse was to deny it. But honesty was important to both her and Gabe. She refused to bend the truth simply to ease the tension.
“He was headed toward that point,” she acknowledged. “If I’d given him a green light, I think he’d have seized the opportunity and then regretted it. Like I said, I’m not who he really wants.”
Gabe met her gaze. “You’re who I want.”
Michelle exhaled the breath that she didn’t even realize she’d been holding. “You’re who I want, too. For now,” she added.
He took her hand in his. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
She smiled. “Honesty is as important to me as it is to you.”
“We should go in,” he said but made no move to get up. “Before I say to heck with the party and we head back to the cabin.”
As much as Michelle wanted to do just that, life was about more than sex. Although right now, with Gabe so close and desire coursing through her blood like a hot stream of lava, she couldn’t remember why.
She pushed to her feet and held out a hand to him.
Instead of rising as she expected, he tugged her down and kissed her softly on the lips.
It was gentle and sweet and brought emotions and a hope she’d kept under tight control from rushing to the surface.
He stood and slipped her hand through the crook of his arm. “Now I’m ready.”
Just before they reached the front door, she reached up and wiped off a smudge from the corner of his lip.
He cocked his head.
“Lipstick,” she explained and he smiled.
Gabe opened the large oak door with the beveled glass and stepped back to let her enter.
“There’s sure a lot of people here,” she whispered.
“They wouldn’t have even noticed if we didn’t show,” Gabe responded in an equally low tone.
“Don’t be too sure.” Michelle smiled as Mary Karen and Travis swept through the crowd to greet them.
“I asked Tripp and Adrianna if you were coming and they assured me that you were.” Mary Karen looked lovely in a periwinkle-blue cashmere sweater and silky skirt.
“I told them you better show up.” Travis reached out to shake Gabe’s hand and brushed a kiss across Michelle’s cheek. “We have enough food to feed an army.”
Travis was in charge of the committee arranging the food and drink for the celebration.
“We wouldn’t have missed it,” Gabe said.
We.
Michelle caught the look Mary Karen slanted her husband. The next time she saw the couple she knew she’d be interrogated within an inch of her life.
But she wasn’t going to worry about that now. Tonight she was going to enjoy being part of a couple.
“The food and drinks are all along the bar, as well as any you can grab from passing waiters,” Mary Karen explained. “Speaking of which—”
She reached out and plucked a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, then gestured for them to have a glass.
Gabe took two, handing one to Michelle, then keeping one for himself. Travis shook his head when the waiter glanced questioningly at him.
“One of us has to keep a clear head,” Travis said, good-naturedly shooting his wife a wink.
“He’s being the adult.” Mary Karen smiled up at her husband. “I’m not.”
“I’m on call tonight.” Travis smiled and slipped an arm around his wife’s shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze.
“How did that happen?” Michelle asked. “I thought you’d taken the night off.”
“Actually, I’m backup. Tim Duggan was supposed to be, but he broke his leg this afternoon.”
“Oh, no,” Michelle said. “I’m sorry to hear it. I hope you don’t get called out.”
“That makes two of us.” Travis smiled, then gestured to the crowded room. “Enjoy.”
Gabe gripped her arm more tightly as they plunged forward into the sea of people. But once they began to circulate, Michelle relaxed. Most in attendance were friends. Or if they weren’t, they were fond acquaintances.
Even though Gabe didn’t know quite as many people as she did, she was surprised by how many greeted him by name. For those he didn’t know, it made Michelle feel good to introduce him. She felt proud to be at his side.
It had been a while since she’d attended a party with a man. When someone hurrying through the crowd got too close, Gabe pulled her close and protected her with his body. When her feet began to hurt too much, she held on to him while slipping off her shoes. She found herself enjoying the party far more than she would have alone.
They ran across Adrianna and Tripp when they ventured outside to the back patio. The two were sitting on a glider, not as close as you’d expect for a couple, but close enough that you could tell at a glance they weren’t simply casual acquaintances.
“Looks like they’re having a serious discussion,” Gabe said in a low tone.
“If we don’t say hello now, with all the people we might not see them again tonight,” Michelle said.
Gabe shrugged. “Up to you.”
She took his arm. “Let’s do it.”
As they stopped before the couple, Gabe moved his arm around her waist. Almost as if he wanted to make sure Tripp understood she was here with him and he’d be the one taking her home.
From the flicker in Tripp’s eyes, he’d gotten the message loud and clear.
“We didn’t want to interrupt,” Michelle began then stopped realizing, like Gabe, she’d made them a couple with her “we.” “But I saw you and—”
“—we wanted to say hello,” Gabe filled in the gap when she faltered.
Adrianna’s eyes were red-rimmed. If you looked closely, it was apparent she’d been crying. Michelle didn’t know what to say. She’d never seen the nurse-midwife cry. No matter how sad the situation.
Yet, she’d cried tonight. At a party.
What had Tripp said to her?
Michelle shot him a glare, but there was only concern, not guilt, in his eyes. She shifted her attention to her friend, unsure how to proceed.
Even though she and Adrianna had worked together for over two years, other than her academic achievements, Michelle knew very little about Adrianna’s private life. She certainly had no knowledge of what had happened that had caused her to distrust men
.
“You should try the champagne.” Michelle lifted her half empty flute. “It’s the best I’ve ever tasted.”
“Want some?” Tripp asked.
Adrianna shrugged. “I suppose so.”
Tripp jumped up. “I’ll run some down.”
“I’ll go with you,” Gabe said, then turned to Michelle. “We won’t be long.”
“Take your time.” Michelle took the space Tripp had vacated and dropped her shoes to the concrete. “Adrianna and I will keep each other company.”
“What’s with the no shoes?” Adrianna asked.
“I loved the looks of these, but they pinch my toes something terrible.” Michelle glanced at Adrianna’s four-inch stylish stilettos. “I don’t know how you can walk in those.”
For the first time since they’d interrupted, Adrianna smiled and flexed her foot. “They’re actually quite comfortable.”
“Perhaps I need to look at a different brand,” Michelle said doubtfully.
“We don’t need to talk around it.” Adrianna shifted in her seat to face Michelle. “I received a text and I got upset and cried. It was something personal and had nothing to do with Tripp.”
Adrianna must have seen the skepticism in Michelle’s eyes because she smiled. “Truly. And I feel badly, because he doesn’t know what to do. But there’s nothing I expect from him.”
“That’s kind of an odd thing to say.”
“That I don’t expect anything from him? Not so odd.” Adrianna brushed a piece of chestnut hair back from her face. “I’ve learned not to expect much from anyone.”
Michelle knew Adrianna didn’t mean to be hurtful, but she wondered if that meant Adrianna didn’t trust her. “I hope that doesn’t include me.”
“I know you’d do your best to always stand by me.”
It wasn’t a ringing endorsement but Michelle had the feeling it was the best she was going to get. “Is there anything I can do?”
Adrianna’s emerald eyes gave nothing away. “Just don’t blame Tripp. He’s a good friend.”
“He is?”
“But not as good of a friend as Gabe is to you.” The smile that appeared on Adrianna’s lips reached her eyes. “Something is going on between you two.”
“I like Gabe,” Michelle said, not sure how much to divulge. “And I think he likes me.”
“There’s no think about it,” a deep voice interrupted.
Michelle wanted to sink through the concrete as she looked up into Gabe’s smiling face.
If there was a way that she could figure out how to do it, she’d be six feet under. Dear God, he must think he was hanging out with some high school girl, gossiping with her friends about boys.
“Ah, there’s not?” she asked when the silence became uncomfortable.
“No,” he leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth in front of everyone. “I do like you. Very much.”
Chapter Sixteen
“You realize I’m not going to be able to live that kiss down,” Michelle said to Gabe as he pulled into their driveway.
“That little peck on the lips?” His mouth turned upward in full smirk.
“It may have started out that way.” Michelle resisted the urge to touch her lips. “That’s not how it ended.”
“And whose fault was that?” he teased.
Okay, so perhaps she’d gotten a little carried away. But he’d certainly gone along with her...exuberance. “I guess mine.”
“I think we both were really into it.”
“Did you see Adrianna’s eyes?” Michelle chuckled. “Certainly made her forget her troubles for a few seconds.”
Gabe shut off the truck and shifted in his seat to face her. “What’s up with her?”
“I honestly don’t know.” She slowly unbuckled her seat belt. “But Adrianna is a strong woman with a lot of supportive friends. I told her I’ll always be there for her. I got the feeling she didn’t believe me.”
He reached over and cupped the back of her neck with his hand. “Sounds like she was disappointed in the past by someone she trusted. Those wounds take a long time to heal.”
The sensuous touch of his stroking fingers made it difficult for Michelle to think. “Has that ever happened to you?”
Instead of just tossing off some answer, Gabe’s fingers stilled. “I was disappointed when Shannon walked away from Finley and me, but I didn’t feel betrayed. She’d made it clear from the time she found out she was pregnant that she didn’t want...to be a mother.”
Even though Gabe had only said his girlfriend hadn’t wanted to be a mother, Michelle could read between the lines. “Did she ever consider having an abortion?”
“She may have briefly considered that option.” Gabe appeared to choose his words carefully. “But I believe she’s always been glad she continued the pregnancy.”
“Usually once I put the baby in a mother’s arms—” Michelle’s voice grew thick with emotion “—she knows she’s made the right decision.”
“Shannon never did warm to Finley.” Gabe fixed his gaze over her shoulder as if embarrassed by the admission. “By the time she gave birth, she’d pretty much made the decision to leave.”
Michelle softened her tone. “How long did she stick around?”
“Two months.” Gabe took a breath, then let it out slowly. “She gave it eight weeks.”
“Does she keep in contact with Finley?”
“Not at all.”
Michelle thought of her own mother. Even though a thousand miles now separated them, her mom called at least once a week. She couldn’t imagine not having her. Never having her.
Finley had never known a mother’s love. Michelle’s heart gave a ping. “How does Finley feel about that?”
“It hurts her. She says it’s okay, that she has her grandma. But it’s not the same.” Gabe’s lips twisted. “I’ve tried to sit down and talk with her about it, but that only seems to make it worse.”
“She probably feels rejected,” Michelle murmured. His daughter’s face, with those beautiful eyes and sensitive features, flashed before Michelle. She wondered if Shannon truly realized what she’d given up.
“Enough about that.” Gabe’s tone made it clear the subject was closed. His gaze met hers. “What about you? Anyone ever let you down?”
There were dozens of things Michelle could have said that would have made it seem like she was honestly answering his question without actually doing so. But she wanted to be as honest with him as he’d been with her. “Ed.”
“Your ex?”
She nodded. “I thought he wanted a wife, a true partner. I hoped we could be a family.” The old hurt welled inside her, but she realized it didn’t sting quite so much anymore. “He had two daughters about Finley’s age—Chrissy and Ann. It was like the three of them had their own little club, one I wasn’t allowed to join. I tried many times to talk with Ed about it, but he couldn’t see why I cared. He kept telling me I should be glad to not be involved in his daughters’ lives. But I always felt like I was on the outside looking in.”
Not only had Michelle shared more than she’d meant to, but the words also kept coming. Like a large boulder on a downhill slide, she couldn’t seem to stop. She told Gabe everything, including how the girls had treated her with such disrespect and how Ed didn’t do a thing to stop it.
Gabe’s brows drew together as her voice began to shake. He took her hand and murmured soothing words of reassurance until she’d said it all. The only part she left out was her resolve never to marry a man with a teenager.
“Unimaginable.” He brought her hand to his lips. “But his loss is my gain.”
* * *
The first of the week came and went with Gabe only seeing Michelle in passing. They’d wave or stop to talk in the driveway for a second. But it seemed either she had some place to be or he did.
By Thursday, missing her had grown to an acute ache. It wasn’t only the lovemaking that Gabe missed, but also talking to her for more than two or
three minutes at a time. He understood that her career was a demanding one. Lately he’d seen her car pull into the garage at all hours of the night.
If we lived in the same house, I’d be there for her when she got home, Gabe thought as he studied the blueprints spread out on a sheet of plywood held up by two sawhorses.
The thought should have shocked him, but instead it felt right. He loved Michelle. He wasn’t sure when like had turned to love, but it didn’t matter. They should be together.
Because of Finley, he could never live with Michelle without being married. And although Michelle appeared to like Finley well enough, he needed to be certain of her feelings for his daughter.
He and Finley were a package deal. Any woman he married would have to love his daughter.
Marriage.
Just thinking of the word brought him up short. What happened to his plans of focusing on his career and Finley’s acclimation to Jackson Hole before even dating? Michelle. She was what happened. Somehow without his realizing how it had happened, she’d found a place in his heart.
“Is there a problem with those prints?”
Gabe jerked his head up and found Joel standing beside him, a knowing smile on his lips.
“They look good.” Gabe gestured with his head to the blueprints. “I was just thinking about the time frame for this project.”
“The time frame, huh?” Joel rubbed his chin. “Sure you weren’t thinking about a certain lady doctor instead?”
Gabe was deciding on the best response when the sound of a car climbing the steep mountain road drew both their attention. The red van that pulled up next to the assortment of work vehicles was a familiar one.
A broad smile split Joel’s face. “Looks like the family decided to pay me a visit.”
Kate got out of the vehicle, looking stylish in bright yellow pants and a shirt with every color under the sun. She waved before opening the side door of the van and unbuckling Chloe.
The little girl immediately hopped out and ran straight for her dad. She was three or four years younger than Finley, still at that gawky age where they seemed to be all arms and legs and big teeth. Yet the girl reminded Gabe of her lovely mother and Gabe had no doubt Chloe would one day be as beautiful.
