Gabe liked the idea of kissing her under the stars, but it was too cold outside. They’d both freeze before he made his move. It would definitely have to be indoors, preferably when he knew his kids were asleep so they wouldn’t get interrupted. Like maybe snuggled up on the couch in front of the fireplace. Not only was that doable, it was also romantic.
The more he thought about kissing her, the madder he got that she was going out with Ian. Hanging his suit pants up, he grabbed a casual button-down shirt and then pulled on a comfortable pair of jeans.
As he descended the stairs, he formulated a plan. Women liked flowers. He’d call Janet the owner of the Flower Girl, and order Piper a bouquet of flowers. He didn’t know what kind she liked, but maybe Janet would have a suggestion. In the mean time, he was going to ask to take her out to dinner this weekend. Just the two of them.
Determined to talk to her, he was met with disappointment when he saw the piano bench was empty. Lindsey sat on the floor playing with her horse and trailer, but Piper wasn’t with her. Gabe skirted around the mess his daughter had created and barely missed stepping on a partially clothed Barbie.
He picked up the Barbie. “You need to clean some of this up, Linds.”
“I can’t. Miss Piper is coming back to play with me.”
Gabe paused, glancing toward the front door. So Piper had gone home… probably to get ready for her date with Ian.
“Did Miss Piper say she was coming back to play with you?”
Lindsey frowned. “I don’t know. I can go ask her.”
“No, it’s too cold for you to go outside.” He handed her the doll. “Daddy will go ask her.”
“It’s not too cold. I want to come.”
Wanting to have a few minutes alone with Piper, Gabe crouched down. “Lindsey, Miss Piper might be too busy to play with you. I’ll go and ask her, and if she can’t play with you, then Daddy will play with you.”
“Daddies don’t play with Barbies.”
“They can play with horses.”
“I only have one horse.”
The negotiations could go on like this for a while. Gabe didn’t have time to waste if he was going to stop Piper from going out with Ian. He needed to buy some time.
“I have an idea, if you clean up your Barbies and all the clothes, then when I get back, we can get online and you can pick out another horse to order.”
“Okay!” Lindsey said, scrambling to pick up the dolls and clothing.
Shane was still on the computer playing a rocket-building game Gabe approved of. He dreaded the day when his son would want to play the violent action-war games that were so popular.
“Hey, bud,” Gabe said and waited for Shane to look at him. “I’m going over to Miss Piper’s for a few minutes. I forgot to give her something.”
A confused look crossed Shane’s face.
“What did you need to give me?” a voice said from behind him.
Whirling around, Gabe gulped back what felt like a baseball in his throat. Piper was still at his house. “What?” he stammered.
“What did you need to give me? I hope it isn’t money.” As the idea took hold, he saw fire spark in her green eyes. “I swear, Gabe, if you’re trying to pay me for watching your kids today, I’m going to be so angry.”
“Simmer down,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her into the kitchen with him. “I wasn’t going to give you money.”
“Oh.” Her lips formed into a pout. “Then what is it?”
While he battled the desire to haul her against the wall and kiss her soundly, he tried to figure out what to tell her. Other than a kiss, he didn’t have anything to give her. Then he remembered the flowers he had yet to order. “It’s a surprise.”
Her tempting mouth lifted into a smile. “Do I need to close my eyes?”
She was killing him… but… yes. Typically, both parties closed their eyes when kissing, but he wasn’t going to kiss her when one of his kids could walk in.
“I’m all done, Daddy!” Lindsey said, coming into the kitchen. “Can we order my horse now?”
How had she cleaned everything up so quickly? It usually took her at least a half hour. “In a minute, Princess.”
Lindsey tugged on his hand. “But you said if I cleaned up my mess I can pick out a new horse. And I cleaned up my mess.”
“Linds, I need to talk to Miss Piper right now.”
Stubbornness flashed in his daughter’s eyes, and her lower lip began to quiver. Gabe sighed in defeat. “Go sit on the couch and I’ll get my laptop.”
“Okay.” She skipped off, happy she was getting her way.
He turned back to Piper. “I’m pathetic, right?”
“Not pathetic.” She twisted her hands together. “But it won’t be long before her demands are for a three-hundred-dollar prom dress or for a car.”
“Prom dresses cost that much money?”
She laughed. “Probably more, depending on where you shop.” She was back to twisting her hands. “But you understand what I’m saying.”
“I do. I know it isn’t right, but I feel like buying them gifts somehow makes up for having their mother leave them.” He ran a hand through his hair. “They know she chose her new husband and the baby over them, so realistically nothing I could ever do will make up for that, but I guess it makes me feel better too.”
The tenderness in her eyes sharpened his awareness of her. He stilled when she reached out and took his hand, wreaking havoc on his ability to breathe. “You’re doing a great job, Gabe. Your children are so sweet and well-mannered, so don’t beat yourself up.”
“Thank you.” He slid his fingers between hers, loving the feel of her hand in his. Their eyes connected, and Gabe couldn’t hold back any longer. “Don’t go out with Ian.”
The corners of her mouth lifted up. “He didn’t ask me out, Gabe. He has a family that wants to come by and see the puppies.”
“Speaking of the puppies… did you ever hear back from Mrs. Jamison?”
“She emailed me this morning and told me I don’t have to pay anything, so you’re off the hook.”
He would never tell her this, but he was glad Rascal had been… well, a rascal. They probably would have never talked to each other if he hadn’t. The soft look in her eyes emboldened Gabe, and he drew her to him. Of course Lindsey chose that moment to holler out for him to hurry up with his laptop.
“Go on,” she said. “The family is coming by in forty-five minutes, so I need to go home and clean up the whelping box.”
“Are you coming back?” he asked, reluctant to let go of her hand.
“I’m still planning on obedience class.”
“But that’s not until six.”
“Daaadddy!”
“Go.” She laughed and pulled her hand out of his. “I’ll come back over as soon as the family leaves.”
Satisfied with her answer, Gabe walked her to the door and helped her with her coat. “See you soon.”
“See you.” She smiled and opened the door. “Ooh, it’s freezing out here,” she said, pulling the collar of her wool coat closed.
“Come back inside, and I’ll warm you up.” Piper’s eyes widened, and Gabe realized he’d actually said that out loud. His neck flushed with embarrassment, and he could feel the tips of his ears turn red. “I mean… come back inside… where it’s warm… and then I can drive you home.”
Amusement danced in her eyes. “I’m actually feeling pretty warm right now, so I think I’ll just go ahead and walk home.”
“Sounds good.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “See ya later.”
“Later,” she said with a light laugh.
Smooth… not. Gabe couldn’t believe how bad he was at flirting. He stood in the doorway, watching her traverse the now-worn path between their homes until she disappeared.
“Daddy, it’s cold,” Lindsey said from behind him.
Closing the door, he picked up his laptop and took a seat on the couch next to Lindsey. “Did you ha
ve a good day with Miss Piper?”
“The best day! Can I stay home with her tomorrow?”
“You have school tomorrow.” He logged onto his computer, ignoring the new email messages that had populated in the last hour, and opened the page for the shopping website he frequently used. “I know your teacher missed you today and so did your friends.”
“Okay, but can Miss Piper pick me up from school? She’s more fun than Doreen and likes to play with me instead of looking at her phone all the time.”
Gabe tried not to feel frustrated with his nanny. She did help the kids with their homework if they had any, and she seemed fairly responsible. But he knew she would never play Barbies with Lindsey. “Miss Piper can’t pick you up, honey. She has her dog and the puppies to worry about.”
That determined look appeared on Lindsey’s face. “But I can help her. I’m good and don’t pick up the puppies.”
Thinking about how often he gave in to her demands, he gently tapped her on the nose with his finger. “You are a good girl, but Miss Piper can’t watch you after school.”
“You didn’t ask her,” Lindsey argued, sounding older than her six years.
She was right, but he wasn’t going to ask Piper and put her on the spot. She would probably say yes. “Lindsey…” He was interrupted when the box for a FaceTime call popped up on the computer screen. He wanted to ignore the caller, but Lindsey saw MaryEllen’s face on the icon and reached over and accepted the call. Not in the mood to talk with her, he quickly pointed the camera in Lindsey’s direction.
“Mommy!” Lindsey said with excitement, “Daddy’s buying me a new horse.”
“Of course he is,” MaryEllen said. Lindsey didn’t pick up on the sarcasm, but Gabe did. Who knew why she was mad at him this time? He’d showered her with plenty of gifts when they were married, but she never appreciated it and only expected more from him. “Where is your daddy?”
“Right here.” Lindsey pointed her finger at Gabe.
He angled the laptop back in his direction. “Hello.”
“I thought you were buying her a horse for her birthday?”
“I am. She’s talking about a model horse. She earned it by helping me clean up the house.”
“I use to clean the house all the time and didn’t get anything for it.”
Gabe’s jaw clenched, making his molars ache. He was not going to be bated into a stupid argument, especially in front of his children. “I’m sure you called to talk to the kids,” he said evenly.
She smirked. “Sure did.”
He positioned the camera again toward Lindsey. “So you helped Daddy clean the house?” MaryEllen asked.
“Uh huh. Miss Piper helped too. I throwed up all over the floor, and she cleaned it up and washed my hair and it didn’t hurt when she combed it.”
“Who is Miss Piper?” MaryEllen asked, interrupting Lindsey’s long list of accolades for Piper.
Gabe kneaded the back of his neck with his hand as he listened to Lindsey gush on and on about Miss Piper, pointing out several times how pretty she was and how nice she was in between stating her other accomplishments.
“Wow, it looks like Daddy found his own Mary Poppins.”
“No, her name is Miss Piper. Want to see her? She’s coming back over so Daddy can warm her up.”
If not for the rush of blood to Gabe’s neck and face, he would’ve thought his heart had stopped. He couldn’t believe Lindsey had overhead what he’d inadvertently said to Piper, let alone repeat it.
Several beats of silence ticked by while he struggled to simply breathe. Then MaryEllen started to laugh. Gabe didn’t know what she found so funny. That Lindsey had innocently tattled on him or that he sort of had a girlfriend.
“Let me talk to your dad,” she said, still laughing.
Lindsey looked confused by her mother’s behavior. He desperately wanted to end the call. He could blame it on his Wi-Fi, but Shane had come over to see what was so funny and would know Gabe was lying.
“Shane, say hello to your mom,” Gabe said, praying that MaryEllen would think of her children for once instead of herself.
“What’s so funny?” Shane asked.
MaryEllen suppressed her amusement enough to talk to Shane. When she asked if he’d been sick too, he shrugged his shoulders. “A little, but I didn’t throw up on the floor.”
“That’s good. I suppose your dad’s new girlfriend helped you too?”
Gabe stiffened, especially at the look on Shane’s face. “Miss Piper’s not Dad’s girlfriend, right, Dad?”
Rubbing the back of his neck again, Gabe wished he could go with the Piper-is-a-girl-and-a-friend-so-she’s-a-girlfriend answer, but MaryEllen wouldn’t let that answer slide. “She’s my friend, Shane.”
The answer seemed to satisfy him. He turned back to the computer screen and told MaryEllen about Rascal’s new tricks. When he mentioned that Piper was the one teaching the tricks, MaryEllen made a snarky reply about Miss Piper teaching their father a few tricks too.
This time she’d gone too far. Gabe stood up, taking the laptop with him into the kitchen. “That’s enough, MaryEllen.”
“Oh calm down. They didn’t understand that.”
She was wrong. Shane may not comprehend the deliberate innuendo, but he understood enough to look at Gabe with renewed suspicion.
“Was there a purpose to this call?” Gabe asked.
“I wanted to talk to my kids.”
“Well, you did that.” He glanced at the family room, grateful the kids hadn’t followed him. “Is there anything else?” he asked, more than ready to end this conversation.
“No, Gabe. Nothing more.”
He wanted to tell her to stop calling the kids so randomly, but she would call her attorney and stir up problems faster than Rascal had escaped the yard when the electric fence was disabled. MaryEllen was the one to end the call, saving him the awkward goodbyes.
“Why are you mad at Mom?” Shane asked when Gabe came back into the room. “I didn’t get to show her my Legos.”
He couldn’t deny his anger toward MaryEllen so he focused on the Legos. “I’m sorry she didn’t get to see it. Do you want to take a picture and then send it to her?”
“I guess.”
Gabe pulled his cell from his pocket and pressed his thumb on the home button to allow Shane access to the phone. Before handing it over, he asked, “Do you want me to take a picture of you holding the Death Star?”
“No, thanks. And it’s called the Star Killer Base, not the Death Star.”
“Got it.” Gabe followed Shane into the family room, hoping MaryEllen’s presence would be gone before Piper returned. He really hoped the kids wouldn’t bring up the conversation they’d had with their mother. It would create an uncomfortable moment, and he’d be forced to have a “define the relationship” talk before they actually had a relationship.
It sobered Gabe a little, and he decided he should probably take things slower. Just because he might be ready to start dating again didn’t mean his children were ready for it. He suspected Lindsey wouldn’t mind. The little girl adored Piper. But Gabe had a hard time forgetting the look of distrust on Shane’s face.
Gabe felt both depressed and relieved when he made the decision to cool things down. When Piper came back to the house, the only way she was warming up tonight was to sit in front of the fire. And when she did, Gabe wouldn’t make any attempts to kiss her either.
Chapter 11
Piper wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong, but Gabe had been acting different towards her the past few days. It wasn’t something she could really nail down. He still seemed to like her and was always friendly, but the flirty comments had stopped. He also hadn’t once tried to hold her hand or kiss her. They never sat close enough for that to happen anyway.
It had all started the night she’d gone home to show the puppies to the family Ian had found. She’d returned with a pot of homemade potato soup and biscuits for dinner and stayed to eat with Ga
be and the kids. Although she suspected his comment about warming her up had been an accident, she’d at least expected Gabe to hold her hand.
Instead, he’d complimented her on the homemade soup and biscuits, listened attentively to that night’s doggy obedience class, and walked her to the door at fifteen minutes after seven. No attempt to kiss her. Not even a hug.
She’d hoped to see more of him and the kids on the weekend, but Saturday he’d taken his children to Billings to see a new children’s movie that had recently come out, and she hadn’t been invited to go with them. It had been pathetic the way she sat around all day, waiting for them to come home. They had pulled into their driveway just before doggy obedience class. Again, Gabe had been friendly. Actually, a few times Piper had caught him looking at her with longing, but she was sadly disappointed when he’d walked her to the door without so much as a friendly handshake.
Sunday came and went without seeing them other than their evening class together. She’d fully expected that to be the last night of teaching, but Gabe had requested they keep up with the doggy lessons, even though Rascal was proving to be a poor student.
He had mastered the command to sit and occasionally would stay until called for, but the barking hadn’t changed. He didn’t jump up on her anymore, but continued to knock everyone else down. At least the dog never had any accidents in the house. He was crate trained too, which Gabe had confided in her was the only reason he’d agreed to take the dog in the first place.
She wasn’t sure what else she was supposed to teach the dog. Shane really wanted Rascal to learn how to shake, so that would be tonight’s lesson.
Since she still had time to kill, Piper opened her laptop to look for any new job opportunities. This morning she’d received a rejection letter from the school in Arizona. Although she was discouraged, the Nevada job was still a possibility.
Destiny Came Knocking: A Snow Valley Romance Page 9