by Sarah Hegger
“You not up for this?” She took off her socks.
Gabe took a seat on a big rock. “Nah. You go ahead. But that water is going to be bitching cold.”
“You sure?” She reached behind her and unhooked her bra.
Belinda had great breasts and he was a normal guy with a healthy libido. He looked, and then she stepped out of her panties and he looked some more.
Shoulders back Belinda stood for a moment, happy to show him what she had. Algonquin had been one of the first trips they’d taken together, back at the time when they had crawled all over each other at any opportunity.
When he still didn’t move, Belinda turned and picked her way to the water’s edge. She shrieked as she stepped into the pool. “That is freezing.”
“Go ahead.” He laughed at her shocked expression, but he couldn’t leave her alone in frigid water. “I’ll sit here and wait for you.”
Belinda gave him a coy look. “You sure I can’t persuade you to join me?”
“I’m good.”
“Yes, you are.” She peered from beneath her lashes. “I miss the way we were together. I miss making love with you.”
Up until recently, he might have said the same, but now he saw how their relationship had become habit and convenience over the last year or so. They had been good together, shared so many of the same interests and values. They had never even argued about what to watch on television. There hadn’t been any reason to change things, until she’d asked for more. That’s when it had become crystal clear to him that it wasn’t what he had wanted. “Belinda, don’t.”
She threw up a hand in defeat. “I get it. You don’t want to do this. I’ll have my swim on my own then.”
If he went to Australia, she would see it as an invitation. He’d never spoken about marriage to her, or even hinted at anything beyond what they had, but she’d still thought that’s where they were heading. If he’d been less of an ass, he would have left sooner. But he was working for her father, and she’d fit him so well that he’d taken the path of least resistance. For that, he owed her an apology.
The only part of Belinda still visible was her head, which she kept out of the water.
She swam back to the edge and climbed out. Goose bumps covered her skin and she shivered.
“Here.” Gabe handed her his sweatshirt to dry off.
“Th-thanks.” She rubbed the cotton vigorously all over and then pulled her clothes back on.
Taking a seat beside him, she wrapped the sweatshirt over her shoulders. “Want to talk about what’s got you into such a bad mood.”
“Something a friend said.” Belinda really wouldn’t want to hear about his relationship with Kelly.
She bumped his shoulder with hers. “What did this friend say?”
“They said I walk away from my family all the time. In fact, they said all I do is walk away from people and things.”
Belinda wrung water out the bottom of her ponytail. “No, you don’t.”
“Really?” His lacerated ego needed to hear it wasn’t true. But an irritating voice in his head insisted that another person he’d walked away from was the one helping him delude himself. “I walked away from us.”
“I changed the rules.” Belinda shrugged. “Honestly, you never once said you saw marriage for us. I suppose a lot of my friends were getting married. Some of them having babies, and I wanted that too.”
Gabe really looked at her. “Are you saying you’ve changed your mind about getting married?”
“Yes.” But she couldn’t meet his gaze, and three years of living with her also gave him an insight into her tells. “I would be happy with what we had.”
“Belinda.” He needed to be one hundred percent upfront with her. Letting her harbor hope was as unfair as staying when he knew he wasn’t in it for the long run. “There is no more you and me. Not like that. You were right to break up with me.”
She flinched. “I don’t understand. Why can’t we go back to what we had?”
“Because that’s not what you really want.” He put his arm around her. “Not really, Bell. You want the trip down the aisle and the ankle biters. And that’s a beautiful dream, but it’s not going to happen with me.”
“I came all this way hoping you’d had enough time to miss what we had.” Her voice wobbled. “And also, to say that you working with my dad is not connected to us. I think he might miss you even more than I do.”
It would be so easy to open his mouth and say yes. He’d loved his time in Australia. Going to work every day had never been a hardship. But the words refused to come. Instead he said, “I’m not being a prick. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”
Her soft sigh rebuked him. “Is there someone else?”
Again, he opened his mouth to say no, but that wouldn’t come out either. He totally copped out. “This is about me, and what I want out of life.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Kelly scrubbed her condo from top to bottom. She even attacked the grout between her shower tiles with an old toothbrush, but she still didn’t feel any better.
India hadn’t called, and she was even starting to think a call from Piers might beat the maddening silence.
She had been a total bitch to Gabe as well, and she owed him an apology. Especially since she suspected he might have been right. There was nothing she could do. India was an adult and she had the right to make her own decisions.
It was torturous to watch her walk right into the fire and ignore everyone screaming at her to get the hell out.
The doorbell rang, and she ran to answer it.
“Hey, Kelly.” Ben stood on her doorstep. “I came to see how you were doing.”
She motioned him inside. “I’m okay. I keep waiting for her to call.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Ben looked regretful. “If Piers follows a pattern, he’ll be trying to regain lost ground with her.”
Kelly hated even saying it aloud. “But it won’t last.”
“Probably not,” Ben said.
Her doorbell rang again, and hope reared its head, again. Either India or Gabe would both be a welcome sight.
Instead, Vince stood on her doorstep. “Have you heard from her?”
“No.” She held the door open wider. “Ben and I were talking about it.”
“I can’t stand this.” Vince tugged his hair. “I can’t stand not knowing what he’s doing to her.” He glared at Ben. “Can’t you do something?”
“Not if I can’t find them. I put a call into DPD, and they’re not at their house, or anywhere else Piers frequented.” Ben shook his head. “I think he’s taken her out of state.”
“He could be doing anything.” Vince balled his fists.
He was not helping at all, and Kelly needed him to stop. “Vince! We need to keep it together here.”
“He must have threatened her to make her come back to him. There is no other explanation.” Vince paced to her window and stared out.
Kelly exchanged a speaking glance with Ben.
Funny, she didn’t think that at all. And God, did she want to think that was the truth. “Vince, I spoke to her, and she said she went willingly.”
“She would say that.” Vince turned and glared at her. “Because he must have made her say that.”
“Vince.” Ben got right into Vince’s space. “I need you to listen up and listen up good.”
Vince glared at him and then looked away. “Yeah?”
“There will be no trying to find them and confronting Piers.” Ben’s voice was steel hard. “There will be no amateur heroics happening. Not one of us like it, but India has to call this play.”
“I can’t believe she would go back to him.” Vince looked at Ben, beseeching him to tell him it wasn’t true.
Kelly empathized, but that didn’t make her bl
ind to the truth.
Ben clasped his shoulder. “One of the hardest things to understand is how often the abused partner goes back. The best thing we can do is get on with our lives and accept her decision.”
Vince’s face tightened. “I can’t do that, Ben. I can’t accept that anyone would choose this for themselves.”
“Me either.” Kelly stepped closer to the two men. “But I know my sister, she meant what she said to me on the phone. I made it clear to her that I thought it was the wrong decision, but that I was still here for her if she ever needed me.”
Ben gave her a nod of approval. “Good.” He gave Vince’s shoulder a small shake. “There is nothing else we can do anyway.”
Vince glared over his shoulder.
“Okay.” Ben’s tone changed to pragmatic. “Say you find them. Who do you think is going to pay for that?”
Kelly caught the direction he was headed. “Piers is a bully. He’s not going to take you on. Remember he ran away from you the minute he saw you, but he will take his anger out on someone.”
“If he touches her, I’ll kill him.”
Apparently, they weren’t even pretending Vince didn’t have a thing for India anymore.
“I never heard that,” Ben said. “Because if you find them, tempers are going to flare. Shit is going to go down that could land your ass in jail.” Ben stared Vince down. “You’re a father. You don’t get to storm around like a hormonal teenager and do what the hell you like.”
Vince’s shoulders drooped. “I feel so helpless.”
“I get it.” Ben clapped his shoulder. “If that was Poppy, I’d be going insane about now.”
Somehow Kelly couldn’t picture Ben not doing something. For all his advice to Vince, she didn’t think it would wash with Ben if Poppy was in danger.
Ben looked at both of them before he said, “If it helps, I’ve got everybody I can get keeping an eye out for them. If Piers sticks his head up, we’ll find him.”
That did help, and Kelly impulsively hugged him. “Thank you.”
“S’okay.” Ben cleared his throat and patted her shoulder. “I also came by because Ma asked you to dinner.”
She almost refused, but then stopped. She had an apology to give at the Crowe house, and also a dose of Dot sounded right about perfect.
Ben turned to Vince. “You’d be welcome, too.”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “The kids are waiting at home for me.”
*
Being around Dot soothed Kelly. The way she calmly managed dinner preparations as they talked helped Kelly find her feet again.
Dot shook her head and sighed. “That poor girl. He has her so turned about she’s confused about what’s good for her.”
“I keep thinking I should have seen something in him.” Kelly chomped a peeled carrot. Dot had refused her offer of help, which meant she had probably heard what a disaster Kelly was in the kitchen.
Dot gave her a gentle smile. “It would be a much easier life if the bad guys wore black hats and the good ones wore white.” She put a salad in front of Kelly. “Toss, please. And darling girl, the reason men like Piers get away with all they do is because they’re very good at keeping their evil hidden.”
Evil was a good word, and it fit. Piers’s handsome, country club exterior concealed a monster.
The carrot turned to chalk in her mouth, so she put it down and tossed the salad. “I’ve been looking after India since we were little girls.”
“I remember.” Dot opened the oven, and the most delicious aroma of roasting pork filled the kitchen. “You were such a ferocious little thing, always standing between India and anything that wanted to hurt her.”
“But I failed.” More tears threatened, and she gnawed on her carrot before she started bawling again.
Voices from outside drew Dot to the window. “Gabe’s home,” she said, and her smile faded. “I guess Belinda found him.”
Great, and fuck you too, Universe.
Gabe breached the kitchen door and stopped when he saw her. “Kelly.” His manner stiffened. “Everything okay?”
“Oh, hey!” Belinda slid her arms around his waist from behind and peered over his shoulder. “This is a nice surprise.”
Damn they made a beautiful couple. Standing there in their hiking gear, they looked like one of those gorgeous Pinterest fitness couples.
“Gabe.” She managed not to choke on her carrot. She and Gabe were not a thing anymore, because she’d made it like that. “Hi, Belinda. Been for a hike?”
“Yes.” Belinda giggled and pressed her nose into Gabe’s neck. “We hiked to Gabe’s special place. I’m afraid we were naughty.”
“Great.” Kelly forced the word through gritted teeth. Gabe’s special place was clearly his party place as well. Which didn’t matter to her because she had ended things.
“We went skinny dipping.” Belinda winked at Kelly.
Gabe moved away from her. “Belinda went skinny dipping.” He kissed Dot’s cheek. “Something smells great, Ma.”
“I’ve got a pork roast going.” Dot patted his arm. “Go and get cleaned up, and we’ll eat shortly.”
He gave Kelly a nod. “See you soon.”
Still grinning—and why wouldn’t she be if she’d been naughty with Gabe—Belinda perched on the kitchen table. “How you doing, Kelly?”
“Fine.” No way she was getting into the India situation with a virtual stranger. A virtual stranger boning the man she was in—
The man she had recently had an arrangement with, of a purely sexual nature.
“Kelly is staying to dinner.” Dot filled the loaded silence.
Belinda bared her teeth. “Great.” She stood and stretched, giving them all a peek at her taut, tanned tummy and long toned legs. “I better go and jump in the shower.” She grinned at Kelly. “Gabe’s big on conserving water.”
Kelly sat there and absorbed the blow. Another blow to her bruised and battered self. She shoved images of a naked, gorgeous Belinda climbing into the shower with Gabe, their beautiful bodies twining around each other.
Dot tutted and put her hands on her hips. She glared after Belinda. “That one is here to make trouble.”
“Gabe seems to like her.”
“Gabe broke up with her.” Dot leaned over the table and got in her face. “And don’t you forget that. Just because Belinda wants a thing a certain way, does not mean she’s going to get it.”
Kelly nodded, but why wouldn’t Belinda get everything she wanted? She was gorgeous, funny, clever. She and Gabe had so much in common and a long and familiar shared history. “Sure.”
And suddenly she needed to be by herself and safe in her own home. There was no way she could sit across a table from them at dinner, not when she felt like an exposed nerve ending. “I’m sorry, Dot, but would you be mad at me if I went home?”
“Sweetie.” Dot pulled her into a hug. “Of course, I won’t. I’m madder that you’re leaving me here with that bottom feeder.”
Kelly choked back a laugh and managed a smile for Dot before she left.
*
Gabe got a towel around his hips and put some distance between himself and Belinda. The woman had more arms than an octopus, and she’d busted in on him as he was getting out of the shower. “Belinda.” He backed away to the bathroom door. “We’ve had this conversation.” Trying to protect her feelings wasn’t working. “This is over, and it’s not going to happen.”
“But Gabe, I saw you at the waterfall today. You wanted me.”
Biology was a real bastard sometimes. “What you saw was a natural response.”
“Gabe!” Ma pounding on the door was a welcome respite. “Kelly just left.” Her footsteps faded down the hall. “She looked upset.”
Dammit! Before he could talk himself out of it, he ran out of the bathroom. In his
room, he grabbed a pair of sweats and got moving.
“Gabe.” Ma followed him out the door. “You’re not wearing a shirt.”
He waved over his head. “I know.”
“Or shoes.”
He stepped on a rough stone. “Shit!”
Kelly walked fast for someone who had bitched him out through their entire hike. Her head was bowed and her shoulders hunched, and he despised himself for being even the slightest contributing factor. He hated that they weren’t speaking to each other. “Kelly!”
She stopped and turned, then took him in and gaped. “You’re half naked.”
“You left.” He hobbled up to her.
“I’m not good company tonight.” She eyed his bare chest with a look that drove the cold out. “And you’re going to get sick.”
“Listen, I don’t want to fight with you.” He had to bend his knees to get her to look at him. “I’m sorry about what happened earlier. You’re going through hell right now, and you don’t need my sanctimonious lectures.”
“Oh, Gabe.” Her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears. “You’re not the one who should be apologizing. I was a total bitch to you.”
“I should have backed off.” He wanted to touch her, comfort her. Friends hugged friends, so he pulled her against him.
Her warmth sank bone deep into him. His body responded to her curves pressed against him.
She raised her arms and slid her hands up his back. “You must be freezing.”
“It’s somewhat chilly.”
Her laughter warmed him from the inside out. “I really am sorry, Gabe. I don’t want to fight either.”
“Babe.” He kissed her cheek and stamped on the urge to trail his lips across her silky skin and find her full mouth. “We’re good. All fixed.”
Not really, but as fixed as they could be.
“Gabriel Crowe,” Peg bawled from her front porch. “What are you doing out there with no clothes on?”
Damn the old biddy. He called back, “Trying to have my wicked way with Kelly.”
“Just like your father.” Peg shook her head. “That man had no concept of right time and place.”
He could have lived his entire life without knowing that morsel about his father. Before he let her go, he gave Kelly one more squeeze and stepped back before he surrendered to the need to kiss her. “Come and have dinner with us, Kelly.”