And that just about scared him to death.
* * *
It was late on Monday afternoon before Gabe had time to sit down with Mitch and go over his estimates for the work Adelia wanted done. There’d been one crisis after another all day long on the Main Street job. Add in his cousin’s distraction thanks to some other job he was handling across town and they hadn’t exchanged more than a couple of words all day.
He was sitting at his makeshift desk on the construction site when Mitch wandered in after six.
“You look beat,” Gabe said, frowning. “Why don’t you go on home? This can wait.”
“I need to unwind a little before I head home,” Mitch said. “Going over those figures with you should do the trick.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want your wife on my case for making you late for dinner.”
“It’ll be at least another hour before we eat. Lynn’s gotten in the habit of taking a nap once she closes the bakery and gets home. Being up at the crack of dawn is wearing on her more than she wants to admit.” He managed a weary grin. “She doesn’t think I know about the naps, but I’ve caught her a time or two.”
“She doesn’t know that?”
Mitch shook his head. “I slip right back out the door. She wants to believe it’s her little secret. If I say something, then we’ll wind up fighting over whether the bakery’s too much for her or when she needs to think about hiring some help. It’s her business and her decision. Anything I say is bound to come off as interference.”
Gabe regarded his cousin with surprise. “How’d you learn so much about women? It’s not as if you dated a ton of them. You went from that secret crush you had on Lynn in high school—”
“It can’t have been much of a secret if you knew about it,” Mitch grumbled.
“Please, you started wearing your heart on your sleeve in junior high,” Gabe said. “Then you married Amy. Where did all this profound knowledge of yours come from?”
Mitch laughed. “Observation and self-preservation. Any man intent on staying married has to figure out all the clues to keeping his wife happy. Unfortunately, a whole lot of them are left unsaid. It complicates things.”
Gabe could believe that. He’d failed to understand a whole lot of women over the years. He’d never had the will to work on getting it right with a single one of them. He had a feeling Adelia could be an exception.
Mitch beckoned for Gabe’s notes on Adelia’s renovations. “Looks as if you’ve got everything covered,” he said.
“Except labor,” Gabe pointed out. “I didn’t know if you were figuring on bringing in one of your crews, assigning a single guy for most of it or what?”
“It’ll be cheaper if it’s done by one person,” Mitch said.
“But it’ll take longer,” Gabe replied.
“Has she said anything about being in a hurry?”
“No, but people usually are,” Gabe said.
“Maybe that’s something you should discuss with her before we finalize this,” Mitch said, then gave him an innocent look. “Of course, with the exception of the roof, a lot of this could be handled in your spare time. Not that you wouldn’t get paid,” he added hurriedly. “I’m just saying, it might be a project you wouldn’t mind tackling.”
Gabe knew exactly what Mitch was up to. “Don’t you think I have my hands full keeping up with this Main Street project?”
“Sure you do,” Mitch said at once. “Especially since I’ve seen the way you throw yourself into your work. I’m just saying that this primary job doesn’t have the same perks.”
“Perks?”
“Adelia,” Mitch said, unsuccessfully fighting a smile. “Meals with the family.”
Gabe stared at him incredulously. “How did you know about my staying for dinner the other night?”
“Tomas told Jeremy all about it,” Mitch said, laughing.
“Who knew little boys could spread gossip that fast,” Gabe complained. “I thought that particular trait was reserved for the adults in town.”
“Tomas already has a bad case of hero worship,” Mitch said. “I remember what that was like. Jeremy followed me around more than once when I was working at Raylene’s. Boys their age need role models, Gabe. Even ignoring the way he treated Adelia, I doubt Ernesto Hernandez was much of one.”
Gabe had the same impression. Tomas was a little too hungry for someone to teach him guy stuff.
“I’m not sure I’m cut out for the role,” Gabe said.
“Sure, you are. If you weren’t, Tomas wouldn’t have been telling Jeremy all about you. Obviously you handled the situation just right.”
“Sure, I answered his questions. I taught him a couple of basic things, but that’s not the same as being a role model for an impressionable kid,” Gabe argued. “Heck, even some of the jerks my mom dated were nice to me when they thought they had something to gain from it. That doesn’t mean I should have aspired to be like a single one of them.”
“Definitely not,” Mitch agreed readily. “But you learned from that, Gabe. You’ll try real hard to be a good influence on Tomas.”
“Why do I have the feeling that you think the kid’s going to be as much of an influence on me as I am on him? Do you think I’ll stay on the straight and narrow because of him?”
Mitch frowned at that. “To my way of thinking, you’ve never been that far off the straight and narrow in anyone’s mind but your own, but, yes, I think you’ll be good for each other. I think you need to start to see yourself as more than a rolling stone. You seem to have this crazy idea that you don’t deserve to find real happiness, the kind that can last.”
Gabe couldn’t deny that Mitch had nailed it. He’d never seen himself as a good bet for happily-ever-after. The only examples he’d had—Mitch’s side of the family—had certainly never given him much reason to believe in himself.
“And Adelia? How do you see her fitting in?” he asked his cousin.
Mitch gave him a considering look before saying, “Any way you want her to, I imagine.”
Unfortunately, the way Gabe envisioned her fitting into his life had a little too much to do with toppling into his bed than it did with the straight and narrow.
CHAPTER SIX
For some reason it seemed as if every woman in Serenity had chosen today to shop at the boutique. Many of the women were contacts Adelia had made through her school committees. They’d come to rely on her fashion sense, more than doubling the boutique’s business since she’d started working there.
Adelia closed the register after the last sale just past lunchtime and drew in a satisfied breath. She was exhausted, but it had been an excellent morning. Raylene was going to be over the moon when she saw the receipts.
Of course, today all those sales had come with a surprising number of questions about Gabe Franklin. Apparently word had already spread that Adelia had the inside scoop on the sexy construction guy who’d just returned to town. Since most of the women asking questions were married, she was a little surprised by the level of curiosity.
She’d managed to skirt the most intrusive questions by diverting attention to a new line of accessories and liberally tossing around compliments about the way the outfits being tried on fit perfectly or suited the customer’s coloring. Because she’d developed a knack for sincere flattery and a reputation for her own personal style, which she’d always achieved on a budget, her tactics mostly worked.
“Nice job,” Raylene said, startling her by emerging from the office in back.
“How long have you been here?” Adelia asked.
Raylene grinned. “Long enough to realize you could qualify for work at the State Department with those diplomatic skills you possess.”
Adelia laughed. “I was dancing as fast as I knew how. Who knew that even the married wome
n in this town were so interested in the latest gossip?”
Raylene gave her an incredulous look. “Oh, please, it’s the town hobby,” she said. “Fed by Grace Wharton and, though I’d never say it to her face, by Sarah over at the radio station. She and Travis do their part to stir the pot by announcing some of the juiciest tidbits on the air. Heck, they even invite Grace to drop by just to make sure their listeners always know the latest.”
“Doesn’t anybody ever consider going to the source?” Adelia asked in frustration. Of course, she’d been relieved at one time that no one had come directly to her when her marriage was crumbling.
Raylene looked amused. “Are you suggesting that people just ask Gabe whatever they want to know about him?”
“Well, he is the one with all the answers,” Adelia replied. “I’m an innocent, uninformed bystander.”
“But it’s so much more fascinating to see how many of those answers you’re already privy to,” Raylene explained. “Were you really bothered by it? You know most of these women adore you. They’re not just being nosy. They’d really like you to be happy after all you’ve been through.”
“And they think Gabe is the answer?” Adelia asked. “Even though they profess to know nothing about him? One or two even seem to recall something about him being a troublemaker back in the day.”
Raylene chuckled. “Who doesn’t love a bad boy?” she asked. “Who cares what happened back then, anyway? The man is a serious hunk. He has a smile that makes women weak in the knees. I’d say that makes him a good candidate.”
“For what? A fling?”
Her boss winked at her. “No woman I know deserves to have fun more than you do. Why not?”
Adelia gave her a horrified look. “I have children. I have responsibilities. Flings were Ernesto’s thing, not mine.”
“Do not tell me the thought of letting a sexy man show you just how desirable you are has never crossed your mind,” Raylene said. “You’ll disappoint me.”
“Never,” Adelia said staunchly, then thought of the way that smile of Gabe’s made her toes curl. “Well, hardly ever.”
Raylene laughed. “Thank goodness. I was getting a little worried there.”
“But it’s a fantasy,” Adelia insisted. “I’d never act on it. My children need one parent with a sense of decorum. And if I did happen to lose my head and my self-control, I’d certainly never spread the news all over Serenity.”
“Not even to rub it in Ernesto’s sorry face?”
The thought of retribution did hold a certain appeal, Adelia thought, then immediately dismissed the idea. The momentary satisfaction wouldn’t be worth the potential humiliation of having her children hear about it.
“Not even then,” she said, though she couldn’t keep a tiny hint of regret out of her voice. Determined to change the subject, she studied Raylene. “You’re actually glowing. Pregnancy obviously agrees with you. How are you feeling?”
“The morning sickness seems to be over with, knock on wood. I feel pretty darn amazing.” Her expression brightened. “We’re going to find out the sex of the baby next week. At least I am. Carter’s on the fence. He claims he wants to be surprised.”
“You don’t believe him?”
“Maybe I would if he hadn’t bought four gallons of paint in various colors for the nursery this past weekend. If ever a man needed to have an idea whether he’s having a son or daughter, it’s my husband,” she said, then confided, “I think he’s secretly hoping for a boy.”
“What makes you think so?”
“Three of those four gallons of paint were in different shades of blue,” Raylene said with a smile. “It makes sense, too. He’s been guardian to his two younger sisters for several years now. It would be natural for him to want to raise a son.”
“How about you? Do you care?”
Raylene shook her head. “I’m just so thrilled to have a man like Carter in my life after the disaster of my first marriage and to be having a child I’d never expected to have, I honestly don’t care. The girls were already in their early teens when Carter and I met, so it’s not as if I’ve had baby girls in my life. But Carter’s so amazing with all the kids in town. He spends a lot of his spare time helping Cal Maddox and Ronnie Sullivan coach all the sports teams. I’d love to watch him teaching his own son how to do all those little boy things.”
Adelia smiled at Raylene’s wistful expression. Then her friend sighed.
“The girls are rooting for a niece,” Raylene admitted. “They came home the other day with a tiny pink outfit that they’d bought with their babysitting money. When I suggested perhaps they should have waited till we know for sure, they looked as if I were betraying them by even considering the possibility it could be a boy. They love that women are the dominant force in our household. They don’t want to see the odds evened, not even a little bit by a kid who won’t even be able to talk for a year or so.”
Adelia could hardly relate to the excitement in Raylene’s voice. She wished she’d shared that sort of excitement with Ernesto during her pregnancies. His daughters had been a disappointment to him. By the time Tomas had been born, he’d lost all interest.
“I am so happy for you,” she told Raylene. “You deserve this.”
Raylene laughed. “I really do, don’t I? It took a long time to get past my ex’s abuse and the agoraphobia that kept me a prisoner in my own home.” She shook her head. “My gosh, I sound like I lived through my own personal soap opera.”
“You did,” Adelia said. And every time she thought of what she’d been through with her cheating husband, considering Raylene’s past helped her to put it into perspective. No matter a person’s own difficulties, there was always someone who’d been through something just a little worse and survived. It was good to remember that.
“You know what?” she said. “I think we deserve a little celebration. Why don’t I run next door and get some decaf or tea, if you’d prefer, and a couple of cupcakes?”
“I’m all in favor of cupcakes, but what are we celebrating?” Raylene asked.
“Survival,” Adelia replied at once.
Sometimes, she thought, she didn’t give herself half enough credit for that.
* * *
At Sweet Things, Adelia was studying the cupcake display case, trying to make a decision, when Sarah McDonald came in.
“I need caffeine,” she announced with an edge of desperation in her voice. “I just finished a double on-air shift at the radio station.” She sighed heavily, then retracted her order. “Make it decaf.”
“You need more than coffee, with or without caffeine,” Lynn told her. “I’ll bet you haven’t eaten all day. Pick out a couple of cupcakes on the house.” She glanced at Adelia. “You, too.”
“You can’t be giving away your inventory,” Adelia protested, her business instincts kicking in.
“Of course I can,” Lynn replied. “Especially if it means I can put a sign on the door that says I’m sold out for the day and can go home.”
Adelia and Sarah exchanged a worried look.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asked. “Now that I look closely, I can see the circles under your eyes. You’re a woman in serious need of sleep.”
“Thanks so much for noticing,” Lynn replied wearily.
“Just an observation,” Sarah said. “I know for a fact you’re in here before dawn every day because I see the lights on when I go into the station for my morning show. And the lights are usually still on right up till dinnertime when Travis and I go for our walk before he goes in to do his stint on the air.”
Lynn sighed. “For so long I dreamed about how wonderful it would be to have my own bakery, but I never believed it would happen. Then Mitch and Raylene and the Sweet Magnolias started pushing and convinced me I could pull it off. Baking’s always been second nature
to me. Running a business is not. If you say a word about this to my husband, I’ll call you a liar, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep up this schedule, especially now.”
Adelia studied her intently, then gasped as she recognized the signs. “You’re pregnant!”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “You are, aren’t you? Oh my gosh, it’s like an epidemic. Raylene, you.” She blushed furiously. “Me.”
“You, too?” Lynn said, her expression brightening. “We’re all going to have babies? That’s amazing.”
“Okay, that does it,” Adelia said. “Bag up a half dozen or so of those cupcakes, put the closed sign on the door and come with me. We’re having a party.”
“A party?” Lynn echoed.
“Right this second,” Adelia confirmed, a little surprised by her own spontaneity. She couldn’t recall a single time in her adult life when she hadn’t had to consider a million things before moving forward on something fun. This was just one more indication that she was carving out a new path for her life.
“Next door,” she told the two women. “Raylene’s over there waiting for me to get back. We were just going to celebrate survival, but this will be so much more fun, like an impromptu baby shower.”
“Without the presents,” Sarah said, feigning disappointment.
Adelia laughed. “There will be plenty of time for the real thing, complete with lots and lots of presents,” she promised. “This is just for us, and anyone else who wanders by.”
Lynn nodded happily. “I’ll just bring a whole tray of cupcakes. And I have a pot of decaf I just made.”
“Then we have ourselves a party,” Adelia declared.
“You know,” Sarah said, her expression thoughtful. “The only other people I know who are so eager for parties at the drop of a hat are the Sweet Magnolias. Adelia, you’d fit right in. You get right into the spirit of a celebration.”
Lynn’s eyes immediately lit up. “You would, you know.” She turned to Sarah. “We’ll have to work on making that happen.”
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