Chapter Twenty – Gabe
“What do you mean, you’re moving back to your house?” Gabe hadn’t meant to raise his voice, but she’d taken him by surprise.
“What do you think I mean? It’s pretty simple, Gabe. Martin is nowhere to be found. I think it’s safe for me to go home now. It’s been really nice staying here. You took my worries away, and I’ll always appreciate that, but it’s time for me to get back to normal.”
She was standing in his kitchen with her hair down. She’d taken the band out of her pony tail. Her hair fell in soft waves past her shoulders. He’d love to touch that hair; have it fall in his face as he kissed her full lips. Why on earth did she want to leave?
“Look,” he started.
“No, you look.” She had her hands on her hips and had taken a stance with her feet spread apart as if she was ready for a fight.
He held his hands up. She had opened her mouth to continue, but snapped it shut at his gesture.
“Just be careful. OK? I worry when you’re gone.” He couldn’t believe he was saying that out loud. He’d never worried about a woman he’d dated, much less one who was only a friend.
“I will. I promise. I’ll set my alarm, and I’ll have 911 on speed dial. But I don’t think I have anything to worry about. If Martin was going to do something, he’d have done it by now. I mean, the house has been empty for a week.”
“Yeah, but he knows there’s nothing there.”
“Don’t try to talk me out of this.”
“But . . .”
“No. I’m going to pack now.” She spun around and walked away.
Gabe had been standing during the altercation. He plopped down onto a kitchen chair, feeling perfectly deflated. He’d come home from a long and grinding day at work, anticipating another home-cooked meal, animals that were happy to see him, and a woman who was good on the eyes, smelled like heaven, and could hold her end up in any conversation. What he’d gotten felt like a slap in his face. Didn’t she know that she was putting herself in danger? He got up and followed her to her bedroom.
Lordie, he thought. I’ll never think of that as the spare bedroom again. It’ll always be Rainy’s.
“What if I asked you to stay?” he said. He leaned on the door frame. The arm in the sling prominently displayed. He wasn’t opposed to appearing needy, as long as he knew he wasn’t. “How will I open a can of soup?”
“I brought food from the café. Some is in the fridge, the rest in the freezer. You should be able to open the lids with one hand.”
“What about . . .”
“I’m going, Gabe. Give it up.” She zipped the bag she’d stuffed with pajamas, tee-shirts and jeans and went to the bathroom to pack her cosmetics. He needed to say something to keep her here. But what? He was fabled for his silver tongue in the courtroom, but when it came to Rainy, his mind went blank.
She shoved past him, carrying her bags. He moved to fill the doorway, so that she’d have to touch him to pass. He knew he was being a jerk, but he needed to have her near one more time.
“Why don’t you wait until tomorrow? It’s already dark. What if he’s out there waiting?”
“He’s not.”
“You don’t know that.”
They were walking down the hall with Rainy in the lead.
“You don’t know that he is,” she said.
“This is stupid. Stay.”
“I’m not a dog,” she set the bags down and picked her purse up from the coffee table. She’d loosened up. When she’d first come, she would never have left a personal item in the living room. He liked having her things around.
“I know that. You’re a pig-headed woman,” he said in frustration.
“Oh, is that what you think of me?” She whirled around. He’d moved up behind her and her hair whipped his face.
“No. I’m just upset.”
She took a deep breath and braced herself again, like she’d done in the kitchen earlier.
“I’m not trying to upset you. As I said, I appreciate all you’ve done for me, and I hope you’ll continue to be my attorney. If we ever find that rat, I’m going to need your help again. But for now, I have my own home and staying here is…”
He watched as she searched for the right words.
“Is what?” he asked.
“It’s too easy, OK?” she deflated before his eyes and sat on the couch.
“I like having you here.” He sat next to her and took her hand in his. She stared at their hands, but she didn’t pull away. It was a start. His mind whirled with things to say. He was attracted to this woman like none before, but he couldn’t tell her that. While he searched for the words to hold her, she waited, watching his eyes. When he couldn’t come up with anything, she slowly pulled her hand out of his grip.
“Walk me to my car?” she asked.
“I’d like to follow you and make sure the house is secure. Would you at least let me do that?” He watched her stand and settle her purse on her shoulder again, hating every minute of it.
“I think it’s better if you just let me go,” she said. She turned and picked up her bags.
“Can I at least help you load the car?”
“Sure. The carriers are in the garage.” He followed her outside and watched as she loaded her bags in the trunk. Together, they walked into the garage. He knelt and spoke to each animal, petting them and cooing. He would miss them almost as much as he’d miss Rainy. He felt foolish as tears formed in his eyes, so he brushed them away with the back of his hand and stood abruptly.
“Well. I guess this is good-bye,” he said.
“It’s not like I won’t see you at the café tomorrow morning,” she said. At least he heard a note of compassion in her voice.
“Yeah. I’m going to have to start paying for that again. I was getting pretty spoiled.” He tried to play it light, but his heart felt heavy.
“Oh, you paid for the ones I cooked here. Don’t think you didn’t.”
“Thanks. I hope we can stay friends?” He felt like she was walking out of his life and, it didn’t feel right.
“Of course.” She blew air through her nose and walked into his space. She placed a kiss on his cheek and turned quickly away. He followed with one of the carriers, put it in the back seat, and did the same with the other. He shut the door softly and walked to her open window.
“Stay safe,” he said lamely. Why couldn’t he tell her to stay with him? He watched her back out of his driveway and felt as empty as a chocolate bunny on the day after Easter Sunday. He waited until her taillights were no longer visible before going inside to his empty house.
Chapter Twenty-One – Rainy
Rainy fought tears as she drove away from Gabe. He’d been so vulnerable. Nothing like the cocky lawyer she’d thought he was a few weeks before. He’d almost begged her to stay with him. When he held her hand on the couch, she thought he might kiss her again, but the moment passed. She probably imagined that vulnerability. She was stupid to think he might like her as anything more than a damsel in distress. He probably liked strong, capable women. The women she’d seen him with in the past could all have been runway models. Tall, slim, elegant. Nothing like Rainy Daigle.
Who was she kidding? She was sure she imagined that look in his eyes. He just felt sorry for her and didn’t want to have to drive to her house in the middle of the night if Martin showed up again. By the time she got home, she’d convinced herself that Gabriel Hart was firmly in the friend and attorney category and needed to stay there.
She unloaded Delilah and Samson first, making sure to stay aware of her surroundings. It was one time she wished for an attached garage. Samson immediately ran upstairs. Delilah needed to sniff everything in every room and got busy doing just that. As Rainy unloaded her bags, she tried to be happy to be home.
It was almost nine, still early enough to call someone. She dialed Sophie’s number, but it went to voicemail. Probably better, she told herself. Sophie and Zeke were still newlyweds and didn’t need t
o hear from her so late. She couldn’t call Olivia. She’d only say, “I told you so” when she heard that Gabe hadn’t been happy to see her go. She thought about calling Nat. Gabe’s little brother was a truly compassionate human being. She could make something up about her dog, but, no. The thought of having no friend to call out of the blue made her swallow hard.
To tell herself the truth, the one person she’d really like to call was Gabe. But that was out of the question. It was tough when you liked someone more than they liked you. She’d been tough before. She could do it again. She locked doors, checked and double checked the alarm system, then went upstairs to get ready for bed. It had been a long day, and the morning would come early. She found comfort when she crawled into bed and Delilah curled up at her feet, and Samson settled onto the pillow next to her head. At least she had her animals, she thought as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
In the middle of the night, Delilah started barking. She never barked like that. Rainy sat up in bed and tried to quiet the excited dog.
“Did you hear something?” she whispered into the dog’s ear. Delilah growled in response.
Feeling unprepared and beating herself up for it, Rainy crept down the stairs with a can of hair spray in her right hand and Delilah in her left. The dog had gone quiet but was shaking like a leaf on a windy October day.
There. Rainy heard a sound at the front window. She pulled the curtain aside just enough to see outside, but there was no one. The sound came again, but still she couldn’t see a soul. The motion activated light was on, so something had tripped it. She wasn’t about to go outside to check it out, so she stayed at the window for a while. The noise was like a scuffling of feet. Rainy trembled almost as much as Delilah, but seeing no one, she refused to call for help. Eventually, the noise stopped. After staying at her post by the window for thirty minutes of silence, Rainy decided whatever it was had left. She slept on the couch for the rest of the night, thinking she’d hear it if it started again.
Her alarm rang upstairs at five a.m. as usual. She ran up the stairs and slammed her hand on the top of the digital clock radio to stop the sound. It was still dark outside, too early to go out, so she stepped into the shower and continued her normal routine for a day when she’d open the café. Delilah acted like nothing had happened, which was a relief. Samson was in his favorite hiding spot in the closet and only came out when Rainy shook the bag of cat food. He buried his head in the kibble. She watched as he swished his tail slowly back and forth, unconcerned about midnight intruders.
Sunrise was around seven, and Rainy needed to be working well before that. She ran to her car, jumped in and locked up, then quickly pulled away. She hated leaving Delilah inside, but didn’t want the dog in the backyard if someone was sniffing around during the day. She’d just have to come back in a few hours and let the poor pooch relieve her bladder.
Everything was as it should be when she arrived at the café. That was a relief. She began her work day by brewing a pot of coffee. She felt the tiredness from her interrupted sleep and needed the caffeine boost. Carlos came in and started prepping his station shortly after Rainy arrived. She needed to get her mind off last night and thought making something new would help. She pulled August Escoffier’s, A Guide to Modern Cookery, from the shelf and flipped through the pages while she waited on the muffins she’d slid into the oven. There was nothing that could beat the classics, and Escoffier was as classic as a chef could get. She was debating between Filet de Sole Daumont and Filet de Sole Manon when the first customers arrived. Olivia had a much-deserved day off.
Abigail came to the kitchen window and motioned for Rainy to come over.
“Gabe Hart and his brothers are here. Gabe asked if you were in. I told him you were, and he told me to come and get you. He wants to talk to you about something.” Abigail raised her shoulders and eyebrows in answer to Rainy’s questioning look.
Trying to think of anything other than sounds in the night, or Gabriel Hart, was difficult, especially when the man was in her café demanding attention. She wiped her hands on her apron nervously and smoothed the hair back that had fallen out of her pony tail.
“Be right back,” she said to Carlos. She ignored his snicker and took a deep breath. She wouldn’t let Gabe know how much he affected her.
“You needed to talk to me?” she said when she arrived at what everyone in the café called the Hart brother’s table.
Gabe beamed a million watt smile her way.
“Just wanted to tell the chef what a wonderful breakfast this is.” His plate was piled high with pancakes that he’d smothered with her special blueberry syrup.
“You called me out here to say you like pancakes?” She crossed her arms and scowled. She had things to do in the kitchen. Sole to prepare for the lunch crowd. She didn’t need this man reminding her of how much she already missed his company in the morning.
“I sure did. These are especially light and fluffy today.” His brothers were holding back laughter, and it annoyed her to no end.
“OK, then. I’m glad you like them. I’ll be getting back to work now; if that’s all right with you?” She used her most sarcastic tone, but he simply nodded and kept smiling.
“You do that. I’ll be back for the lunch special. What’s on the ‘off the menu’ today?”
He was coming back? The man was infuriating. If he wanted to flirt, he’d had plenty of opportunities when she was living in his house. What was this?
“Filet of sole,” she said. “It will be prepared in the classic French tradition. You might want to dress up for it.” She swung around and left the table in a hurry, but not before she heard one of his brothers say, “what’s eating her?”
She pushed the kitchen door open and almost collided with Abigail.
“Sorry, boss. I just took a quick restroom break. Didn’t see you coming,” the woman said.
“No need to apologize. I should have checked the window.” Rainy kept going all the way to the restroom. She stared into the mirror. Most of the bruising was gone, but her face was flushed, and it made her angry. She needed to get over Gabe, and she needed to do it in a hurry.
Leon got in at ten, so Rainy went home. She told everyone she’d forgotten something. It was none of their business to know she would be checking for footprints in her flower bed, or that her little dog was probably dancing in circles to keep from leaving a puddle on her kitchen floor.
Chapter Twenty-Two – Gabe
“Why wouldn’t she like a compliment?” Gabe asked as his brothers continued to laugh, openly now that Rainy was back in her kitchen.
“Maybe she’s wondering why you kicked her out of your house,” Nat said as he tore the wrapper off a warm banana nut muffin. He’d already eaten eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns. Gabe wasn’t sure where his brother put all the food he ate on a regular basis.
“I didn’t kick her out. She left against my better judgement. I couldn’t get her to stay.”
“Maybe she got tired of picking up after you. You are a world class slob according to Sophie. I don’t think the woman would have agreed to stay if my wife hadn’t cleaned up your mess of a house before Rainy got there. She would’ve turned her nose up and marched right back home.” Zeke was watching for Gabe’s reaction over the lip of his coffee cup.
“I’m not that bad,” Gabe said.
“Uh huh,” Nat nodded. It was obvious neither brother believed him.
“So, I’m not the best housekeeper. I can always hire a maid service.”
“Yeah, that’ll do it for her. She wouldn’t care about the dirty socks at the front door for a week before the cleaning service arrives. I know Sophie wouldn’t,” Zeke said.
“OK. I get your point. But she’s not safe at that house of hers.”
“Any word on the APB on Martin and Toni?” Nat asked.
“Not yet. I can’t believe they’re smart enough to stay hidden for long, though.”
“Those two need to be locked away for a go
od long time,” Zeke said.
“Couldn’t agree with you more,” Gabe said.
“Why don’t you put yourself out of your misery and ask the woman on a real date?” Zeke asked.
It was easy for him to say. He had Sophie all tied up with a ribbon. Gabe knew he’d messed up by kissing Rainy silly then rejecting her advances. It was the right thing to do. He was still sure of that, but it had messed with her head.
“She’s not interested,” he said.
“Have you asked?” Nat always got right to the point. He’d asked Olivia out when she was still new in town and been turned down flat. That hadn’t stopped his little brother from ogling the waitress every chance he got. Now that she was working in the kitchen, that happened a lot less, and Nat could get grumpy some days when she didn’t show at all.
“I haven’t. I’m her attorney.”
“It’s not like you’re her psychiatrist,” Zeke said.
“It could get messy.” Gabe ate the last of his pancakes and pushed the plate away.
“When is life not messy?” Zeke asked.
Finished with his brother’s line of questioning, Gabe laid a ten-dollar bill on the table for a tip. Both brothers sent looks his way, but he didn’t care. Waitressing was hard work. And Abigail might happen to let Rainy know about the nice tip. Couldn’t hurt.
“Feeling generous today?” Nat asked.
“Does this mean I don’t have to leave a tip?” That was Zeke. Gabe simply shook his head and stood.
“Unlike you slackers,” he said, “I have work to do. See you later.”
“Oh, we’ll be here for lunch,” Nat said, watching Zeke to make sure his brother was in on the plan. “Wouldn’t miss the failed flirting with Rainy that’s sure to be on offer.”
Gabe shot a fist toward Nat’s upper arm, but his little brother was quick and dodged the punch.
“Just speaking the truth. It’s become pretty entertaining. It wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if the woman welcomed your advances.”
“You’re the skinny runt of the bunch, little bro,” Gabe said. “Don’t think for a minute that I’ll hesitate to beat your butt if you keep this up.”
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