by Abby Brooks
“Right. See. Exactly. I get it. You think I’m not what you need. That’s why I’m asking you to keep an open mind. As for the pie…” Gabe sits proudly in his seat. “I’ve always been a man who follows his own path. There’s no point denying that.”
“I agree completely. If memory serves however, it was that same confident sense of self that had your entire future planned out. And mine too, sort of. Though the word ‘planned’ is a bit generous to describe the amount of attention my wants and dreams received. And that was the problem, wasn’t it? In your infinite wisdom, my future had to be crammed in along the edges and corners of yours. Isn’t that what ended up breaking us?” I tap my finger on the table, satisfied with my ability to bring the conversation back to my talking points.
“Mer—” Gabe places his rough hand atop mine, igniting a wildfire of goosebumps along my arm. “I hear you. You’re right. No argument. I’m only asking for the chance to show you I’m sincere.”
Gabe runs his thumb along my knuckle and my entire being focuses on that one point of contact. Forget talking points. Forget ancient history. All that matters is the way I feel when he touches me. The look of longing in his gaze as he searches my face.
Thankfully, Gabe releases my hand—and my thoughts—when Mollie returns to the table with our food. Seasoned fries spill off the plate when she sets my sandwich in front of me. Yum. I expected a small dollop of chicken salad globbed into a smooshed white bun, but am surprised by a generous portion evenly spread across a toasted baguette topped with healthy amounts of crisp lettuce and tomato. “Wow, this looks amazing,” I say as she places a monster slice of pie on the table in front of Gabe.
“I hope you enjoy it. And I gave you a little extra pie, but—you have to promise you’ll tell your brother Mollie says hello.” She looks to Gabe, who’s busy salivating over the treat in front of him.
Gabe finally looks up. “Deal. Just tell me which brother.”
Mollie puts her hand on her hip and lifts her chin. “Why, Hank, silly.”
Gabe and I glance at each other. “Hank?” we ask in unison.
“Yeah. That man couldn’t have been more adorable at the reception. The way he danced with my niece, Vanessa, on his feet, spinning her around like a fairy princess. She was on cloud nine for the rest of the night. There’s something special about that one.” Mollie winks.
“Oh I agree.” Gabe nods to the waitress as she walks away, then leans across the table. “But I suspect our definitions of special may vary.” He lifts a heaping forkful of dessert to his mouth, carefully navigating it in. He leans back against the booth, resting his fork-hand on the edge of the table while a smile spreads over his face, savoring the sweet and crunchy goodness of the bite. “Mer, you have to try this.” He cuts another too-big-for-the-fork portion and hefts it in my direction.
“I’m good, but thanks. I’m not much of a sweets person.” That empty pint of Ben & Jerry’s I tossed into the trash this morning would beg to differ.
“Since when? I remember a girl who liked anything and everything sweet. Ice cream, s'mores, jelly beans, even Sour Patch Kids now and then.” Gabe raises a finger with each item he rattles off.
“Well, I guess that goes to the point I tried to make before. A lot can change about a person over the years. Maybe you don’t know as much about me as you’d like to think, mister.”
Without hesitating, like he had been studying for those words to show up on a quiz, Gabe pulls a response out of nowhere. “You are so right, Doll. So. Right. All I’m asking is for the chance to show you how much I’ve grown. How much I’ve changed. While I learn about all the ways you’ve changed. If you don’t like sweets anymore, that’s okay by me. I just need to know, so I can cross that off my list and find out what you do like, now.”
Damnit.
For every point I make, Gabe comes back with the perfect response. This ‘not date’ was supposed to be my chance to stand strong, but he’s melting me.
Why can’t he just be an asshole and help me out a little?
Chapter Ten
Meredith
The afternoon passes on the other side of the window while Gabe and I reminisce about our lives way back when. It’s dusk when I realize the time. I find myself feeling guilty for it, and for allowing the conversation to get so familiar. I firmly intended to, in no uncertain terms, clarify that we are not getting back together. Thing is, now all I can think about is his body spooning mine as we drift off to sleep, sweaty and exhausted. That would be the perfect end to this wonderful day. But I can’t let him see that he’s wearing me down. Not this easily.
“So? What do you think?”
The question brings me back to the conversation I've been ignoring. I turn my focus from the colorful evening sky back to Gabe, and try my best to stop thinking about how much I want to go to bed with the man. “Hmmmm?”
“Pretending not to hear me to buy time, huh?” Gabe smiles. “Okay. I’ll play along.” He clears his throat. “I asked if you wanted to get out of here and go back to my place.”
“Gabe.” I swat his hand. “Is that really where you think this conversation has been leading?”
Gabe presents his most innocent, puppy dog face. “What? There’s more than one bedroom. Why does it always have to be about sex with you?” Try as he might to hide it, that devilish smile is back. “You could think of it like you’re crashing with a friend.”
I know this man. I know the game he’s playing. And I have every intention of beating him at it. “Oh yeah? Like roommates?” The question is a trap and he’s going to fall right into it.
Gabe nods. “Sure. Like roommates.”
I bob my head. I’ve got you now. “Well. A roommate would be okay if I brought a guy home for the night. Are you saying that wouldn’t bother you?”
Gabe pauses as he carefully considers his options. Finally, his eyes light up. “Not if it was the right guy, I suppose.”
“The right guy? Who, if not me, would determine, whether or not this stranger is the right guy?”
Gabe turns back to me, drawing his hand to his chest. “Me, of course. No other man could ever hope to satisfy the strict qualifications of that responsibility.”
I roll my eyes. “I should be going. I feel so bad for the waitress, we’ve been here for hours.” I dig through my purse for cash. “She was great, but I think I owe her rent on top of a good tip.”
Gabe motions with his hand for me to stop digging. “I got this, Doll.” He retrieves a roll of cash from his front pocket, peels two twenties from the middle, and slides them under the salt shaker.
“Thanks.” I blush. “That’s very generous.”
Gabe places his hand on the small of my back as he walks me to my car. For the first time since approaching him at the wedding, there’s a silence between us. I look at the last slivers of light fading in the distance. Neither of us wants this to end because there’s no clear path to seeing each other again—it’s not like we're dating.
Gabe spent the afternoon asking for more, but I kept pushing him away. Am I hiding behind the mistakes of our past? I won't survive another heartbreak—lord knows I've had my share—but what if I'm wrong about him?
The thought tears at me, forcing me to relent. “Okay,” I say, turning back to him.
“Okay what, Doll?” Gabe looks at me. “You’ll stay at my place?” His voice jumps at least two octaves.
“Easy cowboy. One step at a time. Let’s start a little closer to the beginning.”
A crusty old pickup pulls into the spot next to my car, the headlights briefly illuminating Gabe. “I’m all in, love. But…so I’m clear. What are we talking about here?”
I am not prepared for this question. “Well…” What did you mean, chick? Why did you blurt that out? Quick. He’s waiting for an answer. “We started this off, whatever it is, by sleeping together. Maybe we bring it back a few paces, you know? Do it the right way. Why don’t we start by agreeing to see each other?”
“
Hell yeah, sign me up.”
“Exclusively!” I blurt out.
“Of course, Doll,” Gabe says, sincerely. “Exclusively.” He steps forward, closing the gap between us and drawing me into him. “Thank you.” Gabe leans down and kisses the top of my head.
“For what?” I look up at him, angling my mouth closer to his. His stubble scrapes my cheek.
Gabe's gaze lingers on my mouth. “For keeping an open mind. ” He licks his lips and leans close. “Now, I’ll finally have the chance to prove the weight behind my words.” His peppermint breath warms my skin.
Gabe kisses me and the rest of the world falls away. Our past means nothing, our future even less. We only exist in this moment.
I breathe him in, his scent rushes through my body and awakens a part of me I closed off long ago. Gabe cups my face and I part my lips. Our tongues dance, the rhythm at once familiar and electrifying.
I shift and almost lose my balance, breaking the kiss. “I’m still a klutz. I guess some things never change.” I bury my head in his shoulder to hide my embarrassment. We stay like that for several minutes, Gabe’s arms wrapped around me while we stare out at the darkening sky.
Gabe sighs. “I’ve waited so long for this, but I better let you get home. Should I follow? Or just ride shotgun?”
I blink in surprise. “Wait, what? Why would you follow me home?”
“So we can share the good news.” Gabe steps back. “You know, with your folks.”
“Why don’t you leave the sharing of the news with my family to me—okay, big guy?”
“No problem. You tell your parents—that’s only right.” He leans forward and kisses me passionately. We say our goodbyes and just as I close my car door, Gabe calls out, “Yep. You tell your parents. And I’ll tell everyone else.”
Pleased with himself, he smiles and waves through the window before walking to his truck.
Heaven help me. What have I done?
Chapter Eleven
Gabe
My turn signal clicks as I wait for the oncoming car to pass. This is my last chance to change my mind before I turn onto the drive of the Still ranch. What are the chances I’ll even run into Meredith's dad? It’s the middle of the day for God’s sake; he’s sure to be out working. If I weren’t playing hooky right now, I know I’d be out on the ranch, somewhere. Calm down, everything will be fine. This was a good idea.
Meredith is going to love the surprise visit. Okay, Meredith will look back on this surprise visit fondly. Someday.
Probably.
The car passes, and the road is clear. Last chance—time to piss or get off the pot. I push the accelerator and turn the wheel. “No going back now,” I mutter as the tires roll onto the gravel.
I try my best to steady my heartbeat against the rumble of the exhaust as I ease towards the house. Why does this make me feel like a teenager, breaking a rule? Why should I even care what a grumpy old man thinks? I’m a grown ass man myself. I don’t need her father’s permission to show up and take a grown ass…err. A mature, adult woman out for the afternoon. She can make her own choices. And she did too, damnit. She chose me. And that’s what I’d say to him too. So back off, old man. Yeah. Just like that.
I almost have myself believing my bullshit—until I catch sight of, not only Meredith’s dad, Jim (as if that isn’t bad enough) but her brother, James too. They’re both in the driveway, ten feet or so from where I’m about to be, heads down, under the hood of a truck.
“Sh-it.” I smack the steering wheel as the word rolls off my tongue.
They clearly have their hands full, maybe they don’t have time to inquire about every person who stops by? Sure. That seems totally plausible. I put the truck in park and kill the engine. Defensively, I adjust the bill of my hat, re-forming the edges into a tight curve and then pulling it low before I open the door.
James looks up from the engine. “Afternoon. Something I can help you with?” He’s cordial enough, but considering we’ve known one another for the better part of twenty years, the formality of his words gives me pause.
“Afternoon.” I nod. “I was hoping to talk to Meredith. Is she home?”
His friendly demeanor fades. “Gee. I’m afraid she’s real busy.” He brings his stupid hand up to his stupid chin, swirling his stupid finger around as he pretends to think. “I’ll tell you what I can do. You give me the message, and I’ll see she gets it.”
Before I can open my big mouth and say something crass Jim moves behind his son, distracting me. “Wow. That’s kind of you.” I look to both men. “Do either of you have a pen and paper handy?”
James looks surprised by the question. “Sorry. I’m afraid I don’t.”
I drop my head slightly. “Shoot. It’s a pretty long message. Probably be best to write it down so you don’t forget anything.” I look to the house. “Why don’t I just knock and see if there’s anyone in there?” I turn and briskly walk towards the door. “Meredith?” I yell. “You in there? I need some paper and a pen if you have it.”
“Not so fast, Wilde. ” James scurries past me down the walk, while Jim does his best to keep pace behind us. “I tried to be polite, but let me be blunt. We don’t want you here. Meredith doesn’t want you here. You need to leave. Now.” James looks past me, apparently seeking reassurance from his father. What a tool.
“Gentlemen.” I step off the sidewalk and turn to get both men in my field of view. “I feel like we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. We’re all adults here.”
Standing to my right, Jim looks like he has something to say, but only scoffs.
I bring up my palms. “I assure you, my intentions are pure. I want to see Meredith. If she wants to see me, of course.” I pause to collect my thoughts. Neither of these men appear in-the-loop about our dating situation. “If she doesn’t, I’ll leave. No issue. So why don’t you both take a breath, back off a little, and maybe let the lady decide?”
James shakes his head. “Why don’t you take a hint and get the hell off our land,” he demands, as he grabs my shoulder.
A thousand thoughts race through my mind. Do I knock him on his ass for putting his hands on me? Is that grounds for an assault charge? I’m on their land, how does that work? Could I even be upset with the county sheriff, Cody, if he did arrest me? Will Meredith think I started this? I did show up unannounced. That last one tips the scales. If I get into a fistfight with one of her brothers and she blames me, it will ruin everything. I decide not to push the issue. “Alright, alright. I’ll go. Take it easy.”
James pushes me, shoving me away from the house. I spin on my heel and rear my arm back, rolling my shoulder. “Unless you want to lose it, take your goddamned hand off me,” I warn. I look him dead in the eye to make certain he’s aware it’s no idle threat.
Okay, I decided not to push the issue, but I have my boundaries.
James is not a small man. He stands well over six feet, besting me by two or three inches. Judging by the look in his eye, I’d say we both know I could take him in a scuffle nine out of ten times. I give him one in ten odds just to be fair. I mean, I could always trip over my foot, fall, and hit my head. Or something. Satisfied we’ve reestablished our boundaries, I turn back to my truck.
“Gabe?” Meredith calls from the doorway. “What are you doing here? And, why are you leaving?”
“We’ve got this under control, darling,” Jim calls back to his daughter. “Gabe made a mistake coming out here, is all.”
I stop again, this time to get a look at my girl. She stands in the doorway, her hair hastily pulled back in a bun with strands falling here and there, framing her face in the most adorable way. She’s dressed in fuzzy pajama pants, and a much-too-large-to-be-hers t-shirt, with a brown stain down the middle.
She’s perfection.
“Hey,” I say around James, who appears intent on obstructing my view of her, or perhaps, her view of me. “I thought I’d surprise you. Take you out for lunch.” I lift my arms to my sides. “Surprise.
”
Her lips curl into a smile as she steps through the door. “Yeah. This is a surprise. You got that part right. On a technicality, anyhow.” She walks up behind her brother and pushes him out of her way. “Jesus, James. Enough already.” She levels a look at both men. “Don’t you two have something else you should be doing?”
Jim looks at his feet and then to his daughter. “Sweetheart. I don’t think, given everything else you have going on in your life…” he begins.
Meredith cuts him off. “I’m a big girl, Daddy. Thank you for your concern, but I think I’m capable of deciding who I talk to.” She jerks her thumb in my direction. “And if he steps out of line, I’ll yell for you to come and knock his block off.” She takes my hand in hers and winks. “Come on, let’s go inside where we can have a little privacy.”
I give James a condescending, fuck-you look over my shoulder as Meredith leads me into the house.
Chapter Twelve
Meredith
I plop into my seat at the table and run my hands through my hair. “I know we’re dating and all, but you shouldn’t have come here.” He had to be aware this could have ended badly. Like, so badly. “You do know Daddy’s had it out for you since we were in high school, don’t you? ”
Gabe nods. “Yes, I’m aware, subtle is not a word I’d use to describe your father.”
“Well then cowboy, please help me understand what you were thinking.”
Kindness fills his eyes when Gabe looks at me. “I wanted to surprise you. Honestly, I thought your dad would be out working, not standing in the driveway, waiting for me to show up like I’d scheduled an appointment. Besides, the opportunity to see you outweighed any risk as far as I’m concerned.”
How is he always so damn charming? Can’t he see I’m trying to make a point here?
I level my index finger at Gabe in response to his words. “And what about you? Shouldn’t you be back at your place right now, working? Are Chet and Christy even back from their honeymoon? Don’t you have responsibilities of your own that need tending to?”