But what a way to go.
He pushed through the throng surrounding her, careful not to jostle the elderly woman, and stood before her.
Her words trailed off. She blinked and darted a glance to her side. “What are you doing here?” she asked in a low voice.
“I had more to say.”
She smiled apologetically to the woman. “Sorry, Mrs. Hansen. I’ll be sure to try your punch when I’m done here.” Waiting for the small crowd to disperse, she set her shoulders before turning to Gabe. “Okay.” She lifted her chin. “What did you want to say?”
“You look beautiful.”
She blinked. “You followed me from the gas station to say that?”
“It’s true.” An old codger stepped next to Gabe, positioning himself slightly between him and Marla. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Marla’s cheek.
Another one, shorter and with slicked-back silver hair, flanked his other side. “You do look great, Toots. Aren’t you going to introduce us? Or is he not worth knowing?” He said it like a joke, but the hard glint in his eye as he turned on Gabe contradicted the light tone.
“Be nice, Ric.” Stepping forward, she linked elbows with each of the men, turning them both to face Gabe. “Deda, Ric, this is Gabe Moretti. A friend of mine. Gabe, Ric and my grandfather, Alex.”
Friend. Again, the word landed like a blow. Gabe wasn’t big on acquiring friends, and he sure as hell didn’t want to add Marla to that short list. Not unless it was accompanied by the terms lover and partner.
But he shook hands, each clasp a wrestling match as the older men tried to break every bone in his hand. Gabe gritted his back teeth. “Nice to meet you. Marla’s spoken highly of you.”
“Huh.” The taller man, Deda, cocked his head. “And I haven’t heard your name once.” He slid a glance at his granddaughter. “You’re not by chance a younger man, are you?”
Marla elbowed her grandfather and lasered a glare at him.
Gabe’s gut churned. Her grandfather and his friend were two of the most important men in Marla’s life, and she’d never mentioned Gabe? He patted his pocket, looking for his antacids before remembering he wasn’t packing. Okay, he could work with this. Maybe she hadn’t mentioned him because it had been a fling. Who mentioned sexual affairs to their grandparents? It didn’t have to mean he didn’t matter to her. Or worse, she didn’t think of him at all when they weren’t together. It just meant she had to be persuaded to think of what they had as a relationship. He could be persuasive.
He nodded to her grandfather. “I hope to change that. I want Marla saying my name so often you get tired of hearing it.”
“We might already be there.” Ric leaned forward, rocking onto the balls of his feet. “What happened to your face? You look like hell.”
“Ric!” Marla winced. “He’s right, though. Maybe you should see a doctor.”
“I’m fine.”
Ric pursed his lips. “Did I hear our girl say you followed her from a gas station?”
Marla patted his arms. “He followed me in a completely non-creepy way. Now can I have a few minutes alone with my stalker?” Her lips twitched when the older men growled. “You both are too easy to rile.” She kissed her granddad’s cheek, turned to Ric and straightened his collar. “Besides, I see Deborah has just arrived. You’re wanted elsewhere.”
The man looked torn. “I’ll stay if you need me.”
“I don’t,” Marla said lightly.
Her grandfather stood to attention. “Well, I—”
“Told Mrs. Kraft that you’d dance with her.” Marla nudged the man with her shoulder. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”
“Hmm.” Her grandfather didn’t look convinced but he stepped back. “Okay. See you later, sweetie.” Behind Marla’s back, he pointed his index and middle fingers at his own eyes and then flipped them to point at Gabe.
Ric wasn’t so circumspect. As he walked past Gabe, he muttered, “We can hurt you.” His face broke into a wide smile as he swooped down on Debbie Garcia, his attitude flipping on a dime.
Gabe cleared his throat. “You sure your family’s not mob?”
Marla sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Gabe, no one drives out of their way just to tell someone they look good.”
“Beautiful. Not just good.” Giving in to temptation, he ran his fingers over the ponytail that lay over one shoulder. The apricot strands matched the stones in a chunky necklace around her throat. “And that wasn’t what I came here to say. It just spilled out.”
“Huh.” She tilted her head. “Words don’t usually spill out from those tight lips of yours. At least not compliments.”
“Which is why you should know I’m sincere.” The leg of a walker bumped into Gabe’s knee, and he stepped out of the way of an octogenarian wearing inch-thick glasses. “Can we go somewhere private?” He wasn’t above begging, but he’d prefer it was done without an audience.
“No.” Smiling, Marla waved at someone across the room. “I’ve come to spend time with my grandfather and his friends, not act out some drama with my ex-lover. Just say what you need to and let’s part as friends.”
There she went again, with the ‘friends’ bullshit. The ‘parting’ and ‘ex’ bit weren’t so hot, either. But he was the one trying to change the parameters of their relationship. He couldn’t blame her for referring to it as it had started. He tucked his hands in his front pockets. “Okay, I’ll just come out and say it.” He paused and tried to order his thoughts.
“Yes…” she prodded.
“I’m getting to it.” This shouldn’t be so hard, telling a woman he liked her and wanted to date her. But he’d never done it before. The back of Gabe’s throat burned. In thirty-three years of life he’d never dated a woman. It was a fact he’d always known, but the observation hit him now like a bulldozer. How could a grown-ass man never have been in a relationship? He’d like to think it was because he hadn’t met the right woman, but Gabe knew bullshit when he saw it, even when he was the one dishing it out. The problem wasn’t the women he met. It was him.
Marla sighed and rolled her shoulders.
“Where’s Maddie and Hoover?” Not what he wanted to say, but an easy opening gambit. Maybe it was best he eased his way in.
Her face softened. “They’re stars here. Everyone mobbed them when we came in. They’re probably getting fed doggie caviar.” She glanced around and sucked in a breath. “Oh look.” She clutched Gabe’s arm. “Maddie is sitting with Mr. Jackson. She has her head on his lap.”
The big dog was patiently sitting by a man in a wheelchair, letting him fondle her ears and scratch her chin with one gnarled finger. Hoover wasn’t far away, but seemed much happier with the belly rubs he was receiving.
Gabe placed his hand over hers, wishing he could prolong the contact. “The tiara is probably making her head heavy,” Gabe teased.
“You don’t understand. She hates letting other people touch her.” Marla’s eyes glistened under the lights. “She was mistreated as a puppy by a couple I considered friends in Detroit. When I first took her away, she cowered in every corner and just about lived under my bed. But ever since Hoover came to live with us, she’s opened up so much. And she’s being so patient with Mr. Jackson. He has Alzheimer’s, you know, and doesn’t show much interest in anything.”
Gabe squeezed her hand. “Dogs aren’t the only ones who can change. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He fell silent and shifted his weight.
“Change?” A wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows. “You’re going to have to give me more to go on. My deductive skills are a little rusty.”
“I…” His pulse pounded in his throat. He cleared it. Son of a bitch, this was just sad. A soft, bluesy tune came on the speakers, and he laced his fingers through Marla’s and started walking.
She tripped after him. “Where are
we going?”
“Dance floor.”
“You dance?”
He pulled her onto the floor and spun her into his arms. Their feet moved as one. “It’s not my preferred activity, but I make do.”
Her chest and stomach snugged in tight against his. Her right hand was warm within his left, and he clasped it to his chest. She draped her left wrist over his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He sighed. This. This was right. This was what he wanted. Now to convince Marla.
“I want more,” he said.
“More what?” Marla pulled her head back and looked at him. Her forehead cleared. “Oh. More sex. You want to continue our affair.”
“No.” Gabe grimaced. “Well, yes, of course more sex.” And breakfasts together. And lounging on the couch watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, listening to Marla tear it apart because it didn’t compare to the book. He definitely wanted that in his future.
But his mouth didn’t say any of that. “Sex with you is one of my top ten activities,” he joked.
She stepped back, her body going rigid. “Nice to know I made the top ten.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He blew out a breath. Words weren’t his strong suit. “Just…I want more,” he repeated.
“Gabe…” She stared at her toes. “I can’t give you more.”
Bile burned its way up his throat. He gathered her back in his arms. Looking at her face hurt too much. Made him want too much. He dipped his chin to rest on her shoulder. Her heart pounded against his breastbone. He was screwing this up. He was probably freaking her out. She’d only wanted a fling and he was coming at her with both barrels. If he wanted any of her time, he needed to do some damage control. “I’m not saying I want to move in together and get married,” he said lightly. “Just make our booty calls more organized.”
Her breath ghosted across his throat.
“Marla?”
“That’s an interesting proposition, or at least an interesting way of phrasing it.” She cleared her throat. “But…”
“Don’t say but.”
She dug her fingers into his shoulder.
“Don’t say but,” he whispered into her hair.
Slowly, she disentangled her body from his and stood before him. “I’m …flattered that you’d want to continue our affair. But I think what we want, where we are in life, are just too different. One of us is going to get hurt if we go on.”
His heart thudded dully. She didn’t want him. Not like he did her. Rubbing his chest, he tried for a careless grin. “Come on. No one gets hurt when you’re casual dating. All fun, no responsibility.” He didn’t want casual with her. He didn’t feel casual about her. But if that’s all she’d give him, he’d take it. She could agree to that, at least. She had to.
She gave him a crooked smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “I don’t know how much more ‘fun’ this party girl can take. Besides, I’m going to be busy. I’m starting a foundation. First item on the agenda will be organizing field trips from Forever Friends here to Golden Acres. I hope it will benefit both the residents and the dogs who need some love while they’re waiting to be adopted.” She lifted one shoulder. “It’s a small idea, but I think it will do good. Brad’s already on board. And I have some more ideas that might help Crook County. It will be easier to focus on my work if we’re not dating, as you call it.”
Gabe’s mouth went bone dry. This couldn’t be happening. Not when he’d finally figured out what he wanted. He focused on evening out his breathing. He hadn’t felt helpless since he was a teenager, and hoped never to feel it again. He wanted Marla, but that wasn’t only up to him. If she turned him down, there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
He shook his head. “You know we’re good together. We—”
“I know.” Marla bridged the distance and rested her palms on his chest. His heart twisted at her touch, recognizing it for the farewell it was. “But at my age I need to be smart. And choosing what you’re offering, well, it wouldn’t be.”
The stabbing pain behind his breastbone dulled to a muted throb. There it was. What he had to offer wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t good enough. Not for a classy woman like Marla.
Resignation settled in his bones. She wouldn’t be going home with him tonight. Or any night.
“Okay,” he said, his voice a monotone. He cleared his throat. He needed to do better for Marla. Make this farewell as painless as possible. Covering her hands with his own, he leaned forward and kissed the edge of her mouth. “I understand.” He breathed her in, tried to get his fill of her essence before stepping back. He shoved his hands in his pockets before the temptation to go caveman on her, throw her over his shoulder and hide her away until she saw sense, overcame him. “I wish you all the best.”
She clutched her left elbow with her right hand. “I… Thanks. I want the best for you, too.” She gazed over his shoulder. “We had fun, right?”
“Yeah. Fun,” he lied. There was no way something fun could end like this. Not with him wanting to punch every window in this room, then come back and curl into the fetal position at Marla’s feet and beg her to change her mind.
He must have been right before. One-night stands were the way to go. Cut things off quickly; get out cleanly. He blinked his eyes rapidly. “Goodbye, Marla.” And without waiting for a response, he spun on his heel and got the hell away from his mistake.
Chapter Twenty
Gabe washed the turtle’s shell with a betadine solution. “You’re going to have to clean the affected area every day with this solution and then scrub it with a toothbrush,” he told the turtle’s owner, a teenage girl with large glasses. “And then rinse the rot with fresh water.”
She nodded and typed into her phone.
Gabe gritted his teeth. “Am I boring you? Is updating your status more important than learning how to care for your pet?”
“Dude, I’m taking notes on everything you’re saying.” She held her phone out as proof. “Chillax.”
“Oh.” Gabe refused to be shamed by a prepubescent with spots on her chin. But an apology wasn’t out of order. He grunted. “Sorry.”
“No probs.” Bending over the exam table, she stroked the little guy’s green head. “So, can I take Fred home? He’s going to be okay?”
“Fred should be fine. Let me know if the shell rot doesn’t clear up in a couple of days.” Snapping off his latex gloves, Gabe tossed them in the trash. He stretched his hands to the ceiling and tried to ease the knots in his back. It was stupid. He’d slept alone for 99.9 percent of his adult life. Now his bed felt huge. Empty. Leaving him tossing and turning. After Marla had dropped him like a hot potato nothing felt right. Not his bed, or the shelter, or even roaring down the highway in Miss Elle. It was almost scary how quickly the woman had knitted herself into his life.
He led the girl and her turtle out and flipped the sign on the front door of his practice to closed. He needed to head over to Forever Friends to spay three new dogs. Maybe more would come in and he could work late. Anything so the night didn’t stretch endlessly before him.
His cell rang. He read the caller ID and his shoulders bunched to his ears.
“Hi, Simon. What’s up?”
His uncle got right to the point. “Did you eat lunch yet?”
“Yes.”
Simon huffed. “No matter. Can you bring me some fast food? Maybe some fried chicken. With taters.”
Gabe cracked his neck. “Where’s Jethro?”
“Out.”
“And he left you with no food?” That hardly seemed likely.
“Weeell, he left a chicken salad in the fridge. But that ain’t real food,” Simon grumbled over the line. “Girly, rabbit food.”
Gabe’s lips twitched. “It won’t kill you to eat healthy. You should be happy you have a son who cares.”
“So, is that
a no on the lunch?” he asked, his voice petulant.
“That is a no,” Gabe confirmed. He tapped his fingers on the doorframe. He should hang up. He should hang up right now. Gabe sighed. “But I can bring lunch this weekend. It will be something good and healthy.” There had to be a place in Crook County where that was possible. The sauce-less Chinese food hadn’t gone down well with his uncle. “I’ll talk with Jethro, arrange something.”
“If you can ever catch that boy. I swear he’s gone more than he’s home.” The suspicious pop of a bag sounded over the line, followed by some crinkling.
Should he ask about the bag? Loud crunching filled his ear. Nope. Some things were better left a mystery. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you this weekend.”
“Wait.” Simon swallowed loudly. “I wanted to tell you I heard from an old friend of mine that he heard from his ex-old lady that there’s gonna be a fight tonight. I asked him to call her back to find out where, but he said once she knew he wanted to know, she wouldn’t tell him. Their marriage didn’t end good, you know?”
Gabe’s chest went tight. “Can he ask anyone else?” He paced the lobby of his office. Tonight. More dogs would be hurt in just a couple of hours. “I need a location.”
“My buddy was never really into the scene—it was more his wife. But I’ll ask him to call some of her friends. See if he can find out anything.”
“And can you call around to your friends?” Gabe stalked through his office, shutting off lights, turning off his computer.
His uncle snorted. “I’ll try. But the people who would know don’t really talk to me much anymore. Not since you…”
“Blackmailed them and their associates.” He picked up his keys, and stood by the front door, chest heaving. Shit. Without a location, he’d just be driving around with his thumb up his ass. He’d have to call Jerome, let him know about the tip. Maybe two idiots driving around in circles would stumble across the fight.
He exited the office and locked the front door. “Thanks for letting me know. If you hear anything else…”
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