by LuAnn McLane
“’Cause of the crowd you run with. Cough up a name.”
“I’m going to get Mr. Davenport if you don’t let him go right this minute,” Gabby said sternly even though her knees were shaking. To her relief the sheriff pushed up to his feet. “You can’t harass students like this.”
“Yeah, well, I got my eye on you, Reese Parker. Ain’t like you haven’t been in trouble before,” he added before lumbering off toward his cruiser.
• • •
“Bo Mason,” Gabby muttered at the memory.
“That old coot still the town sheriff?”
“Unfortunately. I don’t know who votes for him. It sure isn’t me,” Gabby assured him hotly. Reese chuckled. “You were always a quiet little thing until something got you riled up. Then you’d better run and duck for cover.”
Gabby shrugged. “My mama taught me to stand up for what you believe in. I believed in your innocence.”
Reese dipped his head slightly. “Well, thank you. Not many people did,” he said, and then looked as if he wished he hadn’t gone down memory lane. But then his cocky grin returned.
“You can come down off your soapbox now.” He gestured toward the crate.
“Oh.” She wobbled a little bit and was about to step down, but his gaze locked in on her mouth just long enough for Gabby to wonder if he also remembered . . .
The kiss.
The kiss that happened later that same night remained burned into her seventeen-year-old memory, and she unfortunately used her bone-melting response as a measuring stick for all other kisses afterward, all of them coming up short. Maybe it was because she’d fantasized about kissing Reese from the time she’d turned about thirteen. Or perhaps it was because he represented the forbidden bad-boy fruit her mother knew about firsthand and repeatedly warned Gabby against.
Maybe the reaction was something more slid into her brain. She tried to mentally shove the thought away, but it refused to budge. Would kissing Reese feel the same way now that she was beyond teenage hormones and infatuation with the resident leather jacket?
Curiosity coupled with desire had her swallowing hard and the spool of ribbon slipped from her fingers, landing with a thump and rolling away unnoticed by either of them.
As if he’d read her thoughts, Reese’s eyes suddenly sparked in silent challenge. Gabby had been one of the few girls who refused to fall at his feet, even after the epic kiss. Well, the sexy bad boy might be back in town, but Gabby was striving hard to make something of herself in the community and she wasn’t about to risk her reputation by falling into Reese’s arms . . . arms that were suddenly reaching toward her. Oh. Well, maybe just this once . . .
“Can I help up you down?” He angled his head sideways toward the counter. “Your pepperoni with mushrooms and extra cheese is going to get cold.”
Great, so she’d been reading Reese all wrong. Wow, he must find her doe-eyed longing quite amusing. With a swift intake of breath, she raised her hands to smack his offer away, but she suddenly heard the sound of splintering wood. When the lid started caving in, Gabby yelped and then lunged at Reese, tipping the box forward. Surprise registered in his eyes, but he caught her.
Gabby flung her arms around Reese’s neck, and when he stumbled backward, she went with him, her toes dragging across the floor as if they were suddenly doing a tango dance move. Reese swerved slightly to avoid a colorful display of tulips and then ducked to miss a fat green fern suspended from the ceiling. He clipped a rack of Get Well cards, spinning the display and sending a few fluttering to the floor before it came to a stop between two tall tin pails packed with cheerful sunflowers that seemed to be watching their little dance with amusement.
Reese gave her a lopsided grin. “I always knew you wanted to throw yourself at me.”
“I didn’t throw myself at you!”
Reese raised his eyebrows. “Coulda fooled me.”
“I was in . . . peril,” she sputtered. Really? Who said peril? Gabby grimaced. “You know, the splintered wood could have . . . hurt me.” Okay, probably not since she was wearing jeans.
“Uh-huh.” Laughter twinkled in his eyes.
“Let me go!”
“Um, you’re the one wrapped around me like kudzu.”
“Well, you have your hands on my . . . my derriere.” Dear God, whose vocabulary was she channeling? Scarlett O’Hara?
“Sorry,” Reese said, and although he removed his hands he didn’t appear sorry at all. Instead, his gaze slid to her mouth and for a heart-stopping moment she thought he was going to kiss her. No, she had to be wrong just like before. . . .
Feeling silly, Gabby abruptly released her hands from around his neck. But her traitorous knees felt wobbly and to her horror she did a little backpedal.
“Whoa there.” Reese reached out and to her utter surprise scooped her up and after a few long-legged strides deposited her on the counter next to the forgotten pizza box.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” Gabby asked.
“I’m not quite sure. . . .”
Awkward silence followed until the aroma of pepperoni made her stomach rumble.
“How . . . how much do I owe you?”
Reese arched an eyebrow. “For saving you from . . . peril?”
“The pizza,” she sputtered.
“It’s on the house along with the cannoli . . . and the rescue.”
“I didn’t order cannoli.”
“We’re testing desserts. I made it.”
“Really?”
“I’m full of surprises,” Reese responded dryly. “Be sure to give me some feedback,” he added with a crooked smile.
Gabby blinked at him. “Okay, but I don’t want you to pay for the pizza, Reese.”
His smile faded. “Don’t worry about it.”
His sudden clipped tone and shuttered expression confused Gabby. She didn’t want the cost of her dinner to come out of his pocket. What was so wrong with that? “At least let me give you a tip for the delivery. I mean, I know your uncle owns River Row Pizza, but still . . .”
“Forget about it,” Reese insisted. “And listen, I—” he began, but was interrupted by the ding of the bell over the door.
“Drew!” Gabby exclaimed with a warm smile. She scooted forward but then looked at the distance between the floor and her feet, wondering if she could jump without stumbling. Probably not and the status of her legs remained iffy. As if reading her mind, Reese stepped forward and put his hands around her waist, lifting her down as if she weighed next to nothing. When Drew frowned Gabby took a step back, putting much needed distance between her and Reese. “What brings you here?” She tugged at her shirt and smoothed her hair.
“I thought I’d come over and wine and dine you with the hope of enticing you to join the Cricket Creek Beautification Committee. We could use your expertise.”
Gabby gestured toward the pizza box. “Oh, I’ve already ordered dinner.”
Drew flicked a glance at the box and shrugged his suit-clad shoulders. “I can do better than pizza. Shove that in the fridge and I’ll take you out for real food.”
Feeling heat creep into her cheeks at Drew’s rather rude comment, she looked over at Reese.
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I need to go,” Reese said. “See you around, Gabby. We should get together and catch up.”
“Oh . . . uh, sure.”
“You two know each other?” Drew asked.
“Yes, we were childhood . . . friends. I’m sorry. I should have introduced you. Drew, this is Reese Parker, I mean Marino. His uncle owns River Row Pizza and Pasta. Reese, Drew Gibbons.”
“Mayor of Cricket Creek,” Drew announced as he extended his hand.
“Pizza delivery guy,” Reese responded with a twist of his lips.
“And maker of cannoli,” Gabby added, and lifted the white bag.<
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“Yeah, can’t forget that,” Reese said airily, and gave them a little salute. “See you around. Uh, nice to meet you, Mr. Mayor,” he said, and then walked out the door.
“So, how about that dinner?”
“Oh!” Gabby hadn’t realized she was staring after Reese until Drew spoke up. She’d unintentionally hurt Reese’s feelings and she felt the sudden urge to run after him and make whatever she did right. “Drew, I’m sorry but I’m really very busy.” She gestured toward her jeans. “And not really dressed for going out.”
Drew nodded slowly and then rubbed his clean-shaven chin. Everything about him was neatly groomed and tidy. He wore the dark blue suit well and his shoes were polished to a spit shine. Not one hair on his sandy blond head was out of place. “Well, I could go get a bottle of wine if you don’t mind sharing the pizza?” He gave Gabby a pleading smile and took a step closer. The handsome young mayor reigned as Cricket Creek’s most eligible bachelor, and even though he was a few years older than her, Gabby had been hoping for him to ask her out. Now that the moment had finally arrived, she was trying to think up a reason to turn him down.
Stupid girl! She smiled back at Drew. “No need. I have a bottle of Chianti upstairs. We can eat at the bistro table in front of the shop if you don’t mind?”
“No, I enjoy dining alfresco,” he replied.
“Wonderful. I’ll run upstairs and get plates and glasses.”
“Sounds good but I hope you’ll agree to dinner out with me later in the week?”
Gabby smiled. “I’d like that very much. I’ll be back in a minute.” But as she walked up the steps leading to her loft apartment, she wondered why she wasn’t walking on air. She’d been hoping to catch Drew’s eye for quite some time. He was everything she wanted in a man and then some. Of course she knew the reason: sexy-as-sin Reese Marino. But the advice of her mother echoed in her head: “Gabby, honey, don’t fall for a sweet-talkin’ man like I did. They’ll love ya and then leave ya pickin’ up the pieces of your broken heart. Find Mr. Strong and Steady. Choose wisely so I know you’ll be cherished without me here. Promise me, will you, Gabby?”
Gabby had made a promise and she intended to keep it. At twenty-nine years old, Drew Gibbons was not only mayor of Cricket Creek but a CPA with his own small but successful accounting firm. Reese, on the other hand, delivered pizza for his uncle. Who knew how long he intended to stay in Cricket Creek, anyway? Enough said.
But then her traitorous brain had to slide back to the memory of being in his arms. And she remembered the compassion in his eyes and the sympathy he expressed about her mother’s death. “Stop!” Gabby growled, and then pulled the step stool over to reach the wineglasses on the top shelf. Just like back in high school, Reese needed to remain off-limits. It was just that simple.
Wasn’t it?
Besides, maybe a kiss from Drew would cause a heart-pounding, knee-popping reaction, right? Surely it would. Hopefully she’d find out.
2
Sweet Fantasy
REESE STORMED INTO RIVER ROW PIZZA AND PUSHED through the double doors leading into the kitchen. He made a beeline for the Sub-Zero fridge and snagged a bottle of Budweiser. After a quick twist he tossed the cap into the trash with much more force than necessary and then took a long pull on the beer.
His uncle looked up from where he was stirring a big pot of fragrant sauce. “Whoa there, hoss. Who shoved a burr up your butt? Surely not that cute little flower shop owner you’ve been daydreamin’ about ever since she called in her order.”
“I haven’t been daydreaming about Gabby.” Reese took another swallow of beer. “I don’t daydream, damn it.” His language didn’t faze his uncle, who was part father figure but more like an older brother. In fact, with their dark Italian looks and similar build they were often mistaken for siblings. It wasn’t until after Uncle Tony’s divorce that threads of silver started showing up in his hair.
“Fantasize?”
Reese shot his uncle a glare.
“Hey, man, I was just messin’ with ya.” Uncle Tony pulled the checkered dish towel from his shoulder and wiped his hands before coming around to lean his hips against a long stainless steel table. Angling his head toward the fridge, he said, “Grab me a beer and let’s talk about what’s eatin’ you.”
Reese handed his uncle a bottle. “I’m sorry I was being such a dick.”
“Ah, don’t worry ’bout it.” He gave him a wave of his hand and then tipped back his bottle. “Now, talk ta me,” Uncle Tony urged in his typical Brooklyn no-nonsense get-to-the-point way.
Reese lifted one shoulder. “I dunno. I’ve always had a thing for Gabby and she’s always blown me off, at least when we were teenagers. I mean, I get it. Well, I used to get it. I was trouble and she liked to stay out of it. Never got caught drinkin’ or smokin’, got good grades, you know, the whole nine yards.”
“Reese, you turned that corner a long time ago.” Uncle Tony swung his arm in an arc. “Does she know you’re part owner? Graduated from college with honors?”
“She thinks I’m a pizza delivery dude. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
Tony’s eyebrows shot up. “And you didn’t set her straight?”
Reese finished the beer and tossed the bottle in the trash. It landed with a thunk. “I tried but this douche bag came walking into the flower shop. He’s the damn mayor or some such shit and Gabby was falling all over herself trying to impress him.”
“Drew Gibbons?”
Reese grabbed another beer from the fridge. “Yeah, him. He wants her on some committee or something. Wanted to take her to some fancy-ass dinner. Thumbed his nose at the pizza.”
Tony snorted.
“What? You know him?”
“I know of him.”
“Go on.”
“Well, apparently there’s been a lot of new development in Cricket Creek over the years.”
“Damn, tell me about it.”
“I’ve seen even more since I’ve been here getting the pizza parlor ready for business. Anyway, so . . . back to Drew. I had to go to council meetings to get approval for different stuff, and of course as mayor Drew presided over the boring-ass meetings. Restaurant Row where we’re at is the second phase of this shopping mall. The first was Wedding Row where Gabby’s Flower Power, the jewelry store, the bridal and tux shop, the bakery, and all of that stuff is located. The recent addition of River Row Pizza and Pasta is just the beginning of phase two.” He held up two fingers to demonstrate. “Several other restaurants are slated to open in the next year or so, including a microbrewery and Sully’s South, a smaller version of his original honky-tonk bar that will showcase singer-songwriters.”
Reese shook his head. “I never would have guessed that this little town would grow so much in the time I was gone. Damn, that baseball stadium sure got things going. Pretty cool that Noah Falcon came back here.”
“You got that right. According to your mom, Noah Falcon pretty much saved this town from going under. And now they have that new recording studio down by the river.”
“So, go on about Drew the douche.”
“Let’s just say he likes to take credit where credit isn’t due. He puts it out there that as mayor he’s responsible for a lot of the recent development. Not true. A guy named Mitch Monroe put this mall together. Whisper’s Edge, an old retirement community down along the river, is growing like wildfire, but that’s because it was bought by Tristan McMillan, a lawyer from Cincinnati.”
“Isn’t that the guy who bought the trailer park too? Mom was telling me some of this over dinner last night.”
“He did. He and his mother are turning it into an affordable subdivision with starter homes. Her real estate office is on the corner. Maggie’s a nice lady. She found me the two-family I’m renting down by the river. And get a load of this. Maggie is married to rocker Rick Ruleman.
He’s the one who built a recording studio not far from where I’m living.”
“Seriously?” Reese shook his head. “This little town woke its sleepy ass up big-time.” He grinned. “Maybe coming back here isn’t going to be as boring as I thought.”
“But none of the progress is due to Drew. I’m just sayin’. The dude isn’t nearly as important as he thinks he is. So, what are you gonna do about it?”
“About what?”
“Him coming on to Gabby.”
“Not my business.”
“Reese, let Gabby know you’re legit.”
“Uncle Tony, I’m not what she’s lookin’ for.”
“You just got here a couple days ago. You don’t know that.”
Reese rolled his head to his shoulders, trying to get rid of the tension. “I represent where she came from, not where she’s going. Besides, would ya take a look at me? Tats. A motorcycle. Long-ass hair. I’m the opposite of Drew the dipshit.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Look, Gabby Goodwin will always think of me as the troublemaker from the trailer park.”
“Then change her mind.”
Reese shrugged.
“Hey, don’t be givin’ me that shrug. You used to do that shit when you first came to live with me, remember? Actin’ like you don’t give a rat’s ass when you really do.”
“You gonna bust my chops all day?”
“And all night if that’s what it takes.” He reached over and gave Reese’s shoulder a shove. “You still got a thing for this girl?”
“Yeah. I mean, I guess.”
“Then go after her. There isn’t anybody better than you.”
“I’ll second that,” said Reese’s mother as she pushed through the double doors and breezed into the kitchen. “Wow, something sure smells amazing. Tony, what is it?”
“I’ve been tinkering with the sauce. Tessa, go over and give it a taste.”
Tessa dipped a spoon into big pot. “Mmmm.” She nodded and licked her lips. “That’s some good marinara.” She looked at Reese. “I hoped you saved me a cannoli.”