by LuAnn McLane
“Just slow down,” she said sternly before turning off the light.
But like it or not, her thoughts of Reese and being in his strong arms stayed with Gabby and sleep eluded her for a long time. Out of frustration she grabbed a pillow and hugged it close, but it was a poor substitute for a warm, sexy male body. Going slow might be smart, but it sure wasn’t nearly as much fun.
10
Water Under the Bridge
“DAMN IT, UNCLE TONY, I CAN’T GET THIS ICING TO THE right consistency,” Reese complained.
“Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
No, the problem was waking up in an empty bed. Reese shot his uncle a glare. Thoughts and dreams of Gabby Goodwin had caused him a few restless nights.
“Forget about the Italian cream cake and go see Gabby,” his uncle said in a gentler tone.
“Are you kiddin’ me? We open in less than two hours.”
“Yeah, so go see her now. You’ve been a grump-ass all week long.”
“Like you haven’t been?” Reese challenged.
“Would you two quit bickering?” Tessa said. “I’m going to box both your ears if you don’t.”
Tony put the pan of lasagna in the oven and then wiped his hands on his apron. “You look like you need to tell us something. Everything okay out in the dining room?”
Tessa nodded. “The flowers Gabby brought over are lovely. Everything is stocked, set up, and ready. Cara, the cute little hostess, arrived early and both servers are already here.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Tony, it’s only ten and we already have people coming by. I hope we’re not slammed.”
“Oh, I don’t think we will be. With no advertisement?” He waved a dismissive hand through the air. “No way. I mean, I hope we’re steady, but I don’t see how we could be slammed.”
“Word can carry pretty fast in Cricket Creek,” Tessa warned. “Do you think we should call in some extra help?”
“Who?” Reese asked, and his mother shrugged.
“I don’t know. Maybe some of the people who applied for the server’s job?”
“Without proper training and at this late notice?” Tony asked.
“I guess I’m just nervous,” Tessa admitted. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
An hour later they had a line out the door.
Reese wiped the sweat from his brow and then spread sauce on pizza dough with lightning speed. They hadn’t stopped and people kept coming in. His mother ran here and there trying to do everything at once. Uncle Tony looked as if he was ready to have a meltdown. This was precisely the scenario they didn’t want to have happen.
A moment later Reese looked up to see Gabby walking through the kitchen door.
“I don’t mean to barge into the kitchen, but my goodness, you have a huge crowd out there.” She jammed her thumb over her shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Reese glanced over at his uncle and then shook his head. “Gabby, you can’t close the flower shop.”
“Please, at least let me help through the lunch rush. Joy is at Flower Power right now, so I can spare a few hours.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Reese said.
“You’re not asking, I’m offering,” she said with a meaningful look. “Just like you’ve delivered some flower arrangements for me and put my flowers on your tables with a business card. All I want in return is for you to save me a piece of the Italian cream cake,” she added with a smile, and then rubbed her hands together. “Now, how about giving me an apron so I can start busing tables?”
Tessa tossed her an apron. “You’re an angel.”
“I’m happy to help,” Gabby said, and then hurried out into the dining room.
“She’s a keeper, that one,” Tessa called over to Reese.
Reese smiled. “Tell me something I don’t know.” He wanted to go out and give her a hug, but the orders kept coming. When the dining room proved to be too full, they were suddenly bombarded with takeout orders and delivery. Reese made a mental note to talk to his uncle about setting up additional outdoor patio seating. While patrons seemed to be taking the long wait and other mishaps in stride, Reese worried that this could hurt their business. First impressions meant everything. By the frown on Uncle Tony’s face, Reese could tell he feared the same thing.
Gabby rushed in to help do dishes next to Ryan, a high school kid who looked as if he was going to have a panic attack when the pots and pans piled up like a mountain of stainless steel that might come to life like a Transformer. At one point the dishwasher clogged and when Tony went over to fix it, Reese had to rescue a too-crisp pizza. When he turned his back, Jamie, the new server, had already picked it up. Reese crossed his fingers, hoping that the customer liked it that way.
No one could have predicted this big of a crowd. Just when Reese thought it couldn’t get any worse, Gabby came rushing through the double doors, put down some dirty dishes, and headed over to Reese. He didn’t like the look on her face. Uncle Tony noticed it too and raised his eyebrows. “What’s wrong?” Reese asked.
“I overheard that the woman sitting in the far corner is a food critic for the local paper.”
Reese swallowed hard. “And?”
“I think her pizza was overdone and she ordered salad, but apparently you’re out. Do you think you should send her some dessert or something?”
“Yeah, do that,” Tony agreed.
“Maybe you should go out there and sweet-talk her,” Reese suggested. “Take the dessert out yourself.”
“I can’t, Reese. I’m making more lasagna for tonight. And I’m a big ball of sweat. I’d likely offend her.”
“I’ll take the dessert out,” Gabby offered. “Where’s the Italian cream cake?”
“I was saving the last piece for you,” Reese protested. “Take her something else.”
“No, you can make more. Where is it?”
Reese gave Gabby the generous slice of cake and couldn’t resist giving her a quick kiss. She blushed and he thought it was so damned cute. He watched her hurry out into the dining room, wondering what cool thing he could do for her to show how much he appreciated how she jumped in to help.
A minute later Gabby came back in with the cake still in her hand. Reese felt his stomach drop to his shoes. “Did she refuse the dessert?”
Gabby shook her head. “No, she’d already left. I’m so sorry, Reese.” She put a hand on his arm. “Hey, I heard lots of people out there saying some great things about the food. I’m sure it’s fine. She’ll give you a good review. She seemed really nice.”
Reese nodded. “Well, it’s water under the bridge now,” he said with more conviction than he felt. “Listen, we should have a little bit of a lull before dinner. Do you need to leave?”
“No, I already called Joy and told her to lock up. I can stay and pitch in.”
“At least stop and eat,” Tony said to her.
“Now, that I’ll do,” Gabby promised. “But first I’m going to run to the market and pick up whatever y’all need for salads. Make me a list while I go clear some tables.”
Tessa watched her push through the double doors. “She’s still as sweet and caring as ever. I remember when she was just a little girl she would bring us tomatoes from her garden, so proud of her produce!” She tilted her head. “She’ll make a good mama someday.”
Reese rolled his eyes. “Mom . . .”
“I’m just sayin’.” Tessa turned and pushed through the doors and then reentered with a frown.
“What?” Tony and Reese asked at the same time.
“Nothing,” Tessa answered, but Reese hurried over and looked out the door.
Reese spotted Drew sitting at a table chatting up Gabby. He wore a suit and tie and didn’t have a hair out of place. Reese, on the other hand, had pi
zza sauce splattered on the front of his shirt and smelled like garlic. When Drew put his hand on Gabby’s arm, it was all Reese could do not to storm out there and toss the jackass out the door. Until now Reese didn’t know he had a jealous bone in his body, but he sure as hell was seeing green. He turned away before he did something stupid.
“She’s just being polite,” Tessa said.
Reese shrugged and went back to putting pepperoni on the large pizza. He tried not to let it get to him, but the thought went through his mind that though Gabby might find him desirable, was somebody like Drew what she really wanted for the long haul?
As if reading his mind, his mother poked him in the chest. “Hey, that guy’s got nothin’ on you. Remember that, okay?”
Reese gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek. “I will.” He watched his mother walk through the door and then glanced over at his uncle. Both of them were such hard workers with such big hearts and both had been stomped on by the one each trusted the most. How did that even happen?
Reese sprinkled shredded provolone over the sauce, trying to keep his focus on the task at hand. He remained all too aware that life can come at you in unexpected ways and when you don’t even begin to see it coming. But when anger had consumed him, sucking him under like quicksand, Uncle Tony had stepped up, providing the stability and discipline he so desperately needed at the time, allowing his mother to pick up the pieces of her life, heal, and go on. Once the restaurant was up and running smoothly, Reese was determined to push his mother into filing for divorce and getting the closure she so richly deserved.
When Gabby walked back through the doorway, Reese gave her a smile. He might be wearing sauce instead of a suit and he wasn’t the mayor of Cricket Creek, but he wasn’t about to stop pursuing Gabby Goodwin. She’d held a special place in his heart for a very long time, and now that he was back in Cricket Creek where he belonged, he was determined to show her that there was much more to him than met the eye.
When the seemingly never-ending rush finally subsided, Reese insisted that Gabby go home and rest. As much as he longed to see her later, Reese knew that the cleanup and prep work for tomorrow would keep him there well into the night. He retrieved the cake and insisted on sending some lasagna with her as well.
“Hey, thanks so much for helping,” Uncle Tony said to her, and Tessa rushed over and gave her a hug.
“My pleasure,” Gabby insisted. “I’ve learned that small businesses need to stick together. And hey, I’m impressed at how much work goes into running a restaurant. Like I told Reese earlier, I heard lots of great comments on the food. I can’t wait to try the lasagna.” She held up her foam box. “I’m thinking midnight snack.”
Reese leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you.”
She nodded. “I’d tell you not to work too hard, but that would be silly.”
“Reese, walk her out the door,” Uncle Tony urged. “You need a breather.”
Reese gave him a grateful grin and then opened the kitchen door for Gabby. Once they were outside he took a deep breath of evening air. “Wow, now, that was quite a day.”
Gabby placed a hand on his arm. “It’s nearly over. Things will calm down now. A new restaurant in a small town is a big deal.”
“I just hope that the reporter is kind to us. I think she got one of the few mess-ups of the day in spite of the huge crowd. Talk about bad luck.”
“Like I said, she seemed nice enough.”
“Do you know her name?”
Gabby shook her head. “Can’t say that I do. She must be new in town.”
“Ah well . . .” He inhaled another breath and then smiled at her. “I’ve thought about you nonstop all week, you know.”
“I know now.” She smiled. “And your text messages were a little bit of a clue.”
Reese scrubbed a hand down his face. “I wish I could leave.”
“I wish you could too. But I understand.”
Reese ran a fingertip down her cheek. “Would you do me another big favor so I can make it through the night?”
“What would that be?”
“This. . . .” Reese took her hand and led her around the side of the building bathed in the semidarkness away from curious eyes. After gently prying the to-go box from her fingers, he put it on the ground and then pulled her into his arms. “I’ve waited all day, no, all week for, this.” He bent his head and captured her mouth with the kiss that he’d been thinking about since she walked into the kitchen. To his delight Gabby wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She felt warm, pliant, willing, making it so hard to pull back and let her go home. “Well, that was stupid.”
She tilted her head to the side. “The kiss?”
“Oh no. Gabby, the kiss was amazing. But no way will it last me all night long.” He rubbed his thumb over her moist bottom lip. “It only makes me want more.” With a sigh he pushed away from the wall and said, “But I have to get back in there. We’ll start getting some late night pizza orders.”
“When will I get to see you?” Gabby wanted to know.
The question pleased him so much. “I’ll find time. I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
When she turned to go Reese put a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to ask if he could come by her place later, but he didn’t want it to sound like a booty call, so he refrained, reminding himself to go slowly, but it was killing him. “Come over tomorrow for lunch?”
Gabby nodded. “Okay.” She bent down to pick up the box and then eased up on tiptoe to give him a light but slightly lingering kiss on the lips.
Reese groaned and looked up at the sky. “This sucks so bad.”
Gabby laughed and gave him a flirty wave as she walked away. Reese stood there watching her until she turned the corner. He knew he had a goofy smile on his face, but he just couldn’t help it. If this was what it felt like to fall in love . . . well, it felt pretty damned good. Reese shook his head. With any luck it would only get better.
11
Busted
TRISH LOOKED UP AT THE MOONLIGHT AND SIGHED. SHE felt a little bit guilty after sending the lukewarm review of River Row Pizza and Pasta off to her editor. But even though the Cricket Creek Courier was a small publication, Clyde and Clovis made it abundantly clear that they wanted polished, professional articles written with an honest point of view. Trish even cut the new restaurant some slack since it was apparent that they were overwhelmed and understaffed, but that being said, she couldn’t overlook the scorched bottom of her pizza with a crust so crisp that it crunched when she chewed. A crying shame because the thick sauce had delighted her taste buds and the stretchy, high-quality provolone melted in her mouth. To be fair she mentioned those positive things as well along with the homey, friendly atmosphere that felt old-world Italian. The fresh flowers were a nice touch and the piped-in music wasn’t too overbearing.
Still, halfway through the day and they were already out of something as basic as salad. Patrons waited while tables remained cluttered with dirty dishes. In fact, she’d wanted to try one of the homemade desserts but felt as if she needed to vacate her table, allowing someone waiting to have a seat.
Trish tipped her wineglass up and took a sip of her Merlot and then patted Digger on the head. “Still, Dig, I feel kind of rotten.” Maybe she wasn’t going to like being a critic after all.
Trish also felt a bit guilty that she’d been letting Digger out several times a day with an extended playtime in the evening. At first it wasn’t an issue because a teenager had stopped over to let the dog out but hadn’t shown up for the past few days. She knew she needed to get ahold of Anthony and ask permission, but the man was never home. She’d tried to get his phone number from Maggie, but her friend was out of town for the week, probably off on some fancy rock star vacation, and so she still didn’t know anything more about her mysteriously abse
nt tenant—except that he left early and came home late, leaving his dog alone for way too many hours. The thought crossed her mind that he might have a girlfriend, and she frowned.
Reaching down, she scratched Digger behind the ears. She and the dog, both lonely, had bonded over the past week and when she did see Anthony she was going to ask formal permission to keep letting Digger out when he would otherwise be penned up for long periods of time.
After draining the last of her wine, she gave the dog one last scratch. “Time to head inside, Digger. It’s getting late.” Trish yawned and then stood up. Digger knew the drill and trotted toward his back door entrance, but this time he hesitated and gave her a sad look with his big brown eyes, making her halfway tempted to bring him inside with her. But she knew that’d be going too far. Maybe she really would have to look into getting a rescue dog of her own. Then Digger would have someone to play with. “I know, I know, this loneliness stuff is for the birds.” Trish let him in and then locked the door.
After entering her side of the house, she locked up and then headed upstairs. Once she was finished getting ready for bed, she grabbed the self-help book she’d been reading and tried to get interested in the chapter on how to declutter the negative thoughts from her mind. She tried, really tried, but after rereading the same page twice she decided that she just wasn’t in the mood to declutter her brain. “Maybe tomorrow,” she said with a sigh, and put the book on top of a stack of several other self-help manuals. Perhaps she needed to read something more exciting like murder mysteries . . . oh, or maybe erotica.
And then she heard it. A noise.
Barely breathing, she sat very still and listened. Straining, she closed her eyes as if doing that would somehow make her hearing better. She should have listened to her mother’s warnings about loud music as a teenager, because her hearing wasn’t as sharp as it used to be. Aha, there it was again. A scratching and tapping noise seemed to be coming from the backyard. Switching off the light, she crept over to the window and peeked out but couldn’t see anything. Trish made a mental note to have one of those gotcha lights installed.