by Cindy Kirk
He knew why she was shocked. After Buttercup had passed on, he’d said no more animals. But now that seemed shortsighted. After all, Finley loved animals. She should have a dog. As long as they could be sure they had the time to give it the attention it deserved.
“Oh, Daddy, you’re the best.” Finley flung her arms around Gabe’s neck and gave him a bear hug. “This has been the best weekend ever.”
“Yes, it has, Finley.” He kissed the top of her head. “Indeed it has.”
* * *
Tuesday night, Michelle stood on the sidewalk outside Wally’s Place, dressed in her favorite skinny jeans, trying to decide if she wanted to go inside or not. Several friends, Adrianna being one of them, had invited her to this get-together tonight. Wally’s Place was a popular sports bar in Jackson. It had everything any cowgirl or cowboy could want: sawdust and peanut shells on the floor, a mechanical bull—that Michelle had vowed never to go near—and the best burgers in town.
But it wasn’t food or concerns about the atmosphere that was making her hesitate, it was the knowledge that Gabe would likely be there. This would be the first time she’d seen him since Saturday night and she wasn’t sure how to act.
She thought she’d run into him at church Sunday, but a patient with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy had put her in surgery all morning.
The truth was, she felt rather shy about seeing him. It wasn’t embarrassment over what had gone on in the cabin as much as it was insecurity over where they went from here.
They’d done more kissing than talking that day. It wasn’t until afterward that she realized they’d never really addressed what came next.
Since that night she found herself glancing at his home and wondering if he was thinking of her. She felt like a schoolgirl with a massive crush on the boy next door. Of course, she reminded herself, she and Gabe didn’t have a relationship and he wouldn’t be taking her to the prom.
The Emily Post question of the day was, how to react to him in public? They’d agreed to keep their sexual relationship completely private. That much they had discussed. But should she—
“If you’re standing there waiting for someone to open the door, I’m your man.”
Michelle jerked her head up and found Tripp grinning at her, one hand on the large ornate door handle leading into Wally’s Place.
“My knight in shining armor.” Michelle pulled her thoughts back to the present and returned his smile. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you.”
“Ah, Michi, you make my heart go pitter-patter with those sweet words.” She thought about taking him to task for using her nickname, but instead she just laughed.
In fact, he entertained her so thoroughly that by the time they reached the tables where their friends were congregated, Michelle realized her hand was still wrapped around Tripp’s arm in a very familiar manner.
She wasn’t the only one who noticed. Even though he called out a warm greeting, Gabe’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. And a stricken look filled Adrianna’s beautiful eyes for a split second before she recovered.
“There are a couple seats over here.” Adrianna’s calm demeanor and cool tone gave nothing away.
Gabe on the other hand looked ready to break a board with his bare hands. His gaze shifted from Tripp to Michelle. “You two come together?”
“No,” Tripp responded before Michelle could form the words. “I rescued Michelle outside.”
“Rescued?” Adrianna’s eyes widened and her gaze shot to Michelle. “What happened? Are you okay?”
Michelle rolled her eyes. “What Tripp meant to say is he opened the door for me when we ran into each other outside.”
“Must you always be so literal?” Tripp shook his head in disgust. “You’re no fun.”
Michelle eyes met Gabe’s. The look in those amber depths said he thought she was a whole lot of fun. And that he was glad she hadn’t come with Tripp.
Perhaps if she was thinking rationally, she’d have been worried that Gabe seemed a little, well, possessive. Instead it warmed her heart.
“Have you ordered yet?” Michelle glanced at the menus scattered on the table.
“Ryan and I got here first,” Betsy explained. “We ordered several pizzas for everyone to share.”
The waitress came and took their drink orders. Michelle chatted with Lexi and Ryan and Tripp, all the while wishing that she’d gotten there a little earlier so she would be sitting closer to Gabe.
Until, of course, she came to her senses and realized the seating arrangement was fine just the way it was. Because if she was sitting next to Gabe—as Betsy was—it would be too easy to touch him, which was what she wanted to do.
“Did you see Finley tonight?” Michelle asked Gabe when there was a lull in the conversation. She’d texted his daughter from the hospital and the girl had agreed to feed Sasha and take her for a walk.
“As a matter of fact, I stopped by Nick’s house after work, picked up Addie and dropped her off at home. The girls planned to make grilled cheese for dinner, then take Sasha for a long walk. They told me to stay out as long as I liked.”
Michelle licked her suddenly dry lips. Unless she was reading too much into his words, he’d just told her he was free for the evening...and with Finley watching Sasha, she was, too.
“I’ll probably have a piece of pizza and then head...out,” she said, toying with the top button of her white shirt.
His eyes darkened. “I’m not staying long either. There’s a place I still need to check out tonight.”
Michelle wondered if that place was a cabin at the base of Snow King Mountain. She hoped so, because once she left Wally’s Place, that’s where she was going...to wait for him.
* * *
The sound of a truck motor coming down the road sent Michelle’s heart into high gear. According to her watch she’d been waiting for about fifteen minutes—though it seemed like a couple of hours—hoping Gabe would show up.
In her mind, the signals had been clear, but she worried she’d read too much into what could have been simply a few innocent comments. Then a familiar red pickup pulled in front of the cabin and Michelle realized she and Gabe had been on the same wavelength.
She rose from the rocking chair where she’d been sitting and smiled. “I wasn’t sure you were coming.”
“It took me longer to get away than I thought.” Gabe stepped onto the porch. “Once everyone decided to play darts, I was able to slip away.”
“I’m glad.” Michelle wound her arms around his neck and planted a kiss at the base of his throat, his skin salty beneath her lips.
He pulled her tight against his body, so close she could feel his heart beating. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“I brought condoms.” When she grabbed a handful from the clinic’s supply closet, she’d promised herself if this...affair...continued, the next time she was in Idaho Falls she’d buy some to replace the ones she’d taken. “Just to be extra safe.”
“Great minds think alike.” He grinned. “I brought some, too.”
Michelle’s hands moved to the buttons of his shirt. “In that case we should be covered for—”
She frowned as he gently pulled her hands down.
“It’s a beautiful evening,” he said. “How about a walk?”
“A walk?” Her eyes, which seemed to suddenly develop a mind of their own, zeroed in on the area directly below his belt buckle.
He caught her hand in his, lifted it to his mouth and pressed a kiss in the palm. “Humor me. Please.”
What could she say but okay?
Michelle locked the door. She’d just slipped the key to the cabin into her pocket when Gabe held out his hand.
“Why, Mr. Davis—” Michelle used her best southern accent “—I never knew you liked to hold hands.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Gabe winked and then smiled when she let him take her hand.
“That’s okay.” Michelle forced an easy-breezy tone. “A
ll I care about is your body.”
His smile never faltered but something flickered in his eyes.
They strolled into the woods hand-in-hand. Michelle told herself she should be proud she’d made it clear where their relationship stood. Instead of feeling as if she’d somehow shortchanged them both.
They’d been walking for several minutes when he reached out and pulled her close. Michelle felt a surge of excitement. She’d never made love outdoors before. God help her, she batted her lashes at him, felling like a shameless wanton. “What do you have in mind?”
He directed his gaze to her feet.
Michelle glanced down and found a log almost completely covered in green foliage. Heat flared up her neck as she realized she’d totally misread the situation. “Thanks. Looks like you saved me from a fall.”
Gabe brushed a kiss against her jaw, then whispered in her ear, “I won’t let anything hurt you.”
Was he talking about her ankles or her heart?
They strolled slowly through the trees, the branches like an umbrella overhead. Other than an occasional chirp from a bird and a squirrel’s noisy chatter, all was quiet. Michelle wondered if she’d appear too eager if she suggested they forget communing with nature and head back to the cabin.
“Tell me about your first kiss.”
For a second Michelle wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. “Beg pardon?”
“Tell me about your first kiss,” he repeated. “Be specific. Tell me how old you were, what he did, all of it.”
“Seriously? You want to talk about kissing?”
He nodded. Even though his expression was solemn, there was an odd gleam in his eyes.
“Hoo-kay.” Michelle smiled. Did any woman forget her first kiss? “Tommy was my next-door neighbor.”
“That should have been your first warning.” Gabe chuckled. “You’ve got to watch out for neighbors.”
Michelle stopped walking and leaned back against a tree. “I was fifteen. He was seventeen.” She leveled a glance at Gabe. “Remember this when Finley gets in high school. You have to watch those older boys.”
“It was just a kiss.”
“He slipped his hand inside my shirt.”
Gabe’s eyes widened. “He jumped to second base?”
“I believe his goal was to hit a home run.” Michelle’s lips lifted in a wry smile. “My father’s unexpected return home put an end to that fantasy.”
“You’d have stopped him, anyway.”
“Perhaps.” Michelle batted her eyes at Gabe. “You have to understand, Tommy was a real hunk.”
“And he knew all the right words.” Gabe looked her up and down. “I bet he started with compliments like ‘You’re the most beautiful girl I know.’”
The words were said with such sincerity that warmth returned to Michelle’s veins and she felt herself begin to relax.
“Your hair is like spun silk,” Gabe continued in the same low seductive tone. “Your eyes are as blue as the ocean. I feel myself drowning each time I look in them.”
Her breath stalled, then began again as his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Your lips are like ripe strawberries. Sweet and soft.”
Michelle couldn’t have taken her eyes from his if she tried. And that husky rasp to his voice made her tingle all over. “Th-thank you,” she managed to murmur.
He reached up and gathered her close to him. “Do you know what I’ve wanted to do all night?”
By now she’d stopped breathing. She shook her head from side to side, her eyes wide.
“Kiss you.” With one finger he traced the shape of her lips. “Is it okay if I kiss you, Michi?”
There was a beat of silence.
“Please.” She forced the word past her suddenly dry throat.
He slipped his fingers through her hair, cupping her head, then lowering his mouth to hers. The kiss started out slow and sweet, but then his tongue slipped past her lips and the intensity kicked up several notches.
His hand slid up her sides stopping to rest the tips of his fingers just below her breasts.
Even though he continued to kiss her, his fingers never covered those last few centimeters. She shimmied trying to show him she wanted more. More kissing, more touching. But instead of more, he took a step back and his hand dropped to his side. “Time to go back to the cabin.”
“Aren’t you going to kiss me again?”
A half smile pulled up his lips. “Sweetheart, I’m going to do a whole lot more than kiss you,” he said, pulling her along.
“But we didn’t even talk about your first kiss,” Michelle protested.
A corner of his mouth twitched. “You really feel like talking?”
Just for fun, Michelle thought about saying yes. But she was afraid he might take her up on it. So she just shook her head and continued with the frantic pace through the trees. “Next time.”
He smiled. “Yeah, next time.”
Chapter Thirteen
Michelle had barely gotten home from the cabin when she was called into the hospital for a difficult birth. By the time she returned to her condo, it was close to three in the morning. Thankfully tomorrow was Saturday and unless another baby chose to come into the world in the next two days, she had the weekend to herself.
As she pulled back the sheets and plumped up the pillow, she found herself wishing Gabe were there so she could tell him all about the baby girl who’d been determined to make her entrance into the world as difficult as possible. The second the thought crossed her mind, she realized just how thoroughly her neighbor had become a part of her life.
For just a few seconds she let herself dream what it’d be like if Gabe were unencumbered. If she could get as close as she wanted and hold on tight. But he was a father with full custody of a teenage daughter.
Granted, Michelle had grown to like and respect Finley. It made her angry to think of Finley’s mother ignoring such a wonderful girl. Why, any woman could be proud to call such an intelligent and sensitive child her daughter.
Even me?
For a second Michelle found herself tempted to fully open her heart to Finley and to Gabe. Until she reminded herself she had good reason to keep her distance from both of them. Did she really want a repeat of the fiasco with Ed? No, she told herself firmly, she did not.
If she was smart, she should distance herself from Gabe right now. Before he breached the wall she’d erected around her heart. A barrier put up specifically to keep him out.
Yes, she really should—
The thought hadn’t completely formed when her cell phone began to buzz. Michelle stifled a groan hoping she didn’t have to get dressed and head back to the hospital again.
But when she brought the phone close, she saw Gabe’s number. Her heart gave an excited leap.
“Hey, you,” she said softly. “What’s up?”
“I saw your bedroom light was on,” he said in a gravelly voice. “How did it go at the hospital?”
“Mom and baby are doing well.” She told herself to keep the conversation brief and to the point. If she could just figure out what was the point. “But it was a tough delivery.”
“What happened?”
He sounded so genuinely interested that Michelle went on to explain about the mother’s insistence on a vaginal birth even when it appeared a C-section might be necessary.
After letting her talk, Gabe asked several good questions. She was surprised at his familiarity with childbirth until she remembered he’d witnessed it on a very personal level.
“You’re a good doctor, Michelle. You really care about your patients.”
She settled back against the pillows. “If you don’t care, what’s the point?”
“Exactly,” he said softly, his voice slightly muffled. “And that holds true for almost everything we do in life. If you don’t let yourself care, then what is the point?”
* * *
“How sick is he?” Addie asked with an eagerness that brought a frown to Finley’s brow.
<
br /> Finley stepped briefly into the living room and narrowed her gaze, taking in her father’s pale face with the beads of sweat dotting his forehead. She glanced down at his rumpled shirt and pants. All day he’d been cold, then hot. The floor held the extra blanket he must have tossed off.
He seemed more comfortable sprawled out on the sofa rather than in bed. The television was tuned to a sports station, but in the past half hour she hadn’t seen him look at it once.
“I can’t get his fever under one hundred.” Finley kept her voice low. “He’s hot, then he’s cold. And he coughs all the time.”
“Good.”
“Good?” Finley wasn’t sure she’d heard her friend correctly. When she’d called Addie to tell her she couldn’t come to her impromptu party, she thought her friend would be more sympathetic.
“Is Michelle home?”
Addie’s abrupt change in subject didn’t surprise Finley. She’d already learned that her friend’s mind zigzagged its way to a destination. Finley moved back to her position in the kitchen. From the window she could see the doctor’s back deck where Michelle sat reading a book and sipping a glass of iced tea. “She’s there.”
“Perfect.” There was a couple heartbeats of silence on the other end of the line before Addie spoke again. “Tell your dad the party is to introduce you to kids who will be in your class in the fall. Stress how important this is to you. I’m betting that he’ll encourage you—heck, maybe even insist—that you go.”
“I can’t leave him, Addie.” Finley glanced at the sheen of perspiration on her dad’s forehead and her heart turned over. “He doesn’t have the strength to get up and make himself something to eat. Or even to get a glass of water so he can take his ibuprofen. He looks bad. Really bad. He needs someone to take care of him.”
“Of course he does.” Addie’s voice trembled with excitement. “And this will be the perfect opportunity to see if Michelle is the type of person to rise to the challenge.”
Finley stilled. “Are you saying this would be another test?”
“Absolutely. Surely you don’t want your dad with a person who could walk away from him in his hour of need.”