“Hey, Poncho,” Char said, barreling down her steps and crossing our yards so she could greet my puppy who was doing a little dance, trying to get off the leash that prevented him from chasing cars down the street.
“You guys are up bright and early,” I said, checking my watch. “Where are you off to?”
“Mommy’s taking me to the zoo!” Char reported, giggling when Poncho licked her face. “Wanna come, Gabe?”
After locking her door, Kendra crossed her lawn to mine, just in time to hear her daughter’s invitation. “You’re more than welcome to join us,” she said, before I could respond. “We’ll even wait for you to put a shirt on.”
I was suddenly painfully aware of the fact I was wearing only board shorts. After I’d washed my truck, I intended to give the dog a bath and that usually resulted in me getting one too, so I hadn’t bothered with the T-shirt hanging over the railing.
“Uh, if you wouldn’t mind passing that to me,” I said, gesturing to the shirt as I set the soapy sponge back in the bucket.
Kendra grabbed the shirt, holding it against her chest. Turning her back to her daughter, her voice low, she asked, “You sure you wanna put it on? I wouldn’t mind if you didn’t.” She pushed her oversized sunglasses up on her head and just like that all the blood in my head rushed south as her eyes scanned my chest.
I smirked as I took the T-shirt from her, reminding myself there was an impressionable child just a few feet away. “Careful now,” I warned, my voice as low as hers had been. “Flirting with me like that could get you into trouble.”
She took a step closer, on the verge of crowding my personal space. “Maybe I want to get into a little trouble with you. Isn’t that what I’ve been trying to tell you for the last year?”
Something was different about her today. Before her flirtations had been shy and innocent, almost teasing. Today she’d clearly decided to leave no room for doubt.
“How was your date last night?” At my questioning look, I explained, “I was taking Poncho out as you were leaving. Couldn’t help but notice.”
“Mike is a nice guy,” she said, shrugging.
“So I’ve heard,” I muttered, even less impressed than I’d been when my brothers tried to sell me on him.
“Yeah, he mentioned that he knows Ryker and Kane. They go to his gym, right?”
“Yeah, and apparently his kids are friends with Ryker’s.” I glanced at the fair-haired little angel who reminded me of her mother every time I heard her laugh. “That would make his kids a whole lot older than yours. You two are different stages in your life… no?”
She rolled her eyes before slipping her sunglasses in place while I stepped back to pull my shirt over my head. “We went out for dinner, Gabe. No wedding plans in our immediate future.”
“A second date though?” I knew I had no right to ask, but I had to know whether she’d liked this guy enough to see him again.
“About the zoo,” she said, obviously avoiding my question. “You want to come or not?”
I looked at Poncho, who was lying on his back, his feet in the air as Char rubbed his belly. “I shouldn’t leave this guy alone for too long.” He was crate trained to avoid any accidents while I was gone, but I felt guilty keeping him cooped up while I went out to have fun. Especially since I had to work all week and weekends we were supposed to hang out together.
“You’re worried about the dog?” Kendra guessed. Pointing to her friend’s car in the driveway next to hers, she said, “It looks like Liz is home. You know her kids love Poncho almost as much as Char does. I could ask her if she would mind if the puppy hung out with them today.”
I’d been friends with Liz even before Kendra and her daughter moved in, but I didn’t want to impose.
My phone was sitting on the truck’s console because I didn’t want to risk getting it wet. I opened the door and grabbed it. “I have a girl who comes by to let Poncho out and walk him while I’m at work. Maybe she wouldn’t mind stopping by today. Let me text her—”
“Why don’t you let me check with Liz first?” Kendra said, resting her hand on my forearm. “I know her kids would love it and she told me she’s thinking of getting them a puppy. Taking care of Poncho would be good practice for them.”
I wasn’t convinced that it wasn’t an imposition, but Kendra knew Liz better than I did. “Okay, but if she’s got something else going on, I’m sure I can work something out.” Worst-case scenario, I’d ask one of my nephews or brothers to pass by to check in on the dog.
“I’ll be right back,” she promised, walking backward. “You don’t mind keeping an eye on Char for a few minutes, do you?”
“Of course not.”
I loved spending time with Char and often questioned why Jason didn’t make more of an effort to hang out with his little girl. She really was a sweetheart. Funny, inquisitive, and well-mannered. But also compassionate and a little silly, just like her mama.
“Char, I’m just going to run next door for a minute,” Kendra told her daughter. “You be good for Gabe and I’ll be right back, okay?”
“K,” Char said, rubbing Poncho behind the ears when he rolled over and flopped down on his belly, his chin resting on one of her folded legs.
I braced my foot on the bottom step of my new porch, smiling at the two of them.
My brothers teased that I should have worked on getting a woman before a dog, but Poncho had been a great addition to my life. And a nice bonus had been the puppy had given me an excuse to spend more time with Char and her beautiful mommy. They often joined me for evening walks or tagged along when I took Poncho to the park.
“She likes this,” Char said, scratching Poncho’s chin.
“I think most dogs do.”
“Did you have a puppy when you were growing up?” Char asked, squinting into the bright sun as she looked up at me.
“Uh, no. My mother had enough trouble taking care of six rowdy boys without adding a dog to the mix.”
“You’re lucky. I wish I had a bunch of sisters to play with.”
I sat down on the bottom step, facing her. “You don’t like being an only child?” I couldn’t say I blamed her. While my brothers and I routinely mixed it up as kids, we were best friends as adults.
“Not really,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I like having Mommy all to myself, but it’d be nice to have someone to play Barbies with.”
“Yeah, I guess it would,” I said, shaking my head. “But you have Max, right?” I said, referring to Liz’s daughter. “Isn’t she your best friend?”
“Yeah,” Char said, shaking her head. “But if we move back in with Daddy, I won’t get to see her as much. A sister moves with you.”
I tried hard not to react to the mention of her father, but every time she mentioned Jason, I felt a stab of guilt mixed with sadness. I wanted his life: his wife and daughter, and I knew that made me a lousy friend.
“You’re still hoping your mom and dad will get back together, huh?” What child of divorce didn’t pray for that? As bad as my old man had been while we were growing up, I still prayed he’d come back every time he left.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I miss him.” She looked over her shoulder at the house her grandparents owned. “But I like living here. I like Max and you and Poncho. I’d miss you guys if we had to leave.”
“We’d miss you too,” I said, patting the dog, who was now sprawled out at Char’s feet. “But you could come and visit us.” If her parents did reconcile, I didn’t want to give the little girl any reason to be sad about it.
“I’d like that,” she said, smiling. “But it wouldn’t be the same. We couldn’t come to the park or on walks with you anymore.”
She was so mature for her age, probably because she’d had to deal with some pretty grown-up problems in her short life. She’d just started first grade, yet instead of worrying about art projects and making new friends, she had to wonder whether her broken family would ever reunite.
“I’m
sure we could work something out,” I said, ruffling her hair. “We’re friends, right? Friends don’t just bail on each other.”
She smiled up at me, making that sense of longing surge yet again. “I guess you’re right. If you come to the zoo, who’ll take care of Poncho?”
“Your mom’s going over to find out if he can hang out with Liz and the kids today.”
“They’d like that,” Char said, shaking her head emphatically. “Max says her mom’s going to let her get a puppy.” She sighed. “I wish I could have one too.”
“Maybe you can someday,” I suggested, trying to ease her sadness. “But in the meantime, you can come over and play with Poncho whenever you like.”
“Not when you’re not home,” she argued.
I smiled, thinking how much she reminded me of her mom sometimes. “Maybe I could give you guys a key to my place. Sometimes I have to work late, so you could come over and check on Poncho for me, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“That’d be great!” She jumped up, along with the puppy who was wagging so excitedly his tail was thumping Char’s leg. “Guess what, Mommy?” she said as soon as Kendra returned to my yard. “Gabe’s gonna give us a key to his house so we can check on Poncho when he has to work late!”
I winced when I realized how presumptuous that must sound to a woman who had enough on her plate without having to worry about someone else’s pet. “Uh, just the rare occasion when I get stuck at work,” I said, trying to soften the request. “And only if it’s okay with you, Kendra.”
“Of course it is,” she said, bending to scratch the dog behind the ear. “We love this little guy, don’t we, honey?”
“We sure do,” Char said, giggling when he rolled over for her to rub his belly.
“And apparently, we’re not the only ones,” Kendra said, looking up at me. “Liz said she and the kids would love to hang out with Poncho today. In fact, they were just going to go to the park in a bit, so they can take him along.”
“Great.” I jumped up. “I’ll just grab his stuff.” I glanced at my truck, which should have been hosed off for a second time and wiped down with a soft cloth by now. Instead the sun was drying it, leaving spots, which I hated. “You mind if we take my truck? I’d like to pass through a car wash.”
Kendra laughed. “Boys and theirs toys. No, we don’t mind at all.” She looked over my shoulder at the jacked up black truck. “Assuming we can get into that thing.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you.” In fact, it’ll be my pleasure.
***
Kendra
We’d had an amazing day at the zoo, but by the time we were driving home, shortly before dinner, Char fell asleep in the backseat of Gabe’s truck.
“Looks like we wore her out,” he whispered, glancing at her over his shoulder.
“I’d say she wore us out,” I said, hiding a yawn behind my hand. She’d dragged us around tirelessly, insisting we visit every animal before leaving. “Thanks for being such a good sport. You were great with her, as always.”
Gabe had treated her to a hot dog, chips, and soda for lunch, a rare treat, since I tried to make sure she ate healthy most of the time. With the exception of the homemade cookies or cakes I liked to make every Sunday. Those were a treat for both of us.
“Are you kidding?” he chuckled. “I don’t know who had more fun, her or me. My mom didn’t have the time or money to do stuff like that with us when we were kids, so it was nice.”
“I guess it would have been expensive,” I agreed. “Since there were so many of you.” I’d never discussed Gabe’s dad with him, but Kane told me he was back in the picture after years of being M.I.A. and I wondered how Gabe was dealing with that. “No memories of your dad doing fun things like that with you when you were growing up?”
“Seriously?” he asked, snickering. “Any extra money my old man had was wasted on booze and smokes.”
“I’m sorry,” I said gently, touching his arm. “If it’s a sore subject—”
“It was for a long time,” he interjected. “But I’ve made my peace with it.”
“With him too?” I’d never known Gabe to hold a grudge against anyone, but the wounds his father left him with must have run deep.
“We’re getting there,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m developing a relationship with my younger brothers, his kids from his second marriage, so that means figuring out a way to get along with him too. For their sake. It hasn’t been easy on any of us, but we’re slowly starting to accept that he’s not the same man he was when Mom was alive.”
“It must have been hard, losing your mom when you were so young, having no one.” Kane and Macy had shared their story with me, and having two loving and supportive parents made it difficult for me to imagine how they’d survived that time.
“We had each other,” Gabe corrected. “And that was enough. We didn’t need the old man, not the way he was back then. In fact, he probably did us a favor by bailing on us.”
“But he’s doing a good job with your brothers according to Kane.”
“He seems to be,” Gabe admitted, curling his hand around the leather steering wheel.
“Are you bitter about that?” I knew it was none of my business, but I couldn’t help wanting to know everything about this man I’d grown to care about.
“No, I’m glad they have the kind of father we all wanted. They deserve it. They’re good kids.”
“Kane said they’re living here now. How do you feel about that?”
He sneered. “It’s like the goddamn Brady Bunch, one big happy family.” He winced at his choice of language before looking over his shoulder to make sure Char was still sleeping soundly. “Sorry.”
I thought it was sweet that a guy who worked in a male-dominated profession and likely swore routinely was always careful about not swearing in front of my daughter.
“No problem.” I set my purse down on the floor, turning to face him. “So, you’re not thrilled about your dad living here?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m torn I guess. I realize he’s not getting any younger, so maybe this would be a good time to try and forge a new kind of relationship with him. It’s just not easy. It’s been awhile since he came back into our lives and I’ve tried to remain open-minded, to give him the benefit of the doubt, but every time I see him, I can’t help remembering the hell he put our mother through and I wind up hating him all over again.”
“You guys loved your mother.” To hear every one of the Steele brothers talk about their mother, she’d been a saint. “It’s only natural you’d have a problem with anyone who’d hurt her. But from what I’ve heard about her, she was a very tolerant and forgiving woman.”
“That’s your not-so-subtle way of telling me that she would have forgiven him and I should too, right?” he asked, looking at me out of the corner of his eye when he stopped at a red light.
I looked away, shrugging. “I know it’s none of my business, but I care about you. I want you to be happy and it seems to me that would be difficult if you’re still holding a grudge against your father.”
“You care about me, huh?” he asked, smiling. “Tell me more.”
I’d made no secret of the fact I considered him a good friend and would like him to be more. “You’ve made this separation a whole lot easier on both me and my daughter,” I said, folding my arms as I rested my head against the seat. “You’ve been there for us whenever we needed something. I know I’ve thanked you, but it doesn’t seem like enough.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said, his tone gentle. “It was my pleasure.”
I looked out the window, checking out the park by our house as we drove by. No sign of Liz or the kids, which meant I’d probably find them playing with the puppy in their own backyard. I hoped to steal a few minutes alone with her so I could ask her whether she was interested in her boss. My mother claimed I was a hopeless matchmaker, but just because I wasn’t destined for happiness, d
idn’t mean my friends shouldn’t find it.
“You guys wanna come over for dinner?” Gabe asked, glancing at the digital readout on his console. “I could throw a few steaks on the grill. Maybe I should ask Liz and the kids too, to thank them for watching Poncho for me.”
Of course he hadn’t issued the invitation because he wanted to spend more time with me, I thought, trying to deny the disappointment that he’d thought to include our friend in the invitation.
I thought of the promise I made Mike last night, about asking Gabe out on a date. I knew the zoo didn’t count since my daughter had issued the invitation and we had a chaperone, but did I really have the courage to follow through and risk flat-out rejection?
“Um, you don’t have to do that. You’re probably tired.”
“Not at all. Besides, I have to eat. So do you. Why not eat together, right?”
“If you’re sure,” I said, reaching for my purse as we pulled into the drive.
Char woke up when Gabe turned the truck off, rubbing her bleary eyes. “Are we home?”
“We sure are, honey,” Gabe said, grinning at her. “I just invited you and your mom for dinner. You like steak? Or I can do some chicken wings if you prefer.”
“Steak’s fine, Gabe,” I said, before my daughter could start making special requests. “I have a pie my mother dropped off at my house. Why don’t I run over to Liz’s and pick up Poncho while you warm up the grill? I can grab the pie a little later.”
“Sounds perfect,” Gabe said, helping Char out of the car. “Thanks. Oh, and don’t forget to invite Liz and the kids for dinner.”
“Will do.”
“Mommy,” Char whispered, tugging on my hand. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
Gabe chuckled. “You can use the bathroom at my place, Char.” He offered his hand and she immediately slipped her little hand into his, making my heart squeeze at the sight of the bond they’d built.
Gabe (Steele Brothers #6) Page 4