“Maybe he could talk to Jason, make him see reason,” Liz suggested.
“I don’t think Gabe would want Jason to know about us, at least not yet.” Not that there was much to tell, aside from a couple of stolen kisses and the admission that we were attracted to each other.
“But Gabe’s not the type to sneak around,” Lizzie argued. “I think he’d want Jason to know where you two stand.”
“You might be right.” Gabe was nothing if not forthright. “I guess that’s a conversation for another day.”
Lizzie’s cell phone buzzed and she reached into her back pocket, lighting up when she identified the caller. “It’s Mike.”
“You answer it,” I said. “I’ll go and push the girls on the swings for a bit.”
After a few minutes of listening to the girls bicker about who was going higher on the swings, I encouraged them to play nice and made my way back to my friend, who was beaming while tucking her phone into her pocket.
“Let me guess. He asked you out?”
“Yes!” she said, blushing. “Can you believe it? He’s taking me to dinner tonight.”
“Of course I can believe it. What I can’t believe is how long it took him to ask you or that you tried to set me up with him when you had a thing for him.” Standing in front of her, I tossed my empty cup into the receptacle next to her.
“I already explained that,” she said, waving me off. “But what am I going to wear? I haven’t dressed for a date in ages.”
“We’ll raid your closet when we go home,” I said, smiling. “I’ll help you pick something out.”
She groaned. “I wish I had time to go shopping first.” She extended her hands, looking at her short, unpolished nails. “And get a manicure. Look at these. They’re a mess.”
“Mike will not being looking at your nails, trust me. And if you don’t have something amazing in your closet, we’ll scour mine. I’m sure I have something that’ll work.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” she said, jumping up to hug me. “What would I do without you?”
“If you need a babysitter tonight—”
“I just called my sister,” she said, looping her arm through mine as we walked over to collect our kids. “I thought you might have a date of your own tonight.”
“Not likely,” I said, wondering how long it would be before Gabe and I had a real date without a little chaperone.
“Don’t be so sure,” Lizzie said, looking smug. “I have a feeling last night was just the beginning for you two.”
Chapter Six
Gabe
I was enjoying a cold one on my back patio, throwing a stick to the dog so he could burn off some energy before I took him inside when I heard a motorcycle out front. Knowing it had to be either Ryker or Nex, I passed through the gate to find my youngest brother stowing his helmet before making his way up the drive.
“Hey, man,” Nex said, greeting me with a grin. He gestured to the beer in my hand. “You got another one of those?”
“Sure, come on back.”
While Nex was busy rough-housing with the pup, I slipped inside to grab another beer. “Here you go,” I said, handing it to him. “What brings you by? I thought weekends were reserved for that beautiful wife and daughter of yours?”
I still couldn’t believe my wild and crazy little brother was a family man now. It didn’t seem possible.
“Jaci and her mom took Maddie on a little shopping trip.” He rolled his eyes. “According to my wife, it’s never too early to start training her to sniff out a good sale.”
I chucked before sitting down and kicking my feet up on one of the stools I’d made to match the Adirondack chairs. “Who are we to argue, right?”
“How are things going with you?” Nex asked. “You like being the man in charge or what?”
“I moved out of the city because opportunity for advancement was better in a place like Gulfport, so I can’t complain that it all happened sooner than I thought it would. I’m grateful. The people I work with are great. They’re like family. Nobody’s jealous or petty that I got the nod and they didn’t.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Nex said. “So if things on the work front are good…” His eyes strayed to Kendra’s tidy backyard. “That leaves the home front.”
I knew what he was getting at but I wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. “You know how it is with old houses,” I said, shrugging. “There’s always a project to keep me busy. That’s why I didn’t buy a new build. I would have gone out of my mind with nothing to do during my down time.”
“And it doesn’t hurt to have such a sweet next-door neighbor, does it?” he asked, with a sly grin as he brought the cold bottle to his lips.
“Yeah, Char’s a great kid.” I gestured to the dog who was flaked out at my feet. “She helps me wear this guy out most days, which believe me, isn’t easy to do.”
“I was talking about Char’s mom and you know it.”
“Come on now. You know Kendra’s still a married woman,” I said, choosing to make him suffer a little longer before I filled him in on what happened last night. Normally, I wasn’t one to kiss and tell, but I needed to confide in one of my brothers to get their take on my situation.
“We both know she’s done with that loser,” Nex said, looking disgusted. “And just as soon as he mans up and gives her that divorce, she’ll be ready to move on. Question is, will you have lost your chance by then?”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” If last night’s kiss was any indication, Kendra wouldn’t be done with me any time soon.
“Are you holding out on me?” Nex asked, trying to read my expression. “You are. You son of a bitch. What happened?”
I shrugged, trying to downplay my feelings. It was just a kiss. I didn’t want to make it sound like more than it was. Okay, it was actually a couple of the best kisses of my life, but still… “We took Char to the zoo yesterday and I invited them over for dinner after.”
“And…?”
I felt like an awkward teen whose parents were grilling him about his first girlfriend. “And we kissed. It was no big deal.”
“Huh.” Nex seemed to mull that over before he asked, “You think she kissed Mike on their date too?”
I glared at him. “It wasn’t like that. She liked the guy, but not like that.”
“Look at you getting all territorial,” Nex said, laughing. “So when are you going to tell Jason you’re going to beat the hell out of him if he doesn’t sign the papers?”
“I can’t do that,” I said, trying to gauge whether he was serious. “We work together. Besides, he’s been a part of Kendra’s life a lot longer than I have and they have a daughter together.” That was the one thing about this situation that still bothered me. Char’s desire to have her family back together again.
I was crazy about that kid, would do almost anything for her. But could I really step aside knowing I was the man Kendra wanted, not Jason?
“You know you don’t have a choice, right? You keep letting this guy think he’s got a shot at putting his marriage back together you’re only prolonging the inevitable. I know it sucks for Char that her parents aren’t together anymore, but I’ve seen you with that little girl. She’s crazy about you.”
“I’m not her father,” I said, trying to draw the line. “And I’d never try to take his place.”
“That’s not what I’m suggesting,” Nex said, looking affronted. “Of course he’ll always be a part of Char’s life, but Kendra has made it clear she’s done with him. And from what I’ve heard, she’s ready to move on. With you.”
“When did you hear her say that?” I asked, wondering if I could believe him. Nex had never lied to me. I knew I could trust him, but I found it hard to believe Kendra would have shared that with him.
“At the barbeque Kane and Macy had at their place last weekend. Kendra and I got to talking and she told me she was done with Jason. I caught her watching you and asked if you were the reason
she was ready to end her marriage.”
I held my breath after asking, “What did she say?”
“She said even if you weren’t in the picture she wouldn’t want to be married to him anymore.”
Good. That was the same story she’d told me. “Then what makes you think—?”
“She said you were the kind of man she should have married the first time around. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that girl’s in love with you.”
“In love with me?” I laughed, assuming he was joking. He had to be. We’d never even been out on a real date or slept together for that matter. How could she be in love with me? “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?” Nex said, setting his beer aside. “Think about it. You’ve dated girls for a couple of months and thought you were in love.”
“Not lately.” It had been a long time since I’d said those words to a woman, even longer since I’d felt the urge to be the one to say them first.
As though he hadn’t heard me, Nex said, “You’ve known Kendra a long time. You guys seem to spend a lot of your free time together.”
“With Char,” I reminded him. “It’s not like we’ve been dating all that time.”
“No, but you’ve been getting to know each other. You told me not long ago she knows you better than some of your best friends.”
“That’s true.”
“So, why is it so crazy to think she might have fallen in love with you during that time?” When I couldn’t respond, Nex said, “And maybe you’ve fallen in love with her too?”
I took my backward ball cap off, wiping the sweat off my forehead. “Man, you’re getting way ahead of yourself here.”
“Maybe I’m just trying to help you catch up,” he suggested. “You’ve been dragging your heels for years, claiming you weren’t ready to settle down. First you said you needed a good job. You got that. Then you needed to buy a house and save a little money. After that, you were so focused on earning promotion after promotion. When are you going to stop running, Gabe?”
His tone was gentle, but his words were harsh. He was right. When it came to relationships, I was a coward. “I’m not running,” I argued, knowing we both heard the ring of denial circling my words. “I just want to be sure before I get in too deep.”
“When I met Jaci, I never thought we’d end up where we are,” he said, reaching down to pet Poncho, who was lying on the ground between us. “I was still living it up, having a great time. I thought I could go on like that another five years or more. But sometimes you meet the right woman and you just know it’s time to stop waiting for something better to come along ’cause it never will.”
I thought of all the girls I’d dated. While most had their redeeming qualities, none could compare to Kendra. “This situation is complicated,” I said, referring to Jason. “If she was already divorced and I didn’t know her ex—”
“It would be easy. But since when do you ever do easy? You like a challenge. This is a challenge. So just figure out a way to make it work.” Nex stood, gripping my shoulder. “Take my advice, bro. Before it’s too late.”
***
Kendra
I’d just picked Char up from her grandparents’ house after a twelve-hour shift when she whispered, “I miss Daddy. Why can’t he come over?”
I felt the familiar stab of guilt. It’s not that I was trying to keep Char from her father. On the contrary, I encouraged Jason to spend as much time with her as possible. I just asked him to call first. Was that too much to ask?
“Baby, you know Daddy’s been busy with work,” I said, glancing at her in my rearview mirror. And no doubt charming the ladies.
“Gabe works too and he still has time for us,” she said, pouting.
It was true that Gabe’s job was even more demanding than Jason’s because of the additional responsibility that came with his recent promotion. “Why don’t you call your dad tonight?” I suggested, trying to put the focus back where it belonged, on Char’s relationship with her father. “I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.”
She nodded and her eyes drifted closed. I released a sigh, grateful for a reprieve.
“Mommy, do you like Gabe?”
So much for being let off the hook. “Sure I do. Don’t you?”
“I mean do you like-like him?” Her eyes were wide, brimming with tears. “Is that why we can’t go back home?”
I knew she meant the home she’d grown up in, the one we’d shared as a family. “Baby, we can’t go back home because…” I’d already had this conversation with her numerous times, but it never got any easier. In fact, it seemed to be getting harder. “Well, Mommy and Daddy just aren’t happy living together anymore, sweetie. Like we told you when we separated, we’ll always be a family. We just won’t be living under the same roof anymore.”
“Daddy says we might be a family again someday if you’ll just give him another chance.” Her lip trembled when she said, “Why can’t you give him another chance, Mommy? Please. For me. I miss him.”
My heart broke for her but that didn’t mean I’d give in. Not even to her. And I was going to throttle Jason when I saw him. How dare he try to use our daughter to manipulate me! “You know I’d do just about anything for you, don’t you?”
I pulled into our drive and put the car in park, slipping into the backseat beside her. I took her hands, my expression as solemn as hers.
“Char, you do know that, right?”
She nodded, her eyes shifting to my knees.
“But, baby, I can’t do this. I can’t go back to your daddy.”
“Why not?” she whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek. “It’s not fair.”
I had to agree. This must seem grossly unfair to a little girl who just wanted her family back. As far as she was concerned, I was probably being stubborn. And since I would never paint her father in an unfavorable light, I had no choice but to let her go on believing that.
“Sometimes things don’t seem fair,” I agreed. “But later, we come to realize that everything happens for a reason. Your dad came in to my life for a very important reason.” I slid my finger under her chin, tipping her face up to meet mine. “You. You were the reason. And I am so grateful for that. I couldn’t imagine my life without you, Charlene.”
She reached out her arms, hugging me hard. “Love you too,” she whispered, burying her face in my hair.
I was choking back my own tears by the time she unbuckled her seatbelt and raced inside, claiming she had to go to the bathroom.
Nex was heading down Gabe’s drive when I slammed my car door.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, his smile slipping when he caught a glimpse of my face. “What’s wrong? You look like you just lost your best friend.”
I pointed to the door Char had slammed behind her. “Just had a little chat with my girl.”
“Is there a problem?” Gabe asked, hearing the tail-end of our conversation as he rounded the corner from his backyard.
“I guess she’s just missing her daddy.”
Gabe and Nex shared a look before Nex asked, “How ’bout you, Kendra? You missin’ him?”
Gabe looked like he was holding his breath, waiting for my response.
“No, not at all.”
Nex surprised me by crossing the yard to give me a hug. “I know this isn’t easy, but stick to your guns, sweetheart. It’ll be worth it in the end.”
I watched him climb on his bike and ride away with a quick wave to Gabe before I asked, “What was that all about?”
“Don’t ask,” Gabe muttered, walking toward me. He grabbed my shoulders, looking in to my eyes. “You wanna talk about it?”
“Just let me check on Char,” I said, pointing to the porch swing. “I’ll get us some lemonade and be right back.” The last hour of my shift I’d been looking forward to coming home and putting my feet up after getting Char ready for bed, but I could tell Gabe was worried about me and I didn’t want to blow him off.
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Char was playing with her dolls when I walked into her bedroom. “Since you had dinner at Nan and Pops, we’re going to have to get you into the bath and ready for bed soon. I have to be at work by six again, so that means an early morning for both of us.”
I didn’t know what I’d do without my parents, who dropped Char off at school and picked her up when I had to work a twelve-hour shift. Thankfully those twelve-hour shifts meant I only had to work three days most weeks, so that gave me plenty of time for my daughter.
“Can I play a little while longer?” she asked, redressing one of her favorite dolls in a pretty pink dress we’d stitched together.
“Sure,” I said, understanding her need for a little alone time. “I’ll just be out on the porch, okay?”
She nodded, looking solemn. I knew she was still upset and confused, but I just couldn’t find the words to make her feel better when I was running on fumes myself. One thing was for sure, my ex and I were going to have a little chat tomorrow. This state of limbo we’d been living in had to end, and I refused to let him go on giving our daughter false hope when I knew a reconciliation wasn’t in the cards for us.
By the time I made my way outside, Gabe was sitting on the porch swing, scrolling through his phone.
He looked hesitant as he took the glass from me with a smile of gratitude. “No offense, but you look beat, Kendra. We don’t have to do this now. If you’d rather talk tomorrow—”
“It’s okay.” I sank down beside him, heaving a sigh. “I just found out Jason’s been telling our daughter we could get back together if only I’d give him another chance.”
“That’s not fair,” he said, clenching his jaw. “For him to try and make you look like the bad guy.”
“I don’t know why I should be surprised,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand. “Jason’s never been real big on accepting responsibility for his actions. That was a big part of the reason I walked out on him. It wasn’t just that he cheated on me. It was the fact that he tried to downplay it like it was just one of those things that happened.”
Gabe (Steele Brothers #6) Page 6