Chapter 13
It’d been two weeks since the house fire. Although Gabriel was beyond grateful at Savannah’s offer, he found the small home cramped. Three adults, a toddler, two kittens, and two dogs shared the home and yard. One of the reasons Gabriel had been so keen to move out of his parent’s home was how cramped that had been.
Gabriel was also pleased he could see Savannah every day, but they say you don’t know somebody until you live with them. They were finding tiny things about the other they didn’t like. It was a true testament to the strength of their relationship they hadn’t killed each other yet.
Today, Gabriel had left Rio at his parent’s house for the night. His mom liked to keep Rio at least one night every other week, both to spend time with her grandson and give her a son a break. Gabriel needed one, too. Although he’d taken two days off work after the fire, Gabriel had to go right back to it. Adjusting to a new living situation, trying to recoup everything lost in the fire, and getting little to no sleep as Rio went through a period of sleep regression was killing him.
Gabriel sat on the couch, watching the television Jay paid to have put in a week earlier. Savannah was doing something in the kitchen. He could hear the sound of pots and pans. “Hey, Gabe?” Savannah yelled from the kitchen.
“Yeah?” Gabriel yelled from the couch without getting up.
“Can you do me a favor?” Gabriel yelled in response to say he could but there was no answer from Savannah in the kitchen.
Savannah appeared in the doorway. “Gabe?”
Gabriel looked up from the television set. “Yes?” He felt so tired that even responding seemed too much at the moment, but he was making an effort.
“Can you take out the trash?” Savannah asked.
“Uh, yeah, in a minute.” Gabriel turned back to the television set.
He heard Savannah sigh, and then she disappeared only to reappear with the trash bag. She stomped out the front door. When she came back, Gabriel said, “I told you I’d get it.”
“Yeah, in a minute,” Savannah said. “I needed the trash out now, so I did it myself.”
“Whatever.” Gabriel rolled his eyes.
Savannah stared daggers at him for a long minute. Her face grew dark. If Gabriel had noticed her eyes at that moment, he would have seen the storm clouds going across them. “Whatever?” Savannah’s hip was cocked to the side and her voice seethed with attitude.
“Yeah, whatever.” Gabriel didn’t want to argue, but he saw it was going that way.
“What is your problem, Gabriel? Just whatever? So sorry taking out the trash is such a big deal. Don’t help me out or anything.” Savannah threw her arms dramatically in the air.
“Well, obviously you could take it out yourself,” Gabriel threw back.
Savannah fumed. She opened and closed her mouth to say something several times to no avail. Gabriel was shocked smoke wasn’t pouring from her ears. With a loud, wordless screech, Savannah stomped back into the kitchen. The sounds of pots and pans clanging resumed with increased intensity.
Gabriel felt bad. He wasn’t normally snippy, but neither was Savannah. Everyone was exhausted and worn out and cramped into this tiny house together with nowhere to get away from the others. They would adjust, get used to it, but they were bound to irritate each other in the interim.
Sighing, Gabriel flicked off the television set. He didn’t want this tiny, stupid argument to get between them any more than Gabriel had wanted the argument to happen in the first place. Better sweep it under the rug, now.
Gabriel took a deep breath to steel himself for his kitten’s wrath. With a loud sigh, he heaved himself off the couch and trudged towards the kitchen. Savannah was baking, that was what she was doing. Gabriel wondered why but decided it might be a way to blow off some steam.
“Kitten…” Gabriel started, his voice low and apologetic.
Savannah was having none of it, however. “Don’t you kitten me, Gabriel Cano! I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m about sick of it.”
Gabriel sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh? Are you? Sorry for what? Being an idiot?” Savannah’s eyes shot daggers at him.
Gabriel nodded. “Yup.”
Savannah looked at him with a steely gaze a moment longer. Then her face fell slightly. “Are we fighting about taking out the trash like an old married couple?”
Gabriel nodded, grinning slightly. “Yup.”
Savannah sighed. “Uh, I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me… and you’re only kind of an idiot, not a total one.”
Gabriel grinned at Savannah and moved forward to pull her against him. He kissed her lips and said, “No worries, kitten. We’re just tired.”
Savannah nodded. “Yeah. I don’t mean to sound any type of way, but Rio’s up all night crying has me worn out.”
Gabriel nodded. “I know the feeling.”
Savannah squinted at Gabriel. “And you want four children?”
Gabriel laughed. “No. I’ve decided I want eight now.”
Savannah rolled her eyes. “No way. Never. I’m cutting it off at two.”
“Two plus Rio? So, three?” Gabriel teased her.
“Nope. Rio is a handsome, smart, awesome little dude but I am only having one biologically. One biological kid, one step-kid, and that’s it. I’m set.” Savannah nodded.
“What about my other kids? Where do they fit in?” Gabriel couldn’t help himself.
“What other kids?” Savannah asked.
“The ones I have with my other baby mommas.” Gabriel grinned sideways. “They live in run-down houses on Lock Street like your mother said.”
“Gabriel!” Savannah shook her head and pulled away while Gabriel laughed heartily. “Not funny.”
“Totally funny.”
“No.” Savannah pulled cookies off the baking sheet she’d set on the stove and turned off the oven. There were six trays of cookies. Gabriel had no idea who she thought was going to eat them all.
Gabriel slipped his arms around Savannah from behind. “Final answer?”
She ignored him and continued wiping the counter. “Yes.”
Gabriel grabbed Savannah by her hips and spun her around to face him again. His mouth covered hers before she finished her turn. His tongue darted inside her mouth with an enthusiasm Gabriel didn’t know he had the energy for. Savannah kissed him back with equal intensity.
Gabriel’s mouth left hers only to press itself against Savannah’s soft throat. Without stopping his passionate kissing, Gabriel grabbed Savannah by her hips and lifted her onto the counter. Savannah cried out in shock. “Gabriel, what are you doing?” Savannah’s voice was breathy as he positioned his body between her two now bent legs.
“What?” Gabriel asked, stopping to kiss her neck a few times before finishing his sentence. “Never heard of makeup sex?”
Savannah giggled. “In the kitchen?”
Gabriel shrugged. “Why not?”
“We eat here!” Savannah was shocked and she pushed Gabriel back.
He only grinned. “Hey, I can do that, too.” Savannah shook her head as she stared at Gabriel in shock. “We can clean up if we make a mess. No big deal.”