* * *
• • •
Sara woke again with a start. This is beginning to be a bad habit. Gabe stood a few feet away, obviously having disturbed her slumber when he opened the truck door. Gabe? I’m dreaming. She reached out and touched his arm. Feels so real. Then she squeezed it. Weird, it’s never been like this before. She was debating exploring further when he said, “Um . . . your fingernails are kind of sharp.”
Then it all came back to her. “Wait—you’re here. You’re real. And . . . I’m me.” Okay, that last part made no sense, but she was disoriented from the nap, and she couldn’t seem to stop the flow of words that were tumbling out.
“Technically you’re here. And I’m Gabe.” She thought she detected a hint of amusement in his voice when he added, “We all clear now?”
“Is this where you live?” she asked, noticing they appeared to be in a garage. Or a basement. He is kind of a stranger. She discounted that notion immediately. She might not be the best judge of character, but she’d stake her life on him being a good man. That’s exactly what you’ve done.
He helped her out, and she shivered as the cold air hit her. “We need to go around front. Trouble is kenneled in the kitchen, and if we walk through that way, he’ll lose his shit. He’s not used to a lot of company, so he’ll be excited. Better to bring him to you.”
She buttoned her coat and dug the hat she brought with her out of her handbag. “All ready.”
He put his hand in the small of her back and led her slowly down the drive and to a connecting pathway. “Be careful. I have someone who keeps the main areas clear, but they’re probably still slick in spots.” The floodlight at the corner of his house was on, giving her a view of the exterior. It was a log cabin with large picture windows and a porch running the entire length. She couldn’t tell much about the yard since it was blanketed in white stuff, but she didn’t see any lights indicating nearby neighbors. They climbed two steps and he moved forward to deal with the lock. The door swung open and he waved a hand for her to go inside. There was a light on in the entryway—and that’s as far as she got before she jumped backward in fright. She heard Gabe’s shout a split second before something knocked her off balance and she went crashing into what she suspected were the shrubs. “Trouble! Shit, Sara.” He sounded alarmed, and she would have put his mind at ease, if not for the tongue licking her face. If she opened her mouth—yeah, that wasn’t happening. Suddenly, the dog was gone and he was there. “Are you all right?” Her coat kept the branches from doing anything other than scratching her hands and the back of her neck. No, the only serious injury seemed to be the one to her pride. She could only imagine how she must look right now. If his face was any indication, it was pretty damn bad.
“I—I’m okay,” she mumbled as she struggled to sit up without embarrassing herself further.
“Hang on,” he instructed as he put his arms under her body and lifted her against his chest. “I’m so sorry. That must have scared the hell out of you. I should have checked before letting you go in. Sometimes Trouble manages to escape the kitchen. It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while, he gets lucky—and lives up to his name,” he chided as he gently moved back toward the doorway with her. The dog in question was sitting a few inches inside looking sheepish. He whined as if to say, Whoops, my bad.
“S’okay.” She shivered as the moisture began to seep through her clothing. She’d gone from cold to freezing in the blink of an eye.
“We need to get you warmed up.” She had no idea where he was taking her, but she was on board if it would stop her teeth from chattering. What must he be thinking? He reached out to flip on a light, then lowered her to her feet. He kept a grip on her waist, though, for support. “Why don’t you take a hot shower while I fix you something to drink? You should find everything you need in the cabinet over there.” When she nodded, he added, “Call out if you need me.”
When he was gone, Sara closed the door and leaned back against it. What a disaster this had been so far. Seeing Gabe again was amazing—and being with him felt oddly right. Yet she had sensed him shutting down during the drive home. She’d been enjoying their conversation, and thought he had been as well, until he abruptly suggested she get some rest. There was something in his tone that alerted her to the fact that he needed space. She had been tired and had fallen asleep again easily, but she would have preferred to have continued talking to him. The bond was still there but was in need of repair, and she wasn’t sure how to go about it unless he was willing to help her. What did you expect? Give him time to adjust. But how long could this go on before he expected her to go home? They’d never really discussed the length of her stay. The return date on the ticket was open ended, but he hadn’t asked her to move in with him. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a knock sounded. “Everything all right?”
She placed a hand over her heart, trying to catch her breath. She’d taken years off her life today with all the shocks to her system. “Um—yeah. I’m good. Just . . . using the toilet.” She slapped a hand over her mouth. She’d blurted out the first thing that came to mind. And considering the water wasn’t running in the shower, that didn’t leave many options. Oh my God, he thinks I’m pooping.
It may have been her imagination, but she could have sworn there was laughter in his voice when he said, “Oh . . . just checking on you. I’m leaving your suitcase outside the door so you can put on some dry clothes. Well . . . I’m going back to the kitchen now.”
She dropped her head back in embarrassment. He’d actually been stumbling over his words at the end. She might as well have told him she had her period. It would probably have the same effect. I need to keep my mouth shut and go to bed. She tended to say the wrong things when she was nervous, and the jet lag was making it even worse. She was practically a loaded gun at this point. Get in the shower before he comes back. Peeling off the soggy denim turned out to be the biggest challenge. She hadn’t realized how cold she was until the warm water hit her body. She put her head back and let the stress of the day wash away. She would no doubt revisit everything that had happened in the last twelve hours later, but for now, she would focus on nothing more than embracing the new beginning she had undertaken.
Chapter Eighteen
Gabe was still smiling when he walked back into the kitchen and pulled a saucepan out of one of the cabinets. He was fairly certain she hadn’t intended to blurt out that she was on the toilet. He could sense her mortification. He thought it was more likely she’d been using the time and space to collect herself just as he was. He knew she must be overwhelmed after the day she’d had, as who wouldn’t be unsettled by it. He’d certainly been rattled in North Carolina from his visit. Although that had possibly been a bigger train wreck. They had both taken a chance by dropping in unannounced, and neither had been a smooth experience.