“Angel?” She hadn’t realized she’d said it aloud until Gabe flipped around slowly to face her. He appeared almost embarrassed, which she found fascinating. Oh my God, what if he accidentally called me the wrong name?
That horrifying thought had barely flitted through her head when he said, “I guess I should admit that I—gave you that nickname after you sent me the picture of you and your niece playing in the snow while I was in Iraq. That’s how I came to see you, Sara. You appeared in my life seemingly out of nowhere and made it so much better. It was the toughest deployment I’ve ever been through for a variety of reasons. And you . . . you became the beautiful angel who saved my sanity on the long days and nights. Every time I needed an escape, I looked at that photo. To me, it wasn’t rabbit ears above your head, but a halo. When I was so physically and mentally spent that I didn’t know how I’d deal with the seemingly endless months ahead of me, you soothed me. Made me smile and see each day as a new opportunity to hear your laughter and see that gorgeous face.”
She tried to blink the tears away, knowing they would make him uncomfortable, but it proved impossible. “Gabe,” she sighed, putting a wealth of emotion into his name. Trouble approached her and dropped a toy Santa at her feet, as if apologizing for upsetting her.
“I really suck at this,” Gabe joked weakly. He stepped down from the ladder and took her into his arms. She slid hers around his waist and they stood there, finding comfort in each other. His hands rubbed her back, and she thought she felt him drop a kiss onto the top of her head a couple of times. She didn’t do an all-out ugly cry, but if that would keep him close, she was willing to try. “All better?” he asked as he pulled back to survey her face.
She nodded shyly, thinking, Kiss me, dammit. And he did—on the forehead. So close. The lips, Randall. A little lower. It didn’t happen, and she couldn’t really complain. He held her as they watched It’s a Wonderful Life. When it was over, he surprised her by getting their boots and coats, then returning with a comforter to bundle around them. “What?” she asked sleepily, thinking maybe she was dreaming the entire thing. But the cold air hitting her face a few moments later let her know she was definitely awake.
She shivered and buried closer into his side, as Trouble voiced his displeasure at being left inside. “I know it’s freezing, but it’s clear tonight and I wanted you to see the Northern Lights.”
Intrigued, she looked up at the sky, expecting to be awed, but instead there was nothing more than some milky-looking clouds present. She thought she detected other colors, but they were too faint to detect for sure. Obviously, Gabe was wrong about it being clear. “We can try it again tomorrow,” she murmured, not wanting him to hear the disappointment in her voice. She’d seen so many magnificent pictures of the bright dancing lights, and what she was seeing wasn’t even remotely close.
“Here, try this.” Gabe laughed softly as he handed her a camera.
She shrugged as she brought her hands up to grasp it, thankful he’d had her put on her gloves as well. It took a moment, but suddenly everything changed. The camera lens brought to life a scene that took her breath away. Shades of green, purple, yellow, orange, red, and blue shimmered in the night sky. “Oh my,” she hissed in wonder. “Gabe, I see . . .” Her voice trailed off as she stared, mesmerized by the sight before her.
Gabe leaned closer as he said, “They say human eyes often can’t see the faint colors of the aurora at night. But this type of camera doesn’t have those limitations. I bought it right after I moved here on the advice of the locals, and it’s been worth every penny.” Sara would have likely remained spellbound on the porch until she froze to death had Gabe not ushered her back inside. They discarded their outerwear and rushed to the fire to warm their hands in front of the flames. Then he pulled her down onto the sofa next to him, and she cuddled into the warm curve of his body. “Thank you,” she mumbled sleepily. Lying with her head on his chest, hearing the beat of his heart, Sara knew that every moment in her life had led her here, to this man. Against all odds, their paths had intersected. Whether he was her final destination, or a stop along the way, she didn’t know, but she’d never been more excited to take the next step than she was now.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Gabe stood in the kitchen waiting for Sara. They’d both fallen asleep on the sofa the previous evening, and he woke her after two for bed. He’d wanted nothing more than to take her to his room and make love to her, but he didn’t want to rush things. He figured she was dealing with enough shock from the sudden turnaround he’d made in his attitude toward her. And he didn’t want her to know that it stemmed from the phone call he’d eavesdropped on. That had been an extremely private moment for her, and he felt like an ass for intruding on it. Yet had it not happened, she might well be on her way home.
Trouble’s ears perked up, a clear indication that she was awake. He’d taken the dog out to do his business earlier and fed him when they returned. The lure of food was the only thing that kept him from being in the bedroom with her. He couldn’t fault him, though, since Gabe felt the same.
A few moments later she came in rubbing her eyes and yawning. When she noticed him, she abruptly stopped. “What’re you doing here?” When he raised an amused brow at her blunt question, her face turned an adorable shade of pink. “I mean—um, good morning. Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“Well, hello to you, Angel. I thought I mentioned that I’m now officially on leave until after the holidays. We finished up in the field yesterday. So . . . I’m afraid you’re both stuck with me.” Her nickname once again slipped out, but she didn’t appear to mind. In fact, he thought she looked pleased. He’d felt awkward when he accidentally called her that last night. He could have attempted to brush it off. But he hadn’t wanted her to possibly think he’d mixed her up with another woman. As if that were even possible. Once he started talking, it all came pouring out. Even though he was uncomfortable revealing so much of himself, in the end he thought it brought them closer. And if this was going to work, they both needed to learn to open up more, no matter how hard it was.
She winced, shaking her head. “I completely lost track of the days if you can believe that. Do you go in on weekends normally?”
“Just depends.” He shrugged. “It’s not unusual, but I try to have Sunday free when I can. Anyway, you’re quite possibly going to hit me—or at the very least, say no. But I realized earlier that tonight is the annual holiday ball.” When she looked faintly alarmed, he rushed ahead. “I know what you’re thinking. I hate these damn things too. I’ve never been good at shit like this. It’s expected of me, though. Lead by example and all that.” He paused before adding, “It’s formal, Sara. I realize you likely didn’t bring anything like that with you. So if you agree to be my date, we’ll go shopping, and I’ll buy you a dress. I’m sorry to spring this on you so suddenly. Between the fieldwork and . . . other stuff, I’ve been kind of distracted.” Why isn’t she saying anything? Gabe put his hands in the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. He felt as if he were inviting Abby Johnson to the junior prom all over again. Only she’d been a little more enthusiastic than Sara was so far. “Hey, it’s no big deal. I’ll make an appearance, and we can do something when I get home.”