Chapter 11

Gabby had been starving all day even with the appetizers but when dinner finally came, she’d lost her appetite. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cade sitting with his guy friends, laughing it up. Several times, he’d caught her staring and smiled.

Oh, lord, she was in trouble. Because she liked this looser, more relaxed side of him that he seemed to display everywhere except in class. She liked it way too much.

“So, Kaitlyn,” Rafe said, drumming his long fingers on the table, “Have you had any coffee yet tonight?”

Kaitlyn looked at him like he’d had too much to drink already. “No, Rafe, I have not.”

“How would you like to go over to the dessert table and check out the coffee?”

“I’m sure it’s top quality here at Lincoln Lodge,” Colton said with a grin. Rafe shot him a dirty look as he walked off with Kaitlyn. “That’s the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” Colton said when they were out of earshot.

“And yet it worked,” Rachel said with a smile.

“C’mon honey, let’s dance,” Joe said to Evie.

“Sure,” she said, taking his hand. “Since it’s after nine and we’re still upright.”

“What do you say, Sara? They’re playing our song,” Colton said, standing up and walking over to Sara’s chair.

“I’ve never heard this song before in my life. And you always say that. You just like to dance.”

All the cute couples left. That left Gabby at the table with her parents. And spinsterhood staring her in the eye.

She hoped Cade would ask her to dance, but he was so nervous about it, she wasn’t sure he would. That left Randy or her female cousins as potential partners. Which was worse? Hmm. Toss-up. “C’mon, Nonnie,” she finally said, “let’s go get some of those delicious Russian tea balls and a cup of coffee.” And maybe a gin and tonic for herself. Sounded great, dousing herself with drink and eating cookies and passing the evening with her grandmother and her friends.

Gabby grabbed a plate and started piling on cookies, her favorite part of any proper Italian wedding and probably the most fun she was going to have all night. “That bride has a tattoo,” Nonna said loudly from behind Gabby. “Why does everyone have a tattoo? And her boobs are hanging out of that gown.”

“Shhh, Nonna,” Gabby whispered. People were shooting them dirty looks. She noticed Stephanie’s mother standing a few feet away, so she steered Nonna out of hearing range. “Here,” she said, holding out a plate. “Tell me what cookies you want.”

“What I really want is a drink. But don’t tell your father.”

Gabby couldn’t help smiling. There was the Nonna she knew and loved. The subversive spirit that was so like Gabby’s own.

“Okay, what would you like?”

“Whiskey sour,” she said. “And tell the bartender not to use cheap whiskey.”

“Gotcha. I’ll be right back.”

Nonna began to look over the beautiful plates of homemade cookies that all the relatives had baked in celebration. Gabby walked over to the bar and stood in line, careful not to make eye contact with any of Rafe’s friends and glancing back at Nonna frequently. Thankfully Nonna had taken up a conversation with a couple of cousins from Italy and was staying out of trouble.

“Put that on my tab,” a deep voice said when the bartender handed her the drinks.

Gabby turned to find Randy standing so close behind her he could reach out and lick her ear, the thought of which immediately made her step away. “Randy, you know there’s no charge at a wedding.”

“I know that, but that’s the only way you’ll let me get you a drink.”

Gabby sighed. He just was not going to give up. “Look, I know you’re going to find somebody but it’s not me, and deep down you know that.”

“Just give me a shot, Gabs.”

“I’m sorry, Randy. You’ll always be like a brother to me.”

He put a hand over his heart. “You’re killing me, you know that? How about a dance?”

“I can’t now. I’m just getting something for my nonna and—” She glanced back at the cookie table only to find Nonna was…gone. “Oh no, I’ve got to go.” Without saying goodbye, Gabby left the line, searching the crowd. “Have you seen Nonna?” she asked the Italian cousins, but all she got was “Scusi, non capisco.” Dread churned in her stomach. There was another wedding going on down the hall. What if Nonna had wandered in there?

Gabby pushed her way back to her family’s table, stopping by her father’s chair. “Dad, I lost Nonna,” she blurted out.

Rachel gave a little gasp, but her dad chuckled, his usual initial response to any crisis, which had a remarkable way of breaking the tension. Years of being a physician had given him nerves of steel, but he immediately stood and began scanning the room. “Where did you leave her?”

“Near the bar. I left her chatting while I went to get us a drink, but I looked over and she was gone.”

The “Chicken Dance” melted into another song with the strains of an accordion, something Gabby hadn’t heard in ages.

“Well, look at that,” Colton said, pointing to the dance floor.

“No, get out,” Evie said.

“Nonna’s still got the moves,” Rafe said.

Suddenly Nonna whizzed by, waving to all of them, led by none other than Cade, who gave Gabby a wink as they passed.

Gabby stood watching in shock a few feet from the dance floor, Colton laughing at her side. “She dances a hell of a polka,” he said.

Gabby clutched her stomach. Relief that Nonna was okay, anger at herself for letting her out of her sight, and shock at the sight of Cade dancing with her grandmother all mixed together, too many feelings at once.

“No one would’ve blamed you if she really took off, you know that, don’t you?” Colton said kindly.

Suddenly Nonna was taking the empty chair next to her, a little out of breath. “I haven’t had so much fun since I used to go dancing with your grandfather. I love the polka!”

Cade was smiling. “I hope I didn’t cause a problem. She was standing on the sidelines clapping her hands, then she grabbed my elbow and said, ‘C’mon let’s go!’”

Colton shook hands with Cade and introduced himself.

“That was so much fun,” Nonna said. “Thank you, young man.”

“You’re welcome,” Cade said.

“Gabby, where’s my drink?” Nonna asked.

“C’mon, Rose, I’ll get you one.” Colton winked at Gabby. “You two can take a spin around the dance floor.”

“Oh, I—well, I—I can’t polka,” Gabby said, suddenly unable to form real words.

Cade glanced over at the band, which was back to playing popular songs. “No worries. I think you’re safe.”

“You never know in Ohio,” Gabby said. But she took his outstretched hand.

They’d almost made it out to the dance floor when Rafe took hold of her arm. He addressed Cade. “Are you sure you want to go out there with her?” he asked. “Because Gabs gets a little crazy when music plays, just warning you.”

“Rafe, go chase girls or something,” she said, pushing his hand off gently like she was swishing away a bug. “C’mon, Cade. Don’t listen to him.”

He guided her onto the dance floor and pulled her close. The adrenaline from Nonna being lost and the relief at finding her, and now this…well, it was all too much. Gabby’s knees seemed to have forgotten how to hold her body up, and every limb felt heavy and clumsy.

“I thought I lost my grandmother,” she said.

“I’m sorry for the worry. It was kind of hard to refuse her.”

“Well, she looks so happy.”

“Your nonna can certainly polka it up.”

“Apparently, so can you.”

“Well, I did study in Poland for a semester.”

“Really?”

“No,” he said with a grin. “My mother taught me when I was a kid.”

She shook her head and laughed. But then their gazes tangled, and the beat of the music shifted to a much slower one.

“Well, I’m glad she felt comfortable with me,” he said. They danced quietly for a few minutes. “You, on the other hand, are very tense.” He held her gently at the waist, pulling her near enough to feel his body heat radiating out from all that hard muscle.

That move somehow didn’t make her any less tense.

She froze, lost in his woodsy scent: menthol from shaving cream and clean man. He drew her closer until the stubble of his cheek brushed a bit coarsely against her temple. When he drew back to look at her, if she wasn’t melting before, she was a veritable puddle now. “Don’t move,” he said softly. She couldn’t even if she wanted to, because she was paralyzed, blinded by her attraction to him. And she understood exactly what he was saying. They were under a spell, and neither of them wanted it to be broken.

Time stilled. The noise around them faded away until she was aware of only him, and she swore she felt his heartbeat as she stood there wrapped in him, his hand wound around her waist, his other hand entwined with hers.

He bent his head, and she thought he was going to kiss her, right there on the dance floor. But just then the music changed again to a rapid, popular beat.

Then he surprised her again. His moves were smooth and easy, not the jerky, self-conscious shuffling with a drink in one hand that a lot of guys did. He must’ve seen the surprise on her face because he looked pleased. And then it happened—he grinned.

That was the moment Gabby knew she was a goner, that if tonight he said the word, somehow, somewhere, they would end up in bed together.

“Wow, you can dance,” she said, more to lighten things up than anything else, He was a really good dancer. Graceful, crazy, and fun.

“How about we get something to drink and cool off a little outside?” Cade asked.

“Sure,” she said.

Cade walked by the dessert table, where pieces of cake and flutes of champagne were sitting for anyone to take. He handed her two flutes and snagged two pieces of cake, and they made their way out of the hall.

Night had fallen, and with it a slight chill had filled the air. The clouds hung low and heavy, and a streak of lightning flared in the distance, followed by a rumble of thunder.

Suddenly she felt his coat being draped around her shoulders as they sat at an iron patio set, one of several on a terrace that overlooked the lake.

“Thank you.” She pulled it closer around her. It smelled heavenly. Like wonderful man. Was he a wonderful man? He might be. She hoped with all her heart that he was.

A lot of guys would have taken the opportunity to suggest something by now—inviting her back to their cabin, for example—but she didn’t see that happening with him. She longed to reach up and smooth the creases between his strong brows, feel the stubble of his beard as their lips finally met, but she didn’t dare cross that line.

As if sensing her thoughts, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss her fingers, slow and deliberately, and she wondered if that was how it would be with him—savoring every moment, taking his time. Or would he kiss her passionately and with abandon?

All too soon, they’d finished their cake. “Gabby, I had a great time dancing with you,” he said. “But…I think I’d better walk you back inside.”

Damn, damn, damn. Was it her? Was she imagining all this, that he was just as intensely attracted to her as she was to him? Another lapse of judgment, like in her past?

He’d eased her hand down but was still holding on to it. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I can’t.”

“I’m thirty years old, Cade. I’m an attorney.”

“I can’t take the risk, no matter how much I’m tempted.”

That made her smile. “You’re tempted?”

“God, yes.”

She would have slept with him on the spot. Dammit, why did he have to be so…upstanding?

“I’ll walk you back to the reception.”

She sighed and gestured in the opposite direction. “Thanks, but I think I’ll head back to my cabin. I don’t need an escort.”

But he was already next to her, his hand on her elbow as she stepped in her high heels over the uneven pavement.

Halfway down the hill, another crack of thunder rent the air, and the sky let loose. Buckets of cold rain were dumped from the sky. Cade grabbed her by the hand and led her under the tiny porch of a close-by cabin. His cabin, she discovered, as he was soon fumbling with a key in the lock as the water from their wet clothes dripped onto the small concrete slab in front of the door.

Then they were inside. Cade flipped on a light and tugged off his shoes. He ran into the bathroom and returned with a fluffy white towel. She slipped off her shoes and toweled her hair and face first. What to do with the rest of her she had no idea, but she was shivering. He’d just wrapped another towel around her shoulders when a loud crack of thunder hit, and the lights went out.

“Cade?” she whispered.

“Here,” he answered on an exhale. The dangerously sexy edge in his voice sent another shiver through her that had nothing to do with being soaked to the bone.

He was right there, next to her, still clutching the ends of the towel. She couldn’t see him in the thick blackness, but she could feel the heat radiating off of him, and more—she swore she could sense his wanting her. For a moment, they both froze. Gabby held her breath as thoughts began to overtake her brain—of kissing him. Of wrapping herself around him until all his upstanding defenses crumbled. Of dragging him over to the bed and having her way with him.

His clothes rustled quietly as his weight shifted, his fingers reflexively tightening on the towel. For a moment, Gabby thought he was going to tug her into him and kiss her.

I slept with him, Gabby imagined herself telling Sara tomorrow. I couldn’t help it, really. I mean, we were drenched, and the lights went out, and his hands were all over me…

Except Cade’s hands weren’t all over her. In fact, he’d dropped them from around her shoulders and now he appeared to be…gone. He’d turned on his phone flashlight and began rummaging through his suitcase. In the dim light, she could see him shrug out of his suit jacket and toss it to the floor.

The broad planes of his shoulders were outlined in shadow, the thick wave of his hair, the muscles of his forearms as he dug through his clothes.

She realized that for the first time since her breakup with Malcolm, she wanted someone badly. She’d tried so hard these past months to school herself in not making the same mistakes, but what if Cade wasn’t a mistake? Maybe it was time to take a risk, as Rafe had encouraged her to do. “I should go,” she heard herself saying instead. Some risk taker. “My cabin’s just across the way.”

Seeing the way he looked at her just then made her breath catch. “Don’t go yet,” he implored. “I mean—there’re no lights anywhere.” He walked over to a window and pulled the curtain back to stare out at the double line of cabins, but there was only a wall of darkness and the persistent patter of raindrops on the glass. Then he walked over to her and pressed something into her arms—dry clothes. “Here, take my phone and go into the bathroom and change. We can wait out the storm.”

The urge to protest withered away and she did as he’d instructed. His sweatshirt smelled clean, like laundry detergent, and a little bit like him, something she found both comforting and disturbing at the same time. She imagined him throwing this and his daughter’s wash in at the little wood-slab house back in Angel Falls, and it struck her with a strange, warm feeling deep inside. Was the thought of a man doing laundry arousing? Apparently so.

She changed quickly and groped her way back to the bedroom, finding him dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. Under the dimness of the phone light, she had the quickest glimpse of his legs, lean and muscular, and his bare feet. She couldn’t see very well but from what she could tell he was…delicious.

They ended up sitting on the floor propped up against the bed talking. About thunderstorms and Angel Falls and how they’d both snuck books to read in favorite places, Gabby under her mom’s desk and Cade on the window seat after hours in his mom’s bookshop.

Until there was a huge flash of lightning and a bongo-drum boom of thunder that made her jump. Instinctively, she put her hand on his arm. “Oh, sorry,” she said, half-laughing, half-jumping out of her skin. She instantly jerked it back but he took hold of it. For a few beats, she froze, feeling the strength and warmth of his grip, sensing rather than seeing his long-fingered and beautiful hand. He slowly kneaded her fingers, as if he were deciding, deciding, while she sat next to him freaking out. The velvet warmth of his skin felt wonderful, thawing her cold limbs to the consistency of butter.

With one of her senses taken away, being next to him in the dark seemed to elevate his touch to the level of foreplay. Every movement of his fingers, every slide of his hand against her palm, sent stabs of arousal through her. She wanted to curl up against his solid chest and lose herself in exploring all the different textures of him—his silky hair, the hard plains of muscle, the rough grain of stubble.

She could feel everything between them, magnified a thousand times—the aura of energy, the held breaths, the pounding pulse of their heartbeats. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, full of unspoken words distilled down to a single touch that thrilled her to the core.

“Kiss me,” she whispered without thinking. He went still. “Kiss me,” she said, more steadily now.

Suddenly she felt the inexorable draw of him as he tugged her to him, bringing them so close together she could feel his breath on her cheek. His hand curled softly around her neck and pulled her in until finally, finally his mouth was on hers.

His lips were feather light, his kisses slow and measured, as if he were using them to memorize the shape and feel of her mouth. Then they became deep and unrestrained, the kisses of a man whose careful control was all but lost. His tongue slid against hers, every tentative exploration sending sparks of fire all through her that coiled and flamed in her core.

She ran her hands up his arms, over the solid bands of muscle. Then up, over the curve of his shoulder, to curl around his neck, brushing the ends of his hair. The way he drew her close undid her, his arms reaching around hers, dragging her into his hard warmth. His touch was sure, confident, experienced, a man who knew his way around a woman’s body.

That was when things got a little crazy. Maybe it was the fact that all their senses were focused on touch and taste and little else. Or the fact that the darkness was the perfect excuse to push limits where rationality would have prevailed otherwise.

Somehow, she found herself in his lap, her hands on his shoulders, her legs wrapped carelessly around his thighs, lost in deep, sensual kisses as their tongues and limbs tangled. Then he was kissing her deeper, more passionately, his hand under the borrowed sweatshirt, caressing the sensitive skin of her back, and oh my God, they were going to do it right here on the floor and she wouldn’t be able to move because, with a few kisses, he’d reduced her to a trembling blob of goo. All this and they hadn’t even gotten past first base.

Her last rational thought involved Rafe’s supersize box of condoms. Instead of being so censoring of her brother, she probably should’ve grabbed a couple.

“Your skin is so soft,” he whispered in her ear, and the sound of his voice sent a shudder shimmying through her. “Are you still cold?”

What, are you kidding me? Heat was rolling off of her in waves, threatening to burn this place up in flames. “I’m good,” she managed. “You?”

She pushed against him and he yielded, and somehow they both ended up on the carpet, her over him. Under her hand, his heart beat boldly and strong. Her fingers brushed coarse-soft hair. She learned the contours of his chest by kissing her way up it, exploring every hill and valley, the hard muscles covered by a layer of smooth, soft skin, which was such a contrast to all the hardness of his body. She felt his rumble of laughter as he lifted her up until their lips met.

“What are you doing to me?” he whispered. “It feels so damn good.”

She was afraid to say anything to break the spell between them so she poured herself into giving him more kisses.

“Don’t stop,” he said, curling his fingers around her wrists and tugging her upward so she was fully atop him, his erection pressing into her at exactly the right place, his kisses deeper and harder, his hands running up and down her back. He traced his fingers over her bra clasp, mapping it out with his fingers.

This was really going to happen. And that was fine with her, because she wanted him more than anything.

And then the lights flickered on. Suddenly they were bathed in fluorescent lighting, blinking against the harsh brightness. Gabby became aware that she was straddling him, her legs wrapped around his, her clothing askew. Cade was lying on the floor, bare chested. The kissing stopped, of course, and she couldn’t quite tell what exactly the look in his eye meant, but it was probably a big dose of Oh no, what am I doing and Oh my God, this woman’s hair is a disaster.

She pulled back, disentangled her legs, and knelt at his side. He was panting a little, still looking at her in that strange way.

She had no words. When she glanced at him again, his face said it all. Guilt and confusion had taken hold. And then he opened his mouth to speak.

“Don’t say it, Cade,” she said.

“What?” he managed.

“Whatever you’re about to say. Because that was…wonderful. And I don’t want to hear you say that it wasn’t. Please, just don’t, okay?”

“It was wonderful,” he said, and that surprised her. “But I didn’t mean for it to happen. I’m still your teacher and I want to do the right thing here.”

She managed a nod, even though she didn’t want him to be logical. She wanted more kisses. But she didn’t say that. Her eyes grew watery because…well, because she couldn’t help it. She was frustrated and a little embarrassed and she still wanted him so badly.

Cade stood. “I’m walking you back to your cabin.”

“I don’t need you to do that.” She wished she could just leave already, but her limbs felt as if they were moving in slow motion.

“Look, Gabby, even outside of the professor thing, I’m not the kind of man who’s looking for a relationship,” he said softly. “My entire focus is on my daughter right now. It’s a good thing this didn’t go further because I would never want to hurt you.”

Oh, great. He was basically telling her there was no hope for them even after the class was over. Good to be clear on that.

She had one hand on the battered doorknob, and she should have just left, but then she made the mistake of looking at him. And that was when it suddenly hit her, that he was…lying. Oh, perhaps not the part about not wanting a relationship, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he still wanted her. She saw it in his eyes. In the tight set of his jaw, and the way he pressed his lips into a straight line. He couldn’t hide what they both knew. That there was something combustible between them, something bigger than both of them.

“I can walk myself.” She started to open the door to let herself out, but something made her pause. A streak of courage, maybe. Something she felt deep in her gut, as strongly as she’d ever felt anything. The certainty with which she felt it shocked her. “By the way,” she said, looking him straight in the eye, “I’m not sorry. For any of it. I’m old enough to do what I want. We’re equals. That’s where I stand with this.” She released a breath. At least for once she’d said what she needed to say. And she’d said it with conviction, which for her, felt really good.

Then she opened the door and ran out into the rain.

*  *  *

Gabby was relieved that Kaitlyn wasn’t back in the cabin. Yet at the same time, she could’ve used someone to talk to. It was still raining, though not pouring, and as soon as she got inside, she stripped off the borrowed clothing and took a shower, letting the hot water beat away her worry.

It didn’t work. She tried to console herself with the fact that, even if Kaitlyn were there, she probably wouldn’t confide in her about what had happened between her and Cade. She felt fairly certain no one had seen them together, and she made a silent vow that she would never say a word. Secrets had a tendency to get out. People saw, they overheard. She didn’t hold either one of them to blame for what had happened, and she would never want Cade’s reputation to suffer for it.

Resolutely, Gabby closed her eyes and lay back on the bed. She stuck her nose down under the collar of Cade’s sweatshirt (which she’d put back on) and breathed in the scent of him. Oh, those lips. Those hands. If the lights hadn’t come on, she would’ve made love with him right there, without hesitation. If he came back now and knocked on the door, her answer would still be the same. He was good-looking and charming and…nice. When he wasn’t in front of the classroom being all dark and broody, he was a normal, fun human being who was…irresistible. And he definitely wasn’t ever getting his sweatshirt back.

But he was her teacher. Gabby knew that she’d crossed a line she’d never crossed before. A line that would blur the lines between fairness, favoritism, and power.

She lay awake for what seemed like hours. She debated finding Sara, but she knew Sara and Colt had been looking forward to this weekend away and didn’t want to burden her. Plus, nothing had really happened, and it would be best to just forget everything, not call attention to it.

At around two in the morning, Gabby was startled from her half-awake state. She heard voices from outside the door.

“Kate, please. It’s not like that.” It was Rafe.

“Gabby’s probably sleeping,” Kaitlyn said in a hushed voice. “Please go before you wake her up.”

“Don’t be angry with me,” the first voice implored.

“I’d rather you not touch me right now,” Kaitlyn said.

Uh-oh. Did that mean Rafe did touch her…before?

“I can’t help it those women were texting me,” he said. “I swear I didn’t give them my number. The guys must’ve put them up to it.”

“Admit the truth. You came here for an easy lay. Not to spend time with me. And those floozy girls know it.”

“That’s not true.”

Gabby froze under the covers. She shouldn’t be listening to this, yet part of her could not wait to hear what was next. And for once she had the perfect excuse to eavesdrop—she was literally stuck in place.

“Then why did you keep looking at your phone when we were…you know?”

“Kaitlyn, I’d rather kiss you than look at my phone any day of the week.”

Kissing? Oh my God, they’d been kissing.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m sorry I seemed distracted,” Rafe said. “Look, I care about you a lot. You’re just…”

“I’m just what?”

“You’re just a settling-down type of girl, and I’m…”

“Don’t even finish that sentence, okay? Good night, Rafe.”

Gabby heard the door click and froze in place in her bed. She heard Kaitlyn’s long, drawn-out breath as she latched the chain. Heard her tiptoe to the bathroom and the water running as she brushed her teeth.

A few minutes later Kaitlyn sank into the bed beside her.

“You okay?” Gabby asked.

“No,” Kaitlyn said, her voice sounding muffled and strange.

Gabby clicked on the light. Kaitlyn had clearly been crying, judging by the mascara stains under her eyes and the wad of Kleenex clutched to her chest. She blew her nose loudly before dropping her head back onto the pillow.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” she said.

“I was awake,” Gabby said. “I heard you and Rafe. Is everything all right?”

Her eyes got teary again and she shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about it, if that’s all right.” She blew her nose again. “How about with you? I saw you with your cute professor.” Why did everyone refer to Cade as her professor? It reminded her of Professor Bhaer in Little Women, a character she desperately tried to love. But after Laurie, anyone else in the world would be second-rate for Jo.

“Oh, sure. Nothing to say. He’s pretty much a straight arrow about not mixing business with pleasure.”

“Is he gay?”

No. Definitely not gay. “Maybe,” she found herself saying, going a little overboard to avoid suspicion. “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

About the kissing. And touching. Or lack thereof.

Kaitlyn gave a tired sigh. “I felt like we were getting somewhere. He seemed really into me. We did a slow dance, and I don’t know, I just felt this…electricity. It was powerful, and I could tell he felt it too.” She tossed a skeptical look at Gabby. “I know you don’t believe me, but don’t pity me, okay? This time I learned my lesson.”

“I don’t pity you,” Gabby said softly. Just the opposite. She knew exactly what Kaitlyn was talking about. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Tears leaked out of Kaitlyn’s eyes, and Gabby felt at a complete loss for words.

“Look, you’ve got a great brother,” Kaitlyn said. “But he’s an emotional black hole. I mean, he’s so damn charming, and I’d had a few drinks, so he was probably even more charming than usual, and I was at the point where I’d do anything to have him for one night. So we started making out in his cabin, you know? And then…”

“The lights went out?” Gabby offered. She really didn’t want to hear the private details. She was afraid to hear the private details. And as for Rafe, she was going to kill him at the first light of dawn.

“Yes, but we barely noticed that, and things were really fantastic until his phone kept flashing. Not once or twice, but like, continuously. I couldn’t help but notice it with the lights out. Finally I looked at it and it was all texts from women.”

Gabby frowned. “What kind of women?”

“Apparently half the single women at the wedding were trying to hook up with him. And he kept looking at the texts. Honestly, I almost threw the phone at him.”

Gabby believed Rafe when he said Kaitlyn’s friendship was important to him. So he wouldn’t…he didn’t…oh God. “Rafe would never go out of his way to hurt you.” No, but he could hurt her in a careless, not-really-getting-it Rafe way. But surely he wouldn’t have…slept with her?

Kaitlyn gave a sad shrug. “It’s all right, Gabby. I was hoping he thought of us as something different. Before this weekend, he was acting like that was possible, and when he asked me to take a walk and one thing sort of led to another…Well, I was wrong. I’ve been wrong this whole time.”

“Kaitlyn, did Rafe—did you—I mean…”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Maybe if you two can talk it out…” Oh, she was not being helpful or consoling. Rafe? Talk it out? She couldn’t picture it. “Forget what I just said. Rafe needs to get his act together, and I’m not sure you—or anyone—can help him do that.”

“I’m done,” Kaitlyn said. “It’s never going to work out between us. I don’t have any more time to wait until he grows up.” She blew her nose again. “And he has problems but I’m not his shrink! I’m not anyone’s shrink. I just want a normal guy without…intimacy issues.”

“Oh, honey.” She reached out to pat Kaitlyn’s shoulder.

“It’s all right, Gabby. I’m sorry. I know Rafe’s your brother, and I don’t want you to think badly of him.”

“Don’t be sorry. I know Rafe has his issues.”

At least Kaitlyn had thought this out before she’d slept with him. She hadn’t, had she? Gabby hoped to God she hadn’t.