“And now the woman who stole your heart with a glance is back,” Lexi said, taking another drink of the champagne. “And so you’re going to be with her, which is great. I was just leaving anyway.” She drained her glass. “That’s wonderful news, Gabe. I wish you both all the best.”
He stared at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Thanks for tonight, Gabe. It was great.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly. “But I need to go.”
“Won’t you stay and enjoy the champagne?”
“It’s late.” Lexi scooted off the bed. She peeled off his shirt, cast it over a chair, and reached for her underwear. He looked astonished that she was going to leave, but she was surprised he expected her to listen to him rave about the woman he loved. “You don’t have to spell it out for me, Gabe. I get it. And no hard feelings. Seriously. It must have been a blue moon tonight...” She glanced up to find Gabe standing in front of her, a formidable barrier between her and the door, his hands on his hips.
He was frowning. “Why do you always run?”
Always? Lexi was confused by that. “I’m not running,” she insisted. “I’m leaving so you can get on with your life. I shouldn’t have come home with you in the first place. You’re the one who said it wasn’t a good idea to mix work and pleasure, and you’re right.”
Gabe glowered at her. “But I wanted you to. And you wanted to be here, with me. What’s changed in the last ten seconds?”
Lexi couldn’t believe she had to spell it out for him. “Three’s a crowd in my book.”
Gabe, to Lexi’s astonishment, swore. Her eyes widened. She was pretty sure she’d never heard him swear before. He paced to the door and back again, pushed a hand through his hair, then glared at her. “Don’t you want to know about her?”
The short answer was no, but Lexi could tell it wasn’t the right answer. She didn’t want to hear the details about the fabulous dream woman. Why did he want to tell her so badly? She’d been intimate with him and he was still an enigma.
But he was...ruffled. That was new.
And interesting.
Lexi tugged on his shirt again and folded her arms across her chest. “Okay. Tell me.”
“You don’t have to ask on sufferance.” He seemed to be insulted and Lexi wondered what he’d expected.
“No, I’d like to know. Really.” She tried to smile again because he seemed so grumpy. “I’m curious to know what kind of woman could capture your heart before you even knew her name.” She raised her brows. “Besides a beautiful one.”
“Real beauty is more than skin deep,” Gabe said. He took a deep breath, then retrieved their glasses and filled them again. “She was confident of her beauty. That’s what was so enticing about her.” His tone turned thoughtful and she knew he was thinking of that moment, the one when he’d met her. “If you took an inventory, she probably wasn’t the most beautiful woman ever. It was the way she danced, the way she moved, the way she smiled. She accepted her beauty and embraced it in a way that is unusual.”
Lexi felt that pang of envy again, which was no wonder given the yearning in Gabe’s tone. He wanted to talk about this. She could listen, especially after the pleasure they’d shared.
She sat down and gave him her attention. “Where did you meet her?”
“At a party at my restaurant. It was after-hours, a private party.”
“I went to some of those. Invitation only.” Lexi took a gulp of champagne for fortification. How long could it take him to tell this story? On the other hand, it wasn’t as if she had anything else to do in the middle of the night.
Funny how she really didn’t want to hear about Gabe’s beloved.
It wasn’t as if they had any chance of a future together. This had just been fun.
“It was a fourth of July party, although it was probably the fifth by the time I met her.”
That made Lexi frown. How strange that this night was an anniversary for Gabe, too. It was doubly strange that he’d wanted to spend it with her. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to be alone either. “So, how could you not know who she was, if it was at your place?”
“She must have come with someone else, someone I knew, but I didn’t see her arrive. She was dancing when I first saw her.” He smiled in recollection and the sweetness of his expression tore at her heart. “You know how they say you should dance like no one’s watching?”
Lexi nodded, feeling a stab of desire. She wanted a man to smile like that when he thought of her. Her new tattoo throbbed in apparent agreement. Deep in her heart, though, she feared what she’d have to give up to achieve that goal.
And that the triumph would be fleeting.
She wanted to believe that love lasted, but her own parents had taught her that it often didn’t.
“She did.” Gabe nodded approval, his smile revealing that he was lost in the memory, then sipped his champagne.
“What did she look like?” Lexi had to know.
“Young, slender. Her dark hair was cut short and she wore these silver earrings that sparkled and swung as she danced. I can still see the way they kind of splashed against her cheeks. It made her laugh and she had a great laugh.”
Lexi’s throat was tight. “I had earrings like that once. When my hair was short, I wore a lot of long earrings and big hoops.”
He nodded but didn’t seem particularly interested.
She’d lost more than one pair, too, because she had a habit of taking them off at night and forgetting them. There’d been that one pair she really liked, all little silver leaves. Funny how Tristan had picked silver leaves out of his treasure chest in Chynna’s shop, like the bird knew. She wished she hadn’t lost that pair. She’d liked how they tinkled.
It was too easy to recall which night she’d lost them.
Lexi felt a lump rise in her throat.
Then she realized that Gabe was watching her again.
“How’d you actually meet her?” she asked.
“I went and danced with her. The music was too loud to ask her to dance, so I just started to dance in her vicinity. She laughed and turned to me, and soon we were dancing together. When the music changed to a slow song, it seemed inevitable that she’d move into my arms.” He shook his head. “It was hours before I let her go. I shouldn’t have done it even then.”
Lexi understood his implication. “She disappeared when you closed your eyes.”
“I fell asleep after we made love for the second time.”
The second time? Wait a minute. They did it twice? After a private after-hours party? After they had champagne? Lexi frowned, thinking about those freckles on Gabe’s shoulder...Veuve Clicquot...
No.
That would be an insane coincidence.
Still, she felt a little chill inside.
“Where was this?” she asked.
“Portland,” Gabe admitted and Lexi’s heart stopped cold. “I had a little apartment above the restaurant,” he continued easily, apparently unaware that Lexi’s eyes had narrowed. “We were there. We’d had only a little bit of the champagne. The bubbles made her laugh. I heard the kitchen staff arriving to start prep for the day, that’s what woke me up. I rolled over and she was gone.”
“No note?” Lexi asked, but she was pretty sure she knew the answer.
Impossible.
“No note. No name.” Gabe shrugged. “We didn’t waste a lot of time talking.”
Lexi wanted to run as far as she could immediately. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. She would have known.
Wouldn’t she have? She studied Gabe, quietly panicking although she wasn’t entirely sure why.
If it had been Gabe...
“She was captivating.” Gabe sighed and Lexi’s heart twisted. “I remember her eyes. They were this wonderful silvery-blue and so expressive. I had the sense that I was drowning in them, that I could look so deeply that I disappeared in her.”
“Really?” The confession was so heartfelt that it made Lexi a little uncomfortable. She had grey-blue eyes herself. Was Gabe thinking of his missing beloved when he watched her? Was she a substitute?
Or was her newfound suspicion right?
Which possibility was worse?
Lexi quickly finished her glass of champagne, feeling a definite urge to flee.
“It was like she wasn’t real, like she hadn’t ever been with me. She disappeared so completely. I spent ages looking for her, asking after her, trying to find out who and where she was, but no luck.”
“And you’re haunted by her just based on one night together?” she asked, knowing she sounded skeptical.
“One magical night together,” Gabe corrected. “Oh, and I do have one thing to remember her by.”
“What?”
He held up a finger, then left the bedroom. Lexi put down her glass and followed him, curious despite herself. He went to a drawer at the far end of the kitchen counter. When he opened it, there was only one thing in it. An envelope. He walked back toward her as he opened it, then dumped the contents into his hand.
Lexi blinked and stared. The pair of delicate silver earrings contrasted with the smoothness of Gabe’s palm. She could see even when they were tangled that they would hang long, and she remembered their little leaves and how they sparkled, how they felt against her cheeks when she danced.
They were the earrings she’d lost in Portland.
That favorite pair.
The ones she’d lost that night.
Astonished despite her suspicions, she raised her gaze to find Gabe watching her. “Fourteen years ago, a beautiful woman with silver-blue eyes stole my heart and disappeared.” His voice dropped low and his gaze became more intense. “The worst part is that I don’t even think she remembers me.”
He stretched out his hand, offering the earrings, and Lexi couldn’t think of a thing to say.
It had been Gabe, all those years ago.
He was the father of her child.
He’d been right in front of her for over two years.
And he said she’d stolen his heart that night.
Was it possible that everything she’d always wanted had been within her grasp all this time, but she hadn’t seen it?
Gabe watched Lexi swallow and knew that he’d been right all along.
She hadn’t remembered him.
Even though he’d suspected as much, the realization was like a knife in his gut.
She took a step back, her posture becoming wary, and he feared she was going to run.
Again.
“She was drunk,” she said, her voice husky.
“Was she?” Gabe replied quietly. “I wasn’t.”
“No. You never are.” Lexi’s gaze was locked on the earrings as if she couldn’t believe they were real. “She was a virgin.”
He nodded. “She was. That surprised me.”
“Why?”
“Because of the way she danced. Because it never occurred to me.”
“She was young.” Lexi swallowed. “Naive.”
“Sweet,” Gabe said and she glanced up at him, vulnerability in her eyes. That made him feel like a jerk. He didn’t want to hurt her. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her then, and he really didn’t want to do it now.
But he had to tell her the truth.
All of it.
He toyed with the earrings, then cleared his throat. “I thought for a long time that I might not have been gentle enough.”
Lexi shook her head, her tears welling, and Gabe really felt like a jerk. He’d waited so long, hoping she’d remember, and had tried to tell her gently.
That Lexi was going to cry was proof that he should have tried harder.
“You knew all along,” she accused.
He nodded, guilty as charged. “I recognized you when Spencer introduced us.”
“You didn’t say anything!” She was becoming angry, proof that this was going badly.
“Is it so wrong that I wanted you to remember me?” Gabe shoved a hand through his hair. “I tried to keep our relationship platonic. I wanted you to remember...”
“Do not blame me,” she said, her words low and dangerous.
“I’m not blaming you for anything!” Gabe knew he’d raised his voice and tried to calm down. “I thought you maybe were remembering. The way you looked at me sometimes. The way you talked to me, shared jokes with me.” He felt frazzled and irritated, but he knew he was mostly furious with himself. Everything was a mess and it was his own fault. “When you agreed to come home with me tonight, it was everything.”
“You could have told me.”
“I really thought you would remember.”
She swallowed and lifted a finger toward his shoulder. “Casseopeia,” she whispered. “I thought it was quite the coincidence to have met two men with a similar cluster of freckles, then I thought I had to be remembering wrong.”
“You weren’t.” Their gazes clung for a long moment.
“You thought I would remember when we had sex.”
“I hoped.” Then he shook a finger at her. “And just for the record, we’ve never had sex. We were making love every time.”
“Not that first night.”
“Definitely that first night.”
Something changed in her eyes then, and he sensed her softening toward him. If he didn’t have one more secret to surrender, this might have ended well. He might have saved it.
But he had to tell her.
Gabe grimaced in anticipation of her reaction and closed his fist around the earrings. “I didn’t want to trick you, Lexi. That wasn’t my intention, even though you must feel like it worked out that way. I just wanted you to remember.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t. At least, not really.” She took a step closer, needing something he knew better than to give.
“Was it too fast that night? Did I hurt you? Is that why you don’t remember?”
“You were wonderful,” she admitted, her words husky. “So tender. It was perfect, Gabe. Don’t imagine otherwise.”
He had to ask. “Then why did you run? Why didn’t you come back?”
She met his gaze, pain in her own, pain far beyond what he wanted to see there. “Because I couldn’t remember where I’d been. I was so drunk.” Her voice rose in frustration. “I remembered dancing. I remembered making love, how it felt, how sweet it was. And nothing else, Gabe.”
“You cried,” he whispered. “I was so worried.”
“I cried because it was so powerful. I didn’t know anything about making love. I felt like such a child.” She swallowed, her fingertips fluttering for a second against his chest. “And you were such a man.” Her voice dropped, then she raised her gaze to his. He saw hope there, and hated that he had to destroy it. “Are.”
He held out the earrings again, like a peace offering.
Or a barricade between them.
Lexi accepted them, their hands brushing.
Her fleeting touch made him shiver deep inside. It was strange in a way how sure he was that she was the woman for him, how he’d known almost on sight all those years ago.
He should have waited, trusted in fate, but he hadn’t.
She studied him. “That’s why you watch so closely.”
“That’s not the only reason. You’re beautiful.”
She made a sound of frustration in her throat, then smiled at him. “Is that why we’re having champagne? Because you decided to confess and you think I’ll give you a second chance?”
The light in her eyes made Gabe wish he didn’t have the second confession to make. He had to make it now, before she touched him. “Even if you do, I’ll have to figure out what to do about Daphne...”
It was blunt, but effective. He hated how her expression changed.
Lexi took a step back. “Daphne? Who’s Daphne?”
This was the part where everything would go to hell but Gabe didn’t flinch. “My wife.”
He saw Lexi’s eyes flash. “Wife? As in the person you married?”
“Wife,” he agreed.
Lexi stared at him in disbelief, then spun away, hurrying back to the bedroom. “I have to go,” she said, her voice terse. She flung his shirt across the bed and by the time he caught up to her, she was half-dressed. “Don’t worry. I’ll act like this never happened when I see you at work tomorrow.”
“Lexi! I want to talk about this.”
“I don’t. How can you be married? How could you not tell me that you’re married? You didn’t think that was a pertinent detail a few hours ago?” She glared at him for an intent moment, then turned her back upon him to fasten her shirt.
“I couldn’t resist,” Gabe admitted.
“Well, if you’d told me the truth, I would have resisted,” she said with heat.
“I know.” His voice was rueful. He hated his own weakness for her touch, but then, he wouldn’t have it any other way. She was the one. “I can explain...”
“As if!” Lexi was fuming. “Married! What could you possibly say to make this right?”
“It isn’t relevant,” he said simply.
She pivoted to face him, her expression horrified. “Gabe! I thought you had integrity! How could you think your marriage wasn’t relevant?” Her eyes narrowed to hostile slits. “Does Daphne think your marriage isn’t relevant?”
“It’s not like that...”
“I really don’t want to know what it’s like,” Lexi said furiously. “I slept with a married man. Even though I didn’t know—because he didn’t tell me—what does that make me?” Before he could answer, she pushed past him barefoot, grabbing her purse from the sofa. “How could you stand here and suggest that you love me, when you’re married to someone else?”
“I married her when I couldn’t find you,” Gabe said. “I married her because I had to do the right thing.”
“Oh my God,” Lexi whispered. “She was pregnant?”
Gabe nodded, hoping he’d have a chance to explain but doubting it. “She...”
He was right. Lexi held up a hand to silence him. “This just keeps getting worse. I might as well have gone home with a stranger. Who are you? I can’t believe I was so wrong about you.” She eyed him, clearly incredulous, which Gabe thought was maybe a good thing.
If Lexi couldn’t quite believe the worst of him, maybe he still had a chance. He took a step toward her, but Lexi backed toward the door.
“Oh no,” she said, that hand up like a traffic cop. “You’re not going to distract me with your touch. I’m not going to make this mistake twice. We’re done, Gabe. No story is ever going to fix this.”
“What about the truth?” he demanded.
“I liked it better when you had secrets,” she admitted and grabbed her shoes.
“I’m not kidding about you stealing my heart that night.”
“That would be why you married someone else,” she said, her tone sarcastic.
“I couldn’t find you!”
“I don’t care!” she shouted. “Marriage is supposed to be forever.”
“Don’t you want to know the story?”
“No! I don’t care. It was one night and now it’s two. You know nothing about me if you think anything could make this okay. You’re in love with a fantasy.” She reached for the door. “If you knew me at all, you’d know that I don’t like lies of omission.”
“And you keep your own secrets locked away,” Gabe added, his own frustration rising. “Why are you so ready to compromise, Lexi? Why don’t you want more for yourself?”
Those eyes flashed like lightning and he thought that if she’d been closer, she might have slapped him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I couldn’t believe you were still waiting tables when I found you. What happened to all those dreams you told me about?”
She paled. “That’s exactly why I’m leaving. I do want more for myself,” she said hotly. “I want a partner who is honest with me, and one who doesn’t have any other partners hidden away. If you think I compromise, in this case, you helped.”
“I don’t mean in this case,” Gabe argued. Maybe something good could come out of this. “What happened to that woman I first met, the ambitious one who had a thousand plans for the future? I actually thought about looking for you in Europe, because you said you were going to go there to paint.”
She glared at him and her words were tight. “How dare you judge me? You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you’re afraid and that’s new, and I can’t figure out why you changed.” Gabe was angry enough to say the truth aloud. “I see the change in you, Lexi, but I can’t explain it. What happened?”
“It’s not for you to know.” Lexi hauled open the door, a Whirling Dervish intent upon disappearing, too determined to put distance between them to even pull on her shoes.
“I’ll give you a ride,” Gabe shouted after her, grabbing his keys on the way to the door before he remembered that Lexi had driven her own car from the lodge.
“No need to bother. Bye, Gabe. Have a nice life.” She started the engine of the Subaru and gave it a lot of gas, then squealed the tires in her hurry to escape.
He stood and watched her tail lights until they disappeared, wondering how he could have managed his confession any better. He still couldn’t think of a way. He still couldn’t think of a solution. It was one hell of a mess, but having Lexi furious with him only made it worse.
It meant there was absolutely no chance of fixing it.
Gabe was clenching and unclenching his fist around his car keys, squeezing them so tightly that the sharp edges dug into his hand.
The only good thing was that he didn’t have to decide what to do about Daphne anytime soon.
That wasn’t consolation enough.
He went back into the house and slammed the door hard behind himself. Was this what Mike had wanted for him?
What would Mike want him to do?
He wanted to break something, even though he knew that wouldn’t help. Lexi was gone and would never talk to him again. Well done.
No matter how Gabe looked at it, it was true that no good deed ever went unpunished.
Gabe’s house was on the same lake as the lodge, in the opposite direction to Honey Hill and the house where Lexi had grown up, where she currently lived. Lexi’s brother Spencer’s home was in the forest, north of the lodge.
Halfway back to the lodge, Lexi changed her mind about going home. Her anger was diminishing to a level that let her think more clearly, and she impulsively took the turn to Spencer’s house. She didn’t care what he was doing at this hour—although she could guess what it might be, given that Olivia had moved into his place—because she needed some answers.
It made sense to her that Spencer might have them.
Had he lied to her, too?
Lexi parked the Subaru beside his porch, turned off the engine, and ran up the steps. There were only a couple of lights on inside and a million stars overhead. It was quiet and tranquil at his cabin, at least until Lexi pounded on the door. “Spencer! How could you not tell me about Daphne?”
Lights flicked on immediately and she saw her brother’s silhouette as he approached the door. He opened it and she glared at him. “How do you know about Daphne?” he asked.
It was true then.
“Gabe told me.” Lexi didn’t bother to hide her anger, although she buried her disappointment. They were partners.
Spencer’s expression became wary. “Where have you been since closing?”
Lexi took a deep breath. “I’m an adult, Spencer...”
“You were with Gabe,” he guessed and when she nodded, he swore. “Gabe made me promise,” he said quietly, then stepped back, inviting her inside.
“You didn’t have to promise.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I’m your sister!”
“I know that.” Spencer leaned against the kitchen counter. He was wearing briefs and a loose red T-shirt, but Lexi had seen him naked enough times not to be offended. She was riled up and wanted to pace—or maybe smash something.
“You both lied to me,” she charged and Olivia came out of the bedroom, looking sleepy and flushed. She was wearing one of Spencer’s T-shirts, too.
“It’s okay,” Spencer said to her. “I know you’re tired. Go back to bed.”
“I could make tea,” Olivia offered, then covered a yawn with her hand. She smiled a little at Spencer and her expression looked sultry to Lexi. “Or hot chocolate.”
Something hot fired between the two of them in that moment, making Lexi feel like she’d interrupted something. Or that she was observing something she shouldn’t have the chance to see.
“I won’t stay long,” she said. “I just wanted to know why.”
Spencer nodded at Olivia. She waved her fingertips at Lexi and retreated to the bedroom, hips swinging. Spencer watched, then sighed as he turned to face his sister. His eyes were vehemently blue, which she knew meant he’d tell her the truth.
He folded his arms across his chest, looking both formidable and determined, and Lexi knew he’d tell her the truth quickly.
Perfect.
“I wanted to say something as soon as he came to the lodge. There was energy between you two, right from day one, and I knew about Daphne, because of the health insurance we chose. I also knew they weren’t really together anymore...”
Lexi recalled Gabe’s insistence that his marriage wasn’t relevant. “How do you know that?”
“In the six years I’ve worked with Gabe, I’ve never met her. Never even seen a picture. He never talks about her. He only goes to visit once a year.”
Lexi persisted. “He said she was pregnant when they got married.
Spencer shrugged, evasive.
It was hard to believe that Gabe would be a shit father. “What aren’t you telling me?” she demanded.
“You should ask Gabe.”
Lexi growled under her breath and paced the length of the kitchen. “I’m not going there,” she said fiercely. “I’m not going to be anything like Gillian.”
She was referring to their stepmother, who had gotten involved with their father while their parents were still married. The resulting divorce had been bitter, and their mom had never been the same.
Lexi supposed in a way that she wasn’t the same either.
She certainly didn’t believe that marriage automatically led to a happy ending.
Thanks to Gillian and Dad.
Spencer was thoughtful, though. He’d always had an ability to think rationally about even the most emotional issues, so Lexi had a habit of listening to him. Her emotions often got the better of her.
“I’m not sure Gabe’s is the kind of marriage that you and I mean when we talk about marriage,” he said, his tone cautious.
Lexi shook her head. “What does that mean? She’s his wife. What other kind of marriage is there?”
“He literally never talks about her,” Spencer said. “I don’t think they phone or email each other much. If they were friends, they’d have a closer relationship than what they seem to have.” He frowned. “So, when Gabe wanted me to promise not to tell you or anyone else about Daphne, I thought maybe he intended to leave her. I thought maybe it wasn’t a real marriage.”
“But it is a real marriage if he’s providing health insurance to her as his legal wife.”
Spencer winced. “I know.”
Lexi exhaled through her teeth. “I won’t be a part of breaking up that marriage.”
Spencer looked a bit discomfited, and she supposed he felt caught between his friend and partner, and her.
“You trusted Gabe,” she guessed.
“He said he wouldn’t hurt you.” Spencer gave her a look. “I wondered why he only talked about you when we were discussing keeping his marriage secret from everyone.”
Lexi knew the answer to that, but she wasn’t going to share that detail with her brother. “This isn’t my fault.”
“I’m not saying it is. I’m just not sure Gabe’s as guilty as you want to believe him to be.”
Maybe. Lexi had to admit that was consistent with her impression of Gabe.
“He promised he’d tell you if it ever mattered.”
“And he told me tonight.” She pulled herself up to sit on the counter. She heaved a sigh and rubbed her temples. “I suppose we could have gone on having sport sex and he could have kept it to himself.”
“He could have. It couldn’t have been easy to confess that to you.” Spencer shrugged. “Probably spoiled the mood.”
“So, now you’re taking his side?”
“There are no sides, Lexi,” Spencer said with impatience. “I’ve always thought that there was something between you two, something that neither of you seemed to want to explore.”
“I did,” Lexi admitted. “But Gabe always made it clear that he was off-limits.”
“Uh huh. Who made the move tonight?”
Lexi felt herself blush, remembering Gabe’s insistence that they’d been making love, and dropped her gaze. “He suggested it, but I could have said no.”
“That sounds like Gabe.”
Lexi nodded. “Afterward he opened champagne and started talking about some mystery woman who stole his heart years ago. I thought she was back and he was getting together with her again, although I couldn’t figure out why he was pouring champagne for me.”
Spencer seemed equally mystified, so Gabe apparently hadn’t told him this bit.
Lexi met his gaze. “Then he said that woman was me, that he’s been looking for me for fourteen years.”
“You?” Spencer blinked. “But you would have been just in college.”
“Yes.”
Her brother looked puzzled. “Are you that woman? Or was he wrong?”
She frowned and swallowed. “I had a one-nighter then, my first time, and I didn’t remember the guy. Turns out it was Gabe. He said he knew the minute you introduced me to him, but I didn’t remember.”
“Are you sure?”
Lexi dug in her pocket and produced the earrings. “I lost these that night, and he’d kept them.”
“I remember those. You used to wear them a lot.” Spencer studied Lexi for a long moment. “So, what does this mean? Are you staying at the lodge then?”
“No! He’s married!”
Spencer frowned and shook his head. “I’m pretty sure he’s been married less than fourteen years.”
Lexi considered that. “He said he couldn’t find me.”
“So, he tried. Did you try to find him?”
Lexi shook her head, although she knew she had a good reason for that. “Then he said he had to do the right thing. Do you know about the kid?”
Spencer shook his head.
“But the insurance?”
“It’s a family plan. I’ve never dug into the details.”
“You could.”
“You should talk to Gabe.”
Lexi flung herself from the counter, hating the thought of being responsible for someone’s misery. “This is awful! How could Gabe not tell me? I thought he was all about principles...”
“He is,” Spencer said, interrupting her. “Which means this is only part of the story.”
Lexi spun to look at him. “Don’t tell me to go back and talk to him.”
“Who else knows the truth?” Once again, Spencer sounded reasonable. “He seems like the best person to ask, given that neither of us know Daphne.”
“I’m not sure I want to know the truth.”
Spencer came to stand in front of her. “One question: if Gabe had told you tonight about you being the mystery woman but he wasn’t married, what would your reaction be?”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t see the point of speculating.”
“But if you were together fourteen years ago and then now, you couldn’t have expected him to be chaste all those years.” Spencer lifted a brow. “You weren’t.”
“No, of course not.” Lexi averted her gaze.
“And he said he tried to find you.”
Lexi heaved a sigh. “And he was hoping I’d remember.”
Spencer, the heart and soul of patience, waited.
Finally, she nodded. “If Gabe wasn’t married, I’d be trying to unravel all of his secrets, to find out whether we could really fall in love or not. I’d be making love to him again right now.”
“Because you care about him?”
“I’ve always liked him. I wouldn’t even have had casual sex with him otherwise.”
“So, you’d be thinking that what you want to find might be right here, already within your grasp, and that you didn’t have to leave Honey Hill to find it.”
Lexi met her brother’s steady gaze and bit her lip. How could she explain that she didn’t have his bedrock faith in forever? “Maybe. Which doesn’t mean that it is right here, just that there’s a possibility—or there would be one if Gabe wasn’t married.”
“But you’re just going to ignore that possibility and walk away, without even trying to get to the bottom of this particular secret?” He shook a finger at her. “Even knowing that Gabe is a principled guy, so there must be a good reason for his situation? That’s chicken-shit, Lexi.”
She grimaced at the truth in that. “Married is big, Spencer. I’m not going to do what Gillian did.”
“Maybe it’s not the same situation.”
Lexi sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. “After what our dad did with Gillian, I swore I’d never get involved with a married man. I hate that I have.”
“One night.”
“It wouldn’t have even been that if Gabe had told me the truth! I feel like he tricked me into abandoning my principles.”
“Maybe that’s a good place to start your discussion.”
“But...”
“But you know Gabe, and I know Gabe,” Spencer said firmly, interrupting her. “He’s not a slimeball or an opportunist. He wouldn’t try to take advantage of you.”
“He said he didn’t tell me because he wanted me to remember him.”
“So, he’s a romantic. That’s not a crime.”
“No, but he still lied.”
“Not outright.”
“By omission still counts.”
“And you’ve never done that?”
Lexi had to turn away from the truth. The fact was that she owed Gabe a confession, too. Now that she knew he was the guy from that night, she should tell him about the baby.
Her gut went cold at the thought. She’d never told anybody about that.
“So, tell him how you feel about lies, too.” Spencer stood back so Lexi could go to the door. “I think you need to give him a chance to explain. And if you don’t like the truth once you know it, well, that’s another thing. But it would be really dumb to discard something that looks promising without making sure.” He flicked his finger across the tip of her nose. “My baby sister is a lot of things, but she’s not stupid.”
Lexi gave Spencer a hug. He had this amazing ability to help her sort out conflicting feelings and make a sensible plan. She felt better already about Gabe being the man from her past, even if she was tangled up about her own necessary confession. “Do you know anything about Daphne?”
“Her name. Her address. I could probably scare up her social security number, but who cares? What you really want to know is why Gabe felt he had to marry her.”
Lexi drew back to meet Spencer’s gaze. “There’s an obvious answer.”
“Which doesn’t mean it’s the truth. We’d like to think everyone married for love, but remember, he thought you were gone forever.”
And he said he loved her.
Could he?
Did he?
Or did he love a fantasy?
Spencer shrugged. “Gabe has integrity. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’d felt obligated to do it for another reason than true love.”
Lexi couldn’t think of what that might be. She shoved a hand through her hair, recognizing that the longer she stayed, the more questions Spencer awakened. “Thanks. Sorry for interrupting.”
“We hadn’t started much yet,” he admitted with a grin. He gave her a look. “Just don’t come back in ten minutes. I won’t answer the door.”
Lexi laughed at that and headed for the door. “Maybe Olivia wants hot chocolate,” she whispered.
“I know what she wants,” Spencer said with a confidence that was probably deserved.
“Bye, Olivia,” Lexi called from the door. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That gives her a lot of options,” Spencer said, then bolted the door behind her. He stood, silhouetted in the window, watching until Lexi drove away, then turned off the lights when she was almost back to the road.
The way she figured it, Gabe would still be awake.
Drinking champagne.
That gave her pause. If she went back to find out the truth now, when there was champagne and Gabe was intent upon convincing her to give him another chance, Lexi knew what would happen.
She’d cave.
She might be persuaded to get involved with Gabe despite his marriage, just because the sex had been so good and he offered more.
She wanted to be sure.
Lexi turned onto the road and headed back toward the lodge, and ultimately to her parents’ house.
She had to sleep on this.