Page 59 of Gabriel & Skye

“I could take up painting.” He picks up Trinity’s little drawing and studies it for a moment.

“I like how me and the nonexistent dog got drawn into it right away.”

He chuckles. “I know, right. She has it all mapped out. Oh, and now I remember that thing she said…”

I watch him as I keep eating my lunch. It really is the best sandwich ever — and I thought I was the queen of sandwiches. “Which thing?”

“The pretty eyes comment.”

He doesn’t look at me, but something about that statement gives me butterflies.

“Oh, that.”

“Yes, that, you know kids.”

Is that the explanation?Something about that makes me feel disappointed that he’s downplaying it. “I definitely do.”

There’s a long pause as we silently eat.

“So, you don’t think I have pretty eyes?” I can’t help but ask, glancing up at him after a few moments.

“I didn’t say that, exactly.”

I’m intrigued to know what he did say, though. “I’m sure I can keep up.”

He sighs softly. “I referred to you as ‘Miss Skye’ with pretty eyes. She kept saying sky like ‘the sky is blue’, so I said yes, the sky is blue. But Skye’s eyes are a pretty green. Words to that effect.”

I can’t help the smile that sweeps across my face. “That’s very sweet.”

“There’s that word again.” He chuckles. “I’ve been called many things in my time, but never that.”

“Maybe the women in Stoney Creek are a little out of touch?”

“It’s a possibility,” he chuckles. “But I might just be biased.”

15

Gabriel

I’m sure I must be dreaming. And whatever it was I was dreaming about has me in a spin. All I know is my body is shaking, my mind is reeling… and there’s a pretty redhead next to me. I run a hand through my hair as I adjust to the moonlit darkness.

The faint smell of peonies tells me exactly who it is.

I lean over, tentatively, and smell her skin as she lays dreaming. A small sigh escapes her lips as I press my body into hers. Her back to my front.

She stirs under my touch and rolls around to face me.

“Gabe,” she sighs, breathing into my chest and pulling my body close to her as she takes me in.

“Red. I didn’t mean to wake you,” I whisper.

“It’s alright. Are you okay? You’re soaking.”

“Just a bad dream.”

She wraps her arms around me and I hold her body close to mine, then her leg hitches around my waist. “But you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I am now. You chase the demons away, baby.”

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