Page 36 of Out of the Cold

She leaned against the counter and waited.

“About yesterday. I’m sorry if I—” He cleared his throat. “If I pushed you, or, I don’t know...You caught me at a strange time, but that’s no excuse—”

“Gabriel.”

He made himself look at her. He’d take whatever she dished out. It was only fair.

“I don’t know what that was yesterday, but you didn’t make me do anything. I wanted it, too, but now I’d rather we forgot about it.”

“Great. I agree.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. He couldn’t leave without asking one more question. “Could I have gotten you pregnant?”

A flush spread over her cheeks. “I have an IUD, so that’s not an issue.”

“Thank God.”

The first gleam of humor came into her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

“I’ve never been so careless before. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I think it’s safe to say neither of us was thinking.”

No, he’d wanted to stop thinking. Wanted to lose himself in whiskey, and when that didn’t work, in her. For a few glorious minutes, he had.

“I’m healthy, for what it’s worth,” he said. “I haven’t been with anyone since I came up here, and before that I was with someone for five years. But I’ll, ah, I’ll get tested if that would make you feel better.”

She tipped her head to one side. “If you say you’re healthy, I believe you.”

His breath left him in a long sigh of relief. She trusted him. Who knew why, but she did.

The pressure in his chest eased.

She gave an embarrassed smile. “I’m also healthy. I was with someone for a long time, too.”

“I wasn’t worried.”

“Still.”

“So we’re good then?”

“We’re good.”

There must be more to say after what happened between them, but he wasn’t sure what. “No more trouble with the fire?” he asked.

“No. I’ve got it under control.”

“Thank you for the soup. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I was trying to be neighborly.” A little smile played at the corner of her mouth. “Plus, I have a lot of time on my hands.” She pulled a container toward her and opened it up. “Have one.”

She was giving him muffins. It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse. That was always his first reaction these days. But he was hungry, dammit, and it was a nice gesture.

A peace offering.

“Thank you,” he said, taking one.

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled for real now, as if nothing could have pleased her more.

He hadn’t wanted to come here, but now he was strangely reluctant to leave. “Give a holler if you need anything.”

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