Page 35 of Snowbound

John nods. “You’re a hell of a girl, Carly. I can see why Gabe likes you.”

“What? No he doesn’t,” I scoff, heat rising in my cheeks as I speak one of the least believable sentences of all time.

Ruth wiggles her eyebrows at me. “What have you two been getting up to?”

“Nothing,” I lie, banishing the thought of Gabe’s lips from my mind. “He has been really good to me, though. When I first met him, I thought I was in big trouble. He wasn’t exactly what I would call friendly.”

John chuckles knowingly. “That’s our Gabe. He’s been that way forever, though ever since he got back from the service, he’s been worse than ever.”

“Was he stationed anywhere?” I ask. “You don’t have to tell me. Obviously, it’s none of my business.”

“He worked maintenance,” says Ruth. “So he wasn’t frontline or anything, But he has been kind of distant since he got back. I think that’s more to do with his parents than the military, though.”

“Really?” I ask.

“They passed away,” explains John, and a rush of embarrassment hits me. I’m glad I didn’t ask him more about it now. He already thinks I’m insensitive.

“Is that why he came back? His parents?”

Ruth nods. “He probably won’t tell you if you ask, but everyone loved his parents. He inherited his shop from his dad, and his mom was a seamstress. Everyone in town knew them. It was a car crash. It’s partly why he started operating the tow truck — he didn’t want anyone to feel stuck on the roads. He’s a good guy, really. You just have to see past his shell.”

“I think I’ve been figuring that out,” I say softly. “After all, he was kind enough to let me stay.”

“He’d do it for anyone, really. He pretends he doesn’t like people, but he just likes his own space. He’s always been like that too. He’s always valued his alone time, but he’s loyal,” says Ruth.

“And if you get on his good side, he’ll do anything for you,” adds John. “I would have been bullied so much harder at school if it hadn’t been for him.”

I nod slowly.

Everything that they say about him makes the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fit together better. He’s a lonely guy; that much is obvious. He needs some more new friends.

“You guys should hang out with him more,” I say. “Not that it’s any of my business, of course, but I feel like he could do with some friends.”

“Believe me, we’ve been trying,” scoffs John. “He’s not the easiest man in the world to convince of anything.”

“But he is going to come to our wedding,” says Ruth with that determined glint in her eyes. “That much is certain. Maybe you can come together.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” I say quickly, deflecting. But from the way I play with my hair and bite my lip, she can clearly see right through me.

The thing is, I’m not quite ready to talk to Gabe’s friends about the fact that I slept with him. That feels like way too intimate of a detail to share with someone whose wedding I’m planning, let alone strangers who are his friends. They’re hiring me to do a job, not to gossip about a guy I barely know.

“Should we get Angie back and agree to the terms?” I ask to get back on topic. “The sooner we do this, the sooner I can get on with arranging flowers and decorations.”

“Sounds good,” says John with a smile. “You really are good at this.”

“I don’t charge a lot for bad service. I’ve been at this game for a long time now. I know exactly how to pull off big events.”

“Have you ever done anyone really, really famous?” asks Ruth.

“You remember last year, Catalina, the movie star? She’s about the most famous I’ve done.”

“Oh yeah, her wedding wasfabulous,” says Ruth.

“That was all me.”

“Wow,” says Ruth. “We’re so honored.”

“It’s just a job.” I stare down at the floor so I don’t have to meet either of their eyes. I’m not usually shy about being good at my job, but I’m not often complimented about it either. “At the end of the day, it’s all about connecting with other people and getting things done. That’s all. Wedding planning is about who you know and who you can get to know quickly.”

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