Page 80 of A Table for Two
He hadn’t been able to cut off communication completely and had sent her texts to make sure she was okay. His friends’ suggestion to extend his time played over in his head like a refrain from a song. But what would happen after that extra month or two? Sure, he’d warmed to the town, but could he live in Firefly Lake permanently? Or would he grow tired of it after a while? And if he did, what would happen to his relationship with Serenity? The questions bombarded his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut to try to block them out. However, they kept coming, demanding answers he didn’t have. The only things he knew for sure were that he didn’t want to spend weeks or months away from Serenity and that his heart had been steadily opening to the possibility of staying.
For the rest of the week, Gabriel kept up the grueling pace, but no matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t outrun his feelings. And outside of a couple of brief text messages, he’d stopped answering Darius’s and Brent’s calls, not wanting to answer their questions, either. By Friday, he couldn’t take it anymore. His friends would probably laugh themselves silly if they knew he was running around acting like a lovesick fool. At the moment, he’d accept the name because hehadto see her, kiss her.
Thirty minutes later, he stood on her doorstep, ringing the bell.
“Gabriel, hi,” Serenity said when she opened the door.
For a moment, Gabriel could only stare. He didn’t understand why this one woman got to him. Today she wore a low-cut tank top and shorts that showcased her beautiful body. She’d left her hair down, and her braids swirled around her face and down her back. The memory of his hands fisted in the mass as he feasted on her mouth appeared in his mind, and he fought back the urge for a repeat.
She folded her arms, an amused expression on her face. “Are you going to say something, or stand there staring all day? This isn’t the first time you’ve seen me wearing shorts.”
He dropped his head and chuckled. “Sorry. Hi. Can I come in for a minute?”
She unlocked the screen and held it open. “What’s up?”
When Gabriel passed, his body brushed against hers, and the contact sent heat thrumming through him. “I just wanted to see you. I missed hanging out with you.”
Serenity stared up at him, seemingly contemplating his words, then said softly, “I missed you, too.”
He’d planned to broach the subject of them maybe continuing to see each other once he returned home, but the words got stuck in his throat. Instead he asked, “Are you busy right now?”
“Well, I was about to change clothes and go to Ms. Ida’s for a late dinner.”
“Would you like some company?” He observed the play of emotions on her face and knew she was probably thinking about them being seen together. Outside the trip to the ice cream parlor, they still hadn’t done anything in town. Since he’d been in town for almost three months and Adele had pretty much put out a news bulletin every time she saw the two of them, he figured they should be old news by now.
“Sure. Give me a few while I change.”
“I’ll wait here.”
She nodded. “I won’t be long.”
Gabriel crossed the living room and sat on the love seat. His phone buzzed, and he sighed when he saw a message from Darius:You okay, bro? We’re worried about you.He sent back a short reply and hoped it would be enough to appease him:Fine. Just focused on the program.He breathed a sigh of relief when no other message came through. Serenity returned a minute later, and he swiftly came to his feet. She’d changed into a sleeveless V-neck top, a pair of crop pants, and wedge-heeled sandals.
“I’m ready.”
“Have you seen Brianna?” he asked once they were on the road.
“I went by yesterday, and she is steadily improving and getting back to her old self. Her mom is having a time keeping her from jumping around so much.”
Gabriel laughed. “Yeah, I don’t know any six-year-olds who understand the definition of ‘slow down,’ ‘stop running,’ or ‘be still.’”
Serenity joined his laughter. “Exactly.”
He grasped her hand. “I’m really glad she’s doing well. I know how hard it was on you to see her hurt. I remember you saying you’ve known her from birth.”
“Yes. I’d only been here three weeks and was working in the ER at the hospital. I helped deliver her right in the back seat of her parents’ car. We didn’t even have time to get her in the door before Brianna came into the world.”
“No wonder you’re so close to her family.” It also explained why she always got invited to family gatherings and had been on the call list when Brianna was injured. Gabriel turned onto the street and found parking a few doors down from the restaurant.
“This is rare for a Friday night,” Serenity said. “But it’s past the dinner rush, so hopefully, it won’t be crowded. I’m starving.”
He got out of the car and came around to help her. “You haven’t eaten today? It’s almost eight o’clock.”
“Not since about noon, and I only had a boiled egg and half a banana.”
He shook his head.
“What? I had another long day, and then I got caught up reading this mystery thriller when I came home and forgot to eat.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Don’t act like you don’t ever skip meals when you’re on that computer working on some video game or program.”
