Page 27 of Fierce-Gabe

“When did she find out?” Carolyn asked.

Trent grinned. “I know she was doing your dirty work for you. I told her on Friday and then said if she said a word she was fired.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Roni said to Trent.

“Because he doesn’t mean it,” Raina said.

“I can’t believe this has been going on and not once have we had a clue,” Garrett said, shaking his head.

“Now you get to go figure out what to do with my sister,” Royce said. Royce was just adding salt to the wound with that comment. “She’ll be here soon. I saw you putting your head together with my father and Jim McCarthy. Barking up the wrong tree there with Gabe, but I don’t think you want to believe me.”

Royce and Elise were close. Really close and there was another person telling them to move on from Gabe and Elise. He was starting to have doubts.

“I don’t think so,” Diane said.

“Those two don’t even like to be in the same room together,” Royce said.

“Do you know why?” Grant asked.

“Sorry,” Royce said. “I know you asked my father, but I’m not playing along. Whether I know or not, I’m not saying. Have fun with that one.”

Garrett knew enough to let this drop. They not only made progress today but also checked one off their list.

His wife and Diane were called away and he and Grant went to greet some more people but stopped before they reached them. “At least we can focus on Elise and Gabe tonight,” he said.

“No,” Grant said. “Too many people. We can talk and take notes and figure that one out later. No way we are getting anywhere tonight. I’ll tell our wives to keep their eyes open, but that is about it at this point.”

“Well,” he said, “remember, Royce and Chloe got their start at this party. Raina and Cody too. There could be something about it that helps us along.”

“You tell yourself that,” Grant said. “But tonight, I’m just going to relax because tomorrow we get to see more of our good work when Flynn and Julia tie the knot.”

“You’ve got a point there,” he said. Then they moved off to talk to more people while his eyes searched out Gabe. He knew Gabe was here but hadn’t seen Elise yet.

He wasn’t sure if it helped or hurt their case that those closest to Elise knew who they had planned and kept warning them off.

But when he spotted Gabe an hour later and his eyes were on Elise watching her without Elise knowing, he had to go with his gut on this one.

At least one side of the couple seemed to be interested so maybe it could work.

“We haveto stop meeting like this,” Gabe said to Elise at the food table. He’d been looking for her as he’d heard she’d be here. He should have figured she’d come in late.

It was close to nine at this point.

“I’m going to start thinking that you are following me,” she said, turning to look at him. He caught her eyes looking him over the same as he’d been doing earlier.

From the tips of her black pumps that he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her in to the black pants and red sweater. It might be the most festive top he’d seen on her too. Not that she stood out by any means other than she always would to him.

“Just getting something to eat,” he said. “And before you bite my head off, people are watching. Lots of eyes.”

She lifted her head from the food and looked around, then went back to trying to make a selection.

“Doesn’t make a difference to me,” she said. “It’s a party. Lots of people watchers. It’s most likely they are looking at your pretty face.”

He laughed. It was the first time she’d commented on his looks. “Most might think that is a compliment, but coming from you, I think it’s an insult.”

She let out a sigh and her shoulders dropped. He hadn’t realized she was so tense and maybe this was a mistake to seek her out and try to get a rise out of her.

But if he didn’t talk to her he wasn’t going to get anywhere.

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