“Oh, and look at this one—”
“Thanks, Wanda,” he interrupted, casting a glance at Elle, embarrassed by the ridiculous sentiments being lavished on him. Not that he wasn’t grateful people cared enough to send flowers and shit, but snookie-ookums? What the fuck was that about?
“I’ll leave you alone to go through all your…” Elle’s words trailed off as she gestured toward Wanda’s cart, a look of mild disgust and disappointment on her face. Then she forced a tight smile and handed him the little bouquet of wildflowers he hadn’t noticed she was carrying—wildflowers that were remarkably similar to the ones he’d left in her locker back in high school. “Take care, Gabe.”
“Elle,” he said, his stomach sinking at the thought of her leaving so soon. “Please don’t go. I—”
“I’ll see you soon.”
Before he could say another word, she turned on her heel and practically fled the room.
“Did you have a good visit with your friend?” Wanda asked as she absently moved some of the arrangements around to make room for more. “She’s a pretty little thing.”
“Yeah,” Gabe said, staring at the closed door, hoping she’d come back in. “Yeah, she is.”
“Was awfully worried about you last night, too,” Wanda told him.
This brought his gaze back to her. “Yeah?”
“Mmm-hmm.” Her lips curved up in a little smile. “And I’m guessing she wouldn’t call you her snookie-ookums.”
He actually chuckled a little, wincing at the pain in his ribs where one of Monroe’s bullets had struck his vest. “No. I’m sure she wouldn’t. She prefers jackass.”
Chapter 5
It’d been a mistake to visit Gabe. Elle had known it the moment she’d walked in only to see his perfect ass peeking out of his hospital gown. Then, when he’d turned around… Good Lord.
She once more pushed away the images of the two of them going at it like rabbits that had flooded her mind when she’d caught a glimpse of his erection. No wonder women were constantly throwing themselves at him.
And to think she’d been this close to breaking her own promise to not be one of them. She was pretty sure he’d been about to kiss her again when they’d been interrupted by Wanda and her cartful of crap from Gabe’s previous—or, hell, current for all she knew—conquests.
She gave herself a quick mental shake as she strode toward her black Honda Accord, but her steps faltered when she got closer and one of her tires was flat. Her embarrassment from her visit with Gabe was replaced by fury. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
She quickly did a mental map of all the places she’d gone that morning, wondering if she’d driven through a construction zone or over any road debris, but when she was within a couple of feet of her car, she noticed it wasn’t just a flat tire. A jagged scratch ran the length of her door where someone had keyed the paint job.
Clearly not an accident.
“Son of a bitch!”
It was like the universe was trying to smack her upside the head to clue her in that allowing herself to get even a little close to Gabe was a mistake. Clearly, she shouldn’t have gone to the hospital that day. The only bigger sign would’ve had to be in flashing neon, for crying out loud.
She heaved a sigh and fished her phone out of her pocket to call a tow truck. Then she phoned her Aunt Charlotte, leaving her a message to fill her in, leaving out the part about seeing Gabe half-naked and nearly kissing him.
She’d just hung up when a Fairfield County sheriff’s car pulled up behind her. “Hey, Elle. Need some help?”
She turned to see Gabe’s younger brother Joe. “Hey. No thanks. Tow truck’s on the way. But thanks. Are you still on duty?”
Joe didn’t bother suppressing a smile. “Just got off. Thought I’d stop in and see my brother for a few minutes before I meet up with Sadie. She’s having her ultrasound today. Have you seen her?”
Elle shook her head, sorry to have missed Joe’s fiancée. She’d always liked Joe—he was a sweetheart and clearly adored Sadie, who had been the love of his life since they were all kids. Joe had nearly been killed while on deployment in Afghanistan and then had nearly lost Sadie when a crazy ex-boyfriend had stalked and threatened to kill her—and might have followed through had Joe not been there. Elle had definitely been glad to prosecute that asshole and make sure he served time for his crimes.
Seeing Joe and Sadie so happy together now, seeing their joy as Sadie’s pregnancy progressed, Elle couldn’t help but be reminded of the family she’d once had, the joy that had filled her home growing up until all that had been so cruelly wrenched away. She prayed Joe and Sadie always had the love and happiness they had now—they certainly deserved it.
“Elle?”