Normally when the alarm clock went off in the mornings, I blew through three or four snooze alarms. On this day, however, the instant I heard the shrill decibels going off, I threw back the covers and practically sprinted from the bed. There was no way in hell I was going to let Gabe Renard catch me not dressed, least of all not looking my absolute best.
As I showered at record speed, I couldn’t help slightly regretting telling Gabe to come by the house. Although I was being silly, there was a small part of me that didn’t want him seeing where I lived. It wasn’t so much about keeping things somewhat impersonal, but more about me worrying what he might think of the house. I was sure when he was off the road, he lived in some palatial mansion with a butler and a housekeeper while I lived at home with my two sisters, my son, and my geriatric aunt. It was hardly glamorous, not to mention most men found it rather unattractive.
After I got out of the shower, I pushed those thoughts out of my head and focused on my appearance. Most mornings I just dried my hair before sweeping it back into a ponytail. Today, I put extra gel and product into it. I also left it down and flowing over my shoulders. As for my makeup, I went so far as to put on lip liner, which I only used for special occasions. When I pursed my fuller lips at the mirror, I knew I’d made the right choice.
When I went into the kitchen, I expected to find both Kennedy and Ellie in their bathrobes with their usual bed hair. After breaking the news to them the night before that Gabe was coming to hang out with me before work, I should have known they would pull out all the stops. Both were already outfitted in their work attire with perfectly coiffed hair and gorgeous faces.
A pang of jealously shot through my chest at their appearances. Although I hated myself for it, I couldn’t help thinking Gabe might find one of them hotter than me. Even worse, what if him writing songs in my presence was just a fluke and suddenly he was able to make music with Kennedy or Ellie?
Great. Gabe wasn’t even there yet, and he was already bringing out the worst in me. First, it was completely uncharacteristic of me to feel threatened by my sisters. I always wanted the best for them in life, especially when it came to love, and I knew they felt the same about me. Although it would be hard when one of us found someone and moved out, we ultimately wanted each other to be happy.
Second, I couldn’t believe I even cared if Gabe was attracted to them. I mean, it wasn’t like I wanted him for myself. I wasn’t remotely interested in pursuing anything with Gabe other than a relationship built on a professional basis, i.e. his songwriting.
But something had happened the previous night at dinner. Children were always a good judge of character, and Linc had a finely tuned radar for fakeness. He hadn’t just been star-struck by Gabe; he’d found someone who genuinely took an interest in him.
As for me, I hated to admit it, but I’d been charmed as well by the fact that Gabe seemed interested in the mundane aspects of my life.
Inwardly, I rolled my eyes at how delusional I sounded. Of course there was a small part of me that was interested in Gabe. He was insanely good-looking, and although he could be a little cocky for my liking, it was certainly warranted considering his profession. Handsome and deserving of praise were two traits alone that were often hard to come by in Hayesville. There was also the fact that he seemed genuinely attracted to me. The odds were forever not in my favor that I found a man I wanted to date who in turn wanted to date me as well.
“You guys look great,” I remarked as I went over to get my usual morning espresso.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, sis. I’m especially digging the uncharacteristically low-cut shirt you’re wearing, not to mention the tight jeans in place of your usual khakis,” Kennedy said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kennedy snorted. “What I’m talking about is the fact that you haven’t worn a low-cut shirt to work since they caught Wes jerking off in the shop bathroom.”
“No one could prove that was about my shirt,” I countered.
“Considering he’d been standing over you at your desk for the ten minutes beforehand, I’d say it was most definitely your cleavage that sent him over the edge.”
With a roll of my eyes, I said, “Like you’re one to talk. When’s the last time you wore makeup to work?”
Kennedy dropped her gaze back down to the pan of blueberry scones cooling on the stovetop. “The ovens are hot, and I end up sweating it off.”
“Riiiight,” I muttered.
Sweeping a hand to her hip, Ellie said, “For your information, I’m dressed with my makeup on because Aunt Sadie always said to put your best foot and face forward when company was coming.”
I laughed. “Thank you, Emily Post.” Glancing around the kitchen, I said, “Speaking of Aunt Sadie, I’m surprised she’s not out here already.”
“She was gone before we got up this morning. She has that AARP trip to Harrah’s in Cherokee,” Ellie replied.
“Ah, I should have known the only thing that would keep her from aggravating me about Gabe would be gambling.”
“True on that one,” Kennedy said.
Just as I threw a glance at the clock, the doorbell rang, causing my sisters and me to all jump out of our skins. “Oh shit, he’s here!” I screeched. After momentarily wringing our hands, all three of us then proceeded to fluff our hair and smooth our clothes.
As I checked my appearance in the stainless steel refrigerator for probably the millionth time, Kennedy nudged me. “Go on. Let him in.”
“I’m going, I’m going,” I snapped back. Of course, it was at that moment that I found my feet seemed to be frozen to the black and white checkered floor. After my mind screamed at them to pick their sorry asses up, I started out of the kitchen and down the hallway.
When I threw open the front door, I found Gabe smiling at me. “You know, you really should have asked who it was before you just opened the door. It could have been a pervert.
“Oh, but it is a pervert,” I teased.
Gabe rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Thanks for the tip. While that might be standard practice in Atlanta, it’s not really an issue here. I think the last real crime we had was when someone painted a giant dick on the side of the mayor’s face on one of his campaign signs.”
With a laugh, Gabe said, “Seriously?”
“Yep. People obviously have way too much time on their hands around here.”
“At least they have a sense of humor about it. I would assume the mayor really is a dick if they did that?”
“Yeah, he is for the most part.” I furrowed my brows at the bag in his hand. “What’s that?”
“Breakfast.”
“You didn’t have to bring yourself something to eat. We would have fixed you something.”
“It’s not for me. It’s for you.”
My traitorous heart melted at gesture. “You brought me breakfast?”
Gabe grinned. “Not just any breakfast, your favorite breakfast.”
I sucked in a breath so fast I wheezed. “Whoa, hold the phone—you brought me French toast?”
“And not just any French toast. It’s French toast from Rafferty’s.”
“You’re joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“But they’re like forty-five minutes away.”
“It was actually a nice drive.”
Oh. My. God. This so wasn’t happening. Gabe Renard had not just spent an hour and a half on the road to bring me my favorite breakfast. It was like a scene out of a cheesy Hallmark movie, and so help me God, I loved every minute of it. Of course, then it hit me: how in the world did he know what my favorite breakfast was, least of all where it came from? “Wait, how did you know about the French toast?”
Gabe grinned. “A little birdy told me.”
My mind flashed back to the night before. “Ah, one named Lincoln.”
“Yep. That’s right.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I sure as hell hope you say you’re starving because I don’t want this to go to waste.”
I smiled. “There’s no way I would ever let French toast from Rafferty’s go untouched. I would probably have to be in the hospital in a body cast or something. Even then, I’d demand for someone to feed it to me.”
Gabe laughed. “I’d be happy to feed it to you today if you’d like.”
With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “That won’t be necessary. Next you’ll suggest I have breakfast in bed and you’ll join me.”
“Actually, that sounds quite nice. Will you be dressed in some form of lingerie while you have your breakfast?”
I smacked his arm playfully. “Keep this up and you won’t be enjoying any of my presence today.”
He winked at me. “Okay, okay, I’ll rein it in.”
“For you, I think that’s easier said than done.”
We stood there for a moment before Gabe asked, “Uh, are you going to invite me in?”
Slapping my hand to my forehead, I said, “Oh my God, I’m such an idiot. Yes, please come in.”
As he stepped into the foyer, Gabe tilted his head to take in the interior of the house.
“I love your place.”
“You do?” I questioned incredulously.
He nodded. “It reminds me of the house we moved into when we came back to the States.”
“How long were you guys out of the country?”
“I was two when my dad got his first assignment, and then I was almost thirteen when we moved back.”
“That’s amazing. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in a different town, least of all in a different country. Hayesville is all I’ve ever known.” I motioned around the foyer.
“This house is really all I’ve ever known—we moved in when I was three.”
“Do you live with your dad?”
His question sent heat to my cheeks. “No. He lives about five minutes from here.”
“You mean it’s only you and Linc in this big place?”
“No, my two sisters have the upstairs.” I gave him a tight smile. “And the house belongs to Aunt Sadie. She’s in the room across from me.”
Gabe nodded. “It must be nice having your family here to support you and Linc.” At what must’ve been my slightly horrified expression, Gabe quickly added, “I don’t mean financially. I mean, it must be nice to have them here emotionally.”
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. “Yes, it is…although there are times when I wouldn’t mind having a place for just Linc and me.”
“I know what you mean. My brother and I are in such close quarters on the bus when we’re touring. There are days when I want to strangle him.”
With a laugh, I replied, “Oh yeah, I have many days like that.”
When Gabe and I walked into the kitchen, I saw that Linc had joined Kennedy and Ellie at the table. At the sight of Gabe, he bounded out of his chair. “Hey Gabe, good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you again, too, buddy,” Gabe replied with a smile.
Motioning to the others, I said, “I’d like to introduce you to my sisters, Kennedy and Ellie.”
Gabe extended his hand to Ellie first. “It’s nice to meet you.”
With her face flushing bright red, Ellie emitted a nervous giggle. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
When Gabe turned to Kennedy, a smirk spread across his lips. “You’re not packing any sharp utensils at the moment, are you?”
Kennedy’s brows furrowed. “No. Why?”
“Rae said you might harbor a little ill will toward me.”
“Ill will?”
“Like ‘cut my balls off’ kinda ill will.”
While Kennedy laughed at Gabe’s summation, I smacked his arm playfully. “You weren’t supposed to mention that.”
“I figured it was the best way to break the ice.”
Kennedy nodded. “You figured right. It is true that I wasn’t initially a big fan of yours, but I’m willing to get to know you better.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Would you like to fix a plate, Gabe? There’s plenty to eat.”
Glancing over Kennedy’s shoulder, Gabe eyed the goodies lining the counter. I usually didn’t see so much breakfast food except on the weekends or if we had company, but once again, I shouldn’t have been too surprised that Kennedy went all out to impress Gabe.
“It looks and smells delicious. While I brought breakfast for Rae and myself, I’d love to try some of yours as well.”
I grinned at Gabe. By offering to taste Kennedy’s food, he was knocking it out of the park when it came to getting on her good side.
Kennedy pulled her shoulders back. “If it’s from any of the restaurants here in town, I guarantee mine is better.”
Before Gabe could reply, I said, “Actually, he went to Rafferty’s.”
Both Kennedy and Ellie’s eyes widened to the size of the antique dinner plates on the counter. “You got her breakfast from Rafferty’s?” Ellie asked.
“Yes, I did.”
Kennedy swallowed hard. “Like her favorite French toast from Rafferty’s?”
When Gabe nodded, Kennedy swore under her breath. Glancing between Kennedy and Gabe, Ellie quickly said, “That was so sweet of you.”
Gabe turned to smile at me. “It was the least I could do considering Rae’s been kind enough to give up her time by allowing me to hang out with her.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “You really didn’t need to do anything else. After all, you bought Linc’s and my dinner last night. That was plenty.”
“But this was more about a gesture of my appreciation.”
Oh, it was a gesture all right—an epic one. Sure, the old adage said the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, but I was certainly feeling it that morning as well.
After handing the Rafferty’s bag to me, Gabe piled a plate full of blueberry scones, croissants, and sweet rolls. “I have a feeling I’m not going to get any songwriting done today because I’m going to be in a food coma.”
With a triumphant grin, Kennedy said, “I hope it gives you the fuel you need to write.”
“Thank you. I’m really grateful to both you and Ellie for your hospitality.”
Gabe’s statement rendered all of us speechless, and I was sure Ellie and Kennedy were both thinking the same thing I was: how was it possible for this eloquent and gracious Gabe Renard to be the same asshat from the other day?
“You’re very welcome,” Ellie squeaked as Kennedy and I nodded.
When Gabe started over to the table, Kennedy reached out and stopped him. “Actually, why don’t you guys take your breakfast out on the veranda?”
“Is this because you don’t want to see my French toast?” I questioned under my breath.
With a roll of her eyes, Kennedy replied, “No. This is more about you and Gabe having time to yourselves—you know, to feed his muse.”
“I really appreciate that,” Gabe said.
When we started out the side door, Ellie said, “You guys take your time. Kennedy and I will drop Linc off with Dad.”
“Really?”
Ellie smiled. “Yes, really.”
“Okay, thanks.” Pointing at Linc, I said, “Make sure you have your homework and your lunch.”
He rolled his eyes but smiled in spite of himself. “I will, Mom.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you, too.” Linc waved at Gabe. “Bye, Gabe.”
“Bye,” Gabe replied.
When we walked out the side door onto the veranda, I gasped. Sometime during the morning, one or both of my sisters had set up the glass-top table for us. While I’d imagined eating out of the takeout containers, there were real china plates and crystal goblets, and a pitcher of orange juice sat on the white linen tablecloth, along with a carafe of coffee.
“This is impressive,” Gabe remarked.
“I wish I could take the credit, but my sisters must have done it.”
“You’ll have to thank them for me.”
“I will.”
As he gazed at the heaping plate in front of him, Gabe asked, “Do you guys eat like this every morning?”
I laughed as I poured a glass of orange juice. “While she does cook every morning, that”—I motioned to his plate—“is strictly for your benefit.”
“I’m going to have to stop by her store. These scones look amazing.”
“They are. Everything Kennedy makes is amazing. She has a natural talent for it, plus she spent a summer in Paris back in the day, taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu.”
“That’s impressive. She never wanted to leave here and try her hand in the big city?”
“She did. She lived in Chattanooga for a few years but really didn’t like it, so she came back home.”
Gabe smiled. “You Hart women are small-town girls through and through.”
I took the box of French toast out of the Rafferty’s bag. “Pretty much. I really want to travel more. We do a yearly beach trip to the gulf, but I want to see other places and other cultures.” I motioned to the French toast in front of me. “Taste French toast in Paris, or maybe crepes.”
“Paris is a gorgeous city. Great architecture.” He winked at me. “And lots of sinful diversions.”
“I’ll pass on those.” When I took my first bite, I pinched my eyes shut and moaned in ecstasy.
“That good, huh?” Gabe questioned, amusement vibrating in his voice.
“Practically orgasmic.”
“Now I’m regretting that I didn’t get any for myself.”
“Do you want to try a bite?”
“Sure.”
After spearing a piece on my fork, I started to hand it over to Gabe when he leaned in and opened his mouth. Ah, so we were going to play it that way. Fine. I could do that. I could totally feed him some of my French toast. It wasn’t like it screamed foreplay or anything.
When I brought the fork to his lips, Gabe took the tines between his teeth and slid off delicious morsel. As he chewed, I found myself unable to look away, still holding the fork frozen in mid-air. When his tongue darted out to swipe off the excess powdered sugar and syrup, heat burned between my legs.
“That is pretty fucking amazing French toast,” he replied.
“Yeah,” I so eloquently muttered.
Gabe grinned. “You better hurry up and eat it before it gets cold.”
“But I’m warm now.” At the realization of what I’d just said, I jerked my hand back. Oh, I was warm all right. My face felt like an inferno because I couldn’t believe what I had said. “I mean, it’s still so warm. The French toast is so warm.”
“I’m glad.”
“How did you manage that?”
“They gave me a heated sleeve.”
“Ah, I see.” Since it was past time for a conversation change, I quickly said, “Tell me something, do you always write songs in odd places?”
“Sometimes. It really just depends on where I’m at when the mood hits.” He grinned. “I will say that last night was the first time I ever wrote in a public restroom.”
“Any porta-johns?”
“No, smartass,” Gabe muttered through a mouthful of bacon.
“Do any of your siblings write songs?”
“My oldest brother, Micah, did, but that was back when we were doing more praise music.”
“Wait, you were in a Christian praise band?”
“If I said yes, would that be so shocking?”
“Duh. Of course it would. After all, you’re the guy who said he wanted to see more of me while ogling my boobs.”
“Then you can just be shocked because that’s what Jacob’s Ladder originally was—a Christian band with crossover potential.”
“Ah, now the biblical reference in the band’s name sakes sense. Of course, it would have made even more sense if it was just you and your twin brother, like Jacob and Esau,” I remarked.
Gabe’s brows popped behind his coffee mug. After he took a sip, he said, “So you know the biblical story?”
“Contrary to the opinion of some people around here, I’m not a total heathen, and I do know my Bible.”
“I’m very impressed.”
I laughed. “Very few men are ever impressed by that.”
Staring intently at me, Gabe replied, “Well I’m not all men.”
No, you sure as hell aren’t. Most men couldn’t make me wet from eating a piece of French toast off my own fork. I cleared my throat. “Speaking of twins, tell me about your brother.” When his expression slightly darkened, I said, “Oh, is there some hidden sibling rivalry there? Who is the Jacob, AKA your father’s favorite?”
“Wow, you really aren’t letting up with the biblical ties, are you? Next you’ll be asking which one of us is the Esau, AKA the hairy one.”
I giggled. “I can’t help it. Aunt Sadie really went all out with the Bible study when we were kids.” Cocking my head at him, I couldn’t help asking, “I bet you’re both Esaus, but you get manscaped to look metrosexual.”
Gabe snorted. “There is no manscaping going on with me.”
“Bullshit. Your eyebrows are most definitely too symmetrical to not be plucked or waxed.”
“I don’t consider having my eyebrows done manscaping.”
Pointing my finger at him triumphantly, I cried, “Aha, I’m right.”
“No, you’re not, at least not about me.”
“And how is that so?”
“While I might have my eyebrows done, my chest, dick, and balls are completely untouched by grooming utensils.”
“Interesting.”
“Eli got used to waxing his chest when he was doing musical theater in high school and still does from time to time. He also has one of those electric clippers to trim back his dick and ball hair.”
“Um, ew, I didn’t need to know that.”
“You asked if we were Esaus.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t expect such an in-depth answer about your brother. I mean, you totally just violated his privacy.”
Gabe snorted. “Eli doesn’t have a sense of privacy. If he were sitting here, he would have told you himself—maybe even shown you.”
“He’s pretty extroverted, huh?”
“Oh yeah. Extremely extroverted.”
After hearing Gabe’s description of his brother, I thought about how different the two of them sounded personality-wise. “Is it hard for you having such an outgoing twin?” I questioned softly.
At first, I didn’t think Gabe was going to respond. When he finally did, I got the very curt reply of, “You could say that.”
I pondered his response while spearing my last piece of French toast. “Would you like to elaborate on that?”
Gabe shot me a look. “With all your questions, I’m starting to feel like I’m doing press for the band.”
“I’m sorry if I seem intrusive. I’m just trying to get to know you better.” After chewing thoughtfully, I asked, “Isn’t that what you do when you hang out with someone?”
“My version of hanging out is watching a movie or playing Xbox.”
“And you never talk to the person you’re with?”
“Talk during a movie? Oh hell no. That’s a deal-breaker for sure.”
“What if it’s a movie you’ve seen before?”
Gabe shook his head. “The only reason you should be talking in a movie is if you’re repeating a favorite line.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
We went back to eating in silence. Finally, Gabe sighed. “Okay, yes, at the risk of sounding like a jealous prick, it’s both a blessing and a curse to have a brother like Eli. I’ve always felt like I was a little bit in his shadow. I’m not the oldest or the youngest, so it’s always felt like I’m in some weird middle child limbo.”
“You’re the Jan Brady,” I mused.
Gabe grinned. “Yes, you could say that, except it’s Eli, Eli, Eli, instead of Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.”
“I get it. I’m the Jan Brady too, except I’m the second of three dark-haired girls, rather than blondes. In my case, Kennedy and I seemed to get our roles reversed. For some strange reason, I was always the mother hen to her and Ellie, and Kennedy was the one doing anything and everything to stand out.”
“That is interesting.” Gabe swiped his mouth with his napkin. “As for standing out, I think that’s why songwriting appealed to me so much. It was something Eli had no talent for. Sure, he can play more instruments than me, he can sing better than me, and he can entertain people better than me, but he can’t write songs.”
As I processed Gabe’s words, a thought came to my mind. “Is that one of the reasons your writer’s block hit you so hard? It wasn’t just about getting the songs for the album, it was about failing in front of your family—more specifically, in front of Eli.”
Shifting in his chair, Gabe widened his blue eyes at me. “Holy shit, you really get me, don’t you?”
With a shrug, I replied, “Aunt Sadie would tell you I’m a natural empath. Somehow I’m able to read people.”
Leaning forward across the table, Gabe asked, “If that’s true, why weren’t you able to see that I’m a decent person the first day we met?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Maybe because you were scrambling my Spidey senses with your douchery.”
Gabe grinned. “I could buy that.”
“But usually I have to spend time with someone. I’m not a human whisperer where I can just walk past someone in a crowd and immediately know what their problems are.”
“If that were true, you would have known I was a nutcase out in the backwoods.”
“Now that I’ve gotten to know you a little better, I really hate to hear you run yourself down so much. In case you missed it, you really are somebody special.”
“I am?”
I waved my hand at him. “Oh come on, don’t go fishing for compliments.”
“No, I’d really like to hear something positive from the woman who, up until last night, hated my guts.”
Laughing, I said, “Okay, fine. For starters, you’re rich, and you’re famous.”
“I’d argue that I’m a B-list celebrity at best, maybe even pushing C, and although I do really well, I’m not that rich.”
“Oh boo-hoo, let me cry you a river.”
Gabe chuckled. “Okay, so maybe my last statement made me sound like a douchebag.”
“Pretty much.”
He frowned slightly. “I don’t know why, but sometimes things just come out wrong. Like, I see them the way I want to in my head, but then something happens between my mind and my mouth. Just now, I was trying to emphasize my normalcy, that I’m not really all that rich and famous.”
“It’s interesting that a songwriter seems to have trouble putting thoughts and emotions into words.”
“I guess it’s like musicians who are a mess in real life but can wow an audience when they’re onstage.”
“That’s one way to look at it.”
“I know I feel the most at peace with myself when I’m on stage, and when I’m writing a song.” He gave me a wry grin. “At least I did until I started going through hellish writer’s block.”
“But you’re finding the words again, aren’t you?”
“I am—thank God.” He jerked his chin at me. “And thank you.”
“Although I still don’t understand it, I will say you’re welcome.”
As Gabe poured another cup of coffee from the carafe, he quirked his brows at me.
“What about you? Do you ever feel threatened by your sisters?”
His question made me think about how I’d felt toward Kennedy and Ellie that morning, and I felt ashamed all over again. “Of course I have. You saw my sisters—they’re beautiful.”
The corners of Gabe’s lips quirked up in a smile. “So is their sister, if not even more beautiful.”
Although I didn’t exactly understand why, his compliment had me ducking my head and feeling somewhat shy. “Thank you.”
“You’ve only ever felt jealous of their looks?”
Glancing back up at him, I replied, “Of course not. They’re just as gorgeous on the inside. They managed to start and run a successful business before they were twenty-five.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re doing pretty well at Hart and Daughter.”
“But that business wasn’t mine. My father was the one who built it up for me to take over.”
“You also made a professional sports team.”
I laughed at Gabe’s reference to me being on the Atlanta Steam. “Since neither of my sisters enjoyed playing sports, I don’t think there was anything to envy there—not to mention how Kennedy thinks the uniforms are completely sexist.”
“But you were MVP three years running. I saw the plaques myself.”
“Once again, I don’t think they lost any sleep over it.”
“I certainly would have.” He waggled his brows. “At least over fantasizing about you in your uniform.”
“Spare me,” I replied with a grin.
Leaning back in his chair, Gabe took a long sip of coffee. “Sometimes I find myself envious of Micah and Abby, of the fact that they’ve found someone who loves and accepts them for who they are.”
“Wow,” I murmured.
Gabe winked at me. “Didn’t think Mr. Manwhore over here could be that deep, huh?”
I grinned. “You got me there. Now you’re the one who is able to see through me.” I leaned forward in my chair to pour another cup of coffee. “Since both Kennedy and Ellie are single, I can’t really envy that aspect of their life.”
“That’s like me and Eli, although he does seem to do better with the ladies.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Why’s that?”
“Um, because you two look exactly alike. If I saw the two of you together, I would be interested in both of you, not just him.”
A wicked gleam burned in Gabe’s eyes. “You would, huh? Like a ménage thing?”
Groaning, I replied, “Um, no, not a ménage situation. I’m not into two dudes period, least of all two brothers.” I shuddered. “There’s some kinda incest there.”
Gabe laughed. “I would agree with you on that one. There’s no way in hell I’m going to be doing the deed and have my nut sack touch Eli or his touch me.”
Wrinkling my nose, I said, “Ew!”
“Sorry, just have to call it like I see it. But, going back to your original statement, trust me, you would want to date Eli over me.”
“And why is that?”
“Once you met Eli, he’d be making you laugh. Women love a man who makes them laugh.”
“You have a point there.”
“I rest my case.” And dammit, I really hated that I’d just given her that option. Of course, she would choose Eli over me any day. Looks aren’t everything.
“But you act like you’re some loser who lacks any redeeming personality. After getting to know you more last night, I know that isn’t the case at all.”
Gabe grinned. “Thank you. Now before you continue your campaign to build up my failing self-esteem, I’m going to need more of Kennedy’s scones.”
I laughed. “Okay. We can take a scone break.”
After Gabe rose out of his chair, he asked, “Would you like anything from the kitchen?”
It was quite a change being waited on by a man, least of all a man who was used to having people wait on him. “I appreciate it, but no, I’m stuffed from all the French toast.”
“There are two more orders in there.”
I gasped. “Seriously?” Before Gabe could respond, I dove into the Rafferty’s bag. “Oh my God, there’s more.”
“I thought you might enjoy having some the rest of the week.”
Ha, the week? They won’t last twenty-four hours. “I will.” I grinned at him. “If I don’t reheat it today.”
“Whatever you want to do. I’ll be right back.”
“And I’ll be right here.” Because, God help me, I couldn’t pull myself away.