“So, this is how a small town celebrates Labor Day?” Gabe looked up and down Main Street, packed with people...most of them familiar, which was just…odd. From what he was told, even the neighboring towns came to Haven’s Cove to celebrate. “In the city, it seems like just an excuse to take a couple of days off from work.”
“They’ve done this for as long as I can remember. I used to be in the parade with the rest of the football team.” Brody stopped in front of a drink stand and pulled out his wallet. “You want something?” he asked Gabe.
Gabe looked around Brody at the stand, which consisted of a card table with a couple of coolers behind it. “I suppose a ten-year-old wouldn’t be selling wine?”
“You suppose right.” Brody chuckled then turned to the boy at the stand. “Coke, please.” He looked over his shoulder at Gabe, waiting for a response.
“Just water, thanks.”
They took their drinks and strolled along the street. Gabe took everything in. The sounds of laughter and music, the smells from a few food trucks and stands, families sitting in lawn chairs and white plastic chairs to match small, white plastic tables…it was all so, well, Small Town, America. His family would absolutely cringe to know this was how he was spending his time. Somehow, that made him love it even more. Still, with everything going on around him, his eyes scanned the crowd for someone in particular. Two people, actually.
“Did he say he’d meet you here?”
“Hmm?” Damn, did the guy read his mind?
“I know you. As much as you should feel lucky to be in my presence, I’m sensing you’re looking for someone else,” Brody said.
Gabe opened his mouth to argue, but what was the use? Brody did know him. “Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly and opened his bottle of water to take a drink.
“Nah, don’t be. I get it,” Brody said, and then looked over Gabe’s shoulder. “Besides, it’s obvious he’s looking for you too.”
Gabe whipped his head around and sucked in a breath when his eyes connected with those gorgeous blue ones. They stared at each other for a moment before Brody patted his arm. “Come on.”
Gabe turned around and walked with Brody to where Nate was standing. He felt a pull as he got closer to the man, and not just because he was sexy as fuck. No, Nate was so much more than that. It terrified Gabe to think about what that meant, but it didn’t stop his feet from continuing on their quest, and it didn’t stop his pulse from playing a rhythm it seemed to beat only for Nate. The man was like a damn magnet.
They approached the table Nate was standing next to with Lily sitting in one of the chairs. A woman was painting something on the little girl’s face. A butterfly, perhaps? Lily’s little eyes grew as she saw Gabe, but the woman quickly reminded her that she needed to sit still just a little bit longer.
“Hey, guys,” Brody said first.
“Hey,” Nate replied but kept his eyes on Gabe.
“Hello, there. Are you next?” Gabe asked, imagining this big, hulking man sitting in the chair to have his face painted.
“Huh?” Nate asked in confusion.
Gabe nudged his head toward the face painting stand. “Batman mask? Or maybe a tiger?”
“I was thinking a bumble bee. You know, stinger and all.” Nate’s sexy mouth lifted in a smirk and Gabe shuddered. Is he actually flirting with me? Seriously, Gabe had never wanted to be stung more in his damn life. Damn, Nate knew how to push all his buttons…and seemed to love doing it. Now, if only Gabe could get the man to have actual physical contact when pushing those buttons.
They stared at each other for a few more seconds, Gabe’s pulse beating that damn rhythm again—Nate’s song—at a rapid pace. Jesus, Gabriel. When did you become so cheesy? Nate licked his lips, and Gabe knew immediately, it was all this man’s fault.
“Okay, well,” Brody interrupted the stare off, “I told Owen I’d help him with the bakery’s booth after the parade. I’ll catch you guys later.” Brody squeezed Gabe’s shoulder then shook Nate’s hand before walking off into the crowd.
“Daddy, look.” Lily tugged on Nate’s hand, and his eyes shifted down, immediately softening as he looked at his daughter. Who knew Nate being a good father would kick the sexiness factor up even higher? Here was this big, strong man’s man, and Gabe could physically see his heart melting as he looked at Lily. Gabe had no doubt that if Lily asked, Nate would happily get his face painted if it made her smile.
“I love it, Lilypop,” he said as he crouched down. “Did you say thank you?” Nate looked toward the woman and handed her money while Lily thanked her. Anyone could see what an amazing father Nate was.
“Gabe, did you see?” She was bouncing on her toes, smiling up at him, and he practically melted into a puddle at her feet. Good thing she was wearing her polka dot rain boots.
“You look so beautiful, Princess Lily.” In response, she did a twirl, and her summer dress billowed out.
“Where did Grammy and Pop go? I want to show them.”
Nate stood back up and ran her long, blonde ponytail through his hand. “Grammy said her gym had a table here, and she wanted to go check it out.” He looked up at Gabe. “Did Jonah mention where they’d be set up?”
“Ironically, I think it’s by Max’s. Nothing says healthy like artery-clogging diner food, although, they do make a delicious egg white omelet.”
“Do you want to take a walk over there with us?” Nate asked, and Gabe’s heart soared, though he tried not to show it.
“I’d love to,” Gabe replied, and as they all turned in the direction of the diner, Lily reached up, taking not only Nate’s hand, but Gabe’s as well. Nate and Gabe shared a look over her head, and a sudden pride spread throughout Gabe. He felt like he belonged…to them. He’d had everything he could possibly want all his life: cars, houses, boats, clothes. None of those things filled him with the pride he felt walking down a small town Main Street, with these two people by his side.
He wanted to keep them.
He wanted to live in this moment for as long as he could.
It terrified him.
Had Nate been asked a couple of months ago how he was spending his Labor Day weekend, it sure as hell wouldn’t have included Gabe D’Angelo. So how was it then that Nate found himself strolling down the busy street with the guy? Even stranger was the fact that he wanted Gabe to be there with them. Somehow, the man was wiggling his way into their lives, and Nate couldn’t find a reason anymore why he shouldn’t be there. Gabe was fast becoming a good friend.
Friend. Keep telling yourself that.
“There’s Jonah,” Gabe said, pointing to the left side of the street. “Oh, and there are your parents.”
They maneuvered their way through the crowd of people, Nate holding Lily’s hand just a little bit tighter until they’d made it to the table Jonah was standing next to. Nate’s mom…surprise, surprise…was talking one of the gym employee’s ears off. Another employee was manning a prize wheel that someone had just spun. As soon as Lily caught sight of Jonah, she let go of both their hands and walked right up to him.
Jonah crouched down. “Are you a butterfly?”
“No, I’m just Lily,” she said with a giggle.
“Oh! Lily, I didn’t even recognize you!” Jonah widened his eyes, smiling when Lily giggled some more.
“He’s very good with her,” Gabe said. “Pretty obvious why I’ve been replaced, hmm?”
Nate opened his mouth to tease Gabe, until he turned to see the wistful look in those brown eyes. Damn, was the guy really bothered by it? Did Gabe really have no clue how great he was with Lily? “You’re old hat,” Nate said then cringed when Gabe furrowed his brows.
“Come again? Did you just call me old?”
Nate laughed and hung his head. Maybe that wording wasn’t the best he could’ve used. “Sorry, I just meant we’re both boring to her.”
Gabe fully faced him, narrowing his eyes, and crossing his arms over his chest, making muscles Nate didn’t even know he had more prominent in Gabe’s chest and arms. “And now I’m boring?”
Nate cleared his throat, trying to keep his eyes from traveling down Gabe’s well-defined body. “Trust me, pretty boy, you’re anything but boring,” Nate said, and Gabe’s tense stance relaxed some. “She’s used to you. You’re familiar to her now.” He studied Gabe a moment before adding, “You’re really good with her, Gabe.”
Gabe’s furrowed eyebrows smoothed out as he dropped his arms to his side. “I am?”
“Yeah, you are.” Was he really going to do this? Give Gabe this level of trust? Shit, he really was. “In fact, I saw the Harpers over by the post office. I just want to make sure they’re still good with us starting their bathroom on Thursday. Can you watch her for a few minutes?”
Gabe’s eyes widened as he took a small step back. “You want me to watch her?”
“I won’t be long, and my parents are just a few tables down.” If Gabe wouldn’t think this was all a joke on him, Nate would laugh at the terrified look on his face. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a few dollars. “Here, just get her an ice cream. You’ll be her favorite person again.” He winked at Gabe and handed him the money.
Gabe took the bills and the corner of his mouth—that full, soft-looking mouth, fuck me—lifted in a smirk. “Okay, as long as you’re not gone long.”
Nate just smiled then turned to Lily. “Hey, Lilypop, I have to go talk to some people. Stay with Gabe, all right? I’ll be right back.”
Lily nodded her head and slid her hand into Gabe’s. Just like Nate had said, she was completely comfortable with Gabe. It was strange for Nate, but even stranger was that it didn’t bother him at all.
He made his way in the direction the Harpers had been a few minutes ago and found them not too far from that spot. After talking with them and confirming the time they’d be at their house on Thursday, he made a quick detour to the bathroom. Business taken care of—both literally and figuratively—he scanned the crowd for Gabe’s dark hair. He’d be lying if he said his heart wasn’t pounding when he didn’t see them anywhere…until he caught the pink and yellow polka dot boots hanging off a bench.
As Nate approached them, his step faltered, and he stopped, making sure to stay out of view. Lily and Gabe sat on a green wooden bench, and to anyone else looking, there was nothing out of the ordinary. But this was something Nate never imagined he’d see from this man. Lily held her ice cream, trying to catch the drops as they melted down the side of the cone. Her little legs weren’t long enough, and her feet jutted out in front of her, the tips of her rain boots pointing in toward each other. Nothing weird there. But the man…holy shit, the man sat next to her, holding a balloon he must have bought her. He had a wad of napkins in his hand, covered in chocolate ice cream. As Lily pulled the cone away from her lips, Gabe immediately reached over and wiped her mouth, making sure not a single drop fell on her dress.
And Nate’s walls came tumbling down.
Gabe glanced up to find Nate walking toward them and quickly wiped Lily’s mouth when she pulled the cone away. How much ice cream did those damn things hold anyway? Shit, the man was probably never going to leave her with him again. The ice cream was melting faster than Gabe could catch it, and her hand was covered in chocolate.
To his surprise, Nate smiled as he approached them, and he was absolutely gorgeous.
“There you guys are. Lily, how’s that ice cream?” Nate sat on the other side of her. He must have seen Gabe battling the chocolate dessert…and knew the dessert was winning…because he had bunch of napkins in his hand.
“It’s yummy,” Lily answered. Thankfully, she’d finally gotten to the cone. That thought was immediately followed by Gabe’s horror as she took a bite, the cone cracked, and a mound of the frozen concoction started to fall. Gabe widened his eyes then snapped his head up to look at Nate, who’d reached his hand out in time and caught the mess. Quickly, he brought his hand to the garbage next to him, getting a few drops on his jeans, and tossed it in. It didn’t seem to faze him. Without skipping a beat, Nate took the messy cone that Lily had apparently decided she was done with and tossed that into the garbage as well.
Nate pointed to the bench. “Is that your water?”
“What?”
“Your water… Can I have some?”
Gabe looked down next to him then handed the bottle to Nate. It had to be warm by now, and not worth drinking. But then he watched as Nate opened it and held it out in front of him, pouring a little on his hands, then wiping away the mess with a few of the napkins. He took the rest of the napkins and wet them, using them to clean Lily’s hands and face. It all came so naturally to him.
Gabe looked up and saw Nate smirking at him. “Messy job, but somebody’s gotta do it.” Then a Cheshire cat grin formed on Nate’s face and sent a shiver throughout Gabe’s body. He didn’t know what the mischievous smile was for, but it was sexy as hell. “I’m off on Wednesday, since Brody and I will be in between jobs. How about you spend the day with me? You can finish your story.” He draped his arm on the back of the bench, waiting for Gabe’s answer.
“My story?” Had he been telling a story when Nate left them before?
“Yeah, you know…your tale of woe, I believe you called it.”
Oh, that story.
“What will we be doing?” Gabe asked, wary of the look on Nate’s face.
“Uh-uh.” Nate shook his head and said, “You want to spend the day with me, you’ll see when we get there.”
“Can I go too, Daddy?” Lily asked, and Nate looked down at her.
“Not this time, Lilypop.” She began to argue, but Nate gave her a firm look. “School starts this week, remember?” He looked back up at Gabe, completely unaffected by the pout she was giving him. “So, what do ya say?”
Gabe had a feeling he was going to live to regret it, but he replied, “Wednesday, it is.”
“I’ll pick you up Wednesday morning after I drop her off at school. Be ready by nine…and I wouldn’t wear anything fancy,” Nate said with a sly smirk.
“Oh my, this better be worth my while.” Gabe laughed.
“It will be,” Nate responded, that mischievous smile back on that gorgeous face.
Gabe eyed Nate skeptically. “We’ll just see about that.”