The buzzing of his phone woke him. He was needed at the hospital. Only hazy sunlight was coming through the windows when he slid out of bed. Minutes later he was ready to leave when he leaned over and kissed the still sleeping Zoe. He wanted to climb back in beside her but he was being pulled away. He took a moment to watch her. Would it always be this way for him? Leaving her behind? What was he allowing to happen? If he could stop it, would he?
But what would he have missed if Zoe hadn’t come into his life?
With the tip of his finger, he pushed a stray lock of hair off her cheek and forced himself to walk out of the room.
Zoe woke to cool sheets beside her, but the hot memories of the night before had her whole body still tingling. The room was bright with light. She jerked to a sitting position. Apparently she had overslept. She didn’t ever do that. Making her way to her room for her phone, she called in and told the office she would be in soon.
She stepped into the bath and saw the bag sitting on the counter. Unable to resist, she peeked inside. A smile spread across her face. How like a man. Not wanting to spoil Gabe’s surprise, she took the bag to the kitchen and placed it on the table. On the counter, she found a note.
Honey, I’ll bring dinner home.
Honey. The word was like golden sunshine on a cloudy morning.
Zoe went through the day with a smile on her face. More than one person at her office commented on how happy she looked. She just smiled and kept her reason to herself. Saying why might make it disappear, and even if she did, what could she say? That she was in love with a man she wasn’t sure was in love with her. Their relationship wasn’t any more secure than it had been before. With her past, she’d learned the bitter lesson that not everything was always the way it appeared.
Gabe invaded her thoughts in every spare moment. Had they turned a corner where things would be different between them? Could they, would they find a future? Did Gabe want to? The baby was a life-changing event in their lives and she couldn’t help but hope last night had been as well.
He’d given so completely, been so tender and caring during their lovemaking. There had been none of the frenzy of their first time, but the experience had been just as satisfying. The night had included passion but it had been wrapped in caring, sharing, getting to know each other on a level like never before. Had Gabe been expressing his feelings through his actions?
She could only hope. Yet a nagging fear remained that it might go away in the reality of everyday life. Zoe pushed away the negativity, determined to enjoy what they had shared and what she hoped would be between them in the future. She planned to make the most of Gabe’s attentions for as long as they lasted, even if it was only for a few months. Her mother’s illness and her father’s defection had taught her not to take any day for granted. She would grasp all the happiness she could.
* * *
It was late afternoon when she arrived home. As she suspected, Gabe wasn’t yet there. It was such a nice day and she’d been inside too much of it, so she planned to take a walk around the neighborhood. Zoe had reached the bottom of the driveway when Gabe pulled in.
Her heart fluttered just at the sight of him.
He stopped and rolled down the window. “Hi.”
Zoe couldn’t help feeling nervous and a little shy. “Hey.”
He watched her too closely for her comfort. “What’re you up to?”
“I was going for a walk.” She shifted from one foot to the other.
Gabe smiled. “Give me a sec and I’ll go with you.”
She wasn’t sure but she was afraid she might have looked at him as if he was from another planet. That had been the last thing she’d expected out of his mouth. “Won’t dinner get cold?”
“It’ll need to be warmed up anyway.”
“Okay.” Wasn’t this the man who’d said he didn’t have time for family? Now he was home early, with dinner in his hand, and he wanted to go for a walk? It was too good to be true.
He continued on up the drive. She walked behind him and waited at the porch while Gabe parked. Zoe watched as he strolled toward her with a sense of pride. Gabe was a tall, handsome male with a swagger of confidence that made him even sexier. The collar of the light blue shirt that matched his eyes was open and the sleeves were rolled up on his forearms. His pants were classic and fit him to perfection. All of this magnificence was hers. Gabe could be any woman’s dream, but he was hers to enjoy.
When he reached her, he smiled and took her hand. “So how was your day?”
She was still uncertain around him. After all the emotion of the night before, he seemed so calm when she was still walking as if on clouds. “Good. I stopped by to see Mom on the way home. She’s doing about the same. How about yours?”
“The usual—but I do have some news I think you’ll like.”
She looked at him. “What?”
“The committee agreed to list Mr. Luther.”
She grabbed his arm, stopping him. “That’s wonderful. Thank you!” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
He pulled her close. “None of it was really my doing. The committee all voted yes after the social worker and psychiatrist had spoken to him. He assured them that he’d do what he needed to do.”
“Still, you were the one who agreed to see him in the first place.” If she had believed him wonderful before, he was her hero now.
“You’re welcome.”
Gabe was so humble about what he did for other people. Just another reason she was crazy about him.
They continued down the sidewalk, their hands clasped between them.
“You know, I’ve never taken you for a person who might enjoy a walk around the neighborhood. But I like it that you came with me.”
“I can be full of surprises.” Gabe squeezed her hand.
He was. Just a few weeks ago she would have sworn this day would never happen.
They walked a couple of blocks and turned around. As they did so, Gabe said, “I called my mother today. Told her we were having a boy. She was excited. Said she was looking forward to meeting you.”
What did his mother think about their situation? “I look forward to meeting her too.”
That worrying thought was interrupted by someone calling, “Hi.”
Zoe looked to see an older couple standing near a manicured flower bed.
She and Gabe stopped.
The balding man, followed by his wife, stepped closer to the walk. “You must be our newest neighbor. The one who moved into the brick house with the curved drive.”
“Yes, sir, that’s us,” Gabe said, offering his hand to the man. The man took it and they shook. “I’m Gabriel Marks.” He put his arm at her waist and said, “And this is Zoe.”
The way he left the introduction implied that they were married. Zoe wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Had Gabe just not wanted to go into the details of their relationship at a casual meeting?
“I’m Richard Mills, and this is my wife, Maggie.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Gabe said.
Maggie stepped closer and smiled. “I see that you’re expecting a little one.”
Zoe placed her hand on her middle. “Yes. He’s due in a couple of months.”
“A little boy. How wonderful. We’ll need to get the neighbors together and give y’all a baby shower.”
“Oh, that’s sweet but not necessary.” Zoe didn’t want to have to go into explaining her and Gabe’s relationship. The bubble of happiness she’d had minutes before had popped.
“We could make it a block party and shower. It’d be a wonderful way for everyone to meet each other.” Her enthusiasm made her voice higher. “It’d be a lot of fun.”
Zoe just smiled.
Maggie continued, “A lot of us who live around here are grandparents but our grandkids are no long
er small. To have small children around will be wonderful. Ooh, to get to buy one of those cute little outfits.” She all but rubbed her hands together in glee.
Zoe felt like a fraud. This couple thought her and Gabe were a happy couple in the process of becoming a happy family. She wished it was true. But Gabe had said nothing about that happening.
Gabe’s smile had turned tight. “We need to head home. We’ve supper waiting for us.”
“Great to meet you,” Richard said. “See you soon.”