The Pediatrician's Twin Bombshell
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Juliette Hyland
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CHAPTER ONE
DR. TESSA GARCIA leaned against the bar and slid the back of her heel out of the four-inch peep-toe shoes she’d crammed her feet into. The shoes had been uncomfortable when she’d purchased them three years ago, but she didn’t remember them being such torture devices.
What had possessed her to wear them?
The same ridiculous urge that had driven her to give in to Lily’s plea that she come tonight. Tessa had hoped that this outing might stem the loneliness that clawed at her when she collapsed into bed. At least for an hour.
She should have known better. But she’d wanted to believe she might still have a place with these people.
That she wasn’t completely alone.
Tessa glared at the martini sign hanging from the bar. The former dive bar had been revamped over the last year. The pathetic-looking burned-out neon bar signs were now upscale artwork. But the worn bar and exposed brick walls were still the same. Likely a design aesthetic Tessa didn’t understand—or maybe the new owners had run out of money during their revitalization effort.
Revitalization. Tessa hated that word. Out with the old, in with the new—the phrase applied to people, too, apparently.
A cackle went up from the patio, and Tessa hated the heat coating her cheeks. She didn’t belong here now. This had always been Max’s place. His social circle, his night to shine. She’d been a girlfriend, and then a wife, but never a friend. That realization sent more regret washing through her.
They’d divorced a little over a year ago, though they’d inhabited the realm of uncomfortable roommates instead of spouses for far too long. She and Max might not have been able to save their union, but she hadn’t thought the women she’d considered friends would also be casualties of their failed marriage.
But they were all married to Max’s college buddies. God, Tessa wanted to slap herself. She should have been smart enough to make that connection.
Maybe if she had spoken to anyone outside the hospital in the last month besides food delivery people...
Tessa’s eyes looked to the ceiling as her foolishness washed over her—again. The people in the corner had all stared when she’d popped in, the press of pity in their gazes as they tried to pretend it was fine that she’d stopped by. Even Lily’s bright exclamations hadn’t been able to cover the pink on her cheeks as her eyes darted between Tessa and her ex-husband’s new bride.
Her divorce had been easy—at least on paper. Her lawyer had called it textbook. She and Max had divided their savings account, sold the starter home they’d purchased and said goodbye to their shared lives. It was the after that had rocked her.
In all her failed attempts to make him happy, Max’s hobbies and dreams had taken precedent. When she’d suggested hiking or visiting the botanical gardens, or even hanging out in the backyard where she’d cultivated a relaxing green space, he’d balked. He’d point out that she was always asking him to do more than his share of things. That she should want to do what he wanted, since he was handling everything at home so she could advance at the hospital.
That hadn’t been the full truth. He’d done slightly more than half the chores and complained every step of the way. But she’d given in every time. That still rankled.
Her father hadn’t appreciated being asked to do anything for his family, either. Tessa’s mom had always made excuses for him—just like Tessa had for Max. Tessa had watched her mom try everything to hold on to her marriage. Then she’d watched the catastrophic aftermath.
She’d witnessed all of it, and rather than protecting herself, Tessa had given in to a man’s desires, too, hoping that by ceding her likes, her friends, her dreams, Max might look at her like he had when they first started dating, hoping that she could have the happy family she’d always craved.
As an only child, Tessa had longed for siblings. For a home life that didn’t rock between stony silence and angry shouts. Tessa had wanted to believe her union would differ from her mother’s. But life rarely produced fairy tales, and the Garcia women always seemed to end up alone.
At least she had a thriving career as a pediatric attending at Dallas Children’s Hospital. Her ex-husband hadn’t been able to strip that from her, though he had stolen the promotion they had offered her at Cincinnati Children’s.
Maybe Tessa should have moved without him. But she hadn’t been willing to admit what, deep down, she’d already known. Her marriage had been over long before they’d finalized the divorce decree.
She’d put so much of herself aside for Max, and what did she have? A closet full of colorful scrubs—and comfy shoes. And no one to grab drinks with. No one to see a movie or go to the botanical garden with. No one at the other end of the phone. And no senior attending position.
Hell, she’d even given up the garden she’d cultivated so carefully because Max had wanted to sell their home. Instead of fighting or making a sound argument for why she should purchase it, Tessa had just consented to the sale.
Her townhome didn’t have a lot of extra space for a garden. Tessa harrumphed as she spun the ice around her cup. She’d been so focused on finding a spot close to work—and away from her ex—that she’d rushed the purchase. But she had her independence, and she would never let a man dictate her path again.
“I didn’t think Max and Stephanie were coming.” Lily’s cheeks were red as she fanned herself and waved for another drink. “I swear, she’s barely old enough to be in here.” Lily dramatically rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she leaned against the bar.
“Mmm-hmm.” Tessa kept her gaze focused on the ice melting in the glass that once held club soda. Lily might not be drunk...yet, but the wife of her ex-husband’s oldest friend was tipsy enough to repeat anything Tessa might say.
At least the bubbly blonde had interrupted Tessa’s pity party.
“It was nice to see you. Guess I probably shouldn’t—”
She bit back the last part of that sentence, but Tessa had no problems filling in the silence. This would be the last time she was invited.
A martini appeared in front of them, and Lily sighed. “If I hear one more word about college sports...” Her first sip almost emptied the fancy glass. She laid her hand on Tessa’s arm and then flounced back to the patio.
College athletics might not be interesting, but, apparently, neither was spending time with an ex-wife who didn’t know her place. Lily clearly regretted the multiple texts she’d sent begging Tessa to show up tonight.
Not that it really mattered.
Over the years, girlfriends had come and gone, and now she was the first wife who was being booted from the group. It was past time for her to go home.
“Those heels look like hell.”
She sighed. Flirting in a bar had never been her scene, but flirting in a bar where her ex-husband and all his friends were drinking felt like an extra level of desperation.
And she was not desperate. Lonely, but not desperate. Never desperate.
“I’ve already asked for the check and am going home to get out of these torture devi—” Her tongue froze as she met the honey eyes next to her.
God, he was gorgeous! His dark hair was trimmed, but a bit of a five o’clock shadow accented his firm jaw. His arms were muscular without looking like all he did was grunt in front of a gym mirror and drop weights on the floor.
Clearing her throat, she held up her empty glass and tried to push the unexpected arousal away. The man before her was extraordinary.
“Just let me strike out. Then I can tell my sister I tried and go home myself.” He winked before waving over her shoulder. “If you want to throw the ice in my face to make it look really convincing, she will definitely let me off the hook.”
Tessa laughed and had to stop herself from leaning closer. “I’ve never thrown anything in someone’s face. But now I kind of want to.”
“The option stands.” Two dimples appeared in the Adonis’s cheeks. “But if you keep laughing, it won’t be believable—though I wouldn’t complain. Even with the air-conditioning, this place still feels like an outer ring of—”
He caught the last word, and Tessa beamed. “Not from Texas, then?” The question slipped between them, and she gripped her glass. She hadn’t meant to drag out this encounter, but she suddenly didn’t want it to end.
She really needed to make some new friends...or set up a dating profile on one of the apps the single medical professionals were always discussing. No. She was not interested in that.
But what was five extra minutes in this hellhole, if it was with the dreamboat before her? At least he’d give her something delicious to think about in her lonely bed tonight.
“Originally, yes. But I’ve been out of the state for years. I forgot how hot it was in Dallas in June.” He leaned over her shoulder, then shook his head. “She just gave me a thumbs-up. Ah, well, I can still tell her you told me to take a hike in a few minutes. I’m Gabe.”
“Gabe?” The subtle shift in his voice tickled the back of her brain. Her gaze wandered his chiseled cheeks, and the bite of recognition stole through her. It couldn’t be... “Gabe Davis?”
Tessa blinked as she tried to reconcile the stunning hunk before her with the teenager who’d spent a summer working with her in the Tinseltown theater. The honey eyes and smile were the same, and her mood lightened even further as he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. He’d been cute then, and most of the staff had swooned over him.
Tessa had, too. They’d even shared an impromptu kiss late one night.
Then he’d disappeared.
She gave her best fake smile, “You forgot to tell me you’d like extra butter layered in your popcorn. Of course it’s not too much trouble to get you a fresh one.”
“Tessa Garcia!”
Gabe’s deep chuckle rumbled through her, and this time Tessa didn’t stop herself as she leaned closer. “I’d heard you left Texas. I assume it was for someplace cooler, given your hatred of this lovely June evening.”
She bit the inside of her cheek as that piece of information floated out. She hadn’t gone looking for him...not really. He’d been a recommended friend on social media, and she’d clicked on his profile once. Just for nostalgia’s sake.
There’d been a picture of a lot of snow and a notice that he only shared his information with friends. She’d almost pushed the bright blue request button, but she’d resisted. Barely.
“I was in Maine. Just moved back.” A shadow passed over Gabe’s eyes as he signaled for the bartender, but it disappeared quickly.
If she’d had something other than club soda in her glass, she might be able to pretend the haunted gaze had never existed. But she was at a bar avoiding her ex-husband and his friends, so who was she to pass any judgment?
“Can I get a Coke and—” he turned to Tessa “—I owe you a drink for saving me from my sister’s matchmaking schemes.”
“Club soda with lime.” Tessa pursed her lips as the barkeep barely kept the smile on his face. She’d worked in a bar through college and knew their tab wasn’t enough to keep the great service coming. Still, she laid some extra on the counter as he put the two cups in front of them. “To cover the first club soda.”
The man’s shoulders relaxed a little, and he added an extra lime before passing them the drinks.
“If you’re up for it, why don’t we see if there are any seats on the patio? Get you off those dastardly high heels.”
“My ex-husband is back there with his new wife.” The words slipped from her lips, and Tessa could have throttled herself. The last person she wanted to talk about was her ex. But she also didn’t want to sit back there talking to Gabe while all the people she’d thought were her friends either ignored her or studied this interaction.
“I really was getting ready to leave when you walked up. It wasn’t a lie.” She raised the drink to her lips, enjoying the bubbles tickling her nose. “Pathetic, I know.”
“Nope.” Gabe shook his head. “Plus, this saves me having to politely pretend I’m not sweltering back there while we nurse our nonalcoholic beverages and try to figure out how long we have to play catch-up.”
He tilted his glass toward her, and his dimples sent another rush down her back. Pressing her fingers to her lips, she shook her head. How did this man make her swoon with just a few minutes of conversation?
“What if I want to catch up?” The question surprised her, but it was the sincerity behind it that nearly made her knees buckle. She wanted to catch up with Gabe. Wanted to know what the gorgeous, clever man—whose sister was thrilled he was talking to someone in a bar—had done for the last two decades.
Maybe discover why he’d disappeared after they’d kissed. No. That was not a question she was going to ask.
They’d had fun working behind the concession stand at the theater and goofed off more than they probably should when the theater was dead on the weeknights. But they hadn’t gone to the same high school. Their final flirtation, which had led to her first kiss, had felt like...well, it had felt like the rush of first crushes that only teenagers could experience.
She still remembered being hurt that he hadn’t warned her he was quitting. If it had been a few years later, cell phones and social media could have transitioned their flirtation into a more genuine connection. But those things had still been just over the horizon.
“I wouldn’t mind playing catch-up. Do you want to down that drink, and we can head to another place? Someplace where your ex isn’t around?” The ridges of his cheeks darkened as he made the offer.
Was he as out of practice at this as she was? Tessa doubted anyone could be as rusty in the dating field as her. She and Max had met in their freshman dorm and dated all through college. They’d married just before she started med school, and he’d gone to work in finance. She’d been off the market for most of her adult life.
“My place is just around the corner. I have wine and a patio that overlooks the community pond.” Heat engulfed her body as she met those sultry eyes again. “I... I... I just meant that it’s a good place for me to dump these shoes. And then you can come back to your sister after a drink on my patio.”
Nope... There was definitely no one rustier than her at this. And she wasn’t even trying to flirt. Well, maybe a little, but not like “invite a stranger back to your condo fifteen minutes after he buys you a club soda.”
He took a sip of his drink, and her breath caught as she watched him mull the offer over. If he said no, it would be fine. Better than fine—it would be the right answer. But Tessa didn’t want Gabe to say no. She wanted him to want her—at least for a night of friendly conversation on a condo porch.
How long had it been since someone outside the hospital wanted to spend time with her? Tessa didn’t want to calculate that answer.
“Sure,” Gabe finally stated. He looked over her shoulder again and smiled. “But just so you know, I’m telling my sister this went perfectly and counting it as a date. That will get her off my back for at least the next three days. Maybe even an entire week!”
Laughter again bubbled in Tessa’s chest. How had he taken the most awkward moment ever and made it seem like she was helping him? And how was this gorgeous man still single?
He grinned, dimples deep in each cheek before heading to speak to his sister.
Another round of laughs echoed from the back corner, but most of its sting had evaporated. She laid another couple of dollars on the bar and spared one more glance at the over-the-top decor, then let her mind wander to Gabe’s delicious dimples. She could get lost in that smile.
Maybe for more than one night.
That thought sent a cold bead of sweat down her back. She was not interested in dating anyone—even if she was more than a little tired of curling up with a pillow each night.
The position for senior emergency room attending was opening in a few weeks. Assuming the rumors were true.
And she’d learned the hard way that men did not appreciate a successful woman. Oh, they claimed to. Max had said he loved Tessa’s drive for success. Asserted that her being so successful made them a power couple—a term Tessa hated.
Then his finance career had stagnated following several poor business decisions and the recession. When he was laid off, Max had grown increasingly agitated by his lack of job prospects. She’d understood, but after he accepted another position, their relationship had still raced toward its explosive end.
Particularly when she’d been offered the senior attending job at Cincinnati Children’s. He’d refused to even consider moving for her job and suggested that it would be too much of a commitment if she wanted to start a family anytime soon.
So she’d stayed. Given up the promotion hoping that her sacrifice could repair the divide that had widened between her and her ex. Instead, he’d filed for divorce, claiming Tessa didn’t need him for anything besides housework.
It had been a BS excuse—particularly considering he’d married again before the ink had dried on their divorce decree. But it was proof that many men couldn’t handle being equal partners in a relationship. They always wanted to be more than their partner. And Tessa didn’t have the time to wade through the dating landscape to figure out the good from the bad.
She licked her lips as she subtly checked out Gabe’s beautiful derriere. If her heart thumped a bit as Gabe leaned over to tell his sister he was going to Tessa’s place for a short while, that was just a symptom of loneliness and nostalgia for an old crush. A one-night escape.
Nothing more.
“I won’t wait. You can just order an Uber.” Isla’s grin was too wide, but Gabe didn’t want to disappoint his sister with the truth. He and Tessa were just catching up...which didn’t explain the heat running through him, or his willingness to go back to her place.
She was uncomfortable at the bar. Her tanned skin had reddened after she’d invited him to have a drink on her patio, her gaze refusing to meet his. If any other person had made what sounded like such a bold request, he’d have found a polite way to demure. To redirect the conversation to something humorous, something that didn’t sound like a direct refusal.
Gabe had only approached Tessa at the bar because he’d assumed the walled-off brunette would shut him down. She’d barely acknowledged the three men he’d watched confidently stride over to her. She’d raised her near-empty glass and waved them away.
He’d watched her lift her feet out of those absurd spikes and been certain she was about to call it a night. And the clock hadn’t even struck eight. She’d been perfect.
All he’d needed was a refusal. Then he could pretend to be off his game for the rest of the night. That part would have been the truth.
Gabe Davis had been off his game for the last six years. If life had gone according to plan, he’d have been celebrating his fifth wedding anniversary to Olive this year. Maybe even have a toddler or two to keep their life busy.
But life hadn’t followed the plan—it had shredded it. Something Gabe should have been used to. He’d learned at sixteen that the movie version of family and love was a fantasy.
A sitcom reality that drove advertisers to Saturday-morning cartoons and after-school specials. That laid the groundwork for kids to believe in happily-ever-after, leaving them vulnerable to the heartbreak that life seemed all too willing to deliver.
But instead of rejection at the bar, he’d found Tessa Garcia, the girl who could make a slow shift fly by in giggles and fun. Tessa had been a bright ray of sun at a dark time.
He’d applied for a job at the theater two weeks after his mother announced over pot roast that she’d finished her family experiment.
His mother had loved her career and the accolades that came as she climbed the corporate ladder more than she’d loved her children, and significantly more than she’d loved the man she’d married. But it was the word experiment that time hadn’t driven from his mind. That still sent fury through him.
He’d shadowed his mom, always praying that he’d earn a bit of her praise. Of her love. Trying to earn things that other mothers gave so freely to their children. But his acts of service had earned him nothing when she’d packed her bags.
He should have quit almost as soon as he started. The theater had sent him home far too often on slow nights, and Gabe needed the money to help his dad. But he’d stayed because working with Tessa had made him happy. For a few hours he could forget the turmoil of his life at home.
He could still remember finally working up the courage to kiss her after they’d closed one night. It had been the highlight of his high school experience.
But the veterinary clinic had called the next day to offer him the afternoon and weekend front desk assistant position, starting immediately. He hadn’t been able to turn that down.
His father had already been working two jobs and asking him to drive Gabe to the theater had seemed selfish, particularly when he didn’t know her schedule. By the time he’d finally earned enough to buy a rusted-out car that barely ran, she’d left the theater, too.
He’d gone to the football game when her school played his—the only one he’d ever made it to—but if Tessa had been in the crowd, Gabe hadn’t been able to find her. He’d left feeling defeated.
When she’d recognized him tonight, his lonely heart had lit up. The freckles on her cheeks had lifted as her lips turned up. The pretty young teenager had turned into a stunning woman. And a night of catching up was all his heart craved.
“Have fun.” Isla’s laughter was bright, but Gabe didn’t turn around.
He could spend as much time as he wanted with his sister. Reconnecting with Tessa at a bar felt...well, he didn’t know how to explain the emotions darting through him.
After the offer had spilled from her lips, Gabe had watched Tessa’s eyes dart to the corner. He’d waited a moment, expecting her to withdraw the offer, disquieted by the twinge of longing rushing through him. When she hadn’t, Gabe’s heart had sped up—just a tick. He hadn’t felt that brush of anticipation in so long.
He didn’t want to let it go—at least not yet. “Ready?”
“To get out of these?” She gestured to her feet, where red spots were forming on the edges of her big toe, and the back of her heel had to be rubbed raw. “Absolutely!”
“Are you going to make it?”
Tessa sent one more glare south and then shrugged. “No other choice.”
For a second Gabe considered offering her a piggyback ride. It was something they’d done more than a few times on slow nights at the theater, racing down the halls, keeping their laughs as quiet as possible for the dozen people seeing movies on a random Tuesday.
He’d enjoyed every moment of her pressed against him. The thrill of her cheek against his as they passed life-size movie cutouts.
Such an offer would be absurd now. They were adults, not goofy teens in the throes of first crushes. No matter how much the urge to help her pulsed through him.
That was just his nature. Gabe was a helper—all his siblings teased him about trying to do everything for everyone. Stacy often reminded him that he didn’t have to do everything, but he enjoyed it. Gabe needed to be needed. And it had been so long since anyone had needed him.
It was just that side of him calling to Tessa, wanting to offer an old friend some comfort. If his heart yearned to see if her laughter still sounded the same or if her cheek pressed against his could bring joy back to his life, well, that was just a symptom of nostalgia. He didn’t believe the lie his brain was feeding him, but it didn’t matter. He would not do anything to break the evening’s spell.
The walk to her condo lasted less than ten minutes, and he let out a breath as she stopped in front of the Boardwalk Complex. The most expensive condos in the Dallas area. The developer had bragged in more than one interview that he’d always dreamed of making a property worthy of the most expensive spot in the Monopoly game. It was exactly the type of place his mother would love.
What does Tessa do for a living to live here? He braced himself for opulence as he stepped through Tessa’s heavy front door.
But the entry was bright and airy—nothing like his mother’s upscale unit where she’d fretted over her breakable finery the few times he and his siblings had visited. A stack of gardening books was piled next to the gray couch, and a bright yellow blanket popped with color. The condo had a light floral scent that sent a thrill through Gabe. The home felt like home.
Which was impossible—and unsettling.
When was the last time he’d felt like anywhere was home? In the months before Olive’s passing. Their apartment could have mostly fit in Tessa’s spacious living room, but it had been a happy place.
Another wave of nostalgia rushed through him as Tessa grinned and pulled him toward her kitchen. The pinch of longing he hadn’t felt in forever bloomed in his chest—again. He was lonelier than he’d realized.
“I have Diet Coke, water and wine.” Tessa’s voice was soft as her dark eyes held his.
What was he doing here? Gabe had never gone back to a woman’s place right after meeting her. Except he knew Tessa, sort of...
But was the memory of teenage Tessa the only reason he was here?
Gabe didn’t wish to investigate that question. Clearing his throat, he tried to ignore the flutters in his stomach. “Wine sounds great, but get out of those heels first. Point me in the direction of the bottle opener and glasses. Might as well let me earn my keep.” Gabe’s fingers brushed hers as she handed him the chilled bottle. Her warmth ran up her fingers to his. Such a minor touch that was over too soon.
Get it together. The innocent touch was nothing—really. This was a friendly catch-up session. A way for two lonely people to feel less alone for a few hours.
“Thank you.” Tessa raised out of the heels as she pointed to a cabinet. “But these monstrosities—” she glared at the heels as she lifted them up “—are going directly in the trash! No woman should be subjected to such pain.”
Gabe chuckled as he pulled two glasses down. “I think my sister Isla may have just shuddered.” At Tessa’s confused look, Gabe continued, “She’s a buyer for a very fancy department store. She worked for years to become their main shoe buyer.”
“Well, you are free to tell her that these are evil!” Tessa’s laugh was deeper now, but it still had the lilting edge at the end he’d craved so long ago. The part of Gabe that had been mostly silent since Olive’s departure burst open.
Handing her a wineglass, Gabe tipped his own up, trying to ignore the dangerous combination of ancient feelings and new desires. “To old friends and comfortable shoes.”
Her dark eyes shimmered as she met his gaze and raised her glass to her lips. “The patio is this way.” Her hand gripped his and her gaze floated across him again before she dropped it.
Did her palm tingle, too? The connection had been too brief and too long all at once.
“So, what brought you back to Dallas? Too much snow?” Tessa crossed her legs as she sat on the wicker love seat on her patio.
Gabe slipped in next to her, aware of how close the beauty by his side was. His neck burned. And he couldn’t pretend it was the heat of the evening, particularly with the bright umbrella covering them with shade while the sun set. Her soft scent mixed with the evening breeze, calling to him. The intimacy of the setting was thrilling.
And terrifying.
Maine had been Olive’s home. And he’d happily returned with her after they’d graduated from nursing school. But it hadn’t felt like home with her gone. And after so many years, he’d finally felt ready to leave. The yearning to return to his home, to find a new life—whatever that meant now—had finally sent him back to the Texas heat. Swallowing the cascade of emotions floating through him, Gabe knew there was no way to articulate all those thoughts.
“The snow is not that bad.” Gabe didn’t directly answer her question, but the response was safer.
At least he thought it was, until Tessa playfully shivered and drew a millimeter closer to him. Her full lips were tinged with red wine, and the urge to dip his head to hers made it hard to breathe. Gabe lifted his glass, never taking his eyes from Tessa. “What is it with Texans and hating snow?”
“It’s cold.” Tessa held up a finger as she continued to tick off her reasons. “It’s slushy. It makes driving difficult. It’s cold.”
“You already said that one.”
“It bears repeating!”
Tessa’s hand tapped his knee, and Gabe pinched his wineglass to keep from laying his hand over hers. What was wrong with him? He yearned to make her laugh, to see the hint of a dimple when her lips tipped up. To pull her close.
A small voice in the back of his brain wondered if he should take his leave—chalk the evening up to nostalgia and move on. But it was easy to ignore when Tessa smiled.
He leaned closer. “What Texans don’t understand is that snowy weather just means you have to cuddle closer.” The flirtation escaped his lips. Gabe watched an emotion he wanted to believe was desire flash in Tessa’s eyes.
“I guess that could be true.” Her tongue ran along the edge of her lip as she closed a bit more of the distance between them. “But the heat can be—” her gaze darted behind him before she pulled back “—sensual, too.”
True... Gabe’s tongue refused to form any more words as he stared at the woman across from him. This wasn’t catching up, and discussing Maine’s snow versus Texas’s heat shouldn’t make him want to kiss her. Shouldn’t make him want to run his hand along her waist...shouldn’t make him want so many things.
“I missed you when you left the theater. After we...” Her cheeks bloomed as she tilted her wineglass back. “You were my first kiss.”
The words were so soft that Gabe wondered if Tessa had meant to say them out loud. “You were mine, too. I even went to the Trinity versus Bell football game senior year, hoping you’d be there. I wanted to apologize for vanishing. To explain that the job I got paid better and started immediately. To ask for your number.” Gabe grinned. “If only every teen had had a cell then.”
“If only...” Tessa took another sip of her wine, then set it on the table.
“If only...” Gabe repeated, setting his wineglass next to hers. Without the glass in his fingers, his palms itched to reach out to Tessa. The urge to follow a path that might lead somewhere ignited in him. Gabe crossed his arms, trying to redirect the desire.
It didn’t work.
“So now, on to the major questions.” Tessa’s smile was infectious as she shifted beside him. “Why is your sister trying to set you up at a bar?” Her nose twitched. “You were cute when we worked together, but...” She gestured toward him. “I can’t imagine you having trouble getting a date.”
No. Gabe hadn’t had any trouble getting a date, or he likely wouldn’t have, if he’d had any interest in the dating scene. But his heart had gone dark after he’d lost Olive. An empty shell had occupied his chest for years. When it had finally started beating again, Gabe hadn’t known what to do. But getting involved with someone new had held little appeal.
So what was he doing here?
“I was with someone for a long time.” Gabe’s heart hammered, but the sting of loss was muted now. Grief never vanished, but you learned to move around it. And with time, the memories, like Olive’s bright laugh and her good heart, came easier. She would have loved Tessa’s commentary on high heels. “She passed away.”
Warm hands found his, and the cavity in his chest lit up again. Tessa’s presence called to him in a way he’d never expected to feel again. His thumb rubbed along the edge of her wrist, just enjoying the connection.
“I’m so sorry, Gabe.”
“Thanks. It’s been over six years. The pain is distant now, but Isla wants to see me happy again. Of course, her idea of happy is me giving her more nieces and nephews to idolize. I guess Stacy’s and Matt’s kids aren’t enough to sate the great Aunt Isla.”
“You’re an uncle!” Tessa squeezed his hand again.
Tessa’s pressure was light, but it grounded him in a way that Gabe hadn’t felt for years. Six years. The sensation was comforting—one more surprising element to add to tonight’s growing list.
“Yes. My brother Matt has two young boys, and Stacy has two preteen girls and a three-year-old daughter who drives them all batty.” Being nearby to help his siblings with their growing broods had been part of Texas’s siren call, though Gabe wasn’t needed for much.
“That’s lovely,” Tessa sighed.
“When you are goaded to approach a stranger in a bar, it doesn’t feel that way. Though tonight worked out better than I could have hoped.” That was the truth. Isla had probably texted everyone the moment he left. How would they feel when he told them that this was just catching up with an old friend?
Except it felt deeper.
That was a dangerous thought. And one that Gabe didn’t wish to examine too closely. Everything had seemed easy from the moment he’d stepped up to Tessa at the bar. If he tried to unravel the mix of thoughts and emotions, it might get messy. At least for tonight, he just wanted to enjoy Tessa’s company—for as long as she wanted him here.
“I meant the family meddling.” Tessa sighed. “I’m an only child. I haven’t seen my father since I was seven, and my mother passed when I was thirteen. They were both only children, too, so no cousins to speak of. I used to daydream about having a huge family.” She grinned. “About sisters I could tell secrets to. Or a few brothers who might want to protect me.”
Protect me. He felt his lips dip. Everyone should have someone to look out for them. Someone to run to when the world tilted unexpectedly.
“Children’s imaginations are something, huh.” Tessa rubbed her fingers on her lips and looked over his shoulder before meeting his gaze.
“I’m sure the Davis clan would adopt you.” The offer hovered between them as Gabe smoothed his thumb along her wrist, again. The connection electrified him, and Gabe couldn’t have dropped it even if he’d wanted to.
It wasn’t an errant statement, either. He was sure that Stacy and Isla would willingly welcome the woman before him into their friendship group. If his sisters adopted Tessa, he’d get to see her often, too. That held so much appeal—and sent a thread of worry dancing through him.
Tonight felt like the perfect spell. But perfection was an illusion. If he fell for Tessa and lost on the gamble... His heart constricted just at the thought. He wasn’t sure it could survive another battering.
But he didn’t withdraw the offer.
“The heat of the day is finally breaking.” Tessa didn’t address his suggestion, but she didn’t let go of his hand, either.
“And at ten o’clock!” Gabe chuckled. Somehow they were back to the weather.
Tessa picked up her half-full wineglass and stared at the lukewarm contents. “Maybe we should have opted for the soda.” She let go of his hand and uncurled her feet.
Gabe opened and closed his palm, trying to chase the sensation of emptiness away. The night was ending, as it should, but Gabe desperately wanted to pause time. To sit here with Tessa for hours, watch the sunrise and just be with her.
As she stood, her feet wobbled, and Gabe reached for her. She landed in his lap, her mouth falling open as she stared at him. “My feet fell asleep.”
Gabe pushed a tight curl behind her ear. God, she is gorgeous. “It’s okay.”
Heat that had nothing to do with the Texas night crackled between them. When her lips met his, Gabe’s body released tension he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Tessa’s fingers were heavy on his chest as she deepened the kiss.
The taste of wine lingered on her lips. This wasn’t the innocent young kiss they’d shared as teens. This was deeper, electric, and the longing buried within it drove him close to the edge.
Tessa... All his senses lit with longing. Tessa.
She pulled back, and Gabe had to reach for all his control not to pull her close again.
“Do you want to go inside?” Tessa bit her lip as her fingers danced across his chest, each stroke sending another jolt through him.
“Yes.” There was nowhere else he wanted to be tonight.
