myself all that interesting. Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Where are you from originally?”
He answered easily, “I’m from the west. I was born in Portland, Oregon. My parents died when I was little, around seven, and I was brought up by two very loving grandparents, whom I visit every chance I get. I put myself through college, started my own business, branched out in several different areas—and here I am. It’s that simple.”
She disagreed. “I don’t think it’s simple at all. You’ve managed to make light of what must have been years of hard work and frustrations. What was the business you started in originally?”
“Computers and electronics.”
“Electronics?” She was floored. “Good God! Gabe, are you Jackson, Incorporated?”
Gabriel, leaning back in his chair, laced his fingers behind his head and said casually, “Why, yes.”
“I am so stupid,” she said slowly. “You know, I never made the connection before between you and the company. I just assumed that you’d started out doing something like what you’re working on now. So the shopping centre is just something on the side?”
“Yes. When it opens, I’m going to hire a general manager to keep things running smoothly. I don’t know yet if I’ll be staying around in the area permanently or not. That’s really too far in the future still for me to decide.”
Carrie was unprepared for the depression that Gabriel’s words induced. It was, of course, totally illogical, for she herself didn’t live in the area. She surely had no reason for feeling let down if he would decide to move. It didn’t have anything to do with her, after all.
She toyed with her empty coffee cup, staring down into its small depth silently. Suddenly she didn’t have anything to say. Gabe watched her hands play in front of her on the table. “Would you like more coffee?” he asked quietly.
She looked up swiftly. “Oh, no,” she replied. “Thank you, anyway.” She stared into the deep, warm brown eyes for a few moments and then her eyes fell again to her cup, faintly disturbed. There was a silence and then Gabe, moving out of his watchful stillness, stood up from the table.
“Perhaps you would like to walk a bit outside,” he suggested. “That dessert needs to be exercised off!Come on.” Taking her by the hand, he led her through the wide glass doors that were on the back wall of the dining room and into the unfenced back yard. It stretched out into the early evening’s darkness, hinting at the large acreage the ranch consisted of. Still holding on to Carrie’s hand, he walked on, slowly strolling into the night.
She could hear the sounds of the chirping and whirring of little night creatures off in the distance. Something tiny flew by her cheek and she absentmindedly brushed her hand around to scare away whatever it was. She was oddly reluctant to speak, to break the wonderful stillness between them. It was, for the time being, enough to just walk side by side.
Gabe seemed to feel the same, for he didn’t break the silence either. As they went along, she became aware of how pleasant it was to feel his fingers, warm and hard, strong and yet very gentle, pressing against her smaller fingers. It was a well-formed hand, controlled and lean. She glanced up at the shadow of his face, acutely aware of his long, panther-like stride. Never had she been so attuned to another person, not even Neil. This was something quite unique, a harmonic melding of personalities. Carrie started to wonder if she was imagining the whole thing. She was certain that Gabe was not experiencing the same emotions, for all his quiet.
“Beautiful.” Gabe spoke softly, his voice a dark and low rumbling sound. It petered off into the night, swallowed by the darkness and the unending rhythm of the night creatures’ talk.
“Isn’t it, though?” she answered just as quietly, pleased. “I love these kind of nights when the sky is so clear that you can see every
He answered easily, “I’m from the west. I was born in Portland, Oregon. My parents died when I was little, around seven, and I was brought up by two very loving grandparents, whom I visit every chance I get. I put myself through college, started my own business, branched out in several different areas—and here I am. It’s that simple.”
She disagreed. “I don’t think it’s simple at all. You’ve managed to make light of what must have been years of hard work and frustrations. What was the business you started in originally?”
“Computers and electronics.”
“Electronics?” She was floored. “Good God! Gabe, are you Jackson, Incorporated?”
Gabriel, leaning back in his chair, laced his fingers behind his head and said casually, “Why, yes.”
“I am so stupid,” she said slowly. “You know, I never made the connection before between you and the company. I just assumed that you’d started out doing something like what you’re working on now. So the shopping centre is just something on the side?”
“Yes. When it opens, I’m going to hire a general manager to keep things running smoothly. I don’t know yet if I’ll be staying around in the area permanently or not. That’s really too far in the future still for me to decide.”
Carrie was unprepared for the depression that Gabriel’s words induced. It was, of course, totally illogical, for she herself didn’t live in the area. She surely had no reason for feeling let down if he would decide to move. It didn’t have anything to do with her, after all.
She toyed with her empty coffee cup, staring down into its small depth silently. Suddenly she didn’t have anything to say. Gabe watched her hands play in front of her on the table. “Would you like more coffee?” he asked quietly.
She looked up swiftly. “Oh, no,” she replied. “Thank you, anyway.” She stared into the deep, warm brown eyes for a few moments and then her eyes fell again to her cup, faintly disturbed. There was a silence and then Gabe, moving out of his watchful stillness, stood up from the table.
“Perhaps you would like to walk a bit outside,” he suggested. “That dessert needs to be exercised off!Come on.” Taking her by the hand, he led her through the wide glass doors that were on the back wall of the dining room and into the unfenced back yard. It stretched out into the early evening’s darkness, hinting at the large acreage the ranch consisted of. Still holding on to Carrie’s hand, he walked on, slowly strolling into the night.
She could hear the sounds of the chirping and whirring of little night creatures off in the distance. Something tiny flew by her cheek and she absentmindedly brushed her hand around to scare away whatever it was. She was oddly reluctant to speak, to break the wonderful stillness between them. It was, for the time being, enough to just walk side by side.
Gabe seemed to feel the same, for he didn’t break the silence either. As they went along, she became aware of how pleasant it was to feel his fingers, warm and hard, strong and yet very gentle, pressing against her smaller fingers. It was a well-formed hand, controlled and lean. She glanced up at the shadow of his face, acutely aware of his long, panther-like stride. Never had she been so attuned to another person, not even Neil. This was something quite unique, a harmonic melding of personalities. Carrie started to wonder if she was imagining the whole thing. She was certain that Gabe was not experiencing the same emotions, for all his quiet.
“Beautiful.” Gabe spoke softly, his voice a dark and low rumbling sound. It petered off into the night, swallowed by the darkness and the unending rhythm of the night creatures’ talk.
“Isn’t it, though?” she answered just as quietly, pleased. “I love these kind of nights when the sky is so clear that you can see every
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