thud.
“I did darling. Several times. I even said your name as I twisted the doorknob and entered. Of course it wasn’t locked, but—”
“I don’t need to lock my door.”
“We’ll argue about that later,” Shane said, tucking the blanket under her chin. He simply watched her, stroked her hair and sat silently on the floor beside her. She visibly relaxed, but didn’t go back to sleep. “Have you eaten yet?” She shut her eyes instead of answering him. “I figured so. I’m going to walk over to that bar and grill, Jamie’s or something?”
“Jenny’s ,” she replied smartly, not bothering to look at him.
Shane smirked. Gabby was one small step toward being her smartass self. “How’d I forget? Home of the best burgers ever. I’m going on over, you need to eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I don’t care.”
“Jackass.”
“Darling.” Shane winked, not that she saw, but still. He lived for her retorts and slaps. Upon standing , he bent and kissed her forehead. She didn’t flinch, snarl, or speak so he continued by stroking her long brown hair, sweeping her bangs from her eyes. It felt right. This town, this apartment above her store, the woman his heart was breaking for, she was right. She was perfect.
Gabby went slack , and Shane could tell she’d drifted off again. Letting himself out as quietly as he could despite the squeak of the old hinges, he made his way to Jenny’s.
***
“You’re back?”
Shane turned to the voice of the petite waitress as he let the bar door close. Her smile was contagious. How she recognized him he didn’t know, but again he was used to living in a different world. No one knew him and didn’t care either. “I am.”
“How’s Gabby?” He was taken aback as she neared, the sincerity shining in her eyes. She winked at him and he realized he’d not answered. “You’ll have to get used to that, New York. Even as private as Gabby is, we all know about John’s passing. Everyone in town knows she was the one taking care of him. And…well, he was just the neatest old guy. We all loved John.”
Shaking his head, a weight lifted from his chest, one he didn’t know he’d been carrying. Jeff came from the kitchen, made eye contact and stopped in his tracks. “Hey, man. Gabby doin’ okay? Glad to see you’ve come back in town for her.”
“Thanks?” Shane replied, too stunned to do more than stare at the pair.
Kelly, as her nametag read, patted his arm. “Hang in there. I have a feeling you’re going to do fine. Small town looks good on you, New York. I know what Gabby likes, what do you want and I’ll have the kitchen rush the order. Bet she hasn’t eaten all day.”
All he could do was blankly shake his head.
***
She smelled something familiar. She’d fallen asleep so deeply it was difficult to get her eyes to open. But that smell, no smells—plural, she knew them both well. Jenny’s, one whiff and her stomach growled. The other, men’s cologne, Shane’s to be precise.
“Shane?” she whispered. No way. She’d dreamed he was with her, but he was in New York. Yet, the images had been so vivid in her head, it was as if they had really spoken to one another. She was so tired she couldn’t make herself wake up. Gabby wanted to go back to the dream, where Shane was. He wasn’t something she could have in reality, or even wish for, but in her deepest dreams, she saw him, talked to him, and…he liked her. For real. Not like the bullying of her past.
Nestling into her pillow, his scent became real again. He stroked her hair, like a boyfriend might do, like he cared for her. Like they were a couple.
“Darling, food’s here. You need to wake up.”
His soft words were jumbled, but the smoothness of his voice flowed over her, warming her from the inside out. He felt so tangible, the heat from his hand was—she opened her eyes. There he sat, on the edge of her couch, his fingers still brushing lightly through her long
“I did darling. Several times. I even said your name as I twisted the doorknob and entered. Of course it wasn’t locked, but—”
“I don’t need to lock my door.”
“We’ll argue about that later,” Shane said, tucking the blanket under her chin. He simply watched her, stroked her hair and sat silently on the floor beside her. She visibly relaxed, but didn’t go back to sleep. “Have you eaten yet?” She shut her eyes instead of answering him. “I figured so. I’m going to walk over to that bar and grill, Jamie’s or something?”
“Jenny’s ,” she replied smartly, not bothering to look at him.
Shane smirked. Gabby was one small step toward being her smartass self. “How’d I forget? Home of the best burgers ever. I’m going on over, you need to eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I don’t care.”
“Jackass.”
“Darling.” Shane winked, not that she saw, but still. He lived for her retorts and slaps. Upon standing , he bent and kissed her forehead. She didn’t flinch, snarl, or speak so he continued by stroking her long brown hair, sweeping her bangs from her eyes. It felt right. This town, this apartment above her store, the woman his heart was breaking for, she was right. She was perfect.
Gabby went slack , and Shane could tell she’d drifted off again. Letting himself out as quietly as he could despite the squeak of the old hinges, he made his way to Jenny’s.
***
“You’re back?”
Shane turned to the voice of the petite waitress as he let the bar door close. Her smile was contagious. How she recognized him he didn’t know, but again he was used to living in a different world. No one knew him and didn’t care either. “I am.”
“How’s Gabby?” He was taken aback as she neared, the sincerity shining in her eyes. She winked at him and he realized he’d not answered. “You’ll have to get used to that, New York. Even as private as Gabby is, we all know about John’s passing. Everyone in town knows she was the one taking care of him. And…well, he was just the neatest old guy. We all loved John.”
Shaking his head, a weight lifted from his chest, one he didn’t know he’d been carrying. Jeff came from the kitchen, made eye contact and stopped in his tracks. “Hey, man. Gabby doin’ okay? Glad to see you’ve come back in town for her.”
“Thanks?” Shane replied, too stunned to do more than stare at the pair.
Kelly, as her nametag read, patted his arm. “Hang in there. I have a feeling you’re going to do fine. Small town looks good on you, New York. I know what Gabby likes, what do you want and I’ll have the kitchen rush the order. Bet she hasn’t eaten all day.”
All he could do was blankly shake his head.
***
She smelled something familiar. She’d fallen asleep so deeply it was difficult to get her eyes to open. But that smell, no smells—plural, she knew them both well. Jenny’s, one whiff and her stomach growled. The other, men’s cologne, Shane’s to be precise.
“Shane?” she whispered. No way. She’d dreamed he was with her, but he was in New York. Yet, the images had been so vivid in her head, it was as if they had really spoken to one another. She was so tired she couldn’t make herself wake up. Gabby wanted to go back to the dream, where Shane was. He wasn’t something she could have in reality, or even wish for, but in her deepest dreams, she saw him, talked to him, and…he liked her. For real. Not like the bullying of her past.
Nestling into her pillow, his scent became real again. He stroked her hair, like a boyfriend might do, like he cared for her. Like they were a couple.
“Darling, food’s here. You need to wake up.”
His soft words were jumbled, but the smoothness of his voice flowed over her, warming her from the inside out. He felt so tangible, the heat from his hand was—she opened her eyes. There he sat, on the edge of her couch, his fingers still brushing lightly through her long
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