that lurked behind his beautiful blue eyes. She didn’t know any of the men very well, but she could see a bond between them, one that went deeper than anything she’d known in her life. Just seeing the silent communication made her, well, a bit jealous.
Ridiculous, she knew, but true.
“Please, all of you can call me Gabby. No need to stand on formality in a small town.” She gestured to the closed examining room door. “Your friend seems to be fine, other than loss of blood and a good knock to the head. The bullet passed through his arm and Dr. Barham stitched the wound. I’ll let him tell you his recommendation, but I’d say he’ll be up and around in a few days.”
Then Gabby did something that would probably make her mother faint. She reached out her hand to shake theirs. Gideon’s face registered surprise, but he readily grasped hers in a grip that was firm but not painful. When Lee figured out she was waiting for him, he grudgingly shook her hand too. Jake stared at her until the moment stretched uncomfortably between them.
Gabby didn’t know what it was about Jake Sheridan that fascinated her, but she was damned determined to find out. Her future had been a hazy mix of keeping the mill going and perhaps one day finding a husband, although that was an unlikely scenario since Tanger had no eligible men. And now, everything had changed within a few days.
“May I speak to you outside for a moment?” She forced a smile at Gideon and Lee. “I need to talk to Jake about the woman he helped earlier. You two can go in and see Zeke.”
After his friends left, Jake stared at her until she took his arms and led him outside. Although he was a tall man, it was like moving a small boy—there was no resistance at all. When they stepped out into the shadows of the night, she let him go and walked a few paces away.
“I don’t know what happened tonight after we brought Margaret here. I know men who have come back from war who can’t sleep at night or even live a proper life.” She hugged herself. “I can’t even imagine what you went through before you came here, and I wanted you to know none of it matters to me.”
Gabby whirled to face him, his light complexion visible in the moonlight. This was the moment of truth for her, the moment she either turned her back or jumped forward into a future full of uncertainty and unknown challenges. Life was too short not to take a chance.
“I can’t seem to think when I’m around you,” she confessed. “You are always in my head.”
Jake’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t do anything to you. You stepped into my life, Gabby. All I can do is hang on and hope I survive being obsessed with you.”
Gabby’s heart stuttered. “Obsessed with me?” She’d made the right choice, she was certain of that.
“Well, um, not obsessed. What I meant to say was that you were on my mind a bit, all right more than that. Oh hell, I don’t know what I’m saying.” Jake grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her to him. The hard wall of his chest was warm, almost hot, against her already heated body. Her nipples stood at attention, throbbing for more, to feel skin on skin. She looked up into his blue eyes and saw the same confusion and frustration she felt, as well as desire.
Gabby knew she and Jake would be together as a man and woman should be, naked and full of the sweet passion that drove them. She could almost picture them on her bed—on the white sheets his red hair would stand out like a beacon in the night or day. He was a beautiful man, muscular, tall and with a smile that could melt paint off a wall.
All her thoughts whirled around in her head while his mouth descended on hers.
Ah, God, help me.
Gabby hung on for dear life as he kissed her. At first it was a demanding kiss, full of thunder, almost bruising, but she returned it full force. Like two animals mating in the wild, they grappled and pulled at each other, moans of pure lust bursting from their throats.
Ridiculous, she knew, but true.
“Please, all of you can call me Gabby. No need to stand on formality in a small town.” She gestured to the closed examining room door. “Your friend seems to be fine, other than loss of blood and a good knock to the head. The bullet passed through his arm and Dr. Barham stitched the wound. I’ll let him tell you his recommendation, but I’d say he’ll be up and around in a few days.”
Then Gabby did something that would probably make her mother faint. She reached out her hand to shake theirs. Gideon’s face registered surprise, but he readily grasped hers in a grip that was firm but not painful. When Lee figured out she was waiting for him, he grudgingly shook her hand too. Jake stared at her until the moment stretched uncomfortably between them.
Gabby didn’t know what it was about Jake Sheridan that fascinated her, but she was damned determined to find out. Her future had been a hazy mix of keeping the mill going and perhaps one day finding a husband, although that was an unlikely scenario since Tanger had no eligible men. And now, everything had changed within a few days.
“May I speak to you outside for a moment?” She forced a smile at Gideon and Lee. “I need to talk to Jake about the woman he helped earlier. You two can go in and see Zeke.”
After his friends left, Jake stared at her until she took his arms and led him outside. Although he was a tall man, it was like moving a small boy—there was no resistance at all. When they stepped out into the shadows of the night, she let him go and walked a few paces away.
“I don’t know what happened tonight after we brought Margaret here. I know men who have come back from war who can’t sleep at night or even live a proper life.” She hugged herself. “I can’t even imagine what you went through before you came here, and I wanted you to know none of it matters to me.”
Gabby whirled to face him, his light complexion visible in the moonlight. This was the moment of truth for her, the moment she either turned her back or jumped forward into a future full of uncertainty and unknown challenges. Life was too short not to take a chance.
“I can’t seem to think when I’m around you,” she confessed. “You are always in my head.”
Jake’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t do anything to you. You stepped into my life, Gabby. All I can do is hang on and hope I survive being obsessed with you.”
Gabby’s heart stuttered. “Obsessed with me?” She’d made the right choice, she was certain of that.
“Well, um, not obsessed. What I meant to say was that you were on my mind a bit, all right more than that. Oh hell, I don’t know what I’m saying.” Jake grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her to him. The hard wall of his chest was warm, almost hot, against her already heated body. Her nipples stood at attention, throbbing for more, to feel skin on skin. She looked up into his blue eyes and saw the same confusion and frustration she felt, as well as desire.
Gabby knew she and Jake would be together as a man and woman should be, naked and full of the sweet passion that drove them. She could almost picture them on her bed—on the white sheets his red hair would stand out like a beacon in the night or day. He was a beautiful man, muscular, tall and with a smile that could melt paint off a wall.
All her thoughts whirled around in her head while his mouth descended on hers.
Ah, God, help me.
Gabby hung on for dear life as he kissed her. At first it was a demanding kiss, full of thunder, almost bruising, but she returned it full force. Like two animals mating in the wild, they grappled and pulled at each other, moans of pure lust bursting from their throats.
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