handed the container back to him. He looked at the writing on the lid. “Wedding soup. You’ll love this. We’ll have it for lunch tomorrow.” He pulled out another container like the first one, shut the door, and opened the other door. Another light came on. This section was bigger than the first one, and it also held a number of containers.
He put the frozen soup on one of the shelves. “This side is a refrigerator. It keeps things cold, but not frozen. Milk, butter, cheese, meat, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, really anything that will spoil if it gets too warm. All of those kinds of things are kept in here.” He opened a drawer in the bottom and pulled out two orange balls, slid the drawer back in, and closed the door of the refrigerator .
She watched him dig his thumb into one of the balls and peel away the thick outer layer, releasing the most wonderful aroma. He handed her the whitish ball that remained while he peeled the other one. He put the peelings in a container under the sink. “I keep the garbage bin here.” Then he dug his thumbs into the center of the peeled ball and pulled it apart. It seemed to be made up of multiple little segments. At her confused look, he popped a segment in his mouth and said, “It’s an orange. Try it.”
She did exactly what he had done, and the moment she bit into it, her mouth was filled with the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted. This must be the source of the juice she had drunk in the hospital, but the fruit itself was infinitely better.
Gabe grinned. “You like it?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so delicious.”
“Really?” A slow grin spread across his face, and he leaned forward and kissed her softly. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and sucked it gently into his mouth.
A pleasant fluttering started in her stomach, making her forget about the orange entirely.
When he pulled away, she was breathless. “Mmm. Yes, entirely delicious, but I’m not sure whether it is you or the orange.”
~ * ~
Gabe adored this woman. How could he have walked out of her life five and a half years ago? He kissed her again. “As delicious as you are, I must stop kissing you and let you finish eating your orange.”
She blushed, but didn’t look away. “I like your kisses.”
“Then I promise to give you many more. But not tonight. You need rest.”
She didn’t respond, but she frowned slightly.
When they were through with the oranges, he guided her into the bedroom and folded the covers back. “Let’s get you tucked in.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “I don’t want to sleep here.”
“Sweetheart, you cannot sleep on the couch.”
“I—I don’t want to sleep on the couch. I don’t want to sleep anywhere by myself. Everything is so strange, and I’m…” Her voice broke and she looked away.
“What is it?”
She turned her gaze back to him. “I’m afraid to be alone.”
“I’ll just be in the other room. You aren’t alone.”
“Last night, you held my hand while I slept and I felt safe.”
“You are safe.”
“Please, Gabe. I can’t explain it. I’m sure things won’t seem so strange after a few days. I just don’t want to be alone yet.”
“But, Elizabeth—”
“You said…you said we’ve slept together before. Would you sleep with me? I don’t mean…well you know. I just don’t want to be by myself. Please, Gabe.”
He gathered her gently into his arms. “Of course I will.”
Elsie sighed. She was the slightest bit embarrassed at having asked that, but nevertheless, she was extraordinarily relieved. She fell asleep curled up next to Gabe.
Chapter 10
As he lay in the dark with Elizabeth in his arms, Gabe tried to process all that had happened over the last two days. If last week someone had mentioned Elizabeth to him, he would have said she was an old girlfriend from medical school. He would have remembered her fondly—he might even have said that he had loved her once, but he
He put the frozen soup on one of the shelves. “This side is a refrigerator. It keeps things cold, but not frozen. Milk, butter, cheese, meat, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, really anything that will spoil if it gets too warm. All of those kinds of things are kept in here.” He opened a drawer in the bottom and pulled out two orange balls, slid the drawer back in, and closed the door of the refrigerator .
She watched him dig his thumb into one of the balls and peel away the thick outer layer, releasing the most wonderful aroma. He handed her the whitish ball that remained while he peeled the other one. He put the peelings in a container under the sink. “I keep the garbage bin here.” Then he dug his thumbs into the center of the peeled ball and pulled it apart. It seemed to be made up of multiple little segments. At her confused look, he popped a segment in his mouth and said, “It’s an orange. Try it.”
She did exactly what he had done, and the moment she bit into it, her mouth was filled with the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted. This must be the source of the juice she had drunk in the hospital, but the fruit itself was infinitely better.
Gabe grinned. “You like it?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so delicious.”
“Really?” A slow grin spread across his face, and he leaned forward and kissed her softly. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and sucked it gently into his mouth.
A pleasant fluttering started in her stomach, making her forget about the orange entirely.
When he pulled away, she was breathless. “Mmm. Yes, entirely delicious, but I’m not sure whether it is you or the orange.”
~ * ~
Gabe adored this woman. How could he have walked out of her life five and a half years ago? He kissed her again. “As delicious as you are, I must stop kissing you and let you finish eating your orange.”
She blushed, but didn’t look away. “I like your kisses.”
“Then I promise to give you many more. But not tonight. You need rest.”
She didn’t respond, but she frowned slightly.
When they were through with the oranges, he guided her into the bedroom and folded the covers back. “Let’s get you tucked in.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “I don’t want to sleep here.”
“Sweetheart, you cannot sleep on the couch.”
“I—I don’t want to sleep on the couch. I don’t want to sleep anywhere by myself. Everything is so strange, and I’m…” Her voice broke and she looked away.
“What is it?”
She turned her gaze back to him. “I’m afraid to be alone.”
“I’ll just be in the other room. You aren’t alone.”
“Last night, you held my hand while I slept and I felt safe.”
“You are safe.”
“Please, Gabe. I can’t explain it. I’m sure things won’t seem so strange after a few days. I just don’t want to be alone yet.”
“But, Elizabeth—”
“You said…you said we’ve slept together before. Would you sleep with me? I don’t mean…well you know. I just don’t want to be by myself. Please, Gabe.”
He gathered her gently into his arms. “Of course I will.”
Elsie sighed. She was the slightest bit embarrassed at having asked that, but nevertheless, she was extraordinarily relieved. She fell asleep curled up next to Gabe.
Chapter 10
As he lay in the dark with Elizabeth in his arms, Gabe tried to process all that had happened over the last two days. If last week someone had mentioned Elizabeth to him, he would have said she was an old girlfriend from medical school. He would have remembered her fondly—he might even have said that he had loved her once, but he
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