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“I’ve had to deal with Mother. And the guys can’t help me until Sunday afternoon. I’ve spent most of the morning organizing what needs to go into storage and packing up the rest.”
“Guys?” What guys was she talking about? She wouldn’t let him help her; instead, she’d chosen to ask some other men. There was a pang in his chest he didn’t want to examine closely.
“Some friends from work,” came her offhanded answer.
“It sounds like you have everything in hand.” Could she hear the testiness he felt?
“Why I’m calling is to see if it’s all right for me to come over and see what my room looks like. I need to decide what to bring and what to store.”
His ego took another hit. She was only interested in seeing the house, not him. It occurred to him he was taking this all too personally because he was operating on the assumption they were more than merely accidental parents. Which they weren’t, so why was he feeling this way? He had to get control of his imagination, be ruthlessly realistic about the foundation of their relationship. Starting now. “Sure. That’ll be fine.”
“How much longer do you think your movers will be? I don’t want to get in their way.”
She was all business. He could be that as well. “They left hours ago, so you’re welcome anytime.”
“Great. Please text me your address. I’ll see you later.” She hung up.
Gabe lost track of the number of times he’d checked his watch since Zoe had called. It amazed him how excited he was at the thought of seeing her again. The doorbell finally rang as he finished unpacking the last box in his bedroom.
He wiped his hands on his jeans and hurried to the front of the house. Through the pane glass of the door he could see Zoe. His heart beat faster. She was as amazing as he remembered. Her head was moving one way then another as if she was taking everything in. Pulling the door open wide, he stepped back and said in a welcoming manner, “Come in.”
Zoe gave him a slight smile. “Hi. I like your house. It’s...big.”
He wasn’t sure how to take that statement. Was she being complimentary or expressing relief they wouldn’t be living in close proximity? Or both?
* * *
With a tentative step, Zoe entered Gabe’s new home. Stepping into his living space symbolized how drastically her life was changing. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, just one of uncertainty. As if she’d been forced to open a door without knowing what lay behind it.
It was a new redbrick home in an exclusive neighborhood that she’d only driven through a couple of times. She was a little surprised he’d chosen the area and such a large house. This was a subdivision of family homes, not where single men tended to live. Gabe didn’t impress her as a spacious-home kind of person. So why had he decided on this one?
It did have one appealing advantage, though. It was large enough they would most likely have little or no contact while she resided here. That was what she wanted. To get through the next few months then move on. Or at least that was what she was going to keep telling herself.
She ran her fingertips over the smooth wooden door with its beautiful glass panels and large oval in the middle. A hardwood floor gleamed in the shaft of afternoon sun flowing in through the open doorway. Beyond the foyer was a sunken living area with a fireplace filling one wall. She took a timid step forward. Along the back were tall windows, revealing a circular brick patio and manicured yard. Her breath caught. It was perfect. If she’d been picking out a house this would have been the one she chose.
The corner of her mouth lifted a little. The living area’s massive space held only a leather sofa, matching chair and large TV. How like a man to have only the essentials. What would it be like to snuggle up on that sofa next to Gabe in front of the fire? Something she wouldn’t be doing. “You have a beautiful home.”
She watched his lips curve up. Was he pleased with her compliment? Did it matter to him what she thought?
“Come on in and I’ll show you around.”
He led her through the living area, giving her time to admire the backyard anew through the windows as she followed him into the kitchen by way of a bay-window alcove that served as an eating area. A small table and two well-worn chairs were stationed there. The kitchen was spacious, furnished with all the latest appliances. She could only imagine what a pleasure it would be to cook for a family here. Hardly the galley-sized kitchen she’d been using.
It was a shame that no woman would share this house with him. If it was her... No, those thoughts were better left alone. That was one place she didn’t need to go. He’d already made it clear what he wanted out of life and that didn’t include her.
From there he pointed down a small hallway. “That’s my suite and the way out to the carport. This is the way to your side of the house.”
It might be, but she was afraid it wouldn’t be far enough. Just being near him had her dreaming of what could be.
They crossed the living area and went through an arched doorway into a hallway that ran from the front of the house to the back.
“You have a choice between two bedrooms. You can have them both if you want them.” Gabe turned to the right, bumping her as he did so. He grabbed her before she rocked backward. “Whoa there. We wouldn’t want you to fall.”
Gabe’s hands were brand hot on her waist. He watched her intently for a moment. His eyes focused on her lips before he released a breath he’d apparently been holding and let her go.
Zoe tingled all over with the desire to have him touch her again. Living in such a virile man’s home wouldn’t be easy.
He led her into a sunny room at the front of the house. It was larger than she’d had in her apartment. The street was out the front window and a neighbor’s house could be seen in the distance through the other. “There’s a full bath right there.” Gabe pointed to a doorway. “The other room’s down this way.”
He didn’t give her time to look before he walked out into the hallway. He acted as if he was making a point to keep as much distance as he could from her. Zoe caught up with him by the time he reached the doorway of the other room. This one was as large as the first but the view was nicer. From the window facing the back she could see the yard and trees.
“There’s another bath in here.” Gabe stood in the entrance and flipped on a light switch. “This bath isn’t quite as large as the other one but it’s a nice size.”
&
nbsp; He sounded almost apologetic. Did it really matter to him what she thought of it?
As she pondered those unsettling questions, he added, “You’re welcome to store anything you like in the room you don’t use.”
“I appreciate that, but I’ve already put stuff in storage. I’ll just be bringing my bedroom suite, a chair and TV. That should be enough. The less I bring, the less I have to worry about moving the second time.” It was important she be practical about the arrangements because she was not living here long.
She caught sight of Gabe’s odd expression a second before he glanced away. “Whichever one you don’t take I’ll make the baby’s room.”
Her look met his again. “The baby will be living with me.”
“I know that, but he or she will be regularly visiting me. I’ll need a bedroom for my child.”
His assertion solidified her resolve that when she was settled they were going to sit down and decide on Gabe’s visitation schedule. His insistence on being involved wasn’t going to overrule what she thought best for her baby. This was her baby. She would be making the final decisions about raising her child, regardless of what Gabe wanted. However, she knew this wasn’t the time to broach that issue. She was juggling far too many things as it was. “We’ll talk about your visitation rights later.”
“Just because you keep putting it off, it doesn’t mean the issue will go away. Or me, for that matter.” He arched an eyebrow in challenge.
Before her temper got the better of her, Zoe headed for the front door. “I’ve got to get going. It’s been a long day.”
“Have you eaten? I could call for Chinese takeout or pizza.”
She didn’t slow down. “I have to go. I’ll just do drive-through and go to bed early.”
“Do you need any help moving? I can meet you Sunday morning.”
Why did he keep being so nice to her? “Uh... No, I have it all taken care of. You’ve got your own stuff here to worry about.” She walked out the front door but stopped on the porch. “By the way, did you have a chance to look at Mr. Luther’s file?”
