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He had. She’d told him throughout his childhood that it must be that way since his father was gone. Gabe’s child was never going to know that feeling if he could help it. But would that really be possible with his current job, the future demands of his career? “I did, but it was what it was.”
Zoe looked at him for a moment as if she understood everything he wasn’t saying. Moving to the table, she set down the plate of food. “Go ahead and start. It’s better hot.” Picking up the other plate, she returned to the stove.
Gabe finished pouring the tea and took his place. Zoe had included a small salad and a piece of toasted bread as well. The aroma was divine but still he waited for her.
Zoe joined him with her plate in her hand. “I told you to go ahead and start.”
“And my grandmother taught me that the cook deserves to be waited for. Sorry, her teaching trumps what you want.”
Zoe smiled. “Smart woman.”
“She was. I miss her every day.” Zoe reminded him of his grandmother, who had been the most giving and caring person he’d ever known until he’d met Zoe.
“Tell me about her.” Zoe placed her napkin in her lap and picked up her fork.
“I guess she was like every other grandmother. Tough when she needed to be but loving all the time.” Gabe took a bite of the hot lasagna and his taste buds screamed with joy. Zoe could get a permanent job cooking for him. He would miss her when she left. That looming event he didn’t want to think about. “This is wonderful. I didn’t think anything could be any better than the meal last night.”
Her eyes twinkled and her cheeks turned rosy. She enjoyed a compliment. Had the other men in her life not done that enough? He’d like her to always look at him the way she was now. In spite of her curt refusal to allow a personal relationship between them, her happiness mattered very much to him. But why?
“I’m glad you like it,” Zoe said with a hint of shyness. As if she hadn’t been sure he would.
“Anyone would.”
“Not anyone.”
There it was. Just what he’d suspected. “Has someone said you weren’t a good cook?”
Zoe made a sound low in her throat. “Oh, yeah, in no uncertain terms.”
Annoyance hot as fire flashed through him on her behalf. “Like who?”
“My ex-fiancé. Nothing I prepared for him seemed to suit. He always complained. Too salty, too hot. I guess that’s one of the reasons he’s my ex. Along with a few other, larger character flaws.”
She’d been engaged? Had cared about a man enough to want to marry him? It shocked Gabe how much that bothered him. If she’d married that guy, they wouldn’t be sitting here now. Wouldn’t have had that night or be expecting a baby. He would have missed knowing Zoe. He swallowed hard and put his fork down. “What happened?”
“I caught him out to dinner with another woman. Turned out he was a jerk. He made it embarrassingly clear in front of the entire restaurant that I wasn’t who he wanted. That I was too old-fashioned. Wasting my time waiting for a knight in silver armor to ride up and pledge to love me until death did us part. That expecting the man who said he loved me to be faithful and plan to be with me forever was naive nonsense. He said I needed to grow up. What a fool I was! I know what I want, and I have no intention of settling or compromising.”
Gabe had the sudden urge to hit something. If her ex had been there he would have punched him in the face. Although he was pretty sure he wouldn’t like the answer to the question before he asked it, he couldn’t stop himself. “What do you want?”
“To find someone who will love me for who I am. Who’ll put me first in his life and grow old with me.” She looked at him. “To have that happily ever after.”
Her answer was worse than he’d expected. She wanted everything Gabe was confident he couldn’t provide.
CHAPTER SIX
ZOE WOKE THE next morning to the sun shining through her bedroom window and the birds chirping. She stretched. Now that she was well into her second trimester, she was feeling more energetic. A flutter in her middle made her pause. She couldn’t stop a smile of happiness curving her lips. The baby was kicking. Butterfly taps, but they were there nonetheless.
At dinner after she’d told Gabe she was holding out for a man who would love her unconditionally and commit the rest of his life to their marriage and family, the conversation had become stilted, punctuated by awkward silence. His reaction had not been a surprise. It had merely reinforced his original revelation that he had no interest in getting married and having a family. With his logic, his career wouldn’t allow it. When she’d risen to clean the kitchen, he’d insisted he would do it. Sensing Gabe was still uncomfortable with her answer, she’d left him to it and gone to bed. She’d slept well and deeply.
Thinking about the way their evening had ended, she feared their visit to her mother’s and the shopping trip might be tense as well. Debating whether or not to spend the day with Gabe, she was surprised by the smell of frying bacon wafting into her room.
Gabe was cooking?
She pulled her robe on and tugged the belt tight, making certain she was completely covered. More than once when she’d been talking to Gabe about rent, she’d caught his gaze slipping to the V of her robe. His hot glances had brought to mind passionate memories that would have weakened her resolve if she’d allowed herself to revisit them.
The scent led her to the kitchen, where Gabe stood at the stove with his bare back to her, the view of wide shoulders with thick muscles tapering to a trim waist and slim hips clad in well-worn jeans hung low. She swallowed. He had such a nice behind, was a magnificent specimen of a male. Her fingers twitched with the temptation to touch him. Would he mind if she did? The question set off mental alarm bells. She must stop tormenting herself with fantasies of forbidden pleasures.
She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her robe and cleared her throat. “Good morning.”
Gabe half turned. “Morning. I don’t have your culinary talents but I can cook eggs and bacon. Interested?”
Zoe battled to master her physical reaction to him as she sh
rugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner. “Sure.”
“Have a seat. I’m just getting ready to do the eggs. How do you like yours?”
Apparently, whatever had been bothering him last night was forgotten. She took what had become her place at the table. “Scrambled.”
He smiled. “Scrambled it is.”
She liked this cheerful, relaxed version of Gabe. This was the man she’d gotten to know in Chicago. The charmer. She suspected his charisma was at full force.
Gabe placed a plate with fluffy eggs, two slices of crisp bacon and buttered toast in front of her. It looked as delicious as it smelled. She gave him a genuine smile of gratitude. “Thanks.”
He soon joined her with a plate twice as full as hers in his hand. Over the next few minutes they ate in a companionable silence. Zoe was glad their camaraderie had returned. Slowly chewing bacon and studying him as he ate, she decided she’d like it to always be that way between them. She watched as his gaze met hers. He raised a brow.
“Thank you. This is wonderful.”
Gabe looked pleased. “You’re welcome.”
His phone that was always nearby buzzed. He picked it up. “Dr. Marks.”
As he talked she continued to eat, paying little attention to the conversation. “I’ll be in this afternoon to review the charts.” Gabe ended the call.
“Problem?”
“I implemented a new protocol. It’s not popular, so I’m getting some pushback. Do you have a certain time that you have to be at your mother’s?”
“It’s Saturday, so I can go whenever I wish.”
“Then do you think you can be ready to leave in half an hour? I have to go in to the hospital later.” He picked up his toast.
She pushed at her eggs. “Then why don’t you just go pick out furniture while I go see Mom? Cut down on your stress.”
“No, I’ve got time. I just need to check the charts after shift change this afternoon.”
She was amazed at his dedication to detail. “You really oversee all the details.”
