“I can already tell I’m going to eat a week’s worth of calories tonight,” her mom said, looking over the menu.
Gavin grinned at her. “It’s Valentine’s Day. I’ve heard rumors that calories don’t count on holidays.”
Her mom laughed and Cait felt herself relaxing. She knew her mom’s laughs and that one had been warm and genuine. She liked Gavin and she was having a good time. That meant Cait and Carter could have a good time, too.
And they did. Throughout dinner there was small talk and a few funny firefighting stories from Gavin, which her mom found fascinating. The food was incredibly good, and so was the wine.
But as they were nearing the end of the meal, Cait noticed her mom’s gaze being drawn repeatedly to a couple at a nearby table. The man didn’t bear a strong resemblance to Duke, but they were about her mom and Duke’s age, and they were clearly having a romantic dinner for two. There was a lot of touching across the table and soft laughter and meaningful looks.
And it would have been them if Duke hadn’t died.
“Do we want to see the dessert menu?” Gavin asked.
Carter groaned, putting his hand on his stomach because he’d just demolished the biggest, thickest slab of lasagna they’d ever seen. “I would literally explode.”
Cait watched her mom fiddle with her napkin, her hands trembling. She didn’t look up, but when she spoke, Cait could hear the slight tremor in her voice. “I’m so full. I don’t think I could eat another bite.”
Gavin didn’t miss the signs, Cait noticed. His expression turned to one of concern before clearing again. After a quick glance at Cait, he signaled for the check. “That was quite a meal. I think a rich dessert would be too much.”
When they got back to the car, her mom shook her head when Gavin opened the front door for her. “Cait can ride up front with you on the way back, and I’ll sit with my son.”
Ever gracious, Gavin opened the back door for her and closed it gently once she was inside. Before Cait got in the front seat, their eyes met and she could see that he knew where this was going. Her mom was on the verge of tears and it was hard to tell if she’d be able to hold it together long enough to get home.
She did, but barely. When Gavin walked them to the door and Carter had gone inside, she turned back to face him with almost dry eyes. “Thank you for taking us to dinner with you. The food was amazing and so was the company.”
“I’m glad I got to meet you, and I hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day,” Gavin said.
Her mom tried to smile, but her face was crumpling and she nodded before turning away. Cait heard her footsteps practically running up the stairs and closed her eyes for a few seconds.
The feel of Gavin’s finger touching her lip made her open them again. “I’m sorry, Cait. I shouldn’t have mentioned the holiday when she was...having a rough time.”
“It wasn’t you, I promise. She was watching another couple at the restaurant and...anyway. She reallydidenjoy dinner, though. Up until the very end, all three of us had a wonderful night.”
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “So did I.”
“I should probably go be with my mom.”
The smile faded as he gave a sharp nod. “I guess. Although she might just need to cry it out. I have a mom and a sister and, well, sometimes women need to cry.”
And they don’t need supervisionwas the part he didn’t say, but Cait could see the thought in his tense jawline. “It still makes Carter anxious when she cries too much and that makes it worse. I have to stay, Gavin. I don’t want to, but I have to.”
“I know you do.” He hooked a finger inside the neck of her dress, sliding it down until it revealed a peek at the black lace bra. Then he inhaled deeply and let the breath out very slowly. “You’ll wear this again soon?”
“Yes.”
“Very soon?”
She smiled, but she knew it was a little shaky since she was trying not to cry. “I promise.”
He kissed her, a sweet kiss that made the urge to cry even stronger. “Goodnight.”
“Gavin,” she called after him when he was halfway to the car. He turned back. “I’m sorry.”
He looked at her for a few seconds, and then he gave her that charming grin of his. “We had a really nice dinner, Cait. I enjoyed it and so did you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
After she closed the door, she leaned her head against it for a moment, trying to get her emotions under control. Gavin was being gracious, of course. They’d both had much different plans for after dinner than him dropping her off at home with her family. And she not only felt bad that he was going home alone, but she was angry about it, too. She didn’t care if it made her selfish. She wanted to go home with Gavin tonight.
She did her best to swallow that anger and accept that they’d both known this could happen because the last thing she needed was for the sobbing woman upstairs to feel even worse.
