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He had more he wanted to say on the topic. Like that he needed her to know that last night had meant something to him, that he wasn’t the type who almost-kissed beautiful blondes in bars and then acted like it was nothing. He wanted to explain that, for reasons he could not decipher, he’d been drawn to her from the moment he saw her huddled in the hallway. That the idea of her taking care of his daughter both excited and scared him in a way he could not describe.
But Hope didn’t seem to need or want further explanation, so he followed her lead and let the matter drop. For now.
They spent the next half hour going over the details of Ruby’s daily schedule. The hours he’d need her. What he would pay her, which made her eyes bulge a bit.
“Gabe, that’s way too much for babysitting a sweet little girl like Ruby,” she’d said.
He shook his head, adamant. “This is more than babysitting, Hope. You’ll be cooking for her, getting her ready for bed, helping with homework, giving up most of your weekend evenings. Trust me, what I can pay you probably isn’t enough.”
She was quiet about it after that, but he could tell she wasn’t convinced.
They agreed she’d start that afternoon. They’d give it a couple of weeks, then see how they were all getting along. If need be, they’d reassess the arrangement then.
Although tempted, Gabe didn’t make Hope run home. Instead, they walked back to the Pearl District, and as they did, he listened to Hope talk about herself, finding himself absorbing every little morsel of information as if she was telling him all her secrets.
“Do you miss San Francisco?” He asked after she’d explained how her brother lived in one of the more recent Morgan Construction penthouses downtown, while her parents still lived in Oakland in the family home she’d been raised in that her father had designed and built.
Listening to the life she described, Gabe couldn’t help but wonder if this city,hiscity, known for its hipsters and local breweries, would be enough for her.
“No.” Her reply came swiftly. “I mean, I miss my brother, Joel. He’s kind of been my sanity.” She huffed out a laugh. “He’s kind of been everyone’s sanity. So, it’s been hard not having him nearby, but I don’t miss the city. Morgan Construction is everywhere there. Everywhere I turn I see my family embedded in one high-rise or another, and it reminds me…” she trailed off, walking for a few steps in silence. “It reminds me why I needed the distance.”
Gabe nodded, noting how her normally cheerful tone took on an edge of melancholy. There was more than she was telling him, but she didn’t elaborate. And he didn’t push, understanding all too well what it was like wanting to keep the past in the past. He hated talking about his own, so he’d never force someone else to talk about theirs.
Besides, she changed the topic by peppering him with questions about Portland for the rest of their walk. Her ability to evade and deflect was impressive.
When they got to the building, Gabe walked her right to her door. “See you at 3:30 then?”
She nodded, her eyes locking and holding with his for a long moment, then she let herself into her apartment leaving him alone in the hallway. And for the first time in a long time, being alone didn’t feel as familiar as it once had.
CHAPTERNINE
As Hope smoothed her pink knee-length skirt over her thighs, her damp palms caught on the soft fabric. Why was she nervous? She was spending the evening with a six-year-old. There was no reason to be anxious. Heck, up until this moment, she’d been excited about the prospect.
Taking a deep breath, she told herself this was just new job jitters and had absolutely nothing to do with her surprising attraction to Ruby’s father, or the deep-seated desire to have both father and child like her. It would be dangerous to start overthinking all these feelings or why they were popping up in the first place. For now, she’d chalk it up to feeling lonely for family since hers blew up in her face.
Picking up her giant shoulder bag, which she hoped rivaled that of Mary Poppins, she left her apartment and crossed the hallway to Gabe’s.
With one last fortifying inhale, she knocked. A squeal, a thump, and the soft but unmistakable deep rumble of Gabe’s voice came from within the apartment. Then the door whipped open and a tiny girl lunged through the opening.
“Hi!” Ruby exclaimed, beaming up at her with a big smile that revealed a missing front tooth and dimple in her cheek. Her bright green eyes sparkled with excitement.
Looking at that face, the last of her nerves, and a little piece of her heart, melted away.
“Hi,” she said, offering a friendly smile of her own.
Ruby grabbed her hand and pulled her into the apartment. Well, at least this Walsh family member wasn’t afraid to get close to people.
“I was showing Daddy my dance. We’re learning a new one in dance class. Do you dance?” Ruby said all at once as she pirouetted into the living room, releasing Hope’s hand and twirling without concern until she toppled onto the couch and broke out into a fit of giggles.
“Ruby, careful! One of these times you’re going to crash into something much harder than the couch,” Gabe said, striding into the living room from the kitchen. He was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, no socks—and had a dish towel slung over one shoulder. Casual and in dad-mode, but still absolutely mouthwatering.
“She’s been at it since we got home. Apparently the new dance is very exciting.”
Hope set her bag down, removed her ballet flats, and made her way into the living room to join them. Ruby bounced off the couch and ran to meet her halfway. She looked up at her intently, head tilted, green eyes focused, like she was studying a rare painting at a museum. Hope tried her best not to squirm under the scrutiny of this six-year-old pistol.
“You’re pretty,” Ruby announced after a moment. Then once again, she grabbed Hope’s hand and tugged. “Come on, I want to show you my room.”
Gabe swooped in, lifting Ruby clear off her feet, cuddling her to his chest like he had last night. “Hold on there, wildcat, give me a minute with Hope. I want to go over a few things with her before I leave for work.” After one more squeeze, he set her down and, holding her by the shoulders, turned her in the direction of her bedroom. “You head to your room, and I will make sure Hope follows as soon as I’m done with her.”
