Straight Flushed (Hot Pursuit #1)(88)

“It’s okay. You’re here now,” I said, standing firmly entranced.

“I’m really sorry about your friend.” He stroked the nape of his neck.

I grinned. “Thanks.”

He shifted his weight from side to side and fiddled with the buttons on the cuffs of his dress shirt. “I called you.”

“You did?”

“Yes, I must have called a hundred times, but your phone kept going to voicemail, and I didn’t want to say what I have to say in a message. I’m embarrassed by how many times I called just to hear your voice.” He swallowed and raked his teeth over his bottom lip. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the last few days.”

“You have?” I held my breath. Oh please...

“Do you think we could we forget about the last couple of weeks?”

My heart leapt. “What?”

“I’ve made mistakes, you’ve made mistakes and somehow it’s spiraled into this place that I hate. I hate being without you. There’s this hole in my heart.”

My eyes filled with tears. “There’s a hole in mine too.”

“I’ve been sitting in meetings, talking with people, listening to presentations and none of it means anything. A deal worth millions of dollars means nothing to me because I couldn’t come home and talk about it with you. I can’t think and I can’t stand the way I feel.”

I wanted live in the joy filling my body. I wanted to jump back into what we had with two feet, but everything that had happened with Stephen, I had to tell him. I couldn’t live with myself without him knowing. I looked down. “I’ve been miserable too. And, I can’t tell you how good I feel hearing you say all of these things. I want everything back the way it was, but...” I took a deep breath and exhaled. “The guy I met on vacation—”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He interrupted.

“You don’t?”

“No.”

I paused. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. It may not be logical, but I love you and I’ll continue to love you no matter what.” His dimples sunk deeply into his cheeks as a slow, slightly saddened smile took over his face. “Let’s forget about it.”

“Gabe, I want nothing more than to forget it.” I smiled so big my face hurt. “I don’t think I could love you more.”

“Di?” Vance said, his footsteps approaching behind me.

I turned to him. “I…” then I turned back to Gabe. “He’s…”

Vance appeared over my shoulder. “Gabe,” he said with a flat voice.

“Hey Vance, how’s it going?” Gabe said, glancing at Vance then back to me.

Vance didn’t answer.

I looked at Vance over my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I just need a sec, okay?”

“Yeah.” He snorted. “I’m gonna to take off.”

“Vance, wait,” I said, grabbing his arm as he stepped out into the hallway.

“It’s cool.” He flashed me an empty smile. “You two have a lot to talk about.”

He took another step, and when I looked down at his foot on the pavement, panic hit me. “Wait. Don’t go. Really. Stay and we can all play some cards. Gabe’ll play cards, won’t you Gabe?”

Vance hesitated.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Stay,” Gabe said with a tight smile.

Vance looked at me and forced a subtle laugh. “No, I gotta go. Some chick has been texting me all week. I better get back to her before she goes crazy on me.” He raised his eyebrows and winked. “I’ll check in with you soon.” I watched him walk away until he was out of sight, and a slight ache developed in my chest.

Gabe came in, and I held my back to the closed door. I looked at him in disbelief standing before me. He was home, my home, and the light had returned to his eyes.

He stepped in front of me and took my face in his hands. As he inhaled deeply against my cheek, kissing me tenderly, my broken heart began to heal.

“I want to take you to bed,” he said against my lips. He stopped kissing me and looked into my eyes. “Can I take you to bed?”

“Yes,” I breathed.

Gabe and I spent the next two weeks completely wrapped up in each other. We talked, we ate, we slept, and we rediscovered what we once had; I was whole again. But in those days where I was so full of happiness something was incomplete…unresolved. At times I felt alone and anxious. After all Vance and I had been through, he hadn’t once tried to contact me.

Some nights as I watched Gabe sleep beside me, the last moment in the kitchen with Vance would replay in my head. When I remembered the look on his face and the tone in his voice, my skin would flush. I tried to convince myself it would only be two weeks before I could see him again, but I missed my partner. I found myself counting down the days until I returned to work.

What might have happened if Gabe hadn’t showed up at my door? Would something have happened?

No. The more I thought about it, the more I blamed the grief from that day. Maybe my mind had played a few tricks on me. Maybe it was nothing.

Or, maybe I was wrong.




THE END…