Going Down Easy (Boys of the Big Easy #1)(32)

“I have a couple of other things maybe I could ask you about sometime,” Caleb added.

“Sure.”

“No.” The single word from Gabe was delivered low and firm. Everyone swiveled to look at him, but his eyes were locked on Caleb.

“No?” Roxanne asked. “What’s no?”

“Caleb knows,” Gabe said.

Caleb nodded with a grin. “I sure do.”

Addison rolled her eyes. Everyone knew. Gabe was telling Caleb to back off. And Addison knew that should annoy her. She should probably flirt back with Caleb a little just to irritate Gabe and show him that he wasn’t in charge here. But it didn’t annoy her. It made her feel warm. No, that wasn’t true at all. It made her feel hot. She loved the idea that Gabe might be possessive of her, and that was the single most ridiculous, not-liberated, unfair thing she could have come up with. It wasn’t fair for her to like him having feelings for her that she kept telling him he needed to not have.

“Okay, so does anyone else have any bedtime tips?” Bea asked, clearly trying to move things off Gabe’s little power play.

“Well, I know everyone frowns on it, but about three nights out of seven, I give in and let the girls fall asleep in my bed,” Austin said.

Dana shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing. As my mom said, they’re not going to go to college unable to sleep in their own bed. If it makes them feel secure and sleep better, I think it’s okay.”

“How many here let their kids sleep in their beds sometimes?” Bea asked.

About half of the hands went up, including Gabe’s. He gave Addison a questioning look, and she shook her head. She would sometimes lie down in Stella’s bed with her, but Stella didn’t sleep with Addison.

They’d been doing that a lot—sharing looks with one another that communicated little bits of information and details about their kids and parenting. And, she had to admit, she was soaking it up. She told herself that it was about learning things in an effort to make the idea of Cooper less intimidating. Or so she told herself.

Truthfully, it was more that she was very curious about Gabe as a father.

He was downright sexy as a bartender. Seeing him moving behind the bar that was clearly a second home, joking with his brother, laughing with his regulars, charming the newcomers had, she realized in retrospect, told her a lot about him. He was clearly an extrovert who loved his family and took pride in his work.

He was also incredible as a lover. He was hot and sweet at the same time, always making sure that she was totally into whatever they were doing, very verbal about how she made him feel, and full of words and looks and touches that made her feel like the most adored woman on the planet.

Interestingly, he was the same way with her outside the bedroom. He always had a hand on her. Whether he was holding her hand, resting a hand on her lower back, or putting an arm around her shoulders, he made her feel safe and cherished. And when he listened to her talk and made her laugh and told her she was beautiful, it was with full sincerity and even affection.

And she hadn’t realized any of that until she hadn’t had it anymore.

And it definitely made her want to see him as a dad. Because she was sure that the attentive, affectionate, fun-loving, protective, proud, and sweet Gabe was strong when he was with Cooper. And she was equally sure that she would find all of that incredibly appealing . . . and irresistible.

She was so screwed.

Gabe hadn’t even pushed the idea of getting together or introducing the kids again. He hadn’t asked her out. He hadn’t invited her to his place for a quickie. He hadn’t sent her flowers or pralines.

And yet she wanted to meet his son.

She even wanted him to meet Stella. Because what mother wouldn’t want her daughter to get to know a man who could make her feel cherished and protected, who would make her laugh and pay attention to her favorite things?

Gabe was, no doubt, an amazing father, and as crazy as it was, that was what was tempting her about him.

Well, that and everything else she knew about him. And the kissing. God, she missed the kissing.

The group took a break ten minutes later, and it was Addison who approached Gabe this time.

“Does Caleb know that Lexi has a crush on him?” Addison asked as she joined him at the cookie table.

Gabe looked down at her with a grin. She wasn’t sure if it was because of her question or because she’d initiated the one-on-one conversation, but she loved it anyway.

“He does. Well, we’ve told him. He’s in denial about it.”

“Yikes,” Addison said. “It’s pretty obvious. And he’s what, thirteen years older than her?”

Gabe nodded, biting into a sugar cookie. “She babysits for him, so he tries to just ignore all of that and hope it’s going to go away.”

“And she’s only seventeen.”

Gabe nodded as he chewed. “Yeah. It’s a little uncomfortable, for sure. He is really careful around her. But she’s also amazing with Shay and is someone he knows and trusts. It’s so hard to choose people to take care of your kids. Plus, Caleb likes to think he’s helping her out by paying her, but also by feeding her when she’s there and giving her hand-me-downs for her baby, Jack. Some of the clothes work, but also toys and car seats and stuff like that.”

“I thought Lexi lives with her mom? Does she help out?”