Felicity leaned back in her chair, a pleasant breeze blowing through the trees. Gabe looked relaxed, dressed casually in a dark polo shirt and khakis. If anything, he was better-looking than three years ago when she’d slept on his couch. She tried not to let herself notice details when he’d been out for the entrepreneurial boot camp, but she had, anyway. Now it was worse. Everything she noticed about him was mixed up with all sorts of emotions.
“Felicity?”
She cleared her throat and sat up straight. “Sorry. Mind’s on tonight. Did you bring your bag in yet? Need any help?”
He shook his head. “No and no. Thanks. Anything I can do to help you?”
“I skipped lunch.” She decided to postpone telling him about her encounter with Nadia, the primary reason she hadn’t felt like eating. “I could have pie and call it lunch.”
“I didn’t get to Smith’s when I was out here last weekend. Why don’t I fetch my bag and then we’ll drive into town? I’m in the mood for pie. As I recall, you’re always in the mood for pie.”
“You know me well,” she said, laughing as she got to her feet.
“Yes,” he said, leaving it at that.
They took his car to town. “It’s a sleepy summer day in Knights Bridge,” Gabe said as they drove along the river.
“Feel free to take a nap out on the deck when we get back. Justin and Samantha have a hammock at Red Clover Inn. I’m sure they’d let you use it.”
“You could hang a hammock at your place.”
“I don’t have two trees at the right distance apart, and I’d never get in it. Have you met Samantha yet? She and Justin got married in England in June. Scottish honeymoon.” Felicity sighed. “Sounds so romantic, doesn’t it?”
“No, I haven’t met Samantha yet, and, yes, an English wedding and Scottish honeymoon sound romantic. You didn’t go?”
Felicity shook her head. “I was invited, but I’d just bought the house—I couldn’t swing a trip to England, too. Samantha’s an expert on pirates. Not the kind of pirates in the movies. Real pirates. She and Justin are trying to get the inn in shape for her cousin to have her wedding there at Thanksgiving.”
“Her cousin being—”
“Charlotte Bennett. Samantha’s a Bennett, too. Their grandfathers were brothers. Long story, but Charlotte stayed at the inn while Samantha and Justin were on their honeymoon—only unbeknownst to her, so did Greg Rawlings. Greg’s a Diplomatic Security Service agent, one of Brody Hancock’s colleagues. You remember Brody, don’t you?”
“Hell-raiser.”
“That’s Brody. Or it was. Did you help the Sloan boys run him out of town after his high school graduation?”
“I wasn’t involved, and ‘run out of town’ is somewhat of an exaggeration from what I’ve heard. Still, I bet it was a shock when he and Heather got together.”
“Mmm. See what you miss when you don’t come round often?”
Gabe grinned. “Yeah, I see. What’s Heather doing in London?”
“She’s studying interior design. She plans to come home and work with the family business again. She and Brody want to build a house out where he grew up on Echo Lake.”
“Another of Knights Bridge’s pretty spots,” Gabe said, no trace of sarcasm in his tone.
“Heather had it rough with five older brothers,” Felicity said.
Gabe laughed. “Tell that to her brothers. They’ll tell you she had it easy. Spoiled rotten.”
“Didn’t get her name in the family business.”
“Sloan & Sons was named before she was born, when her folks had given up on having a girl—not that it would have mattered, because her parents never would have envisioned her going into the family construction business.”
“But she did, and she’s good at it. Simple as that.”
“It’s never simple as that, is it?” Gabe said.
Felicity wasn’t positive he’d absorbed everything she’d said. She’d probably rattled on a bit. Nerves, maybe. Not nervous-oriented nerves. Awareness-oriented nerves. She was feeling self-conscious and exposed with him so close to her, even if he was driving.
They parked on the street in front of Smith’s. The small restaurant was crowded, but they got a table by a side window. Russ Colton was at the counter next to Eric Sloan. From their glances at her, Felicity guessed Russ had filled Eric in on Nadia’s library visit. Russ wasn’t one to overreact, but he was thorough.
Gabe narrowed his eyes on Felicity as they took their seats. “What’s going on?”
She told him, sticking to the facts and not inserting any of her personal reaction to Nadia. She noticed Gabe’s jaw tighten as she finished with Russ’s caution to her. “It’s okay, Gabe. I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry, Felicity. I heard Nadia was back East again but I had no idea she’d beelined here.”
“I’ve told you before, you’re not responsible for her. It wasn’t a big deal. Russ read me the riot act, but he was nice about it.”
“He got his point across?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Good. I don’t know what Nadia’s got in mind—”
“She wants your attention. That’s my guess, anyway. Does she know you’re here?”
“No doubt.”
“Nothing happened. Nadia’s behavior might be inappropriate, but she hasn’t crossed any serious lines. Russ would turn the matter over to the police if she had—or if she does. So would I.”
“I’ll speak with her.”
Felicity shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that, Gabe. Just let it be. She’s moved into crazy-maker status. Best thing is for us to go about our business and let Russ know if she gets in touch.”
“Don’t participate in her compulsion to create drama,” Gabe said with a sigh. “Yeah. I know.”
“It’s hard not to feel some sympathy toward her, but she’s got to sort out her own life and look for support from her own family and friends. You made it clear you’re not available for that kind of thing.” Felicity tilted her head back, eyeing Gabe. “Right?”
He nodded. “Right. In no uncertain terms.”
“You’re not counting on her to read between the lines. I know you’re straightforward with me to a fault—”
“That’s because you’re Felicity MacGregor who mooned me in kindergarten.”
“I did no such thing.”
“Oh,
