How about these? the note on the card began. You’re as bright as sunshine.
Her stomach flip-flopped, and for a brief moment, she felt excitement at those words. But she didn’t even need that negative inner voice to break her down. This just can’t be.
But he keeps coming back. That has to mean something, right?
The truth was, her instincts were so damaged, she didn’t know what to think.
Gabriel wasn’t acting like any man she’d ever met or been with. But she knew his type.
Tony was exactly the same. They were all alike, all those shallow, handsome men who only wanted one thing from a person. Well, in the case of her ex, he wanted two things—get her into bed and support his lazy ass for a year while cheating on her with multiple women.
Getting herself out of that situation had not been easy and had cost her what little she had, but she did it. When she hightailed it out of Chicago, she told herself she would never let herself be fooled by another sweet-talking handsome man. She’d learned her lesson the hard way.
Would Gabriel show up on her doorstep again? She wasn’t going to take the chance, so she set her alarm an hour early the next day. Seeing nothing but darkness out on her porch should have made her feel relieved, but there was a strange disappointment brewing in her. But she ignored it, even as she pulled up to the empty parking lot behind the restaurant.
By the time Rosie came in, there was still no sign of Gabriel. That’s good, she thought. Maybe he got tired of following her around.
“Everything all right?” Rosie asked as she put her apron on.
“Huh? Yeah I’m fine.”
“Then why is your egg wash bowl empty?”
She double blinked before looking down at the bowl and brush in her hands. Apparently, she’d been brushing air on the crusts for about ten minutes. “Oh. Er …”
Rosie sauntered over to the window and slyly glanced out. “No Gabriel today?”
“I wouldn’t know,” she said, reaching for an egg and cracking it into the bowl.
The older woman raised a brow at her. “When are you going to take pity on that poor boy?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
The redhead chuckled. “Ooh, Temperance, you really don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Dropping the bowl with a loud clatter, she turned to her boss. “No, I really don’t. Maybe you could let me in on the joke, because I’m getting tired of it,” she snapped. Suddenly realizing her outburst, she covered her mouth. “Crap. I’m sorry, Rosie.”
Rosie clucked her tongue. “Oh, sweetie, no. I’m the one who should apologize.” Walking over to her, she placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “Maybe I should have told you.”
“Told me what?”
“That Gabriel—”
The back door bursting open interrupted her as a large, fast blur rushed into the kitchen. “Rosie, where’s—you’re here.” His entire body froze, like someone had pressed pause on a movie.
She had never quite seen Gabriel like this before. He laughed, teased, and smiled, but the Gabriel in front of her now was like a completely different person. His entire body was tense, like a tightly coiled spring waiting to be released. Golden brows were drawn forward, and his eyes blazed like hot blue fire as they fixed on her. Slowly, he stalked toward her, and she couldn’t help but feel like a gazelle trapped by a predator.
“Where were you?” His voice was tight, and his hands were balled at his sides.
“Here,” she said matter-of-factly. “At my job. Where I am every morning.”
“I came by your place, and you didn’t come out at three thirty. So, I broke into your house—”
“You broke into my house?” she asked incredulously, anger making her step forward boldly.
“What was I supposed to do? You were gone!”
“But you didn’t have to break into my trailer,” she shot back. “Why the hell would you do that?”
“I was scared that maybe you hurt yourself,” he said. “Then I realize your car wasn’t in the driveway, and I thought maybe you didn’t come home and that maybe you’d gotten into an accident or worse. Drove all the way to Blackstone Hospital to see if they had anyone of your description, and when the ER nurse said no, I went to the police headquarters—”
“What the hell?” Was he serious? “You thought something happened to me because I left my house an hour early to go to work?”
He let out a frustrated growl that made her shiver. “You could have been lying in a ditch. Or kidnapped or—” Cornering her, he hunched his shoulders forward. “Why the hell would you do that? Can’t you see I only want to protect you and keep you safe?”
“Safe from what?” Gabriel had run around town looking for her? This was crazy. “The only thing I need protecting from is crazy stalkers like you. Were you dropped on your head as a child or something?”
“I swear, woman, you’re going to put me in an early grave.”
“Why do you care anyway? Why can’t you just leave me be!”
“Leave you be?” He raised his arms in frustration. “How can I do that when you’re my m—”
“Gabriel Russel,” came Rosie’s stern voice from behind. The admonishing tone was enough for him to snap his mouth shut. She strode over to them, hands on her hips. “Out.”
Gabriel’s gaze flicked briefly at Temperance. “Rosie, I’m sorry for bursting in. Please, don’t kick me out—”
She held a hand up and pointed to the door. “Wait for me out there.”
Temperance would have been amused at how the tiny woman ordered him around despite towering over her by nearly a foot, but she was too confused. And maybe a little bit excited at the thought that Gabriel was worried for her.
Wait, what?
“Rose—”
“Wait. Out. There,” Rosie ordered as she hooked her arm through his and dragged him to
