“Bye, Tor. Text me with all the scoop!”
Shaking my head, I hung up before I had to witness more than I wanted. Throwing my phone onto my bedside table, I laid back down, smoothing my hand over the empty side of the bed. The engagement ring glittered in the dim light from the moon, a reminder of what I stood to gain if this worked out. Would Gabe accept an invitation to be crucified by my family? He had hired me, knowing the wrath he faced from me and the pain it would cause him. Was I worth what he would go through with my family? I closed my eyes, intent on finding out because this would flush out any remaining doubt I had about him. And I wanted it gone so that the empty side of my bed was no longer empty.
Chapter 29
Gabe
The lobby was quiet this early, so when the elevator doors opened, I knew exactly who it carried. Tori walked out with Reid’s hand in hers. She wore a long pink coat that came just above her knees, where her skirt ended. The heels of her knee-high black boots clicked on the marble, and my eyes followed their path until I met her eyes. Vibrant blue, they sparkled with the sunlight that filtered in through the hotel windows.
“Gabe!” Reid freed himself from his mother’s hand and ran toward me. I wanted to squat down and scoop him up, but I refrained, still tenuous with where Tori had set my boundaries. He stopped in front of me, his hazel eyes dusted with amber and excitement.
“Good morning, buddy. Did you have something sweet for breakfast?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “A donut. How did you know?”
I dusted the powder from his cheek and from where it landed on his navy coat. “Just a lucky guess.”
“Good morning,” Tori greeted me, and the air stuck in my lungs when I met her cerulean irises. She had her hair tucked behind her ears, a pink hat the match of her coat covering most of it.
“Morning.” Every part of me wanted to lean over and kiss her, but again, there were boundaries with Reid that she had set, and I didn’t want to test them.
“Thank you for offering to share the ride. Reid was very excited when he heard.”
Reid took my hand and led me toward the doors, immediately asking me about my opinion of the movie. He continued to dominate the conversation during the ride, talking excitedly about his favorite characters and scenes. All the while, I peeked over at Tori, savoring the smile that adorned her face. When she would catch my eyes on her, a blush would climb her cheeks, and she would look away.
“Is there a second movie?” I asked Reid, looking for an excuse to see them again. “Maybe one we can watch this weekend?”
“Oh, there is. Can we, Mommy? Maybe we can make popcorn. I love popcorn.”
She frowned, shaking her head. “We can’t. Remember, we’re going to see Grandma and Grandpa this weekend. They want to give you your birthday present.”
My spirit dropped.
“Can Gabe come with us?”
Tori froze, as did I. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” I told him, knowing how her family felt about me. There was a high probability they would never talk to me again, even with Tori accepting me back into her life.
“Maybe another night,” she told him.
“When are you leaving?” I asked, trying to hide my disappointment.
“Tomorrow. I was planning to leave work early since the drive will be so long. Cash and his wife are leaving today with their daughter. Otherwise, I would have gotten a ride with them.”
Definitely not an event that would offer me welcome. “Take the company plane,” I blurted.
“Oh, no. I couldn’t. It’s nothing I haven’t driven before. We’ll be fine.”
Reid’s head was moving from Tori to me as we talked.
“I insist. I’ll have it fueled and ready with a car to take you to the house. It’s a perk of the job, take it.”
“Gabe, I couldn’t.” Her eyes creased as she chewed her lip.
“Take it. Otherwise, I’ll worry about you the entire time you’re on the road. Besides, I’m sure Reid hasn’t been on a private plane before. He’ll have fun.”
“Please, Mommy.”
She gave me a sour look that told me she didn’t like how I’d gotten Reid on my side, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want her driving for so many hours, and the weather was turning as winter moved in.
