Understanding dawned with a cautious, “Ah,” from Shelby.
“Just so you know, I don’t mind. I didn’t mind even before Luke explained it to me. I get it,” I assured. “I noticed he was quiet.” It was me smiling now. “But he talks a lot to me.”
Her smile stayed pinned in place as she said, “I’m glad.”
I knew why that smile was pasted there.
Because her son had a partner who didn’t let him share when he most needed to do it.
I moved closer to her before I said, “I’m not a psychologist, but he can pile on me whatever he needs to unload. Because I’m also not a wimp. I can take that load. And he knows it.”
“We all liked Denise very much. Her loss was a huge blow. She was a sweet girl,” Shelby replied.
It struck me then, tardily, what I had yet to say, so I moved to rectify an omission.
“And it must have been hard on you too, losing her,” I said gently. “I’m sorry all of you had to go through that, all Denise was struggling with, all that fell on Gabe because of it, and Denise being gone.”
“Thank you for that,” she replied. “And thank you for understanding it.”
I nodded. “I could tell by the way Gabe talked about her she was really sweet, and he loved her very much.”
When I said this, something mammoth shifted through her features, relief, gratitude, hope, all of it the motherly type, so it was obviously huge.
And it ticked me off.
“God, I’ve not even met the woman, and I wanna punch Ariana Whatever-Her-Last-Name-Is right in the throat,” I snapped.
Shelby blinked.
“Sorry,” I said quickly, and carried on lest she think I was prone to violence. “Obviously, I want to do that. It doesn’t mean, given the chance, I would actually do it.” (Maybe.) “But, I mean, who does that? Who knows that information and doesn’t handle it with care?”
“I know, right?” Shelby asked.
“Is she with another guy now?” I inquired.
“I don’t really keep up with her. I was just glad she was in Gabe’s rearview,” Shelby told me, then asked curiously, “Why do you want to know?”
I flung an arm toward the back door. “Well, he’s Gabe. If she’s moved on, that’s one thing. If she’s alone and pining for what she screwed up, and decides to make some move, I like him. A whole lot. I like my job, friends, life. And orange doesn’t suit me, like, at all. So doing my time for felony assault would be a bummer.”
Shelby busted out laughing.
I grinned with her.
The back door opened, and Mike asked, “What’s funny?”
“Girl talk,” Shelby said as the men came in to claim their women.
Obviously, we couldn’t suck face in front of his parents, so Gabe’s lip brush was chaste when he made it to me, and he claimed me only with an arm around my waist, but both were still super sweet.
“We should go. Give them some alone time,” Shelby said to Mike.
“And Gabe doesn’t see his folks every day, so stay as long as you like.” I said this even though I wanted nothing but to wash my face, give and receive an orgasm and fall asleep.
Also, I needed sleep.
I had a cupcake tower, four dozen cookies and a three-tier cake to decorate, along with regular work, along with getting briefed on the Amy/Dexter situation, along with meeting with Titus, along with hatching a plan to screw over the people who screwed over Duane, along with being fully awake and alert when we did whatever we were going to do.
I didn’t have the luxury of waiting until Sunday to catch up with shuteye.
