Chapter 36

GABRIEL

Even with the high-grade medication, Gabe wasn’t able to sleep. Images of someone taking photos of Sarah and Amelia looped into the other nightmares he normally had, and he could barely close his eyes before waking up with the terrors. He was sure that if the nurse had to take his blood pressure at that moment, he would be admitted back into the hospital so fast, his head would spin. Each terror-filled loop had his heart pounding and him panting for breath every time.

After he woke up for the fourth time, fear gripping him to the point that his muscles were stiff and sore, Gabe pushed the comforter off and sat on the edge of his bed, the clock reading three-thirty. He swore long and loud in frustration, running a hand through his hair. He couldn’t go for a run to work off the tension. He was banned from the department until he had the all-clear on his back, so he couldn’t even use the gym to work his legs. He was stuck with all the pent-up emotions and the overriding anger scared him most of all.

His phone chimed and he glanced at the screen as the device lit up on the bedside table. With a soft breath, he reached for it and unlocked the screen, a smile lighting up his face as he felt his mood lift.

Sarah

Are you awake? I hope I’m not disturbing you.

Gabe

You never disturb me, Rah.

Sarah

Why are you awake?

Gabe

The better question is, Rah, why are you awake?

Sarah

I keep waking with the feeling that someone is watching me while I sleep. I’m not sure if it’s real or if it’s just Seth who hasn’t left my side since he got home. Even Indie has temporarily moved in.

Gabe chuckled. He could well imagine the feisty jeweler pitching up at the apartment with enough luggage for a month, ready to protect Sarah for all she was worth.

Gabe

Then me hiring a bodyguard would be redundant.

Sarah

I thought Seth would have asked you to fill that position…

Gabe

I miss you, Rah.

Sarah

Sure…

He could almost see the disbelief in her eyes paired with the nonchalant shrug.

Gabe

As sure as my arm is in a cast, that’s the truth of me missing you.

Sarah

What do you miss most?

Gabe

The way you moan my name when I kiss you… everywhere…

He laughed when his phone rang. “Hey, Rah.”

“~Hey, Rah!~ That’s all you can say after dropping a line like that?”

“Nope.” He knew his soft tone would have her listening to him intently. “I was going to add that I love you.”

“Gabriel…” She sighed and he lay back down on his bed.

“Tell me what is keeping you awake, Rah…”

And she did, and they talked until the line went quiet an hour later.

“Rah… Sarah?”

When all Gabe heard was a soft snore on the other end of the line, he hung up, a smile that followed him into the oblivion of sleep.

***

Gabe smiled as he entered the bakery a week later, holding the door for Grandma who shook the rain from her neon orange umbrella. Of all the smells that engulfed him as they entered, he could pick out the spicy cinnamon and warm apple scents that were exclusively Sarah. He was already looking forward to the pecan pie, chocolate oat bars, and especially the chocolate chip cookies with the vanilla mousse filling. He had been watching Sarah and Cleve create those fantasy-inducing delicacies the last two days, and he knew they were the stars since the bakery officially opened over the weekend.

He escorted Grandma to the table where Indie, Grace, and Faith were sitting, little Connor waking up in his carrier. He helped Grandma into her chair, unbuckled Connor, and lifted him to his shoulder as he greeted Cleve who was serving customers at the counter before going into the kitchen to see Sarah.

She was taking a tray of pumpkin-shaped cookies from the oven, the kitchen smelling of the nutmeg, allspice, and Origanum that she had used in the mixture. He waited till she had closed the oven door on more trays before wrapping his casted arm around her waist and pulling her into his body to place a soft, warm kiss at the edge of her jaw.

“Hey,” she breathed, reaching up to cup his cheek, turning his mouth to hers for a proper kiss.

“You’ve been busy,” he said when they eventually broke the kiss, Connor’s tiny fingers tangling in her hair and making her laugh.

“It’s been so great since we opened. I think the fact that the opening was delayed just made everyone more eager to be here.” She transferred the warm cookies to a cooling tray and gaped at him as he took a cookie between two of his fingers sticking out of the cast.

He gave her a saucy smile. “It’s not my first broken arm, and I learned a trick or two the last time I was in a cast.” His voice dropped as he leaned closer to her ear. “I can show you some other tricks I can do with these very fingers.”

“Oh, hell no! My son is way too young to hear ~those~ lessons,” Seth interjected as he took Connor from Gabe.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” a soft voice said from the kitchen door.

“Oh, Taylor. You’re not interrupting,” Sarah said quickly as she walked over to the very petite girl who had entered the kitchen. She was about eighteen, with vibrant red hair done up in a French braid that hung at her hips. She was possibly five foot one and looked up at Gabe and Seth with the largest gray eyes Gabe had ever seen. “This is my brother, Seth, and this is my…um…”

Gabe and Sarah looked at each other, their tender relationship having been filled with so many twists that they had never known how to describe it. They knew how they felt about each other, and Gabe remembered telling Sarah she was the closest thing to a wife for him, but she wasn’t actually his wife… But she was so much more than a ~girlfriend~…

“I’m happy to be Sarah’s ~um~, but she’s my wifey,” he said, shaking the girl’s hand.

“Okay, Sarah’s non-wifey, let’s leave the girls to work. I need to change this dude and then we need to talk about the Bluesy case,” Seth said with an annoyed shake of his head.

Sarah looked up at Gabe, the apology clear in her eyes.

He smiled, letting her know it was okay, and gave her a gentle kiss, letting her know he understood. “My CO has spoken. You and Cleve, and Taylor, are still joining us for dinner right?”

The smile she gave him radiated from deep within her eyes. “I wouldn’t miss it…non-wifey…”

“~That~ is ~not~ a thing,” he growled in protest. “I swear, if you can’t figure out a better title for me, I’m not going to give you your surprise.”

“Wait! What surprise?” She yelped as he opened the door.

He wiggled his eyebrows and gave her the smile that had gotten him out of trouble so many times before. “Give me a better title…~wifey…~”

He heard her laugh as the door swung shut behind him.