Page 32 of One Weekend in Seattle

“I know I don’t. I want to.”

She shook her head.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re too good to be true.” She returned to her breakfast.

“What do you mean?” he asked after a few minutes.

“I mean…” Gabby waved her fork in the air. “Making yesterday so special. That must have cost a fortune and was more than enough.”

“Still doesn’t answer my question.”

She nibbled at a piece of bacon, trying to think of how to say what was in her mind. “Don’t take this the wrong way. You’re a great guy. Any woman would be happy to have your attention.”

“But you don’t.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Why was this so hard for her? Maybe because she never liked talking about money. “Sawyer, I told you about how I grew up.”

He nodded.

“I’ve always been careful about money, only buying what is necessary with occasional treats. The money you spent yesterday is probably more than I spend in a several years on fun stuff.”

“Can you tell me why it bothers you so much that I spent money on you?”

She shook her head.

“Gabby, I want to understand. I asked you if I could show you Seattle, and you agreed.”

“I did, but I didn’t expect—” She waved her hands in the air. “Everything. I’ve thought about it. Dinner alone had to be at least five hundred dollars. That’s a fortune.”

Why did he look away every time she said that word? Sawyer pushed his half-eaten food away. “Maybe, but I wanted to do it.”

“I know, and I’m grateful.”

“I didn’t do it for gratitude or even to get you to spend the night with me. I did it because I wanted to. Because I like you and wanted to spend time with you. Besides, you deserve some pampering.” Sawyer stood up and began pacing in front of the window.

“I’m not sure why you think that.”

He faced her. His body tense and his eyes flaming. “What did that ex-husband of yours tell you?”

Gabby squirmed and pushed her chair back.

Sawyer walked over to her, turned her chair to the side, and knelt down in front of her. His hands took hers. “Sweetheart, tell me.”

She could barely breathe. Sawyer did that to her. Took her breath away. Here was this powerful man, kneeling in front of her, trying to understand her feelings around money. “My ex encouraged me to become an executive chef.”

“But?”

Might as well get it out. “He spent the money I earned as fast as I earned it.” Sawyer cursed, and her shoulders relaxed. “Part of me knew what he was doing, so I started keeping money back, but I should have stopped it.”

“Dare I ask what he spent it on?”

“Video games and such. New TVs, new gaming systems, things I really didn’t pay attention to like I should have.”

“It took me months to realize our joint checking account barely had a balance when it should have had a very healthy amount.”

“What did you do?” His fingers tightened around his.

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