Page 86 of Missing Marcus

Handing the box over, he climbed inside and headed toward the pizza place.

“Oh, this smells like sin in a box.” She inhaled.

“It does.” He parked in the parking stall and again left her to retrieve the pizza. Patch pulled two vehicles down and Saint sat on the street. The feeling of belonging flooded him as he watched the men maneuver around Gabby to protect his wife. Entering the building, he gave his name and paid for the food. He placed the box behind his seat. The apple pie took up Gabby’s lap.

“I don’t know about you, but between the pizza and the pie, I can’t decide which one I want first,” he said as he turned onto the mountain’s access road.

“Why choose? I say we eat both simultaneously,” she exclaimed, making him chuckle.

“Why not?” He took her hand and played with her fingers as he drove to the cabin. “If you put in the alarm code, I’ll carry the stuff in. Then I’ll put away everything from the grocery store away while you get plates. It’ll make it go faster, and we can eat it while it’s warm.

“We forgot ice cream,” she pouted prettily.

“Oh, ye have little faith. What do I get if I produce a container of Miss Edie’s specialty?”

Gabby cocked her head. “What do you want? It’s not fair of you to take advantage of a pregnant woman dealing with cravings.”

“No. It’s not. How about I throw in a foot rub after dinner? Your feet probably grew skintight after your adventure in the grocery store.”

“They don’t feel too bad. Although, I’d be crazy to turn down a foot massage.”

“Uh-huh.” He grinned as she playfully bantered with him. He missed this side of them. “If you’re not too tired, we can watch a movie and picnic in the living room. Then, I’ll rub your feet after you eat.”

“As hungry as I feel, it won’t take me long. Prepare your hands.” Gabby laughed.

He pulled in front of the cabin and helped her down, handing her the pie. “If I let you take this in, do you promise there will be at least one slice left by the time I bring everything inside?” he leaned down and whispered.

“I’m sorry,” she said balefully. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

“Oh really.” He rubbed his scruff along her neck, making her giggle echo in the air as she pushed him away playfully. His arm enclosed around her to keep her from losing her footing.

“Stop. Okay. Okay.” She laughed louder. “Let me go. I’ll leave you a slice.”

Reluctantly, he released her and watched her climb the small step to the cabin. She punched in the code and turned to face him, saucily calling before closing the door, “I never said how big.”

Shaking his head, he removed the groceries and brought in the pizza. Setting it out on the counter, he returned to carry in the flowers and placed them in the kitchen, far from the living room’s view.

Gabby already set out plates and served him out a larger portion of the pizza. He picked them up and carried them into the living room while she followed with placemats. She turned to fetch the other items when his hand stopped her.

“Sit and put those feet up. Find us a movie while I get the apple pie. We can keep the ice cream in the freezer bag and I’ll put it away when we’re done.”

Gabby sat on the couch, attempting to take off her shoes. Entering the living room, he smiled as she teetered to the side to remove the footwear.

“You try taking off your shoes when you have a basketball inside your stomach,” she challenged.

Kneeling, he placed the items on the table and removed her shoes. Knight moved the coffee table closer for Gabby to reach as she searched the channels. Finding a comedy, Gabby settled the plate on her stomach and became completely absorbed in the show. He handed her a piece of pie with ice cream as soon as she finished.

“Bryanna bakes the most amazing pie I’ve ever tasted,” she said between mouthfuls. “She needs to sell these in grocery stores in Seattle. She’d make a killing. I might offer to run the numbers for her.”

Not wanting to upset her, he wiped his hands, rose, picked up her feet, and sat down, placing her legs in his lap.

“Hmmm,” she moaned with her spoon flipped upside down in her mouth. “Your hands feel warm.”

“I’m reading up on pregnancy. They claim you’re in the hardest trimester as the baby gets bigger. I thought the first few months might’ve seemed harder with morning sickness. They said some women have it the whole time. How bad did you have it?” Knight asked as he massaged her calves.

Gabby placed the spoon on her plate and placed it on the coffee table. “When I contacted you about the baby, it seemed at its worst. When I left for Seattle, I handled it with saltines and water before getting out of bed. When I started work, Jackie discovered me in the bathroom the first week.” She smiled. “She went into mom mode. She stocked a minifridge with fresh fruit, water, yogurt, and also kept extra packs of crackers on hand. I wished I’d told her how much I appreciated her.”

“I’m sure she knew. Once the baby arrives, we can fly to Ohio and pay our respects.”

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