Page 12 of Mine to Love
Miles waved his cell. “Right now, he’s getting a speeding ticket for doing fifty in a thirty-five by my mother and she’s pissed.”
“Wonderful. You pulled your mother out of her son’s wedding just to piss off Charlie because you could.”
Miles pushed from the golf cart and inched closer. “No. Actually, I didn’t. My brother’s wedding was broken up because there was a three-alarm fire outside of town that required Jameson and basically all hands on deck. That dick of an ex-husband cut her off and nearly caused an accident. My text to Chris had nothing to do with it because he was already at the scene.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t have to come over for dinner if you’d rather have a conversation with Gabriel. But I didn’t want you to go into it without knowing what Charlie was fishing for.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have laid into you that hard.”
“It’s okay. I get it. I know this isn’t easy for you.” He traced her jawline with his finger.
“How did you get to be so understanding about someone like Gabriel?” she asked with her breath stuck in the center of her chest.
“That’s a story for another day.” His lips were so close she could feel his hot breath tingle against her skin. His mouth covered hers in a sweet, tender kiss. It started slow, building with intense heat that crawled across her body like hot lavaflowing from a volcano. It was the kind of kiss that promised all the passion and desire in the world.
It was a dangerous kiss and one she should end.
Along with this dance she was doing with Miles. They could be neighbors. And friends. But not this.
She fisted his shirt and pushed, blinking her eyes open.
He licked his lips and smiled.
Her heart tumbled like a bowling ball being hurled down an alley, preparing to hit every single pin for a strike. “Well, if you’re hungry, I’ve got plenty. Maybe you can help me with Gabriel. He responds well to you and Lord knows he’s going to need someone he can trust and he’s going to be angry with me after I tell him Charlie’s not going to be welcome anymore.”
Shit. She was playing with fire and she was going to get burned.
Miles leaned back, raising his wineglass and taking a sip. He generally wasn’t a wine guy, but he could appreciate the flavor and this particular red blend did go well with pasta. Not to mention the company. “That was delicious. Thank you.” The dinner conversation had been light. Airy. Mostly the topic of discussion had either been the auto shop or the golf cart.
But Gabriel hadn’t been his usual chatty self. He loved cars and he knew more about them than he was given credit for. He was a quick study, when someone took the time to try to figure out how he learned and processed information. His reading skills were better than Miles by a long shot, but Gabriel didn’t take verbal instruction as well, and that had made it harder for Miles. They were opposite that way.
But they both thrived in an environment where they could learn by doing and once Gabriel got it, he retained it.
He was a hard worker. He wanted to please Miles and everyone in the shop. Gabriel had drive and determination.
Miles understood that kind of passion in a world that didn’t make sense, and finding that singular place where you fit was hard.
Those days were long gone for Miles, but it didn’t mean he didn’t remember them well.
Liberty pushed her plate to the side and folded her hands on the kitchen table.
The setup of her house was almost identical to Miles’ with an eat-in kitchen in the rear of the house, a family room in the front, and a master bedroom next to that. Then there were two bedrooms upstairs. The only real difference was that her house needed a ton of work. The hardwood floors were a mess, whereas he had refinished his. The walls needed a fresh coat of paint and the stairs squeaked.
All of that, he and his brother Jameson could easily fix.
The outside would take a little more work as all the windows needed to be replaced. Not only were they old, but they weren’t hurricane grade. Jamison’s contacts could get her a really great deal, and he’d like nothing more than to do that for her.
But one thing at a time.
“Gabriel, I need to talk to you about something important,” Liberty said in a soft, tender tone, one that a mother would say to a small child, and for some reason that grated on Miles’ nerves. It wasn’t his place to step between these two siblings. He’d be pissed if someone did that to him and one of his brothers if they didn’t truly understand the dynamics of the relationship.
However, Miles knew two things about Gabriel. One was that he was capable of more than anyone knew. Maybe even his sister, who tended to baby him, though with good reason.
The second was that he didn’t process emotion the same way everyone else did and had to be guided. That wasn’t something that Miles had much experience with.
“Okay.” Gabriel continued to stare at his plate, pushing a few pieces of food around.
