I nodded grimly. “I know.”
Brett stood. “I’ll go to the garage, and we’ll look after Theo. I can bring him home with me later. So, keep Gabby here. Let her rest, and you guys talk.”
“I appreciate it.”
He shrugged. “Not a problem. We all like Theo—he’s a great kid.” He paused. “Any reason why she was worried about Mrs. Scott being alone with Theo?”
“I have a theory.”
He met my gaze. “The ex?”
I nodded in silence.
“I think that is the key to all of this. Talk to her. Call if you need anything.” He stopped at the door. “And Mary is bringing supper later. Your mama wants you to call her. She is worried about Gabby.”
“How the hell did my mama find out?” I groaned. “Charly?”
He grinned. “Mary, Charly—better than any social media platform out there. Ten minutes after something goes down, everyone who needs to know, does. Your sisters all know too.” His grin became wider. “I expect a lot of pasta and meatballs to show up soon.”
I waved him off. “Get out.”
“Just saying. Gabby’s freezer will be full.”
“She’s not going home until I know she’s okay.”
He picked up his keys. “Even better, our freezer will be full.”
He left with a wave, and I finished my coffee. Hearing Gabby cough again, I filled another cup and carried it to my room. She was awake, sitting up against the headboard, looking tired, pale, and wan. I sat down on the mattress, handing her the cup.
“Extra cream just the way you like.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, her voice still sounding raw. She sipped the beverage. “Good,” she hummed.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, brushing a curl from her face.
“I’m fine.”
At my skeptical look, she offered me a smile. “I feel tired, and my head hurts, but really, I’m okay. My throat isn’t as sore as it was. It sounds worse than it is.” She tried to be funny. “Maybe I should get a gig with one of those 1-800 sex numbers for a while. Make the best of it.”
“You can talk dirty to me, Tesoro,” I informed her. “Nobody else.”
She shook her head, sipping her coffee. “I owe you an apology. And an explanation.”
“When you feel better.”
Her eyes looked over my shoulder, her gaze unfocused. She was silent for a moment, then spoke.
“I want to do it now.”
GABBY
Waking up in Stefano’s bed this morning, surrounded by his scent, had been unexpected. Everything that happened the day before raced through my mind.
I had been in turmoil since breaking things off with Stefano on Sunday. My heart ached and I was anxious. I wanted to rewind time and take back my words. I knew how much I had hurt him—his confusion and pain had been evident in his eyes before he had walked away. But I felt as if I had no choice. I refused to put him in danger, and I knew he would only be hurt even more if I let him become more attached than he already was.
Than I already was to him.
When I’d arrived at the bar last night, I was already tense. Theo had been upset we hadn’t gone to the garage and he hadn’t seen “Stefo” for two days—a lifetime to him. He had thrown a temper tantrum, and I’d sent him to his room, shutting the door firmly. I was shocked since he had never once acted out before. I realized I had misjudged how attached he already was to Stefano and that this was going to be harder than I expected. The sight of the packed totes was familiar to him, and I knew he was anxious, not buying my fib about organizing the apartment. I didn’t want to tell him the truth yet. To watch how upset he would be, knowing we were leaving a place we actually liked and felt normal in. Emotionally, leaving here would be the most difficult thing I had ever done.
I’d tried to talk to him before I left for work, to distract him, but he was still withdrawn.
It weighed on my mind, and I knew we had to go the next day. The implications of leaving were so huge, my heart ached. But with the bar open tonight and the baseball teams playing, the place would be busy, and I needed the tip money.
Simply the thought of doing so was emotionally draining.
At the bar, I went through the motions. I listened to Ziggy and Lara squabble over mundane things. Gus came in a little late, Ziggy telling him off that the kitchen wasn’t open and people wanted to order food. I had rolled my eyes at his words. There were four people at the bar, and none had asked yet. He was simply taking out his annoyance with Lara on Gus.
“I’ll get on it right away,” Gus promised, heading to the back where two other staff members were prepping for later.