"I tried to stay out of it.” Kay glances over at Eli.
He takes over. "When Tank asked me to find his youngest brother, I did a little digging on all of them. I wasn't trying to be nosy but I figured that there might be something that connected them that would help me find Luke. Well, the things I discovered about Gabe were troubling. I wasn’t going to say anything but when Kay mentioned seeing you together today, I figured you'd want to know."
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"Troubling?"
"He's got a clean record as an adult but there were a few incidents that didn't add up for me. So I took a look into his juvenile records. It didn't take long to figure out the guy's a grifter."
"Not sure what that means but if you're trying to tell me he's a thief, I already know. He told me."
"He told you?” they ask in unison.
Kay recovers from her shock first. "Okay, well that's good that he's not hiding anything. But I couldn't help but worry."
I contemplate just telling her the truth but I'm honestly not sure how to explain what I'm doing with Gabe. It's not that I think she'll try to stop me but I know she's already worried about me getting hurt. So I go with a modified version of the truth.
"Gabe has been helping me out a lot with the business. It's really not a big deal.” I don’t mention the incredible sex or the fact that my heart turns over in my chest every time I see him. Kay will just worry needlessly.
As expected, my words seem to calm her. ”Well, good. Anyway, I know you keep saying you're on a dating strike but I told Eli about my plan to fix you up and he thinks Maddox might be a good match. I don't think you've ever met him but he's worked for Eli for years. He's good looking, too. I think you'll like him."
"Good looking?" Eli repeats.
Kay rolls her eyes and waves him away. "Divorced but you know that's to be expected when you like older men."
Words can't even begin to describe how awkward this is. Eli is not the type of guy with the patience for gossip so I'm not sure how she got him to listen to the tales of my troubles. He looks completely uncomfortable.
"Kay, I'm sure Eli has way better things to do than worry about my social life."
Normally Eli is pretty reserved so I'm shocked when he suddenly leans closer. “You are my baby’s best friend. I want you to be happy. And any guy that hurts you is going to be on my shit list. I’d rather just introduce you to some guys that I know have their heads on right.”
I’m touched by his concern but simultaneously mortified. “You really don’t have to do that.”
If only they knew that my stay single plan is already in jeopardy because I can’t keep my thoughts, or hands, away from Gabe.
Eli seems to understand that I'm uncomfortable. Probably because he really doesn't want to talk about this either.
"The option is always open. I'll leave you two ladies to talk." He pulls out his cell phone and moves to the other side of the room.
I turn back to Kay. She's digging in her purse. Finally she finds what she's looking for, which turns out to be a small bag of potato chips. When she feels the heat of my gaze, she looks up. "What?"
"I can't believe you told Eli. Don't you guys have better things to talk about than me? Like the newest sex toys on the market or something."
Kay was initially a little freaked out when she discovered that her hunky future hubby was into some of the more adventurous things in the bedroom. However, she quickly discovered that having an inventive and creative man in your bed is not something to fear.
"Not lately." Kay looks miserable. "Things aren't as perfect as they seem. He hasn't touched me in weeks."
"Is he worried about hurting you? Some guys are weird about sex during pregnancy. Every time I see you guys, he’s telling you to put your feet up or to relax. If he thinks standing is too taxing for you, he's probably afraid to touch you."
Kay stills and then her eyes swing to mine. The guilty look on her face says it all. “I was going to tell you after my first doctor's appointment. Damn Eli and his meddling!”
I laugh. “Kay, that wasn’t what gave it away. You think I can't tell when my bestie has a bun in the oven? I was there for the first round of pregnancy cravings, remember?” I point at the package of chips that she’s inhaling.
She crumples the now empty package in her fist and sighs. “I’m even hungrier than I was with Hope. I’m trying to keep it under control so I won’t gain so much weight this time. I don’t want Eli to feel like he’s marrying a cow.”
“Eli loves you and you are going to be a gorgeous bride. I’m totally jealous of the way he looks at you.”
She glances over at me. "I am pretty lucky, huh?"