“Heads are going to turn,” Nikki said with a self-satisfied grin. “Wish you had come with me.”
“Too much to do at the office today,” Melanie said. The first units were being shipped out on Monday, and they needed everything to align without foreseeable problems.
“Like what?” Nikki teased. “Screwing your boss?”
“Business partner,” Gabe corrected. “However, I do say she needs to leave a few business matters to the manager she hired so she’ll have time to engage in more screwing with her partner.”
“I’m just worried that something will go wrong with the first shipments,” Melanie said.
“And if something does, you’ll fix it. Fixing problems is what you do best,” Gabe said.
Which reminded her of yet another problem she needed to fix.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she said. “What are we making for dinner?”
The three of them had gotten into a routine of cooking together. Melanie was glad Gabe’s kitchen was large enough for them to spend that time together, though Gabe often manned the grill on the back deck while Nikki cut up fresh veggies and Melanie cooked side dishes on the six-burner gas stove she so adored.
“Grilled chicken,” Nikki said.
Gabe headed toward the narrow loft stairs. “I’ll start the grill.”
“I’ll be in to help soon,” Melanie said as she followed Gabe down the steps. Her legs were still weak, so she clung to the railing as she descended. She grabbed her purse and cellphone before she headed for the master bathroom, locking the door behind her. She started by texting Caitlyn.
How are the party plans going? Need any help?
While she waited for a response, she stripped off her panties so she could wash up. The last thing she needed was a damned UTI. She needed to pee too, but had some instructions to read first.
Caitlyn responded with All set and the thumbs-up emoji.
Now that Melanie had her attention, she texted: Do you happen to have Jacob Silverton’s number?
I don’t think so. Why don’t you get it from Gabe?
I don’t want Gabe to know I’m contacting him.
Interesting. Caitlyn had punctuated that single word with a smirking emoji.
Melanie cringed, not wanting Caitlyn to know her reason for contacting Jacob, but better Caitlyn know than Gabe. An instant later, a second message from Caitlyn came through.
I’ll ask Owen for Jacob’s number. Just a minute.
Once Melanie had Jacob’s number, she sat on the edge of the tub, took a deep breath, and dialed him. This plan had better work. Her pregnancy test would just have to wait.
Chapter Seventeen
Gabe decided that waiting for two women to get ready for a party was an exercise in unlimited patience. Melanie’s hair wasn’t cooperating. Nikki didn’t like the way her bra made her boobs look in her new red dress. Melanie decided her pink dress clashed with Nikki’s outfit, so she changed to a black dress, which meant also changing shoes and accessories to match. They’d almost made it to the car when Melanie realized that she’d forgotten to switch to a different handbag. As far as Gabe was concerned, her little pink purse looked fine with her curve-hugging black dress. Not a soul on the planet would notice her purse when she was wearing that dress. But she insisted, so they waited.
By the time they reached the party, almost everyone had already arrived. Seeing as Owen’s house wasn’t all that large, most of the guests had congregated in the back yard. As Gabe, with a case of beer under one arm, followed the ladies—each carrying a dish to share with the crowd—he smiled to himself, no longer perturbed by their tardiness. They both looked smashingly gorgeous as they happily chatted about Nikki’s new high heels poking into the sod. Of the pair of beauties, he happened to prefer the leggy brunette and her waist-length wavy hair, but he had a soft spot for her flirty best friend, who he now considered one of his best friends as well.
“Oh, bride and groom number two are finally here,” Dawn shouted, clapping enthusiastically, which encouraged a round of cheers. The tall, elegant redhead waved them toward the back yard. Did that mean Kellen was there? Had he and Owen finally made up? Last he’d heard, they were still avoiding each other.
As Gabe rounded the corner, he popped up on his toes to scan the crowd. There were benefits to being the tallest man present. He spotted Kellen by the lanai, talking to Sally. Gabe wondered why their well-endowed stage manager was even talking to any of them. The band—or rather, Jacob—had unexpectedly put her and the rest of their regular touring crew out of a job. Maybe the crew could at least collect unemployment checks. He certainly hoped so. Gabe wasn’t sure how that worked.
Other members of their road crew were present as well, and they seemed to be getting along fine with each other. They even greeted Gabe as he passed with the beer he intended to add to the huge tubs of ice on the patio. He was slapped on the back and congratulated more times than he could count. Melanie abandoned Nikki to a pack of anxious male admirers and stood at Gabe’s side. He was filled with both pride and wonder that he’d managed to score such a prize. He spotted his parents and Leslie and sent them a friendly wave to gain their attention. But before he could cross the lawn to offer them a proper hello, Tex caught his arm. He hadn’t seen the band’s bus driver since the night Jacob had walked out on them. Speaking of Jacob . . . A quick scan of the crowd told Gabe he wasn’t there. Or maybe he was in the house, because Owen was nowhere to be seen either. Nor was Adam in the yard, though Madison and her enormous cast were easy to spot on a lounge chair beneath a shade tree.
“How’ve you been?” Tex asked, drawing Gabe’s attention back to himself. “Can’t believe you managed to hook this little hottie.”
Tex poked Melanie in the side, and she squeaked in protest.
“He has a very tempting hook,” Melanie said with a smile. She squeezed Gabe’s hand and leaned against his arm. “For the most part: maggot-less.”
Gabe snorted, but based on the baffled stare Tex sent in her direction, he obviously didn’t get her inside joke.
“Have you seen Lindsey?” Tex asked. “That girl is about to pop. Sure glad that kid ain’t mine.” Tex raised his eyebrows at Gabe, his question clear.
“I’m sure your wife is glad to hear that as well.”
Tex glanced over his shoulder. Said wife was talking to their youngest roadie, Jordan, who kept looking around as if he needed an escape plan.
“She don’t know nothing about that business,” Tex said. “No reason to tell her.”
Melanie frowned at him.
“So I’m guessing since she . . .” Tex jerked his head in Melanie’s direction. “. . . agreed to marry you, the kid ain’t yours neither.”
“I’d have married him regardless,” Melanie said, standing up to her full height and squeezing Gabe’s hand even harder.
“Is it yours?” Tex asked Gabe, no longer beating around the bush.
“It’s not mine.”
“Whose then?” he asked. “The DNA lady wouldn’t tell me shit. Just my own results.”
“Same here.”
“But the guys must have told you.”
Gabe shook his head. “No one has said anything to me,” he said. “And I’m not rude enough to ask.”
Gabe’s intentional barb took a moment to sink through Tex’s rather thick skull.
“I didn’t mean to be rude or nothing.” He slapped Gabe on the back hard enough to make him step forward. “Well, congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Couldn’t have happened to a greater guy. She’s a sweet-looking gal.”
Melanie prickled, but managed to keep her thoughts to herself.
“Thanks, Tex,” Gabe said, slapping the guy on the back twice as hard as he’d been slapped. The blow was sure to leave a mark. “We should be sending out invitations soon.”
“Am I invited?”
“Of course. Any guy in the band knows better than to get on your bad side. You have too much blackmail material on all of us.”
Tex guffawed. “You ain’t lying. You’ve got plenty on me as well.” He shook Gabe’s hand. “I’ll let you get back to your pa
rty.” He lowered his voice to a whisper to say, “So glad you and me is off the hook with that brat.”
Melanie drew in a breath, and Gabe knew she was about to give Tex an earful, so Gabe turned to face her, giving Tex a moment to move away. “He’s a little rough, but he means well,” Gabe said. “And you really should be glad Lindsey’s baby isn’t his.”
Melanie blew out her breath and nodded. “I am definitely glad for that.”
“I wonder where Adam and Owen are,” he said, scanning the crowd again. His parents were now talking to Adam’s loser of a dad, a conversation Gabe didn’t want to get in the middle of. He found a safer location to hang out near the lanai. “Let’s go say hey to