I laughed. “I like your excuse, too.”
A door opened and closed, which caused him to shift me only momentarily. We entered what I assumed was the hallway. There were footsteps behind us, which was probably the security team. Gabe’s outdoorsy scent smelled like home as I laid my head against him. His heartbeat was a little fast. Maybe he was as nervous as I was with Nonno’s departure and the paradigm shifting between us rapidly.
I was following my heart and it was leading me to Gabe.
Thank goodness, the doctor had taken sex off the table. With my desire and naughty thoughts on the rise, that limitation was a very good thing indeed. We needed to take things slower sexually with everything else moving at light speed.
Our chemistry had proven time and time again that we were near uncontrollable around each other. The same night we closed the restaurant down on our first date, we slept together. It was unstoppable the moment we were alone. Just like the night Gabe came to my hotel room.
The ride down to the first floor was quiet. The only sound was the elevator. The doors dinged open and we were on the move again. I felt the sun on my face as we exited. There was distant chatting and a few laughs from what I assumed were guests coming and going. A car door opened and then I sitting on plush leather seats. The seat coolers were on. “Let’s get you buckled up and away we’ll go.”
The buckle clicked. No one said a word. It sounded like someone had shut the trunk, too.
“Do I get any hints?”
“No, ’cause you’ll figure it out.”
I jutted out my lip and I felt his finger press against it.
“Patience, sweetheart. It’ll make the surprise that much better, I hope.”
The car took off as I felt Gabe intertwine his hands with mine. “Who’s driving?”
“Andre. He insisted.”
Into the dark, I called, “Thank you for driving, Andre. Means a lot. Welcome back.”
“No problem, Ms. Russo. Just doing my job.”
Though Andre had kept a fundamental piece of information from us, I knew he had done it to protect me. Fate had stepped in, having Andre work for Trent. All this had happened before Gabe and I dated. We were meant to be together. Or at least have a fair chance at being together.
I felt the car turn left, but had no idea where we were. “Hey, Andre. Want to tell me where we’re going?”
In response I only received a deep chuckle. Figures. Gabe came into the picture and everyone seemed to follow whatever orders he gave. At times it was maddening, but he had that effect on people. Gabe squeezed my hand when the car slammed on its breaks and I jerked forward.
No. No. No! Not again! Panic ensued over me. Was someone hitting us again?
Someone was after me! They wanted to kill me!
It was dark! I needed light!
My breathing sped up. My fingers clawed at the blindfold. “Gabe, I need to see!” It wouldn’t come off. “Gabe!”
Immediately, the blindfold disappeared and I stared into his eyes. “Shit, Willow. I wasn’t thinking.” Gabe cradled my cheek. “Take a deep breath with me.”
I followed his instructions.
“Exhale.”
I blew out the air. We repeated this until I calmed.
“Better?”
“Yes, much.”
Gabe turned fractionally to Andre and nodded.
Andre called from the front. “I apologize for the abrupt stop, Ms. Russo. Everything is okay.”
“Thank you, Andre.” There was a tremor to my voice. The car moved again and I exhaled.
Leaning on Gabe’s shoulder, I held onto his arm. “I can’t do the blindfold, but I can close my eyes.”
He brought me closer. “If you need to watch, you can.”
My heart fluttered at his words. Any time I was concerned he placed my needs above all else.
“I want to be surprised.”
Being in Gabe’s embrace helped chase away the bad memories of the car crash.
The rest of the ride was smooth as I felt the car move through the city. The speed picked up on what I assumed was the interstate. The warmth from his body was lulling me into a near sleep when Andre parked the car.
“Wait right here. Andre is in the front seat. I’ll be right back.”
“Come back to me soon.”
“Promise.”
Those were the same words he spoke to me while under the tree and before he was deployed. Gabe was a man of his word and had come back for me.
The door opened and closed. Silence ensued. Then the trunk popped open.
I spoke, knowing Andre was still here. “I know helping Gabe caused you some issues, but thank you. I believe you made the right decision.”
“Ain’t no thing, Ms. Russo. You remind me lot of a person I once knew. She was a good person. One of the best.”
“Who?” I asked.
“That’s a long time in the past. Sometimes that’s where all that belongs.”
The door opened before I could probe any further. “Are you ready, sweetheart?”
“Yes.”
He lifted me as I kept my eyes closed. I heard children laughing in the distance and I had a feeling where we were. “You know don’t you?”
The smile on my face must have given it away. “You brought me to our park.”
I felt him kneel and gently place me on the ground. My fingers touched a quilt.
“Open your eyes, Willow.”
Beside me was a brown wicker basket opened and brimming with food. My eyes shot to Gabe. “You planned all this?”
“I did with the help of the hotel staff. When you were talking to Nonno, I pulled it together.”
He had don
e all this. For me. He was here. Alive.
I threw my hands around him and placed my head in the crook of his neck. How could I have ever thought this man was Alex? The thought tore at me. I should have pressed more for answers when I knew things weren’t right.
“Thank you. I love it. I needed this more than you could possibly know.” Being with Gabe like this was as natural as breathing and free of awkwardness.
We sat and a sense of déjà vu came over me. I spied our tree trunk and ran my fingers over our initials. “I came here after I visited the police station. I needed a connection to life before the war.”
“I know. I followed you.”
Gabe’s hands came on top of mine as I traced the letters. I drew my knees up and rested my head on them. Our eyes met. “How were you able to follow me without me seeing you? I can always sense when you’re near. That sense left when it was Alex, but it was there with Tack.”
“You have no idea how happy that makes me. But, I think you did sense me.” My brows scrunched in confusion. “I was the old man in the precinct, the old man in the Boboli Gardens, and the old man at your art show. We connected each and every time. You weren’t able to stop staring some of the time, but I believe the appearance threw you off.”
My eyes widened. “I remember them.” Each time I had felt something, but my mind had failed to make the connection. “Wait. Were you the man at the Uffizi?”
“I was. I needed to be close to watch. Are you upset?”
I thought about this for a second. It was all part of the deception. But, he was there. I sensed it. “How’d you get the rose and note into the room with the Botticelli?”
He gestured with is free hand. “I blended with the cleaning team. Then became the old man. Being the obvious is sometimes the most unexpected.”
“Hide in plain sight.”
“Yes.”
We watched each other, taking in the moment.
“What did you do in the military?”
“Black ops. Secret missions.”
I shifted to lay on my side. Gabe followed suit. “I figured it was something like that.”
“It was.”
We were mere inches apart. The lawnmower in the distance added the perfect ambience to our picnic. It was summer and I loved it.