“He won’t tell me; I’ve tried. And Uncle Joe said if I asked again, he’d beat my ass.” I gave him a steaming hot cookie, then I pushed him out of the kitchen.
“Fine,” he called from the other side of the bar. “I know when I’m not wanted.” He bumped into the cake lady on the way into the living room and recovered by flirting and offering to walk her out.
Kim gave me a look. “Should we warn the poor girl?” We shared a laugh, and even Judy joined in.
Harbor had come a long way in the past year, and it was due in part to his mother going into rehab and getting her life on track. Gabriel had given her a job in one of his offices, and so far, she was doing well. Harbor had gone back to college and picked up a part time job with G2.
As Joe joined us, Kim wrapped her arms around him and he kissed her brown hair. She’d gotten away from the purple look months ago for their wedding.
Gabriel had built them a house on the other side of the winery, where I’d taken a job giving tours and managing the new restaurant we’d opened. Gabriel had decided shortly after our wedding that he’d work from home, thus making my job as his assistant obsolete.
An hour later, the house was filled with guests, including the cake lady, who Harbor had convinced to stick around. Turned out she delivered cakes part time for her mother and she attended the same college as him.
“Thanks for the party. It was perfect.” Gabriel’s breath tickled my ear as he whispered.
“You’re welcome. I hope you didn’t mind the theme, but I figured you’d get a kick out of it.”
He chuckled and turned a bright shade of red. “It’s perfect, too.”
“Harbor’s been asking what happened again,” I said, watching the color drain from his face.
“You didn’t tell him, did you?” His eyes widened. I remembered the look on their face when Kim and I showed up to their suite to learn that their personal stripper had come with a little something extra, which wasn’t revealed until Mason and Joe had gotten a tad too friendly with her.
“No way.” I held up two fingers, as if taking an oath. “To the grave, darling. To. The. Grave.”
***
Later that night, after everyone had left, we sat up in our bed having leftover cake. My slice was three times bigger than his and it was so good, I moaned after each bite.
Gabriel frowned. “I don’t see how you can eat that much. I’m stuffed.” He placed his slice on the bedside table and he lay back with his arms behind his head.
“It’s good cake.”
“I think Harbor’s still out with that girl.” He glanced at the clock and frowned like a worried father.
“She’s a nice girl.” I shoveled in another bite.
He met my eyes. “That’s what I’m afraid of. He’s been doing better, and the last thing he needs is to knock up some girl and end up stuck with her for eighteen years.”
“What if they fall in love and it lasts forever, happily ever after?” My tone was a little too sharp. I let out a long breath and filled my face with another forkful.
“I guess. I hope he gloves up is all I’m saying. There are worse things than babies.” He closed his eyes, and I nudged him.
“You make it sound like a bad thing. Babies are wonderful. We’ll have wonderful babies. They’ll be beautiful and fat.” I chopped another bite of cake and stabbed it with my fork. Then I glared at him and took the piece into my mouth.
“I’ve no doubt. I only mean there’s a time for it. Harbor’s too young.” He turned on his side and stroked my hip. I felt the heat bloom at my core and angled myself toward him out of sheer instinct.
I cleaned my plate and reached across to place it on the bedside table, but he offered to take it. “I’m going to go check the house and make sure I locked up.”
I handed him the plate, and he stacked his on top of it and went downstairs to the kitchen. I crossed the room to our dresser and took the small box I’d hidden in the bottom drawer’s back corner. I hurried back to the bed and placed it on his pillow, but before he returned, I grabbed it and hid it under my pillow.
It was a special birthday surprise and I felt the cake rumbling in my gut as I thought about his reaction. What if he doesn’t like it? I pushed the thought from my mind and took a deep breath as he entered the room. He pulled the window blinds so the morning sun wouldn’t wake us too early before crossing to the bathroom, where, after a few minutes, I heard him gargling mouth wash.
I wanted to tell him to hurry up and get back to bed, but instead I joined him and brushed my teeth as he flossed.
Then we walked into the bedroom and climbed in bed. Gabriel turned over and kissed me goodnight, and as he backed away, I stopped him and held him close. “I have another gift for you.”
His eyebrow jutted upward and he grinned. “I know. I’m getting ready to unwrap it.” He trailed his hand down to the hem of my camisole and his cool fingertips trailed upward to my sensitive breasts.