Gabe stilled. He knew how fragile Chelsea was, but hearing her best friend confirm it made him wonder what hurt Chelsea kept inside.
He threw a glance over his shoulder. “She’s also stronger than you think.”
And he wanted her to trust him. Whether she liked it or not, he would protect her. She was done doing everything alone.
* * *
Chelsea leaned back in her desk chair in her home office and stared at the bright screen of her laptop. She’d kept tabs on her mother for a year or so now. She’d made sure not to do anything illegal, but some simple investigative work by someone of her skill level...well, it hadn’t been too difficult to turn up Shonda Hunt. Or rather, Shonda Patton, since she remarried.
Bitterness burned like acid in Chelsea’s gut. She hated that her mother had run out on them. Chelsea had never fully known the reason why and it wasn’t a topic she had ever brought up to her father before he’d passed. The poor man had been devastated after his wife left, so much so, he’d died a year later of a heart attack. Chelsea had always figured he’d been so crushed he’d lost his will to go on.
She continued staring at the image she’d uncovered of Shonda and her husband. It was a random photo from a newspaper in Kansas. They were on a park bench attending a town festival or something. There her mother was, enjoying the life she wanted.
Trust didn’t come easy to Chelsea and staring back at her was the very reason why. When a foundation was shaken and everything you ever knew turned out to be a lie, it was difficult to see another way, let alone try to rebuild on uneven ground.
The spiral Chelsea spun into after her mother had left had been a cry for help, but her actions, no matter how troubled, had ultimately led her to become the woman she was today. She was damn good at her job and refused to let anyone have control over her life ever again.
That included Gabe Walsh. He’d been smart to keep their interaction to texts these past few days, but part of her really wanted to get into that verbal sparring match she was gearing up for. He had texted earlier that he wanted to talk, but he hadn’t said when and he hadn’t said why.
How could one man turn her on and infuriate her at the same time?
Closing out her screen, Chelsea came to her feet and secured the knot on her robe. She was done spying on Shonda. Chelsea refused to call her mother, because that woman didn’t exist. Chelsea knew she needed to let it go and move forward. She had a lucrative career that she loved and she was planning her best friend’s wedding. She didn’t need anything more.
Right?
Unfortunately, there was that young girl living inside her that wanted answers. That impressionable girl needed to know what she could do to ever fill the void of abandonment.
Chelsea had just stepped into her living room when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the large clock on her mantel and wondered who would be dropping by unannounced at nine at night.
She smoothed her hands down her robe and pulled the lapels a little tighter to her chest. A quick glance out the sidelight caused Chelsea’s heart rate to kick up. She pulled in a deep breath and flicked the lock.
When she swung the door wide, she expected Gabe to just walk on in. Instead he gave her a head-to-toe appraisal and propped his arm on the door frame. It caused his bicep to tighten, which only drew her attention to his excellent muscle tone.
“I do like how you greet your guests.”
“A heads-up text would’ve been considerate,” she stated, crossing her arms.
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I texted earlier and said I wanted to talk.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Specifics would’ve been nice.”
“I’ll remember that for next time.”
He pushed off the frame, but continued to stand in the light of the porch. “But I’m here now and I want you to understand there’s no reason to be afraid of what’s going on between us. I know you’ve been dealt a bad hand lately and I also know you’re strong. I’d never push you, but I also won’t let you run.”
Chelsea opened her mouth but Gabe held his hand up to stop her. “I get that you’re still reeling from what Dusty did. I even understand that trusting me at first was difficult, but we’re past that, aren’t we?”
“You confuse me,” she whispered. “I can’t get into this right now, Gabe. I need to think.”
She started to shut the door but he was quicker. His fingers curled around the edge and held it open.
“I want you so much,” he replied, stepping in closer until she had to tip her head back to look into those mesmerizing eyes. “Which is why I’m putting the next step on you.”
Confused, Chelsea jerked back. “What?”
“There’s nothing I want more than to cross this threshold and peel you out of that robe, but I want you to take control. I want you to ache just as much as I do. Because when we finally make it to a bedroom, it will be your decision.”
Chelsea swallowed. Her body stirred at his words and his boldness. “Is that why you came here?” she asked, shocked her voice sounded strong at all. “To tell me that we’re going to have sex?”