Chapter 7 #2
Her silence was more damning than any argument. Gabriel watched as she turned and walked out of the kitchen, her shoulders rigid with anger or maybe despair.
He didn’t follow. He just stood there, trying to process the fact that he’d just torpedoed the happiest two weeks of his life.
But he didn’t have any other choice.
Even if it meant losing her, Gabriel couldn’t compromise his integrity.
∞∞∞
Kymberlie sat on one of her new—well, lightly used from another restaurant that had gone under—barstools and tried to get her tears under control.
Her wolf bristled inside her, hackles raised and growling loudly at this betrayal from the man who’d been driving her wild with pleasure every night since their memorable road trip.
How could Gabriel switch so easily from passionate lover to cold, rule-enforcing stranger?
She was so fucking exhausted right now. It seemed like each time she fixed something, another delay and another expense pushed her closer to financial ruin.
Tyler and his crew had worked miracles in her place, repairing all the smoke and water damage, renovating her kitchen and bathrooms, painting her new drywall, and installing LVP flooring that looked like weathered boards.
Her replacement tables and chairs had been delivered yesterday, ahead of schedule.
When she woke up this morning, she’d been happy knowing her place was ready to host the wedding reception that would mean the difference between her club living or dying.
Only this one last inspection had remained. And after all the help Gabriel had given her, she’d figured it would be no big deal.
And now this.
“Kymberlie,” Gabriel’s voice was softer now, but still professional.
She wiped angrily at her eyes with a Kleenex and saw him standing behind her new bar with its salvaged granite top.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear.”
“That’s—that’s an understatement,” she managed.
Her shoulders tensed as she fought to control a fresh wave of tears. Crying wasn’t going to help her now.
The rational part of her brain knew that Gabriel was just doing his job. Fire safety codes existed for good reasons. That he couldn’t—shouldn’t—compromise his professional integrity for their relationship.
But understanding didn’t ease the sting of betrayal.
“You know this isn’t personal,” he said, his tone cold again.
But, dammit, it felt personal. Her wolf paced anxiously inside her, alternately wanting to lash out at Gabriel and whimpering at the growing distance between them. It couldn’t reconcile how their mate could do anything to hurt them like this.
“Personal? You want to talk about personal?” Kymberlie felt her control slipping.
“I’ve sunk every penny I have into this place and gone into major debt.
I’ve followed every instruction you’ve given me.
And just when I think everything’s actually going to be okay, you find something else wrong! It’s like you want me to fail!”
Gabriel flinched. Then his expression hardened. “I didn’t create the problems here, Kymberlie. I just noticed them.”
The worst part was that he was right, and she knew it.
Great-Uncle Jack had thought he was helping her when he went easy on the club, but now she realized he’d been setting her up for this disaster.
“I—I need a minute,” she said, pulling her phone from her pocket and walking outside.
She sent a text to the only other person she knew would understand what she was going through. Maggie.
Failed my fire safety inspection. Going to lose Xmas Eve booking. End of the road for me. Got any openings at C+S?
Kymberlie slumped against the porch railing. She’d been so close to making everything work out. New club, new boyfriend….
And now, she was completely fucked. In more ways than one.
At least I didn’t mate that jerk, she thought. Then I’d be stuck with him forever. Her wolf whined in protest.
Shut up! she snarled.
Gabriel remained inside the club. She could hear him walking around.
Probably finding more code violations for his report, she thought bitterly.
To her enhanced shifter senses, the sound of his pen against his fucking clipboard was like nails on a chalkboard.
Her phone buzzed with Maggie’s reply: On my way. DON’T PANIC. We’ll figure something out.
Don’t panic? Kymberlie scoffed. No problem.
She was way beyond panic right now and deep into the territory of full-blown despair.
∞∞∞
Twenty minutes later, the club’s door burst open.
Maggie swept in with all the force and determination of a summer thunderstorm.
Her auburn hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she wore jeans and a flour-dusted pink Cinnamon + Sugar t-shirt.
She’d clearly rushed straight over from the bakery.
“You okay?” she asked, making a beeline for Kymberlie. “How on earth did you fail? I thought you fixed everything!”
Before Kymberlie could answer, Gabriel emerged from the club.
“It’s the stove hood,” he said. “It’s ventilation-only, no fire suppression.”
“Oh.” Maggie turned to him, assessing rather than accusatory. “And there’s no way around it?”
Gabriel shook his head. “It’s a major code violation—one that could have catastrophic consequences if there’s ever a grease fire.” He spread his hands defensively. “Believe me, I want to see Kymberlie back in business as soon as possible. But I can’t overlook this.”
“Okay,” Maggie said, pulling out her phone. “Then we need to get Kymber a replacement hood with a fire suppression system. Let me see what I can find.”
Her fingers flew across the screen.
Now why didn’t I think of looking online for a new hood? Kymberlie thought sarcastically. Oh yeah, because I don’t have any fucking money left and I’ve maxed out my credit cards.
Even so, having Maggie here and on her side made Kymberlie feel a bit better.
“There,” Maggie said after a few minutes of online searching. “There’s a restaurant supply store in Missoula with a lightly used Type I hood with a built-in suppression system in stock. It’s used, but only a couple of years old. Will this fix the issue?”
She thrust her phone at Gabriel, who scrolled through the product listing, studying the product specs.
“Yeah, this will do the trick,” he said, his expression softening.
“If it’s installed properly, it’ll bring the kitchen up to code.
” He met Kymberlie’s gaze. “I finished the inspection, and everything else passed. If you can get this hood installed in the next day or two, you can reopen before Christmas.”
“How much?” Kymberlie asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“Three thousand,” Maggie replied. “Which is about a quarter of what a new one would cost.”
Kymberlie’s shoulders sagged. “Three thousand dollars?” Shit. Shit. Shit.
“I can’t—” she began.
But Maggie was already dialing. “Tyler? It’s Maggie. I need you to drive to Missoula today to pick up a stove hood for Kymberlie’s club. Yes, today. Drop whatever you’re doing; this is an emergency. I’m sending you the details. It’s the last thing she needs to pass her fire safety inspection.”
Kymberlie’s shifter hearing could hear both sides of the conversation. “She failed the inspection? Well, fuck,” said Tyler. “No problem. I’ll take care of it. I’ll pick it up today and install it tomorrow morning.”
“You’re the best, Tyler!” Maggie ended the call, then shot Kymberlie a triumphant smile. “See? Problem solved. Will that work for your timeline, Gabriel?”
“If it’s installed correctly, I can inspect it right away. No reason to delay any longer than necessary.”
“But I don’t have any money left,” Kymberlie managed. “I can’t pay for this. You need to call Tyler back and tell him not to bother.”
“I’ll cover it,” Gabriel said in a firm tone.
She stared at him, momentarily speechless with shock. “B-but—” she stuttered.
“And don’t argue with me. Just nod and say, ‘Thank you, Gabriel.’”
Relief flooded through her, so intense she felt light-headed. “Thank you,” she said to Gabriel, then turned to Maggie. “Both of you. I—I have no words.”
Maggie hugged her. “That’s what friends are for. And don’t worry about paying Tyler overtime for this. I’m sure he’d want to give you an early Christmas gift.”
As Maggie stepped away to send Tyler the information he would need to buy the hood, Kymberlie noticed Gabriel watching her with an oddly wary expression.
The realization struck her like a physical blow. She’d pushed him away just now. In her panic and frustration, she’d treated him like an enemy again, undoing all the trust they’d built over the past two weeks.
Her wolf whined in distress.
Kymberlie moved toward him, her heart aching. “Gabriel, I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”
“It’s okay. You were upset. I understand.”
But the careful neutrality in his expression told a different story. She’d hurt him. Badly.
“No, it’s not okay,” she replied. “I blamed you for something that wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry I made you feel you had to choose between your integrity and me.”
Gabriel’s expression softened slightly, but the wariness remained in his eyes. Trust, once damaged, didn’t repair itself instantly.
Maggie and Gabriel’s unexpected generosity had just saved her club.
But could Kymberlie save her relationship with Gabriel after the terrible things she just said to him?