Chapter 8 Gabe
GABE
“You know, Marvin is looking a little chubby,” I say as I work on the outside of the greenhouse. I don’t really need Dakota’s help for this part, but for the past few days, he’s been out here with me.
Mostly grumbling but talking a little bit here and there. He hasn’t told me anything about his family really, other than he inherited this house from his grandparents. And he certainly hasn’t told me why he insisted on only one worker being here, but little things.
I’ll take it. Why I want to get this man talking to me, I can’t explain.
He’s just on my mind a lot. I find myself thinking about him at the most random times, especially when I’m brushing my teeth with Crest toothpaste.
The thought alone makes me smile. He didn’t have to give me that answer, but he did.
There’s just something really interesting about Dakota Gordon.
“Don’t fat shame my cat,” he says, and I glance over at him to see if he’s being serious—which I’m learning Dakota usually is. But I’m surprised to find a small smile on his lips.
I chuckle and go back to working, “I wasn’t fat shaming . . . He’s just looking a little chubby.”
He huffs, but I don’t get to tease him further because my phone vibrates in my pocket. I’m not really a phone guy. I’m not someone who needs to check their phone constantly, but I do insist on keeping it on me at all times with the volume up, just in case Amber needs me.
I stop what I’m doing and reach into my pocket, groaning when I see who it’s from.
“What’s wrong?” Dakota asks. And I’ll be damned, he actually sounds concerned.
I can see the message without having to unlock my phone, so I left it unread and tuck it back into my pocket. “My ex texting me to remind me about trivia tonight.”
Dakota frowns, a little wrinkle between his eyes. “You don’t like trivia?”
I laugh slightly. If only it was just trivia. “I don’t like being set up.”
His frown only deepens now, his bottom lip poking out slightly. He looks cute like that, I can’t lie. And when have I ever thought a guy looked cute? I’m pretty sure it’s never happened before, but whatever. “Your ex is trying to set you up?”
“Weird, right?” I chuckle and add some of the framework over the glass I installed yesterday. This greenhouse is going to be badass, if I do say so myself. From the way it’s going today, the roof will be ready to go on tomorrow. Monday at the latest.
This is going really fast, and I don’t miss the way my gut twists when I think about that.
“Really weird,” he confirms.
“Yeah. I think she’s thinking if she can get me laid, I’ll be happier about her having another baby or something.” I don’t look over at him because it’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I’m almost positive that’s what Shelly’s doing.
“You aren’t happy for her?” he asks, handing me more wood for the frame.
I take it and go about nailing it in place, unable to really look at him right now. “I am. It’s just . . .” I sigh heavily. “It’s strange. I thought it would be us having another baby to make Amber a big sister.”
“Are you still in love with her?”
I nearly shoot a nail into my own hand when I jerk at the question. Luckily, I didn’t pull the trigger on the nail gun. I look over at him, fully surprised those words came out of his mouth. “Now who’s getting all personal?” I joke.
“No. I . . .” He looks downright adorable as his cheeks pink up, and he shuffles his feet slightly where he’s standing. “That’s not . . .”
Though I do kind of enjoy watching him squirm, I let him off the hook before he has a coronary.
“I’m teasing you. I’m an open book. You can ask me anything.
” I go back to my work, paying even closer attention after the almost mishap.
“And no. I’m not still in love with her.
” I can tell he wants to ask me more, which I find intriguing, but he snaps his mouth closed.
So I decide to go on, “We were a terrible match. Fought all the damn time. I know that now, but when she told me she wanted a divorce, it hurt like hell. Guess it left me kind of bitter.”
Though I shouldn’t have been so surprised, looking back on it.
“What happened?” he asks, and I smile at the realization that he’s letting me in, little by little, even though I’m sure he doesn’t even notice it. Why I want to be let in, again, I’m totally at a loss.
But I always did like a challenge. “She was my best friend in high school, and then we started dating. It only felt natural to marry her, but we fought.” I let out a not so funny laugh.
“All the time. Until one day, we just stopped talking because we didn’t want to fight anymore—or at least that was my reasoning.
I guess that’s why she stopped talking to me too. And then she fell for someone else.”
“She cheated on you?” He sounds a little angry, and I can’t deny that’s a little intriguing too.
“Nah. I mean, maybe emotionally, but we were both checked out by that time.”
“Emotional or not, that would hurt.”
I nod my head grimly, not really wanting to think too hard about her telling me she’d fallen in love with another man. She promised over and over that no physical lines had been crossed, but that she was in fact in love with him.
I thought I was going to die.
But also, I got it. I wasn’t exactly there for her, emotionally or in any other way. I’d given up and had just been resigned to a life of either fighting or being silent. We butted heads on every single thing. It was exhausting.
The conversation fades then as I work in silence, but he stays there by my side, assisting in whatever way he can. Oddly enough, the silence is actually peaceful, and I don’t feel the need to speak.
When lunchtime comes around, I grab mine from my truck, and Dakota surprises me by sitting on the porch with me. It’s a nice March day, around sixty degrees and sunny. It’s far too nice to eat in my truck or inside.
When I offer Dakota half my sandwich, he surprises me again by actually accepting it. We eat quietly, and when we finish, I’m not quite ready to get back to work. It’s nice sitting here on his front porch, looking out at the vast amount of trees and plants surrounding his property.
I smile when his chubby little cat waddles himself right up the steps and rubs against my leg, purring loudly. “Hey, Marvin.” I scratch his ears but then let out a startled little laugh when I see the protruding belly.
“What? I told you not to fat shame my cat,” Dakota says, all huffy.
I pick up the cat carefully and find exactly what I suspected, cuddling it up to my chest. “I’m not. But I have to tell you, I don’t think Marvin is actually a Marvin. I think she might be a Mavis.”
“What?” Dakota’s brow furrows. “What are you talking about?”
I smile and cuddle the cat to my chest. Her nose is a little cold and wet as she rubs up against my cheek. “You ready to be a cat grandpa?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” His frown gets even more intense.
“She’s pregnant,” I say. Having been around plenty of cats in my life and growing up on a farm where we had many, many barn kittens, I’d bet my next paycheck on it. You learn to pick up on the signs pretty quickly when new kittens are coming.
“What? No. He can’t be pregnant.”
“I’m almost positive she is.” I try to gently nudge his brain in that new direction. I smile at his adorable angry face as he studies his cat, and I can see the realization hit him. His cheeks pink a little. “I’d say you have about a week. Two tops.”
I offer the cat to him, and he takes her, her plump little belly looking full and on display as he looks her over. “Mavis?”
I can’t stop my chuckle. He just looks so adorably clueless right now. “Do I need to get her anything?” He holds her close, and her purring intensifies. “Should I take her to the vet? I don’t think she’d like the car. She runs away when she hears a vehicle.”
I scratch her ears, and she leans into the petting. “Nah, I think she’ll be just fine. When the time comes, she’ll know what to do.”
“But . . .” He looks distressed now, and I feel kind of bad for teasing him about it.
“Hey, she’ll be okay.” I put my hand on his shoulder, causing him to stiffen for only a brief second. But it’s enough for me to remove my hand because I don’t want him to be uncomfortable. “She has a really nice barn. I’m sure she’s already been getting it ready for her kittens.”
“But it still gets so cold at night,” he says, his voice dripping with worry.
I hop up and walk down the stairs. “Come on. Let’s go make sure,” I say and smile when he follows me, his cat in his arms.
We walk into the barn. I was right. It’s really nice, clean and tidy with some hay spread about.
“This is perfect.” I look up at the roof and see it’s in good shape. “They’ll be plenty warm in here.”
I look around and smile, my heart feeling warm when I see there are two bowls.
One with what looks like fresh water and one with some cat food in it.
Dakota places the cat down extremely gently, so carefully, she gets a little annoyed and kind of jerks out of his hold to get herself to the ground.
But she seems to love him, wrapping herself around his legs.
“My parents didn’t allow us to have any animals.” His mouth purses. “Well, not ones we couldn’t eat. I never had cats or dogs growing up.”
I can tell he’s a little embarrassed that he didn’t know the cat was female and about to have babies. “I had a lot, which is the only way I’d have known. Grew up with cats running all over the property. Always having babies.”
He smiles slightly at that, his lips barely twitching. “That sounds fun.”
“It was. But it was stressful too.” I grin. “I always worried about them, and sometimes the babies didn’t make it. Broke my fucking heart every time.”
His smile vanishes, and he’s frowning again. “That would be awful.” He looks panicked and over at Mavis. “What if they don’t? She’d be heartbroken. Are you sure there isn’t anything else I can do?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe when they’re born, you could take them to the vet. But for now, I think you’re doing everything you can. Food and water.” I lean down and scratch her soft little ears. “Lots of love.”
I look up at Dakota and see a determined look on his face, like he’s taking in the information and making a checklist in his head. “Okay, I can do that.”
I stand up straight and fight the urge to reach out and touch his arm again. “You’ve got this.”
I’m rewarded with that small smile again that looks totally involuntary, but I’ll take it.
“Hey, you want to go to trivia with me tonight?”
“What?” He looks horrified now, and I almost regret asking him because I feel like an ass for frazzling him—though I have to admit I kind of like it. “Why would you want me to go with you?”
I shrug. “Hey, I know your favorite kind of toothpaste.” I wink. “Thought that meant we’re friends.”
He scoffs, but I don’t miss those full pink lips of his twitching upward just a little bit. “You don’t even want to go.”
“I would with you there,” I blurt out, and his eyes widen, his cheeks pinking up in that way that’s becoming oddly addicting to me.
“No,” he says firmly.
“Okay,” I say, not one to push. “But it’s every Thursday, apparently. So maybe someday.”
He’s quiet for a while, but he nods eventually. “Maybe.”
I’m going to take that as a win.