Chapter 5 #2
“Sweet?” Jade muttered, probably thinking Gavin had never been sweet with anyone. He was fair and kind to his employees, but never “sweet” or over-complimentary.
“This is my new girlfriend, Kari,” Austin said.
“What?” Jade pretended to explode. “I’m your girlfriend.”
“You know I have hundreds of girlfriends and you have to share me,” Austin said, all innocent and cute. “Sorry about that.”
“I know.” Jade laughed and whipped out her pad. “What would you like for dinner?”
Gavin felt relief that she’d moved on so quickly.
Usually, she’d flirt or chat with them for five to ten minutes before she’d take their order.
He didn’t really care, as she kept most of her focus on Austin and his son ate it up, but it was nice to have a break from it.
It was more than nice to have Kari’s hand still resting on his.
Jade’s eyes flickered to Kari’s hand wrapped around the back of his as they ordered, but she wisely didn’t say anything. Kari ordered the teriyaki chicken with the veggies. Gavin got the salmon and au gratin potatoes.
As Jade walked away, Austin’s eyes narrowed. “You two are holding hands.”
Gavin waited for Kari to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, she squeezed her palm around his fingers and said, “I like Gavin’s hands.”
Gavin shocked even himself as he turned his hand over, lined their palms up, and then intertwined his fingers with hers.
Kari pulled in a breath, and Austin looked surprised.
Gavin’s heart was going so fast, he was having a hard time catching a breath.
He was twenty-nine this month, and the last time he’d voluntarily held hands with a woman was eleven years ago.
He felt like a teenager on his first date as he gently pulled their clasped hands off the table and rested them on his thigh.
The back of Kari’s hand brushed his knee, setting off even more of a reaction.
He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the excitement of her touch, but for the first time in a long time, he wanted to explore much more of it.
Austin shook his head and said, “You two better not get all smoochy on me like Trey and Ella.”
Gavin’s body heated up at the thought of being “smoochy” like Trey and Ella.
He hadn’t approved of his best friend chasing his sister at first, but the two of them were perfect for each other.
Was there some crazy chance that he and Kari could be perfect for each other also?
He didn’t dare hope, but as she squeezed his hand again and gave him a significant look, he felt like he was in some beautiful dream that he’d never thought would become reality.
“When we stayed with them in Kauai, Gav and I would escape to the beach or on a hike so they could kiss more.” Austin wrinkled his nose.
“When did you go to Kauai?” Kari asked.
Austin started talking about their trip the first of the month, with Gavin inserting or clarifying a few of the stories.
The time passed quickly, as Kari wanted to know every detail of Kauai, down to the smells and how the roosters never stopped crowing.
The entire time, Gavin and Kari held hands.
It was crazy that such a simple touch could have him so keyed up and invested in her.
When their food came, she had to let go to eat. Gavin couldn’t believe how swift the dart of disappointment was. She eased closer to him and her leg pressed against his, and he contented himself with that appealing contact and the scent of her perfume.
Dinner flew by as Kari asked them questions about Kauai and the few other places they’d traveled: Florida, California, and all the places where Heath had resorts—Connecticut, Massachusetts, Wyoming, and Utah.
Gavin thought he’d come off as pathetic for never leaving the US, except for the time he’d flown to Mexico on a private jet to rescue his sister, Cassie.
He soon discovered Kari had less travel experience than he did.
“I’ve been to Disneyland and the beach a couple of times, and we went to Kansas once, but that’s not a lot to brag about.”
“Man, you’re lame,” Austin said, plunging a fry in ketchup and then into his mouth.
“Austin,” Gavin warned.
“Sorry, but my sister Cassie is maybe younger than you, and she’s been to every country in the world. Why don’t you like to go places?” Austin asked.
Gavin didn’t correct the exaggeration, though Cassie had traveled extensively with her humanitarian missions.
She and her fiancé, Jed, were in Costa Rica right now, but they would be home in two weeks to get married and settle down in Park City, where Jed was from.
That would be a relief, not worrying about Cassie anymore.
Kari shrugged and focused on cutting a piece of chicken.
“I concentrated on school at Arizona State, and then I’ve been so busy writing …
I researched for over a year before I found your resort and decided to book my stay.
Taking this trip was a huge leap for me.
I want to experience more of what my characters do, make it more real, right? ” She looked at Gavin as she said that.
Experience the place, or experience the romance?
He was surprised how much he wanted to help her experience the romance, but he didn’t want to just be a test subject for her and then have her move on, ditching him and hurting him worse than Janielle had.
He startled. That couldn’t be possible. He’d dated Janielle for almost a year and had thought he loved her before she betrayed him. He hardly knew Kari.
They finished eating, and Gavin slid out of the bench and stood.
“Where’s the bill?” Kari asked. “I wanted to pay it to thank you both for skiing with me.”
“There is no bill,” Gavin explained, though he thought it was adorable that she wanted to pay it.
“Oh …” She blushed. “Because you own the place.”
She slid out of the booth and stood next to him.
Gavin quickly dropped a twenty on the table for Jade.
He knew he should walk up to Kari’s room right now and get his ski poles.
Instead, he did something he should never have done as he asked, “Will you go on a short ride with us? I need to drop Austin off at Mama’s for story time. ”
Austin lit up. “Mama has time tonight?”
Gavin nodded. “Half an hour before you have to be in bed.”
Austin grabbed Kari’s hand and tugged her toward the arched doorway of the restaurant and the lodge’s huge open lobby. “My mama likes to read to me at night.”
“What are you reading?”
“A new one by Daniel Coleman. Have you heard of him?”
“Yeah, I have,” said Kari. “My friend Sarah Gay uses him for editing, but I haven’t had a chance to read any of his books. You like them?”
“Like them?” Austin asked as he hurried her along, and Gavin took up the rear. “I love them. We already read Hatter, Red Knight, and Jabberwocky, and he just came out with A Bout of Yours.”
“A Route of Wares,” Gavin corrected. He’d ordered the book on as soon as he’d gotten the notice that there was a new release from one of Austin’s favorite authors. Anything he could do to keep the kid off video games was a win for him.
“Your friend Sarah must have good books if Daniel Coleman edits them,” Austin said. “She’s not a smoochy romance author, is she?”
Kari laughed as they walked through the parking lot. “Yeah, she is.”
“What?” Austin exploded. “But Daniel Coleman writes ‘sic’ books with lots of fighting and creatures that would give you nightmares.” He pumped his eyebrows. “Why would he want to edit romance?”
Kari shrugged her shoulders. “Sarah’s books are complex and funny. Maybe he enjoys the crossover. Maybe you’d like romance if you gave it a try.”
They reached the car and Austin climbed into the back, muttering, “Probably not.”
Gavin walked around with Kari and got her door. She glanced up at him. “Do you think you might like romance?”
Gavin’s heart slammed against his chest. If anyone else had asked him that question, he’d scoff.
With Kari looking at him like that, he wanted to go home and download one of her romance novels right now.
No. He’d rather be with her for as long as she’d let him, then download a romance novel.
“Maybe,” he managed to get out of his dry throat.
She smiled sweetly up at him and then slid into her seat.
He shut her door and hurried around. Austin started telling her more about A Route of Wares, explaining how it was about a reality TV show that turned out to be sinister, as the characters were getting killed on and off the screen, and there were vampires, ninjas, and rangers.
Kari kept the conversation going as they slowly drove out of the lodge and then stopped at the gate to the west that led to his and Mama’s houses.
Gavin punched in the code at the gate, and they drove up the slot canyon.
The canyon widened, and the houses came into view.
He looked to Kari for a reaction. It was too dark to see the incredible slot canyon and the beautiful wider canyon nestled around their property, but she could see his house easily as it was all lit up.
He loved the house he’d built for himself and Austin.
Never in the past nine months had he thought about bringing an unrelated woman to it.
He wasn’t about to right now, as he pulled up to Mama and Papa’s smaller rambler.
Austin popped out of the Lexus, calling back, “Bye, Kari. See you soon, Gav.” His door slammed, and they were alone.
Gavin was itching to drive her over to his house, give her a tour, sit on the couch, and reach for her hand again, but he couldn’t do it.
Taking her alone to his house would be pushing too hard too fast for him, and maybe for her too.
She was too trusting for sure, but he’d preached to her last night at dinner about not going somewhere alone with a man.
“This is your mom’s house?”
“Yeah.”