Chapter 28
“ T wo prickly pear margaritas, please,” Gabriel said, leaning against the bar.
“I wanted a gin and tonic,” she said.
“Liar,” he replied when the bartender turned away. “You can’t resist an adventure, and prickly pear anything is a specialty in this part of the country. No way are you not interested in trying it.”
The only adventures she ever embarked on had been with him when they were kids. He’d made her brave and creative. With him, she’d wanted to embrace life rather than simply survive it. Or slog through it.
It was a far deeper conversation than she wanted to get into, though. Ever.
Instead, she turned her attention to the cozy cave bar they’d almost walked right by.
The tiny opening, no more than a fissure between two rocks, disguised the entrance.
Once inside, though, it opened into a space that she wouldn’t call large, but, filled with comfy couches, colorful throw blankets, dim lighting, and a woodburning stove that vented to god-knew-where, it was welcoming.
And a little romantic. If she were inclined to think that way.
“Here you go,” the bartender said. She’d never given a thought to prickly pear margaritas, but if she had, she wouldn’t have pictured the bright pink drinks he handed over.
“The fire’s lit and the prime seats are open,” he continued, nodding toward the loveseat.
“You won’t get that lucky if you’re back after dinner.
The staff likes to tell people they’ll be tired by the end of the day.
But in my experience? If you’re here, you’re more likely to be the sleep-when-I’m-dead kind of person. ”
“Truth,” Gabriel said, raising his glass before leading her to the loveseat.
“We’re in for a series of late nights, aren’t we?” she asked.
He nodded. “Joseph isn’t a heavy drinker, but he loves people. He’ll be here every night, and by the end of the week, he’ll be everyone’s best friend.”
“That sounds like an exhausting way to live,” she admitted before taking a sip of her drink. She paused, holding the liquid in her mouth. “Oh,” she said after swallowing.
“Dangerous, aren’t they?” Gabriel said, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Promise you won’t let me have more than three a night.
” She gave him a hard look. Like Joseph, she wasn’t a heavy drinker, but damn the margarita slid down her throat like, well, nothing she’d ever had.
Sweet, but not too sweet, tart but not too tart.
And no hint of the alcohol she’d seen the bartender pour in.
Gabriel chuckled. “You are asking the wrong person to police you. We never drank together growing up. What I wouldn’t give to see you even a little tipsy.”
She glared at him. For five seconds. Then she snorted a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”
He shrugged. “I don’t think I ever saw you drink. Not even when drinks were available.”
“Remember, academics, sports, drama, debate—I couldn’t afford to do anything that might fuck up my schedule.”
“It was worth it, though, wasn’t it?”
She glanced over, expecting to see him grinning at her, but instead, concern clouded his eyes.
Was it worth it? Yes. All her work got her out of a bad situation in a way that was much healthier than it could have been.
She and Daphne had both managed that. There’d been a cost, though, too.
Too focused to have fun, too busy to make friends.
Not that she excelled at making friends anyway, but working and going to school ixnayed girls’ nights and frat parties.
It also filled her time enough to avoid working through the shit of her childhood.
But while all that was true, would she have changed it?
“Gabe?”
They both looked up to see a man she’d only ever seen in photos.
“Joseph?” Gabriel asked, rising and giving an excellent impression of being surprised.
“It is you!” Joseph Nolan walked over. “And call me Joe, only Rian calls me Joseph. And my dad,” he said, pumping Gabriel’s hand. “What are you doing here?”
“The same thing I imagine you are,” Gabriel replied. Joseph’s gaze darted to her, and Gabriel held out his hand. She eyed it for one second before setting her palm against his and rising. They hadn’t talked much about a back story, and she had a feeling she was going to regret that oversight.
“This is Callie,” he said. “My fiancée. Callie, this is Joe Nolan.”
She’d been braced for Gabriel to say something surprising, but she hadn’t expected that . Girlfriend, maybe. But fiancée?
She slid him a look. He winked. She held his gaze a beat, then turned and smiled at Joe.
“Sorry, it’s still new,” she said. “The word catches me off guard.” She held out her hand, which Joseph shook just as enthusiastically.
Golden retriever. Gabriel’s words came back to her, and she couldn’t help but agree with his assessment.
“And why I don’t have a rock on my finger,” she added.
Gabriel choked on his drink. She smiled.
“He proposed without a ring?” Joseph asked. “What kind of man does that?”
“The kind who wants to be sure the love of his life has the exact thing she wants before she wears it for the rest of her life,” Gabriel said, recovering.
Joseph narrowed his eyes but smiled and shoulder-bumped Gabriel. “Seems like that’s something you should know before popping the question. But hey, so long as it works for you… Hey, Jason, can we get a bottle of champagne?” he said, calling to the bartender, whose name was apparently Jason.
She shot Gabriel a look. No way could she drink a bottle of champagne—even shared three ways—then head to dinner where there would, presumably, be more alcohol. Gabriel shrugged. “You’re no help,” she muttered. He chuckled.
“Rian is going to be so bummed he didn’t come with me. Imagine seeing you here. It’s been, what, six years?” Joe said, pulling a chair over.
“Five, since the night of the Knicks game,” Gabriel answered, taking a seat. She sank down beside him.
“I had a friend who was going to come with me, but he, ah…” He glanced at her.
“Got another offer?” she suggested. Then paused. “Wait, are you Rian Nolan’s brother? From New York?” she asked.
Joe drew back, blinking several times. “I am.”
“I talked to him in DC”—she pretended to think about it—“Maybe two weeks ago? I used to be with the FBI, but now,” she said with a pointed look at Gabriel. “They don’t have offices in Mystery Lake, so currently jobless.”
Joe’s brows dropped, looking more confused than concerned. “The FBI wanted to talk to my brother?”
She shrugged. “About a third party. I can’t go into it, but they wanted me to speak with him about a situation that involved some folks your company might do business with.
We had a short conversation, maybe ten minutes.
He wasn’t able to help, but it was worth a try.
” She’d taken a gamble telling Joe about her connection to Rian.
But if he mentioned to either his father or his brother that he’d seen Gabriel and his new “fiancée,” she wanted a cover story in place.
And wanted to appear as if she had nothing to hide about her visit to his brother.
Joe considered her answer, then, as if it had never been there, the thought seemed to disappear.
He ducked his head and shrugged again. “Yeah, my friend got another offer,” he said, returning to the prior conversation.
“He’s skiing in the Alps now with a woman who was in last year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
I tried to get Rian to take his place, we already had the second room booked, but he’s got…
” He paused. “Well, he’s Rian. He always has work. ”
“If it makes you feel better, we probably took your friend’s room,” Callie said. “Our booking was last minute, and when I spoke to the team, they said they’d had a last minute cancellation.”
Joseph smiled and handed champagne flutes all around. “Rian’s loss is my gain. Congrats to you two!”