Perfect Fit - Brenda Jackson [17]
She chuckled. “Yes, a rather short and simple one. My grandmother had three sons who each gave her a granddaughter in the same year. She was bestowed with the task of naming the three of us and decided to do so after her favorite spices. She claimed we would be the spice of her life. Ginger lives in Florida, and Cinnamon resides out west in California.”
Gabe couldn’t help but chuckle. “And of the three who’s the oldest?” he asked, intrigued with the story.
Her eyes sparkled. “We’re all twenty-six. Cinnamon’s birthday is in March, mine is in August and Ginger’s in October.”
Gabe nodded as he continued smiling. “There’s a story behind my name as well,” he said as his smile widened into a grin. “My mother named me Gabriel thinking that if she did so, I would most certainly grow up to be an angel. Needless to say, by my first birthday she discovered just how wrong she was.”
* * *
Later that evening, after coming out of one of the stalls in the women’s bathroom, Rose glanced around, then stooped down to check to make sure she and Sage were alone before joining her at the sink to wash her hands. “Gabe Blackwell likes you, Sage.”
Sage glanced over at Rose as she dried her hands. “And I like him.”
Rose raised her eyes to the ceiling. “I don’t think you fully understand what I mean, Sage. I mean he really likes you. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you practically all evening.”
Sage decided not to let Rose know that on several occasions she’d noticed him looking at her as well. “He knows I’m engaged to be married.”
“That means nothing to some men.”
Sage smiled. “I believe it means something to him. He doesn’t appear to be the type of man who’d waste his time on a lost cause.”
Rose wondered if it was truly a lost cause. For someone getting married, Sage wasn’t showing the enthusiasm she would expect of a bride-to-be. “All I’m saying, my spice of a friend, is that I notice some interest on his part, although I agree, chances are since you’re engaged he won’t make a move to hit on you.”
Sage adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “Well, my flower of a friend, you aren’t the only one noticing things tonight. I happen to notice your gaze kept straying to Parnell Cabot more than once.”
Rose snorted as she dried her hands. “Yeah, but that was before I found out it would be a waste of my time to get interested.”
“Why? I think he’s an extremely nice person and is pretty good-looking.”
Rose stated, “Yes, being nice and good-looking has nothing to do with it.”
“Is there a reason you feel that way?”
“Didn’t you hear what he said? The man is a widower with children, four-year-old twin girls to be exact. And I make it a point not to become involved with men with small children.”
Now it was Sage’s time to raise a brow. “Why?”
Rose leaned against the Formica counter. “Because they’re usually looking for a baby-sitter as well as a bed partner. And usually you find yourself being more of the first than the second.”
“I can’t see all men being that way.”
“Yeah, but enough of them are. I can handle being a bed partner, but I prefer just not doing men with small kids.”
Sage nodded and deep down felt there was more to it than that, something Rose wasn’t telling her, but decided to leave it alone by changing the subject. “As much as I think Anchorage is a real pretty area, I’m looking forward to going home tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Yes, this place is way too cold for me. I bet these people wear overcoats year-round.”
Sage smiled. “Personally, I like the weather here. It’s the kind you can snuggle up under covers and stay warm with your man. I hate that Erol wasn’t able to join me here. I think he would have liked it, too.”
“Are you going to let him know you’re returning home early?”
“No, I think I’ll surprise him.”
Gabe took great pleasure in volunteering to escort Sage and Rose back to their rooms after dinner, which was easy enough since they were staying at the same hotel. Parnell had bid everyone good night, and Gabe knew he wanted to do the same to his daughters before it was past