Perfect Fit - Brenda Jackson [61]
Gabe’s smile widened. “However, he didn’t feel obligated to give up the women, which proved he had a hell of a lot more energy than I could imagine. He worked as many hours as I did, and pretty soon with the two of us at it, our company had more projects and more money than we knew what to do with. It was only when my mother stepped in and claimed we were working ourselves to death and began worrying about us did we slow down.”
He took a sip of his coffee. “I think not wanting to trust again right after someone you care about has betrayed that trust is understandable. But at some point you have to let go and believe that there are people who can be trusted. Everyone isn’t as untrustworthy as the individual who let you down.”
A surge of sadness rose up inside of Sage, not only for herself, but for Gabe as well. What he’d shared with her had been both profound and deep. “So, what else is there I need to know about Gabe Blackwell other than the fact that he’s no angel?” Sage asked, smiling, trying to bring back a lighter tone to their conversation.
Gabe returned her smile. “I went to the University of Michigan and earned a degree in structural engineering and then went after an MBA at the same school. You know the story of Christopher and how he got added to the family, and other than that there’s not a whole lot to tell. I like working hard, yet I also enjoy having a good time.”
She nodded slowly and smiled. “That sounds like a winner to me.”
Moments later the waiter placed a huge slice of chocolate cake in front of them. It was so large they decided to share it.
“Umm,” Gabe said after tasting his first bite. “I thought no one made chocolate cake as well as my mom. Now I’m going to rethink that idea, not that I’ll ever tell her that. But then, she has my father singing her praises enough that she probably doesn’t care what I think,” he said, laughing.
Sage smiled. “Your parents have been married a long time?”
Gabe nodded after taking another bite of cake. “Yes, for thirty-four years. They had two years alone together before I came along. They tried to have another child, a couple more in fact, but from what I was told, she miscarried each time. I guess it was meant for me to be the only one. In a way, I wish there had been others. I had it rough as an only child with all the attention. It was a blessing when Chris came along and all my mother’s attention was shifted to him.”
Sage’s smile widened as she rested her chin on her bent hands. “It sounds like your parents have had a long and wonderful marriage.”
Gabe chuckled. “Yeah, they have.” After taking another slice of cake, he glanced over at her. “But then, so have your parents, haven’t they? Didn’t you say they’d been married over thirty years?”
Sage frowned. “Yes, and I thought their marriage was happy, but I recently found out differently.”
Hearing the hurt and anger in her voice, Gabe put his fork down. “You think they might be getting a divorce?”
Sage shook her head. “No. My mother loves my father. He’s her whole life. They started dating back in their high school days. With my father it’s a different story. He tried to convince me he loves my mother, but I don’t believe him.”
Gabe’s eyebrows drew together. “And why don’t you believe him?”
Sage met his curious and confused gaze. She hadn’t told another soul about her father’s indiscretion; but she felt she needed to tell someone, and for some unexplainable reason, she wanted to tell Gabe.
“Recently, a few months before I moved out here, I saw my father with another woman.”
There was a pause at the table.