Perfect Fit - Brenda Jackson [94]
And they had.
She had no intentions of getting back with Erol, and seeing him again only confirmed that. But Gabe had no way of knowing that until she told him.
And she intended to do just that.
Gabe walked over to the kitchen cabinets and took down a bowl for the soup he’d made. At times he found it hard to believe that he was running two households. Although he spent most of his time in Anchorage, his house in Detroit was just as equipped as this one, even more so because he still considered it his primary residence. His time in Anchorage was temporary, and once Eden was well under way, he would spend less and less time here, returning only when needed. He was beginning to like the town, even with all the snow.
He turned when he heard the sound behind him. Sage was standing in the doorway. He hadn’t expected her to be up so soon. The last time she had slept for over an hour.
He stared at her a few moments before saying, “You fell asleep.”
She looked chagrined. “I know. Sorry.”
Gabe shrugged. “You don’t have to be. It’s understandable that you’d be tired.” After dinner and a rodeo, he thought, then despised himself for the bout of jealousy he felt. He cleared his throat and focused on the window and what was going on outside of it. “A blizzard is headed our way, and they suggested that everyone stay inside. I took the liberty of bringing your bags in since it wouldn’t be safe for you to drive home tonight in this weather.”
Sage nodded. “No sweat, as long as you don’t mind company.”
Gabe returned his attention to her. “I don’t mind. In fact, I was about to have a bowl of soup and eat a sandwich. Would you like to join me?”
She smiled. “I’d like that. And we need to talk.”
A lump formed in Gabe’s throat, and his heart slammed against his chest. “Can we wait until after we eat?”
Sage lifted a brow. “If that’s what you prefer.”
“It is.”
“All right. I don’t see a problem to wait until then.” She glanced around. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes, you can set the table, please.”
Set the table for soup and sandwiches? … Instead of asking why such formality, Sage merely nodded and crossed the room to do as he’d requested.
Sage looked across the table at Gabe. He’d been extremely quiet, thoughtful, as if his mind was on something that was important to him.
After taking a bite of her sandwich, she decided to start off the conversation by asking him something that had her curious.
“Do you set the table for every meal, no matter what it is?”
He glanced up from studying his soup. He smiled, and it appeared that his features lit up from fond memories. “Yes, and it’s Christopher’s fault. Since he didn’t have a background that had taught him the proper way to do certain things, he decided to teach himself. He didn’t know anything about proper etiquette, so he bought a book and put everything he read into practice. Since we lived together, I thought it would help in his learning process if I participated, and after a while it became a habit.”
Sage nodded, remembering reading an article in Ebony magazine how, considering his less than desirable childhood, Christopher was now a successful businessman who participated in numerous charities involving children. Her respect for the man went up another full notch.
She met Gabe’s gaze. “He was lucky to have you for a friend.”
Finished with his soup and sandwich, Gabe leaned back in his chair. “I think we’re lucky to have each other, and my mother would be quick to tell you that luck had nothing to do with it. She sees our relationship as Divine intervention and says we are blessed to have each other. And I have to agree with her.”
While his response had been simply stated, Sage knew that a large degree of emotions had gone into it. After seeing him and Christopher together, it was easy to see that they not only considered themselves business partners and best friends, but also brothers. The fact that they didn’t share the same blood had nothing to do with it.
She was also astonished by the