The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [197]
Honey stood to make more sandwiches since Morgan had started prowling around for a cookie and Gabe had only gotten one sandwich. Once his lap was vacated, Sawyer excused himself, saying he’d go fetch the aloe cream he wanted Lizzy to use.
Gabe downed a tall glass of iced tea, and Elizabeth watched his throat work, saw the play of muscles in his arms and shoulders as he tipped his head back. He lowered the glass, caught her scrutiny and frowned at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, Morgan thrust the baby into Gabe’s arms and he got distracted by a tiny fist grabbing his chest hair.
The contrast between Gabe, so big, so strong, golden blond and tanned, and the tiny dark-haired baby held securely in his arms made Elizabeth’s chest feel too tight. She’d have thought a man like him, a Lothario with only hedonistic pleasures on his mind, wouldn’t have been so confident while holding an infant. But Gabe not only held the baby without hesitation, he blew raspberries on her soft belly and nibbled on her tiny toes.
Elizabeth decided it was time to make a strategic retreat. She knew, despite his gentle touch with the baby, that he was angry with her. She supposed that negated her deal with him; there’d be no movies at the drive-in. But at least, she told herself, trying to be upbeat instead of despondent, she’d gotten what she wanted. She had an entire notebook full of details, and hadn’t that been her single goal all along?
Sawyer reappeared with a large tube of ointment and handed it to Elizabeth. “Put that on every hour or so, or whenever your skin feels uncomfortable. It’s mostly aloe. You can keep it in the refrigerator if you like. Drink as much water as you can—rehydrating your skin will help it feel more comfortable. Oh, and take cool baths, not showers. Showers are too stressful to the damaged skin. If it doesn’t feel better by tomorrow evening, give me a call, okay?”
Feeling horribly conspicuous, Elizabeth nodded. “How much do I owe you for the cream?”
“Not a thing. I’ll take it out of Gabe’s hide later.”
Since Gabe smirked at that, Elizabeth assumed it was a joke. “Thank you.” She glanced at Gabe, then away. “For everything.”
Sawyer kissed his wife, his niece and his sister-in-law, then went off to work again. They were a demonstrative lot, always hugging and patting and kissing. It disconcerted her.
Misty and Honey and Gabe all walked her to the door. Gabe was deathly quiet, which she felt didn’t bode well since he was usually joking and teasing. As she stepped onto the porch, Honey said, “Misty and I are having lunch in town tomorrow. Would you like to join us? The restaurant where Misty works part-time has fabulous beef stew on Friday afternoons. And afterward, we can all go to the library. I know they must have kept records of the local paper there on file. You could see the firsthand reports of Gabe’s—” she glanced at her brother-in-law with a wicked smile “—daring feat.”
Gabe gave Honey a look that promised retribution, but she just laughed and hugged him.
Misty added, “It’ll be fun.”
Aware of Gabe spearing her with his hot gaze, knowing he expected her to turn the women down, Elizabeth nonetheless nodded. “All right. Thank you.”
She could have sworn she heard Gabe snarling.
Misty took the baby from Gabe’s arms. “Great. If you know where the diner is, we could meet you there at eleven.”
“That’ll be fine.”
“Perfect. We’ll see you then!”
Misty and Honey retreated together, and suddenly Elizabeth wished they were still there. Gabe looked ready for murder.
It was his own fault, she decided, refusing to cower. She raised her chin, gave him a haughty look and turned toward her car. Gabe stalked along beside her.
“What are you doing here, Red?”
Uh-oh. He really was angry. “In each of my studies, I’ve included the accountings of family members whenever possible.”
“But you and I had a deal.”
Had. She was right, the deal was no longer valid. Disappointment swamped her, but she fought it off. It had been foolish