April's Promise (Forever Love Series) (8 page)

But
Gabe was ready for him, and when Nicholas tried to make a long shot, Gabe
caught the ball in one hand, dribbled fast to the basket and scooped it in
easily.

Nicholas
shook his head.  "I'll buy the beers.  There's no getting through or
around you today."

Knowing
he should feel a great deal of satisfaction, yet not experiencing any exhilaration,
Gabe tossed the ball to Nicholas.  "Giving up already?"

"When
have you ever known me to give up?"

Too
true
,
Gabe thought.  "Strategic retreat?" he suggested.

Nicholas
walked over to the bench and picked up his towel and slung it around his neck.  "Not
exactly.  But I thought after a beer, you might want to see my new house.  I'm
having some work done before I move in, but I have the key."

"So
you're really going through with it?" 

"Closed
on it yesterday," Nicholas said as he sat and pulled on his sweat pants. 
"The house has been empty for so long they were glad to wrap up the deal
quickly.  Let's get those beers," he suggested.  "Then you can tell
me how good it will feel to be a land owner."

Gabe
wondered if Nicholas was really ready to settle down.  And if he was, who would
he settle with?

****

Listening
for the doorbell, April attached gold hoop earrings to her ears.  Her black
dress could easily be made casual or dressy.  Tonight she was dressing it up by
slipping into black pumps.  She'd thought about canceling tonight.  She knew
Gabe would be relieved.  But
why
would he be relieved?  She wanted him
to put it into words.  But she knew he wouldn't.  And even if he did...

Would
she reveal what she knew about Stephie?

She'd
thought by staying here, her decision would become clearer.  But instead, it
seemed to be getting more complicated.  Maybe going out with Nicholas tonight
would help her put everything into a better perspective.  She couldn't be
impulsive.  She couldn't do anything until she was sure of her course.  Because
once Gabe knew the truth, all of their lives could be changed forever.

When
the doorbell rang, April tossed her coat over her arm and picked up her purse. 
But she was only half way down the stairs when Gabe reached the door ahead of
her and let Nicholas inside.  Gabe had returned home about an hour before and
told her Nicholas had showed him through his new house.  But that was about all
he'd said.  Now his expression was neutral.

Nicholas
was dressed in a charcoal suit with a white shirt and black and gray tie.  He
was a handsome man.  Yet as her gaze went to Gabe in his T-shirt and jeans, she
wished she was going out with him tonight.

As she
reached the bottom step, Nicholas said, "You look terrific."

"So
do you," she returned with a smile.  It was easy talking to Nicholas.  Easy
joking with him.  He was like the big brother she always wished she'd had.

"Where
are you taking her?" Gabe asked.

"A
new Italian restaurant.  Do you like Italian, April?"

"Sounds
good to me," she said as she came to stand beside him.  "I'm ready
whenever you are."

Nicholas
took her coat from her and held it so she could slip into it.

Gabe
just glowered. 

As she
tucked her purse under her arm and belted her coat, she said to him.  "I
have my key.  So don't feel you have to wait up."

"But
you
are
planning on coming home tonight?"

She
felt heat rise quickly to her cheeks, whether from embarrassment or frustration
with him, she wasn't sure.  "I plan to be home around midnight, but if my
plans change, I'll let you know."

Nicholas
cleared his throat.  "I'll take good care of her, Gabe.  You don't have to
worry."

"That's
what I'm afraid of," Gabe mumbled.

Opening
the door, Nicholas let April precede him outside.  Then he closed it behind
them.

Once
they were in the low-slung car with its leather scents surrounding them, Nicholas
looked at her.  "I think you and I need to have a talk.  But I'd rather do
it over a glass of wine than while I'm trying to concentrate on the road.  How
about some music?  Mozart or easy listening?"

"Easy
listening," she answered, suspecting exactly what Nicholas wanted to talk
about.

At the
restaurant with its fine linens, lit tapers secluded in hurricane lamps and
quiet atmosphere, Nicholas waited until they ordered before he folded his arms
on the table.  "Okay, now tell me what's going on with you and Gabe."

She
wasn't about to evade Nicholas' question.  Gabe was his best friend.  But she
wasn't sure how to answer, either.  "I wish I knew," she murmured.

His
brows arched.  "He treated me like the enemy on the basketball court
today.  We both have a keen sense of competition, but there's been a change in
his attitude lately, and I'm pretty sure it has to do with you.  Did you agree
to come tonight because you knew it would make Gabe jealous?"

"No! 
And I'm not sure jealousy has anything to do with it.  He's acting like a
father letting his teenager go out on a date for the first time."

Nicholas
chuckled.  "That's jealousy you're seeing, April.  Trust me."

"He
just feels protective.  He—"

"What's
going on, April?" he asked again.

She
shook her head, and tears pricked in her eyes.  Sometimes the secret she
carried weighed her down so much she wasn't sure she'd ever be free of it.  But
when she thought of the consequences of revealing it, she accepted the weight
of the burden.  She'd like to confide in Nicholas, but she couldn't.  At least
not about that.

"I
still have feelings for Gabe," she said honestly.  "I regret leaving
five years ago."

Nicholas
studied her for what seemed like a long time.  "Does he know?"

"No. 
I buried them and ignored them after I left until I believed Gabe was a part of
my past.  I treated him like a brother-in-law, and that's all he was.  But
lately, especially since I came back to take care of Stephie, there's
this...tension between us."

"You're
afraid he's still in love with Vanessa," Nicholas suggested perceptively.

"Yes." 
She could say so much more, but she knew something about Vanessa that might
change Gabe's feelings for his wife.  But she didn't dare.  Nicholas was too
quick.  Even the subtlest of hints could set his mind in the right direction. 
She didn't want that.

"This
is touchy, isn't it?" he asked as if he understood.

"It's
complicated."

"And
you didn't come out with me tonight to make Gabe jealous.  You just needed a
little bit of breathing space."

"Something
like that, but maybe...maybe I thought a little jealousy wouldn't hurt."

"You're
an honest woman, April Remmington.  That's rare these days."

"Not
so rare if you know the right women."

He grinned. 
"Touché."  After a pause, he said, "I don't have any advice for
you even if you'd want it.  I'm not sure making Gabe jealous is the answer. 
Time might be the only thing that helps here.  But I can be your friend if you
need one.  It's been a very long time since I had a friend who was a
woman."

She was
sure there was a story behind that statement, and maybe if she and Nicholas
really became friends, he'd tell her about it.

The
waitress brought their orders and set them down at their places.

Nicholas
picked up his fork and said, "Okay, no more serious thoughts tonight. 
Just some good conversation, good music and good food.  Is it a deal?"

"It's
a deal."

****

Throwing
off the covers, Gabe sat up on the edge of the bed.  He should have known sleep
would be a lost cause.  He'd watched TV until ten and read the newspaper until
eleven.  When April had told him she had her key, she was sending him a
message. 
Don't wait up
.  Well, it was his house and his life and he'd
damned well wait up if he wanted to!

The
clock at the side of his bed said midnight, and he convinced himself he wasn't
waiting up for April.  He was just going to get a midnight snack.  After he
pulled on a pair of sweatpants that were straggled across his bedroom chair, he
didn't bother with a shirt.  Out of habit he peeked in on his daughter.  She
was sleeping soundly, curled on her side, April's puppet clasped in her arms.

The
ceramic tile in the kitchen was cool under his bare feet, but he hardly
noticed.  Going to the refrigerator, he pulled out a dish of roast beef that
had been left over from the night before.  April was an even better cook than
Evelyn had been.  Vanessa hadn't liked to cook, and on weekends, they'd usually
eaten out or ordered something in.  Gabe thought again about the vast
differences between the two sisters.  It had been easy to see that Vanessa had
grown up in wealth from the way she dressed to her expectations of the life
style they should have.  Gabe had worked hard to make that life style a
reality.  Vanessa's salary had gone mostly for her clothes and jewelry,
vacations and extras that she felt they'd like.  Once he'd gotten the three
stores off the ground, providing everything she'd wanted wasn't a problem.  No,
money hadn't caused the deterioration of his marriage, but he still didn't know
what
had
.

He'd
taken a few bites of his sandwich and washed them down with hot chocolate when
he heard Nicholas' car pull into the driveway.  Instead of going to a window
like he wanted to do, he made himself stay put and took a few more sips from
the mug.

  A few
minutes later, April's key turned in the lock, and Gabe wondered if Nicholas
had kissed her.  She must have seen the light in the kitchen from the foyer,
and she came in, unbuttoning her coat.  Her cheeks were pink and her hair
tousled, but that could be from the cool autumn air...or from a quick but
passionate kiss.

"I
didn't think you'd still be up," she said as she ran her fingers through
her hair to straighten it.

"Supper
was a long time ago."  That was enough of an explanation for his midnight
foray into the kitchen.  "How was your dinner?"

"Very
nice."  Sliding out of her coat, she hung it over her arm.

"And
the symphony?"

"That
was nice, too.  I'm going to hang up my coat—"

"But
Gabe couldn't wait until she did.  "And how was Nicholas?"  Gabe rose
to his feet and crossed the room to her.  He wanted to see into her eyes.  He
wanted to see if anything important had happened tonight.

"Nicholas
was...fine."

Her
hesitation worried him.  "How fine?"

Her
eyes flashed as she said, "I told you before, I don't like to be—"

"Grilled,"
he finished for her.  "Yeah, I know.  But I'm doing it anyway.  Did he
kiss you?"

Her
gaze widened, her mouth parted slightly, and he didn't care if Nicholas had
kissed her because he was going to kiss her now.  She'd forget about Nicholas'
kiss, if it had happened.

With
only the thought of wiping another man out of her mind, his hand slid under her
hair, and he brought her head to his.  He thought he heard a small gasp right
before his lips covered hers.

Not
intending to keep the kiss chaste by any means, his tongue parted her lips. 
She was hot and soft and perfect, and he felt her tremble as his tongue stroked
against hers, coaxing and seducing until she moaned and tightened her arms
around him.  Her dress against his chest pushed him into further awareness of
their bodies joined together.  His sweatpants weren't much of a barrier as he
pressed into her, aroused and hungry.

Warning
himself he was heading into very deep water, he broke the kiss and looked down
into her eyes.  "Did Nicholas kiss you?"  His voice was husky and
strained with the desire stringing his body.

Pushing
away from him, there was no denying she was flushed from their kiss and not
anything else.  But she also looked angry and maybe even hurt.

"No,
he didn't kiss me, Gabe.  Nicholas was a perfect gentleman."

The
implication was clear. 
He
had not just acted like a perfect gentleman. 
"I'm not going to apologize for what just happened, April.  It's been
building up since you came back."

"Did
you slip back into time again?" she challenged, her shoulders straight,
her chin up.

"No. 
But maybe I've decided that Nicholas' life style looks attractive, and now that
I'm single, I should take advantage of it."  If he started caring about April
again, if he thought about her in terms of a future, she could fly out of his
life the same way she had before.  He wasn't ready to take that risk, not after
everything that had happened.

But now
April
did
look hurt, as if she couldn't stand to be in the kitchen with
him.  She picked up her coat from the floor from where it had fallen and
avoided his gaze until she crossed to the doorway and turned and faced him
again.  "You try out whatever you'd like, Gabe, but just don't think
you're going to use
me
as an experiment again."