The Grumpy Roommate Gamble (Heroes of Huckleberry Creek #1)

10. Felicity

TEN

FELICITY

When the weekend rolled around again, and Gabe suggested we grill out Saturday night to take advantage of the cooler temperatures, I leapt at it. I loved outdoor dining and even had a cute little outdoor space set up at my place with a bistro set and cafe lights. Not that I’d seen it in months. I hadn’t been able to make myself go back to the house since Gabe had started work. With all the tear out necessary for repairs and renovation, I knew it was in the “worse before better” stage, and my heart just couldn’t take it. When I’d mentioned it, Gabe had loaded the table and chairs into the back of his truck, along with the black iron chandelier he’d found in the garage that I’d never actually gotten around to hanging because there really wasn’t a good tree for it in my yard. But he had the perfect spot underneath a massive oak, and he’d already hung it from the branch, setting my bistro set beneath.

It was a little worse for wear, having not gotten a fresh coat of paint this summer as I’d intended, but that didn’t detract from my joy one bit. I’d raided my candle supply and set votives alight on each of the branches of the chandelier. In the early dark, the flickering flames made me grin like a loon.

From where he monitored the charcoal in the grill, Gabe called out, “Looks good.”

“It does. But I’m not done yet. You have to see the full effect.”

If the man was going to indulge me, I might as well pull out all the stops, even if it was going to look romantic and date-like. He’d gotten used to my cloth napkins and tablescapes over the past few weeks and hadn’t once complained. If anything, he looked amused as I went in and out of the house, carting dishes and napkins and silverware and, of course, flowers.

I was so pleased with the end results I did a happy dance.

From somewhere nearby, music began to play. I cocked my head, listening. Old school jazz. It was perfect.

Glancing at Gabe, who was back at the grill, he just shrugged. “Seemed to fit the vibe.”

“You like jazz?” I’d never have pegged him for that. Hard rock or country maybe. Not Nat King Cole.

“I have depths,” he deadpanned, but I didn’t miss the sparkle in his eyes. “Chicken’s coming off the grill if you wanna grab sides.”

“On it!”

I gathered up the Caprese salad and roasted potatoes I’d made and juggled the basket of bread I’d sliced. I realized as I set all the containers down that I definitely had to leave dessert in the kitchen until we were ready. But that was okay. He brought the platter of chicken, and we served ourselves, mounding food on our plates. My stomach was already growling at the scents wafting up to my nose.

Music continued to play from the outdoor speakers I’d finally spotted mounted under the eaves of the house as Gabe forked up some tomatoes and mozzarella. “So, how was your week?”

I laughed. “Good. Yours? ”

“Thought I was gonna be able to get started on some flooring, but I found some sections of pipe that look pretty rough, so I’m going ahead and replacing those before they can turn into a problem.”

“Oh, well, that’s a solid plan. I appreciate the forethought.”

He winced. “It means the whole thing’s gonna take a while longer.”

But I found I didn’t mind. Not one bit. Because the truth was, I didn’t want to leave. I enjoyed living with someone again. I’d been mostly on my own since my dad died. It was nice coming home to another person at the end of the day. Nice knowing there was someone else down the hall when I woke in the middle of the night. But I particularly liked living with Gabe. Though he wouldn’t admit it on pain of death, the man was secretly sweet, and coaxing those rare smiles out of him was becoming one of my favorite hobbies.

“It’s fine. I’d rather it be done right. And look at it this way—you get more of my cooking.”

“I definitely won’t complain about that.” As if to underscore the point, he forked up a huge bite of potatoes.

I did love seeing the man enjoy my food.

At the sound of hissing above, I glanced up to see some of the candles sputtering.

“What the?—”

But before I could even finish the question, I felt the patter of rain.

“Oh, no!” I hadn’t checked the forecast. And it was dark, so I hadn’t been watching the sky.

Within seconds, the patter had turned into a deluge.

I tried to lunge for the food, but Gabe simply grabbed my hand. “Too late. C’mon.”

He pulled me into a run across the yard and onto the deck. By the time he tugged open the back door, and we stumbled inside, we were both soaked to the skin. I looked out to where the candles had been extinguished. I could barely even make out the shape of containers and dishes on the table.

My lip wobbled. “Everything got ruined.”

“Not ruined.” Gabe tugged me back out the door, into the rain.

“What are you—” But he’d pulled me into his arms and… into a dance.

Music still played from the speakers. “Unforgettable.”

It was so unabashedly romantic and unexpected that the question died in my throat. His big, tough body swayed against mine, his hand warm on my lower back as he circled me on the deck. I didn’t even notice the chill of the rain. My heart leapt into a gallop, and I couldn’t stop myself from looking at his mouth. He looked at mine, and this time I knew I wasn’t imagining it. There was no reason for him to do this for just a roommate. Just a friend. This meant… something. But what?

As the song came to an end, he rasped my name.

I didn’t know which of us moved first, but suddenly his lips were on mine, and I didn’t give a good damn about the ruined food because this fed a far deeper hunger. On a sigh, I opened for him, delighting in the dark delicious taste of him as it seeped into me. His arms tightened around me, molding my curves to the hard planes of his body. I pressed closer, wanting more of this sweet heat. Everywhere we touched, little fires kindled, and I wondered that the water didn’t simply steam off us both.

Thunder rumbled, and Gabe pulled back. He stared down at me, expression unreadable. When he simply stayed there, saying nothing, my anxiety began to build.

Instead of giving in, I blew out an unsteady breath and held his gaze. “Don’t you dare apologize for that. ”

Both corners of that incredible mouth curved in one of those hard-won smiles. “Wasn’t planning on it.” He bent just far enough to rub his nose to mine in the sweetest little Eskimo kiss. “Let’s go order some takeout to go with dessert.”