Gabriel's Rule Read online

  He was so fucked up and now somehow Riley had been thrown into the mix. He didn’t understand why he was drawn to her. They’d barely spoken, she hadn’t pursued him in any way and she didn’t look anything like the women he’d tried relationships with in the past. They’d all been tall, skinny model types that wouldn’t leave the house unless they were dressed to the nines and were in full make-up. They went to tanning salons, got fancy manicures and haircuts that cost more than his truck payment and ate salads even when he took them to a pizza joint. He had yet to see Riley with any makeup on and besides the bar uniform, he’d only ever seen her in simple jeans and plain, long-sleeved tops. Her hair was always tied back in a ponytail or braided. He suddenly wondered what it would feel like loose and flowing down around them both as she rode him.

  “Fuck!” Gabe muttered as he caught himself. Why did random thoughts like that keep popping into his head? He sucked down the rest of the water and headed to the shower. He had some amends to make today and after that he was going to stay as far away from Riley Sinclair as he could.

  ***

  Riley checked her watch as she left the bathroom and went to the kitchen to grab her keys and purse. The bar would be opening soon and she was hoping to catch Mac before any customers got there. She swiped up her keys and swung her purse over her shoulder before rushing out the door. In the hallway, she locked her door and then searched through her purse for her mace. After Gabe’s rant last night about what could happen to her walking the streets at night by herself, she’d decided that it would be safer to drive to work going forward. She’d have to leave a bit earlier to try and find parking but Gabe had been right that she’d been putting her safety at risk. But it was the middle of the day and she could use the exercise. She would just make sure to keep the mace within easy reach in her pocket.

  As she searched the contents of her bag, her fingers brushed against something unfamiliar. A business card. But it was unlike any business card she’d ever seen before. The front just said “Shane” in plain black, bold print. Shane had gotten her purse for her last night – he must have put the card in it before giving it back to her.

  She flipped the card over and saw there was a single phone number and email address on the back. But it was the handwritten note that immediately caught her attention. It looked hastily scrawled and said ‘Don’t give up on him.’ What did that mean? Was he talking about Gabe? Give up on him? How could she give up on someone that wasn’t even a part of her life? Confused, she studied the card for a few more seconds and then shoved it back in her purse. What kind of work did Shane do that warranted a card with just his first name on the front and a phone number and email on the back?

  She shook her head and put it out of her mind as her fingers closed around the mace. At the same time she heard the door behind her swing open and she spun around to see Gabe watching her. His gaze fell to the mace in her hand and she didn’t miss the twitch in his jaw as he realized what it meant. Gabe pulled the door closed behind him but didn’t move any further. Riley turned back to her own door, confirmed it was locked, and then headed for the stairs.

  “Riley.”

  “Don’t start with me Gabe.” She trotted down the stairs but didn’t slow when she heard him behind her.

  “I wanted to apologize,” he started but she ignored him and kept walking. She heard his footsteps stop and she sighed in relief.

  “Please.”

  Riley stopped when she heard the longing in his voice. She guessed that he wasn’t the type of man to ever ask for anything and “please” probably wasn’t a word he used often. She remembered Shane’s note. Stopping at the end of the walkway, she debated for a moment and then finally turned to face him. He seemed relieved and it only took him a few long strides to close the distance between them.

  “Last night…” he began and then seemed to consider his words for a moment. “I can’t say I’m sorry for what happened in the bar.”

  When she started to turn away from him he moved so that he blocked her path. “But I am sorry for making you leave…I should have asked you if that was what you wanted.” She had relaxed her stance somewhat so he continued. “And after, in the alley, I shouldn’t have done that. I was trying to make a point and I went too far. I’m sorry.”

  Riley studied him for a moment and then finally nodded. He seemed sincere. “Let’s just forget it, okay?” She started to walk again.

  “I was wondering if you’d come take a ride with me somewhere.”

  She was quiet for a moment before finally saying, “Where?”

  “A friend of mine owns a diner not far from here and she’s looking for a waitress. I told her about your situation with needing to keep things under the table for a while and she said that would be okay with her. It’s a decent place, safe neighborhood, good food, good people. You wouldn’t have to work nights at all. If you don’t like the place or Nell then I’ll drop you off at Mac’s myself.” He seemed to almost be pleading with her.

  Riley’s insides were doing a happy dance at the thought of a job where she could work days and not have to dodge groping hands and sweaty, stale smelling bodies. But she hesitated because she couldn’t let him think it was okay to manage her.

  He seemed to sense her thoughts because he said, “I swear, after today we’ll just go back to being neighbors who occasionally nod to one another politely in the hallway. I won’t bother you again.” Part of her ached at the thought of that being all there was to their relationship. Even after last night’s fiasco, she still found herself wanting more with him, especially now that she knew how much trouble he’d gone through to try and help her. But he didn’t want that and she had to stop convincing herself that things could be different.

  “Okay, I’ll go.”

  “Great, my truck’s parked right over here.” He led her to an older model, navy blue Ford pickup truck. He pulled open the passenger door for her and held out his hand to help her up, which she appreciated since the truck was huge. It had running boards but even with those, it would have been awkward to climb into the cab without Gabe’s help.

  Once she was in, Gabe shut the door and she buckled up. She was sitting on a bench seat and when Gabe slid into the driver’s seat, she couldn’t help but imagine how easy it would be to slide over just a bit so she could be sitting right next to him, their bodies touching. She shook herself from the wayward thought and watched Gabe start the truck and pull away from the curb.

  He was a confident driver which didn’t surprise her – it was like he owned everything he did and never second guessed himself. She envied him that – the majority of her life was about battling the self-doubt that would creep up on her. She was too fat, she wasn’t smart enough, she didn’t dress well enough, didn’t have enough friends, didn’t have the right kind of friends…the list was endless. Add to that an ex who had fed each doubt with a heap of criticism and you had someone who sucked in praise like it was a drowning person’s last gasp of air.

  The silence in the cab felt awkward and unnatural, but Riley kept quiet since Gabe had been clear about what their relationship was going to be going forward – polite neighborly nods and an occasional “hello.” The depressing image had tempered the excitement she was feeling about the possibility of a new job. But as they headed further downtown she felt the anticipation building. She hadn’t yet had a chance to explore downtown Seattle, she’d only seen the amazing skyline view on her drive in.

  She’d seen the waters of Puget Sound on that day too but not the mountains as she’d hoped since it had been rainy and fog had limited most of the view. But as Gabe got closer to the waterline she started seeing peeks of snowcapped mountains standing tall over sparkling blue water. It was a rare sunny spring day, no clouds in sight. Traffic slowed as they turned onto the road that ran next to the waterfront. Tourists clogged the streets and sidewalk and she saw numerous boats out on the water along with two huge car-filled ferries. And there in the distance, the majestic mountains stretched as
far as her eyes could see.

  Gabe heard Riley take in a breath at the incredible view. He hadn’t planned to take the long way, but when he’d seen her searching between the buildings to get glimpses of the waterfront and skyline beyond, he’d figured she wouldn’t mind spending an extra few minutes in his company if the tradeoff was a stunning view. He powered both their windows down as he rolled to a stop at a crosswalk. The fresh air flowed through the truck and when he glanced at Riley again his heart lurched when he saw the huge smile on her face. Her bright gray eyes were trying to take in every sight. Forcing his eyes back to the road, he made his way up the street and then turned. At the next corner he said, “The marketplace is down that way.”

  She looked in the direction he pointed and then swung to face him.

  “What marketplace?”

  “Pike Place Market.” When she looked at him in confusion he said, “The place where they throw the fish?” She clearly had no idea what he was talking about. “We can stop after you meet with Nell if you want.” She hesitated for a moment and he knew she was thinking about that she might be needing to stop at Mac’s if things with Nell didn’t work out. “We’ll just play it by ear, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  He turned the truck away from the marketplace and drove a few more blocks. He pulled into a parking lot and came to a stop in front of a small, nondescript looking restaurant that had a simple black and white sign that said “Pete’s Eats.” She followed him out of the truck and in through the front door.

  The boring exterior was the complete opposite of what lay inside. It looked like a diner right out of the 50’s. Black and white checkered floors, a bar with red vinyl topped stools, huge booths also in red vinyl, a big silver jukebox against the back wall that appeared to be playing actual records and a menu above the counter that advertised everything from burgers and fries to shakes and homemade pies. There was a pie carousel at the end of the counter and she felt her mouth water at the sight of the desserts inside.

  The diner was packed full with people and she could see through to the kitchen where a big guy in a white shirt with the diner’s name on it flipped burgers and pulled orders off the rack in front of him. Music on the jukebox, Elvis Presley she guessed, blared and people chatted happily. She had a moment of panic when she wondered if the waitresses had to do everything on roller skates but then sighed in relief when a young woman came out on foot, two plates in her hand. She was wearing jeans and the same type of T-shirt as the cook.

  Another, much older woman, came out behind her with more plates and slid them in front of the waiting customers. Her silver tipped, gray hair was swept up in a messy bun and her smiling mouth was generously coated in bright red lipstick. She was very tall for a women, probably close to Gabe’s height and she was quite large – not necessarily fat, just heavy framed. But she moved quickly as she checked on other customers, occasionally dropping a hand to someone’s shoulder in greeting. Her long earrings that looked a lot like cherries swung back and forth as she nodded her head in obvious amusement as she made her way closer to them. When her eyes settled on Gabe she let out a huge smile and even several feet away, she already had her arms outstretched.

  “Gabe sweetie, how are you?” Gabe closed his arms around her and even lifted her off her feet as he returned her hug.

  “I’m good Nell.”

  Nell pulled back and studied his face as if making sure he was being honest with her. Whatever she’d seen must have satisfied her because she turned to face Riley.

  “You must be Riley.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Riley said as she stuck out her hand. Nell ignored her hand and swept her into a hug. And it wasn’t just a polite little, “nice to meet you” hug – it was a full on mama bear type hug. Riley felt something tighten in her chest momentarily as she hugged Nell back.

  “It’s Nell darling. Just Nell.” Nell released her, gave Gabe another fond look and then grabbed Riley by the hand. “Gabe, honey, why don’t you go find a seat at the counter for you and your girl here and order some of my lemon meringue pie. I’m going to show Riley around.” Gabe didn’t correct Nell’s assumption about her being his girl and before Riley had a chance to even speak she was being pulled back towards the kitchen.

  “Carolanne, get Gabe and Riley here some of the lemon meringue, would you? There’s a fresh pie in the fridge.” The other waitress nodded and disappeared behind the counter where she could see Gabe had managed to find two seats. He was watching her in amusement as she was hauled off and she felt her insides warm at the sight of his smile.

  Nell led her through the double doors into the kitchen and pointed out some of the things she would need to know as part of her waitressing duties. “This is my husband Pete,” Nell said as she introduced her to the man she’d seen doing the cooking. He was a huge man, bigger even than Gabe, and he sported a mustache and beard but was completely bald under the white chef’s hat he was wearing. He looked like someone you’d find on a football field defending the quarterback, but with his massive bulk she wondered if he would even need protective pads. She suspected he was in his mid-sixties but he danced around the kitchen like he’d been doing it his whole life. Tattoos ran the length of both arms and he stuck one out to shake her hand while the other one continued flipping burgers.

  “Welcome, good to have you on board.”

  “Um, I haven’t actually gotten the job yet,” Riley stammered awkwardly when she glanced at Nell but Pete just dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand and then she saw him wave at someone through the opening that gave him a view of the goings on at the counter. She saw Gabe lift his hand briefly but his eyes were on her, a knowing smirk now plastered across his beautiful lips.

  “So Riley,” Nell started as she took Riley’s arm and led her through another set of doors to the back where there were some lockers, a supply room, a huge walk in freezer and a desk covered in papers. “Would the lunch and dinner shift work for you? It’d be weekdays and every other Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s parking out back and Pete will make sure you get to your car safe each night. I won’t lie to you – it’s pretty busy here most of the day but you’ll get a half an hour for your dinner break and another half an hour to use throughout your shift as you need to.”

  Nell rattled off the pay and then told her how much she could expect to make in tips each day. Riley was in seventh heaven. She’d wondered if the part about Pete walking her to her car had come from Gabe but she wasn’t stupid enough to question Nell about it. Yes she had her pride, but she also had bills to pay and getting a job in a place like this for someone in her situation would have been nearly impossible any other way.

  “Gabe told you about my…situation.”

  “Oh yeah honey, it’s not a problem – we’ll figure something out.”

  Riley was a little surprised at Nell’s acquiescence; after all, what she was asking for wasn’t exactly on the up and up. She suspected Gabe had something to do with that part too.

  “When can I start?” Riley asked, suddenly eager to prove herself to Nell and Pete that she would be their best employee.

  “How about tomorrow, 11 a.m.?”

  “I’ll be here.” They worked out a few more details like getting her a few T-shirts that would be her “uniform” and a quick run-down of where her locker would be. She followed Nell out front where the older woman happily returned her to Gabe, gave each of them another huge hug, and then she was off doing her rounds again.

  “So?” Gabe asked.

  Riley smiled and nodded, then climbed on the stool next to Gabe and dug into the pie that was sitting in front of her. Gabe had already finished most of his. The pie melted in her mouth and she couldn’t help but think how many pounds working around Nell’s desserts were going to add to her size 14 frame. She shoved the negative thought away and finished the pie. If Gabe hadn’t been sitting right next to her she might have even picked up the plate and licked off the few crumbs and filling she couldn’t get onto he
r fork.

  When she turned to him she saw that he was watching her with interest. He was probably thinking what a pig she was, but when he reached his thumb out and stroked her bottom lip she froze. His eyes turned black as the rough pad of his finger caressed her and she bit back a moan. He pulled his finger back and it was then that she saw he had wiped a little bit of whipped cream from her lip. She nearly swallowed her tongue when he licked the whipped cream off his finger, his eyes holding hers prisoner.

  “Mmmm, sweet,” he whispered before he seemed to remember where they were and that they were surrounded by people. He broke the eye contact and said, “Did you want to check out the marketplace before we head back?” She should say no because this man was seriously starting to mess with her head and she was so close to climbing up his body that it was ridiculous. Only the knowledge that her complete and total humiliation would be on the other side of that act stopped her. But the jolts of electricity still buzzing through her from his touch seemed to have killed off any common sense cells she had left because she found herself nodding and then following him back out to his truck.

  Chapter 6

  Oh did she have it bad. Riley twisted her hands in her lap as the drive back home from the marketplace was made in silence. They’d walked around for nearly two hours checking out all the stores and stands. She had gotten to see fish being thrown around, seen guys playing guitar for money and there’d been so many fresh cut, stunningly beautiful flower arrangements available for purchase that it had blown her mind. On her own she would have still enjoyed it, but having Gabe there, his protective hand at her back when they were wading through some of the slow moving crowds, had made it so much better. His huge, warm body had pressed against the back of hers when he leaned down to study something she’d pointed to and when she wandered a little ahead of him to check something out, his eyes always stayed with her.