Forever Found by Allyson Charles

Author:Allyson Charles
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-09-20T14:38:21+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Loud laughter met Marla’s ears as Izzy led her to her covered back patio. Her pulse thrummed in her throat as she stepped out onto the brickwork, her gaze darting over the small party. She shielded her eyes from the noon sun. Gabe wasn’t there. Not yet. Her shoulders sagged.

She shouldn’t have come. Not after last night. But she had her pride. He wouldn’t know his words had hurt.

“Marla’s here, everyone,” Izzy said. “And she brought cupcakes from The Cake Vault.”

“Sweet.” Ana, Izzy’s ten-year-old daughter, trotted over and eyed the tray her mother held. She reached for a strawberry-vanilla confection, and her mom lifted the tray over her head.

“Not until after you’ve eaten real food.” Izzy placed the tray on a long wooden table. “Can I get you something to drink, Marla? Lemonade? Wine?”

“White wine sounds great.” Marla wiped her palms on her skirt. She shouldn’t be nervous. She liked everyone in this small gathering: Brad and Dax she knew well; Izzy’s friends Lydia and Kevin, co-owners of Tannert Winery, she’d only seen on occasion but they seemed nice. All good people.

Maddie and Hoover came out after their investigation of the kitchen. Hoov joined the three other dogs playing on the lawn while Maddie found an unoccupied nook of the patio and lay down.

Marla gripped the wine glass Izzy handed her. No, the rest of the guests were all fine. It was the missing man from Forever Friends who was the sticking point. Their argument was still too recent in her mind, her feelings too raw. But Gabe wasn’t big on socializing. Perhaps she’d luck out and—

“I was wondering when you’d get here.”

Marla jolted. Her wine sloshed over the rim of her glass as she spun.

Gabe steadied her hand. “Easy. Lydia and Kevin only brought ten bottles of their wine. Gotta make it last.”

Marla lowered her eyebrows. “Was that a joke? Are you attempting humor?”

“I can be funny.” He held his neck stiffly, the cords sticking out.

“No, that’s not really your thing.” Her heart pitter-pattered and she drank him in. He was wearing a blue-checked button-down, the collar undone, a white undershirt peeking out beneath. The color looked fantastic against his olive skin, and her fingers itched to undo the rest of the fastenings. But this man had insulted her so she dug her fingernails into her palms and pulled out her snark, her most efficient armor. “You can be overbearing. Autocratic. A truly insensitive ass. But I wouldn’t say funny.”

Dax brushed past them, heading into the kitchen. “Does funny-looking count?”

Gabe shoulder-checked the guy, but otherwise ignored him. “Is this about last night?” He shoved his hands in his front pockets. “Look, I can get mad fast, I know it.”

Marla nodded. That was very true.

“I’m also quick to get over it and move on.”

She pursed her lips. The truth of that statement wasn’t as readily apparent.

He narrowed his eyes. “Can we both admit we did some stupid things last night and call it even? No need to rehash everything.”

Or apologize, apparently.

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