Taking the Heat (30 page)

And then what? Do the same thing year after year until he had a heart attack, too?

Shit.

At 10:00 a.m. Gabe shook the general contractor's hand and made a quick escape from the newly gutted space. He felt as if he'd been working for ten hours instead of two and a half. The cacophony of the subway station seemed to bore through his skull. When the train pulled up, Gabe caught sight of himself in the reflection of the window, neck bent, shoulders hunched up. He looked miserable.

Veronica was right. He wasn't himself here. He couldn't be. But he didn't have any fucking choice.

The fury was there again as he boarded the train. It built as the car picked up speed, the roar of noise like fuel on a fire. Gabe closed his eyes and imagined feeling like this again tomorrow, and the day after that, and the
year
after that.

He opened his eyes and glanced at the people surrounding him. They looked as exhausted and miserable as Gabe felt. His dad was different. If James MacKenzie had been here, he'd have struck up three different conversations and had the whole damn train car laughing. That was his happiness in life. Being around people, cheering them up, whether that was with a good burger or a bad joke. He loved what he did, and even with that, the business had worn him down with stress. How would Gabe survive it?

Because Veronica was definitely right about one thing. Claire wasn't going to step up in a few years and neither was Naomi. If Gabe took this on, he'd be taking it on forever.

If
. That word meant he had a choice. Did he?

When he got back to his family's place, he wasn't surprised to walk in on an argument. His mom and dad were both stubborn and strong, and they'd never spent this many hours of the week together.

“You've been putting me off for decades,” his mom snapped, “telling me we'd travel next year or the year after that. I want to go to the Bahamas. I want to go to Europe. I want to go on a cruise. And you
have
to take time off. The doctor said so.”

“I'm taking time off. Don't you see me sitting here being useless? I'll travel with you, Mary, I swear to God, but right now I need to be here to help Gabe. You think he's just going to step right in and things will go smoothly? I may not be able to work sixty hours a week, but I can damn sure be here to offer guidance.”

Gabe waved as he walked into the kitchen. “Hi, Mom. Dad.”

“Gabe,” his mom said, “tell your father you don't need him here.”

“Of course he needs me here,” his dad snapped.

“Watch your blood pressure!” she yelled back.

“Guys,” Gabe said, holding up his hands in a plea.

His dad scoffed. “There will be plenty of time to travel later. I can't just leave Gabe with a mess. What's the point of leaving my kids the business if it's in chaos?”

What was the point exactly? Gabe took a deep breath. “Dad, did you ever consider that maybe the legacy your kids would rather have is you?”

His dad's face creased with bafflement. “What are you talking about? You've got me. I'm right here.”

“None of us are married yet,” Gabe said. “None of us have kids. If we could trade the restaurants for another twenty years with you, all three of us would make that choice in a heartbeat. Sometimes it seems like you care more about MacKenzie's than you do about time with any grandkids you might have.”

“Gabe,” his Dad growled. “That's ridiculous.”

“I want you around to see my kids, Dad. I can't imagine a better grandfather than you.”

“What's all this about? Is Veronica pregnant?”

His mom stepped forward. “Gabe? Is that true?”

He laughed. “No, she's not pregnant. She'll be back in Wyoming tonight and I'll probably never see her again.”

His mom tsked, but his dad shook his head. “That's nonsense. She'll be back. I could see in a second how good you were together. I haven't seen you that relaxed and happy since you got home. You were like the old Gabe again.”

“Ha. Right.” He looked at his mom, the lines around her eyes tight with worry and resignation. She'd been waiting her whole life for the man she loved to stop working so hard and give her some real time together. And she'd keep waiting.

And his dad, so determined to make everything perfect and so sure of what was right for everyone that he couldn't see how wrong he was. Even a brush with death hadn't changed that. He was as stubborn as ever and Gabe was going to allow that to continue.

He looked at both his parents and stood up a little straighter. “We need to talk,” he said. He was going to have to tell the whole truth. The kind of truth that no one wanted to hear. And for once, he couldn't try to cushion the blow.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

S
HE
 
WAS
 
PROUD
 
of herself. Truly, unequivocally proud. She'd met with her brand-new agent, recommended by a contact at her old paper, and they'd gone into that syndicate office with a strategy. Veronica hadn't accepted a deal yet—waiting a week was part of the strategy—but she had an offer for fourteen newspapers, and she was going to take it. One more day and her agent would make the call.

Veronica could move out of her dad's apartment. She might even take a few classes toward that degree in psychology she'd been considering.

And if she'd left a part of herself back in New York, well...there was nothing to be done about that.

Losing Gabe made her happiness bittersweet, but she felt thankful, too. Thankful she hadn't had him longer. Just a few weeks of Gabe and she was already marked, as if her body were covered in memories. She wondered if she'd still be able to feel him on her skin a year from now. Ten years from now. She wondered if she'd want to.

She tugged on jeans and pulled on a tank top, hoping tonight's crowd would accept a more casual Dear Veronica. Only slightly more casual, though. Her tank top sparkled with tiny black crystals and she added her blue half boots to dress the whole thing up.

If Gabe were going to be there, maybe she'd have worn a dress, but the thought of showing off her thighs to a room without Gabe made her sad.

Just as she was grabbing her purse to walk to the bar, her phone rang. When she saw it was her father, she almost didn't pick up.

She finally answered after the fourth ring. “Hello?”

“I suppose you want me to come to the show,” her father said gruffly.

Veronica frowned at her door. “What?”

“Your show. I guess I should come and support you or you'll accuse me of not caring.”

“Dad...” She shook her head in utter confusion. “I don't think that would be a good idea. My show can get a little inappropriate.”

“Yes, I've noticed that from your columns,” he snapped.

She took a deep breath and braced herself for the lecture. But it didn't come.

“I guess you know what you're doing,” he grumbled. “Give the audience what they want. That's why you got that offer.”

“Um...yes?” she agreed, hating the doubt in her voice but too confused to leave it behind. She tried to think of something else to say into the silence, but he finally filled it.

“All right. Just remember that I offered. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

“See you then,” he said, and hung up. She pulled the phone from her ear and frowned at it.

“Okay,” she whispered. That had been really weird. Her dad was actually
trying
. Maybe she should have stood up to him a long time ago. Maybe he really hadn't known how terrible he'd been to her.

Veronica set off for the Three Martini Ranch with a quick prayer of thanks that her dad hadn't simply shown up to hear her opinions on open relationships or safe sex. But she was glad he'd called. It was a nice confidence boost even if she didn't need one. He was her only family and he was
trying
.

The bar was as crowded as she'd ever seen it, but for the first time, Veronica didn't rush to the office to hide. She walked around and said hi to a few people, then found herself at a table of Gabe's friends, talking to Benton about his nephew.

She felt normal. Not terrified. Not even nervous really, though she was a little afraid that Benton might ask about Gabe. She couldn't talk about Gabe.

Compared to that prospect, getting up to give live advice to an audience was easy.

Half an hour later, she was at the microphone talking about the complicated mechanics of negotiating holidays when both partners had step-children and in-laws and former in-laws. She wished she'd brought a chalkboard so she could diagram it. Modern holidays could be a minefield.

The next question was from a bride who was trying to plan a wedding while feuding with her sisters, and Veronica was beginning to feel as though she'd gotten a good deal by not having a big, raucous family like Gabe's. If she ever got married, it would likely be a quiet ceremony in her dad's courtroom. Unless, of course, her future husband came from a New York family and had older sisters and— She shoved that thought away and moved on to a query about female orgasms.

That question took a while to answer thanks to a few shouted follow-ups from the crowd, and by the time it was done, Veronica realized that she was already forty-five minutes into the show. She'd normally start wrapping it up now, winding down with one last question or maybe two if she had to. But tonight she spread another five questions out on the table. Tonight she wasn't just getting this over with. She wasn't eyeing the hallway and planning her escape. She was
loving
it.

Laughing, she read a question about safe sex aloud and said another silent thank-you to her dad for not just showing up.

“Here's the thing. If your partner is that adamant about not using condoms, then he's the guy who talks every single partner into not bothering with a condom. He's also the guy who's happy when his random hookup doesn't ask for a condom. That's who your man is. That's what you're putting your mouth on. Would you put your mouth on a bathroom doorknob? Would you put your vagina on that doorknob? Well then, don't put it on his penis.”

She cringed a little when she saw the reaction of a couple at a front table. The man's arms were crossed tight and he was glaring at the floor. The woman with him wasn't smiling, either. Her mouth was twisted in disgust, and her eyes slid to the side to watch his reaction. Veronica had never so clearly identified one of the writers before. She cleared her throat and reached for the next letter.

She paused when she saw Benton approaching. “Oh, hi,” she said in surprise when he stepped up to her.

“I have an emergency Dear Veronica letter. Would you read it? As a favor?” He made a begging motion with his hands and gave her a puppy-eyed look that she suspected had charmed many a woman.

It totally worked. The man was damn near irresistible. “Okay,” she said, taking the letter carefully from his fingers.

“Well, this is a surprise,” she said into the microphone. “But you have to take a few chances in life.” She unfolded the paper and smiled.

“‘Dear Veronica, I've completely screwed up with a woman I really like. We've only known each other a few weeks, but I think we've got something truly amazing.'”

The crowd reacted with an “Aww” that she joined in on.

“That's sweet,” she said, “But I have a feeling there's a plot twist coming. ‘She's perfect. Beautiful and smart and a little dorky.'” Veronica laughed. “Oh, my God, she is perfect!” She looked quickly over the room, trying to pick out Benton and see the girl he was with, but she couldn't find him.

“‘But...'” she started again, then shook her head. “See, there is always a ‘but'! ‘But I wasn't completely truthful when we started dating, and worse than that, I was a coward. I walked away from her when I shouldn't have. I gave up on myself and on her. So here's my question, Veronica...'”

The nape of her neck started tingling. She swallowed hard and swept the room again, not even sure what she was looking for.

“‘If I...'” The words were hoarse. She cleared her throat. “‘If I left New York and moved back to Jackson, would she give me another chance? Just a small one?'”

Her heart felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds as she looked up. As if it was falling and pulling her stomach and her breath and her thoughts down with it. This time she didn't have to look around the room. Gabe was standing right there in the middle of the tables. She stared at him. She couldn't move. Her heart was too heavy to lift.

The crowd began to murmur. All eyes turned to Gabe as he stepped forward.

“Would she give him another chance?” Gabe asked just loudly enough for her to hear.

Veronica shook her head.

“No?” he asked softly.

She felt the eyes of the crowd focus on her now. She set down the letter. “I suppose they... I suppose they'd need to talk.”

“But she'd be willing to listen?”

Her mind spun. She pulled her gaze off his pleading brown eyes and looked around. Several of the women in the audience nodded at her. She thought she might faint. She thought she should be mortified. But all she felt was a terrible, rushing hope. Her head spun with it. “All right,” she finally answered. “She'd be willing to listen.”

Applause broke out and then spread to cheers of encouragement. She shook her head. “But not until after the show. Go sit down.”

Gabe grinned and waved good-naturedly at the howls of laughter. Several people patted him on the back as he made his way toward Benton's table. Naomi was there, too. Had Gabe picked up his whole family and brought them here?

Head buzzing with fear and joy and that stupid hope, Veronica quieted the crowd and forced herself to read two more letters before she admitted defeat and gave up. “Okay, readers, thanks for another great night. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to follow up on one of tonight's questions.”

“You make him pay, girl!” a woman called as Veronica passed her table. Veronica gave her a thumbs-up.

“He's too cute to give up on!” someone else added. Veronica grinned and shook her head and wondered if she should kill Gabe. Not until after she hugged him, though. And then shook him. And then kissed him and asked what the hell he was up to.

She escaped to the office, and suddenly he was there in the doorway. Right there.

His hands were in the pockets of his jeans, his neck slightly bent, but he watched her, his eyebrows rising in question.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.” She didn't know what to say. She'd meant never to see him again, but he looked so sweet and sad, and he was
here
, and she desperately wanted to throw herself into his arms. But she didn't move. She couldn't. “What are you doing here?”

She'd been strong when she'd said goodbye in New York. She couldn't do that again. His face had been so stiff with hurt and anger, and she'd hated it. She liked him too much. And he was
here
.

God. He was here.

His wide shoulders rose as he took a deep breath. “I took your advice.”

“What advice?”

“I told my dad he was being a stubborn ass.”

“What?” she gasped.

“Okay, I didn't say it like that. Well, maybe I did at one point when it got a little heated. The important thing is I told him the truth.”

“What truth?” she breathed, as the hope rushed faster through her veins.

“The truth that I was giving up my life for his. The truth that his kids would rather have him than a hundred restaurants. And the truth that he needed to step up and sell the business like a responsible adult.”

Her heart pounded hard. She pressed a hand to it. “He... You
said
that?”

“That and more. You were right. About everything. The thing is, it was my fault. I told him that, too. Naomi and Claire were smart enough—and
honest
enough—to say no. But I wanted to take care of it for him. The same way he'd always taken care of stuff for me. I wanted to give him his dream so I never even told him the truth about mine.”

“But...” She felt dizzy and surprisingly angry. Why was he doing this to her when she'd done her best to give him up? She'd been strong. Done the right thing. She shook her head. “What did he say?”

Gabe smiled. “I won't repeat most of it. He was shocked and fighting for the future he'd always planned. I let him yell. I deserved it. But the truth is...he's like me. He wants me to be happy, and he saw how happy I was when I wasn't thinking about MacKenzie's. He saw how happy I was with you. He saw that, and he wants that for me.”

Veronica sat down hard on the desk. “I don't understand. What does this mean?”

“It means I've moved back to Jackson. You were right. I can't live in New York. I'm not myself there. I'm lucky I put off resigning at the library. I took it as family leave. Hopefully, Jean-Marie will have me back.” He paused. “And I'm hoping you will, too.”

She shook her head and watched him frown.

“Just a small chance?” he pressed. “A couple of dates?”

She looked away.

“Do you want me to beg? I will.”

“No.”

Gabe ducked down to catch her eye. “You could add me to your list. Make me a project. Number six—give a stupid boy one more shot?”

“No, Gabe!” she snapped. “This isn't funny. I can't... I can't be the girl who made your dad go back to a stressful job! I'm not coming between you and your family. I would never ever do that!”

The worry fell from his face. “That's not who you'll be. You'll be the girl who challenged me to be myself. My honest self. And my dad... I can't make his decisions for him. I have to accept that.”

“So you're just going to let him take over again? Work himself to death? I don't believe you. You'll never be okay with that.”

“No. That's not how it's going to be. We all sat down together. All five of us. My sisters felt the same way I did. And my mom cried. She wants to travel. She wants a living, healthy husband. This time, Dad didn't blow her off. Maybe the heart attack scared him or maybe he just needed to hear the truth from all of us at once. I don't know why, but in the end, he agreed to bring on a partner.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He doesn't want to give up control. I get that. It's our family name. But he agreed to look for someone to take over a minority stake. He'll have veto power over decisions, but he won't have to be there day to day.”