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take her to dinner shortly, if he wasn t already downstairs.
Somehow she had to find the words to tell him why she couldn t be involved with
him. If only he lived closer.
She ducked into the small bathroom in the office suite to repair her face before
gathering her belongings and looking for Gabe. Her mascara lay smudged below her
lashes like heavy goth eyeliner. Concealer brightened the lower lid but had faded from
the dark circles. The effect was more zebra than professional worker.
Her cheeks screamed for blusher and her lips were equally pale. Yes, Gabe had seen
her with less makeup on, but now she needed to mask the lack of sleep and heavy heart
that he could use in his favor.
Strong. She needed to remain strong. She could do this.
Gabe had Kelly laughing at the front desk, and a few of the restaurant workers
who d clocked out stood smiling on the edge of the conversation. Everywhere the man
went, he charmed people.
He glanced back when the others looked at Maggie coming up behind him. His
eyes lit mere seconds before he smiled. Butterflies stirred in her stomach as she forced a
big smile. Her fellow employees didn t need to know anything was amiss.
74
Maui Rekindled
There d be no hiding it from Gabe, though. He saw straight through to her soul.
When the automatic doors closed behind them as they stepped outside, Maggie
said, Do you mind if we eat in? It s been a roller-coaster day for me. I can t offer steak,
but I m sure I ll have something palatable we can cook.
We. Now she was doing it, acting as if they were a long-distance couple, not an
incredibly sexy man and the loser he d fallen for.
A frown brushed over his brow, vanishing quickly. That sounds fine.
You can follow me. It s a bit of a drive, but I take the back roads so it goes
quickly.
Quickly was a relative term when she was trapped in her car with her doubts and
feelings of guilt. Please let me do the right thing, whatever it is, she prayed. When she
parked in front of her garage and Gabe pulled his rental car beside hers, she gripped the
steering wheel and repeated her prayer.
Gabe came around and opened her car door. This is a nice little place. It has
character. It suits you.
Her smile was completely real. I thought so. Picket fence, roses below the front
windows. When it s warm out, I can open the window in the living room and fill the
room with their fragrance.
Tension slipped away slowly as she led him up the walk and unlocked her door.
Something in his words validated her choice in buying the house. He wasn t a threat to
her self-confidence, other than the fact she had chosen to walk away.
She turned on some lamps in the living room and powered up the CD changer,
filling the room with relaxing music. After dropping her purse on a chair, she asked,
Would you like to see the place?
Yes, I would.
75
Ari Thatcher
The Craftsman-style bungalow had only four rooms on the main level and two
upstairs, so the tour took almost no time at all. As they came back downstairs, she
continued into the kitchen. Pull up a stool and I ll see what I can whip up.
Gabe sat at the counter. Don t make it hard on yourself. We can easily still get a
table somewhere if you prefer.
Smiling, she shook her head as she set down some frozen chicken breasts. I don t
think I could keep smiling through an entire meal in a room full of people.
He got right to the point. Are you uncomfortable with me being here?
No! No, that s not it. I mean, I know I owe you an explanation, and that has my
brain going places I don t like to travel, but it s not the problem tonight. She scrubbed
a pair of large potatoes a bit harder than necessary, but stopped before scrubbing off
their skins. A favorite resident is dying.
There. She d said it, and her voice hadn t cracked.
I m sorry. That must make your job difficult.
Actually, no. Those people are independent for the most part, not like at a nursing
home. Some of them might live another ten years. It doesn t make me sad, really, that
they die. It s saying goodbye that s hard. Knowing I won t see them in the dining room
anymore or exchange a few words as they go out on day trips or shopping.
She set the chicken breasts in the microwave to defrost. I guess I m feeling sorry
for myself that my life will go on without them. Luckily I haven t been there long
enough to make many friends among the residents.
What a great way to work, though. Visiting your friends every day.
I know. It s the best. Maggie slid a plate of carrot and celery sticks across the
counter to him.
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