Stranger in Town (Dundee, Idaho #5)(29)
Author: Brenda Novak

“Dinner or a movie would be better. You could always get a group together, right? Especially if Gabe’s going. Everyone’s curious about him. Just make sure the people you take don’t come on too strong—” here, she hoped her hint penetrated but feared it did not “—and be careful not to overwhelm him.”

“If you ask me, a party of three would be too many,” Ashleigh muttered, but Hannah didn’t have a chance to comment because Ashleigh immediately turned to her window.

“This is nice,” she breathed as they finally drove into the clearing that revealed Gabe’s large cabin with its quaint porch, detached garage and natural landscaping. “He must have a housekeeper and a gardener, huh?”

“As far as I know, he doesn’t have either.”

“He takes care of this place himself?”

“I think so.”

“But why? It’s got to be difficult in that wheelchair. And he’s rich.”

“He must prefer to do the work himself.”

Ashleigh shot her a quick grin. “Further proof that he has plenty of working parts.”

Hannah didn’t want to talk about Gabe’s sexual abilities again. This week she’d already spent too much time daydreaming about the man—and they were not her usual dreams of discovering some medical breakthrough that would fix what she’d broken. She’d imagined him kissing her and touching her until she moaned his name…. Then she’d imagined him satisfying her so completely that she didn’t think real life could ever match it.

Her cheeks burned just thinking about the images she’d entertained, but she told herself to stop being silly. Everyone had fantasies—and hers had probably imbued Gabe with more sensitivity and responsiveness than he really possessed. Certainly they had imbued him with more than Russ had ever shown her.

Still, she knew she was going to have a difficult time looking Gabe in the eye today without feeling a little embarrassed.

She studied Ashleigh again. With such a tall, beautiful blonde around, he probably wouldn’t spare Hannah a glance.

She tried to convince herself that this was a good thing as they parked behind his Ford F-150, which he’d left in the drive near the garage, and got out. Tonight, she’d packed his dinner in a basket, thinking it’d be easier to transport. Each day, he could bring her the basket with the dishes from the previous night, and she could refill it with his new dinner.

“How long has he lived here?” Ashleigh asked as Hannah slung her camera over her neck.

It wasn’t difficult for Hannah to calculate. After the accident, she’d followed his progress day by day, hoping and praying for a full recovery. “He was in the hospital for thirteen days after the accident. Then he went into therapy at a clinic in Boise for two months. After that he lived with his folks until summer. So it’s been about two and a half years.”

“I could never live out here by myself,” Ashleigh said. “I’d be bored stiff in two days. And I’d be terrified about the possibility of running into a bear.”

Hannah suspected Gabe was more afraid of the things he confronted in town. The people who’d invariably bring up his lost career or press him for an autograph. The stares and curiosity he’d encounter as he tried to maneuver in his chair. His father and the scandal that had chased him even farther into seclusion. “I can see why he likes it,” she said. “It’s beautiful and it’s quiet.”

They reached the porch. Once again, Hannah could hear rock music playing inside the cabin, so even though Lazarus barked a couple of times, she assumed Gabe wasn’t waiting for them at the door and allowed herself a brief moment to admire the chair that would soon be sitting in her studio.

“Isn’t this the coolest chair you’ve ever seen?” she asked, putting her picnic basket on the porch and settling into it.

Ashleigh shrugged. “I guess. If you like the natural look.”

Obviously, Ashleigh didn’t have an eye for furniture. But she had an eye for men. Hopefully, she wouldn’t—

Suddenly, the door swung open and Lazarus came charging outside, wagging his tail in excitement.

“Hello?” Gabe’s voice was filled with surprise to see Ashleigh standing on his front mat.

Hannah scrambled to her feet and hurried over to her friend’s side. “Hi Gabe. This is Ashleigh Evans.”

“We’ve met.” His eyes lifted to Ashleigh’s generous display of cle**age, and Hannah began to wonder if Ashleigh had done the right thing in wearing that tight blouse, after all. She’d certainly gained his attention. Men were so predictable….

“You mentioned that you needed to get a haircut, so Ashleigh agreed to come with me and give you one.” Hannah smiled brightly as Lazarus circled around her, obviously interested in the food she’d brought. “This is dinner, by the way. Beef Stroganoff.”

Gabe’s expression remained pleasant, but as he told Lazarus to sit, she sensed he was none too pleased. She supposed it was possible he hated beef Stroganoff—but guessed it had more to do with the license she’d taken in bringing Ashleigh to his house when he’d already been reluctant to let her come. “Thanks,” he said. Another brief pause, then, “Would you like to come in?”

“Actually, we could do the cut right here on the porch,” Ashleigh said. “It’d save the clippings from getting into your house. And the weather’s so nice.”

He hesitated. “Okay. But…don’t you need me to wet my hair first?”

Brandishing her big bag, Ashleigh pulled out a spray bottle and a pair of clipping shears. “I’ve got everything I need right here. You have a beautiful dog, by the way.”

“Thanks.” He considered her shears and water, then shrugged and pushed himself outside.

Ashleigh raked her long nails through Gabe’s hair. “Wow, you’ve got great hair.”

Hannah’s fingers itched to feel it, too, so she sunk them into Lazarus’s fur and cleared her throat to help get her mind back on the right track. She was the one who’d set up this whole thing. Maybe Ashleigh had taken it a little farther than Hannah had anticipated, but it was silly to feel such envy. “Do you mind if I heat up your dinner so it’ll be ready for you when we’re finished?” she asked him.

“Go ahead,” he said as Ashleigh pulled out a plastic cape, and Hannah left Lazarus to play in the yard while she carried the food inside.