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Gabe huffed and shook her head. “I thought parents like that were fictional. Have you ever seen anything like them outside of the movies?”

“You know I haven’t experienced it, just like you. It was a bit tough to watch if you want my honest opinion.”

Gabe pulled her shoes on and began to tie the laces. “Wasn’t it? Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy that Lori has great parents but seeing that kind of love in action just made me wonder how the hell my mom and dad managed to fuck me up.”

“You didn’t turn out so bad,” Shay said and winked.

“No thanks to them.”

Shay sighed. “You molded yourself and became a hero despite their influence, Gabe.”

“Yeah, I know that. But coming out of the Army has made me realize that I’ve still got some big hang-ups because of them.” And talking out her childhood stuff with Lori had furthered that realization.

“Like what?”

“When Lori and I babysat Solo’s triplets, we talked about having kids?—”

“Whoa. Rewind. You talked about having kids with your friend?”

“No, of course not. Not together.” Gabe buffed the toe of her shoes with a cloth and then sat back on the bed. “But Lori said she couldn’t wait to have kids, whereas I couldn’t think of anything worse than having to be responsible for raising little human beings.”

“Because she’s had great parents, but you think you’d mess it up?”

“Exactly.” Gabe stood and went into her en suite for some cologne. “I could just repeat the same mistakes, or I could be a great parent because mine weren’t.”

RB rapped on Gabe’s open bedroom door. “Our ride’s here. Are you guys ready?”

“Yeah.” Gabe grabbed her leather jacket and slipped her wallet and phone into the pockets.

When Shay got to her feet and smoothed her dress, RB leaned against the doorjamb and shook her head. “Man, you clean up good.”

“Sorry I can’t return the compliment,” Shay said and sashayed out into the corridor.

Gabe grasped RB’s shoulder. “Do you own anything other than jeans, sweats, and T-shirts?” she asked, taking in RB’s outfit.

“Nope. What’s your problem? These are my best jeans, and I’m wearing a new shirt.”

“Might’ve been nice if you’d hung the creases out, buddy,” Gabe said.

“I’m going out for dinner, not for a job interview.” RB shoved Gabe out of the bedroom. “Let’s go. You don’t want to be late for the birthday girl, Romeo.”

“Fuck off with that. And don’t say girl; it’s sexist.” Gabe jogged downstairs and waited for everyone to leave, then she locked the door and squeezed into the backseat with RB and Woody, trying to ignore the squad of butterflies assembled in her stomach.

After the quick cab ride to the restaurant, Woody and RB went for drinks while Gabe and Shay took a booth in the bar to wait for everyone else to arrive. Gabe was savoring a sip of her whiskey as it warmly snaked down her throat when the restaurant door opened, and Lori walked in.

Or maybe she floated in, because she cast a magic spell the moment her high heel stepped over the threshold. Gabe had never seen any woman look that spectacular. Her cabernet-colored, floor-length dress brushed over her hips but clung to her breasts. Gabe could barely keep from staring at Lori’s plunging neckline. As she took another step, the dress parted in a slit that revealed Lori’s leg—was she wearing black opaque stockings? Jesus Christ, they were the Devil’s own work. Even from this distance, Gabe could see her nails and heels matched perfectly. And her hair… Tumbling curls cascaded onto her shoulders, forcing Gabe to imagine wrapping her fingers into the ringlets as she pressed Lori against the wall and kissed her the way she’d wanted to from the first moment she saw her.

“Oh. My. God,” Shay whispered. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Everything had gone weak. Gabe placed her drink on the table to avoid dropping the glass. “Are you seriously quoting the Bible at me right now?”

“I am. You’re going to need Her help if Lori puts the moves on you looking like that.”

“Truth.”

Angie Davis. Elodie Fontaine. Rachel Harari. All the beautiful movie stars in the world could’ve walked in behind Lori, and Gabe wouldn’t have seen them. It was like she suddenly had tunnel vision as everything else in the restaurant went into a soft-focus vignette, while Lori went into sharp, high-res HD.

Gabe locked eyes with her and gave her a weak-ass wave, as if all her power had drained out of her and her bones lacked the strength to hold her up. How the hell could one woman possess that kind of dominance over her faculties?