Page 58 of This Kind of Forever

“Embarrassed,” I supply.

Gabe’s eyes flick to me, then back to his daughter. He lifts her up and sets her on the counter so they’re closer to being eye to eye.

“Why were you embarrassed?” he asks. “You can tell me anything, Abbs.”

“Because I did a bad thing,” she replies. “I talked when my teacher was talking, and she got me in trouble. But I’m not gonna do it anymore, and I’m gonna say sorry when I see her on Monday. Hallie says she’ll forgive me.”

His gaze flicks to me again. A small smile curves his lips. “Hallie is very smart,” he tells her. “It sounds like you’ve learned your lesson.”

“I’m sorry I slammed my door. That wasn’t nice.”

“Already forgiven.” He brushes one of her dark curls out of her face. “I love you, Abbs.”

She leans forward, throwing her arms around him as best she can. “Love you, Daddy.”

As Gabe hugs her, he looks at me over the top of her head.Thank you, he mouths. I simply smile. I’d do anything for her—for both of them. And Gabe is already doing so much for me, helping me with Kevin and his family. If I can do something small like this for him, of course I’m going to.

When Abbie pulls out of his arms, Gabe inspects her face and hands. There’s definitely some paint there. “What did you two get up to?” he asks.

I move into the kitchen now, and I meet Abbie’s eyes with a wink. “We made a little magic.”

Gabe sets Abbie back on the floor. “Maybe wash the magic off before dinner, yeah?”

“You got it, dude,” Abbie says, then runs toward the bathroom.

I laugh as I watch her leave. But then I feel Gabe’s focus on me, and it feels heavy. That familiar warmth curls around me.

“You’re killing me, Foster,” he all but groans.

I look at him, worrying my bottom lip. “I’m not trying to.”

He steps forward then, into my space. With his thumb, he tugs my lip out from between my teeth. His dark eyes swirl with a mix of pain and longing.

“That’s the problem.”

TWENTY-TWO

GABE

The day of the wedding,I drop Abbie off with Larissa, and then Hallie and I board the ferry to the mainland. During the drive, Hallie’s knee bounces with nerves, and I catch her chewing on her bottom lip, then scolding herself for messing up her lip gloss.

Caitlyn and Amara’s wedding is being held at a golf course about twenty minutes outside of Tobermory. I spot the odd golfer trying to make the most of the snowless ground when we first pull up, but otherwise, the place looks like it’s getting ready to shut down for the season.

The ceremony itself is short and to the point, but the main attraction is the reception afterward.

“Whoa,” Hallie says as we step inside the room. “It’s so beautiful.”

The whole place is decked out in fall colours—rusted oranges, golden yellows, rich greens. Different coloured mums dot every table at the centre. Caitlyn wasn’t kidding when she said she and Dana went all out with the planning.

The decorations are beautiful, but I find it hard to take my eyes off of Hallie. She’s wearing a sage green dress with short sleeves that’s fitted at the top, and there’s a tie that cinches her waist, accentuating her curves. The skirt flows down to her ankles, and the hem is ruffled. Somehow, it feels exactly like her in dress form.

I set a hand on the small of her back. I can’t stop touching her today. “Let’s find our seats.”

We end up at a table with some of Dana’s cousins. Hallie is vague about her connection to the brides when asked. I can hardly blame her. Dana made her feel like a pariah the last time we saw her.

I was worried we’d have a repeat of the food situation and we’d have to dip out early, because like hell was I about to let Hallie pick apart a measly salad in place of a proper dinner for a second time. Thankfully, though, Hallie gets served some fancy-looking eggplant thing that makes her eyes light up in excitement.

As Hallie eats and drinks, my attention snags on her left ring finger. I was a little surprised when she first pulled out the fake diamond for dinner with the Landells, but I quickly found that I didn’t mind the way it looked. Tonight, it keeps distracting me.