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Both girls screamed with laughter as I snapped away. After a minute, they were both back on the floor.

Anna pointed to me. “If you have your phone, I can take a picture of you two.”

I waved my hand in the air. “It’s okay.”

Gabe walked over, slid my phone out of my coat pocket, and handed it over. While I felt silly, it was making me happier than an order of French fries with a stray onion ring to know he’d be in my camera roll.

After driving through White Castle on Robert Street and stuffing ourselves with delectable gut bombs, we rolled to a stop in front of my parent’s house.

It was the end of the evening. Would he kiss me?

I mean, we were kind of on a date. Or a friend outing?

Gulp. I’d been shagged and bagged at the cabin, but for some reason, the thought of his lips on mine sent ginormous butterflies the size of hawks to my tummy.

Nerves hit the stage, causing me to hop out of the car at an unreasonable speed, resulting in me falling to my knees in the snow before I hopped up and looked back into the truck. “This has been nice. Thank you.”

He shook his head at me. “No.”

“No?”

He got out of the car and walked around to me.

“I will walk Fern Ethel to the door to ensure your safety after whatever the hell just happened here. Also, you never know if your clown purse will fly open and that screw driver somehow stabs you in the throat, or the electronic pencil sharpener turns on and eats that beautiful, shiny hair. I’m a gentleman. ”

“Aw.”

I knew that was a lie as visions of him being anything but gentlemanly with me on the cabin stairs and the guest room bed flew through my mind like a favorite movie. You will not show that film again. Nope. Fine!

He took my hand, and we walked up the shoveled path to the front door.

“Looks like Amazon stopped by,” Gabe said as he pointed to the packages by the door.

“Yay! My mom’s birthday is next week. You know, I believe the three most romantic words on the planet are add to cart .”

“Yup, never wait. The shortest horror story ever is—air quotes— sold out . I’ll help you get them inside.”

“That’s okay. I’ll get it.”

He picked up one. “What’d you get her?”

“A new laptop and printer. The one she has is ancient.”

“You take the small one, and I’ll get this. Just lead the way.”

My nerves were doing a funky little dance. “Alright. Uh, they’re probably asleep so just follow me.”

I held the door open while Gabe took the box inside. I stepped in front of him and led him up the stairs to my bedroom, feeling his eyes on my butt.

We entered the room lit by the little lamp on the nightstand, shining a warm glow. I opened my small walk-in closet and pointed. “You can put it in the corner. Thank you again for bringing it up.”

I stepped back as he got the boxes on top of one another while eagle eyes took a quick look at his tushy.

“No problem.” He stood and smiled as his eyes toured the room and then to Madam Fluffy Pants who was passed out in her sweater dress.

“This is a cute room, Fern.” He snickered and pointed to my fluffy cat. “What the hell is up with that?”

“My mom is obsessed with this cat and crocheting. Watch out. I’m sure she’s made you a lovely sweater while we were out.”

My stomach did a flip when he quietly closed my bedroom door. “So, how many boys were allowed in Fern’s bedroom back in the day?”

“Zilch. Dave’s room was next door so nobody dared come up here.”

He whispered. “I feel kind of naughty.” He plopped down on my white chair in the corner. “Do you feel naughty?”

I stood with my arms over my chest. “Shh. Do you want my mom to hear you?” Giggles as soon as I heard my words.

He pointed. “You do feel naughty with a boy in your bedroom.”

I shrugged.

He nodded and popped a brow. “It feels good to be bad, huh?”

That was clearly the mantra for my life at the moment. This hulky hot hockey player looking sexy and adorable at the same time, seated in my favorite chair. The same chair I used to make friendship bracelets in as a middle-schooler made me fidgety.

“Can I ask you something, Fern?”

“Yes.”

“Thursday I have an event for a teen program I started at the ice arena in Cottage Grove. I do this every few months in different areas of the city, for foster kids, teens, and their families. I look forward to these things more than I can say.”

“Wow.”

“When I was a kid, aka a little shit, my foster mom, who eventually adopted me, took me to a team day event. I got to talk to Jake Miller, a player at the time, and he shared with me that he was a kid in foster care system, and all the things he overcame. Then I got to play some hockey with him, and his words changed my life. He told me when I grew up that I needed to give back. That’s what I’m trying to do. ”

“That’s amazing. What a blessing.”

“Well, I’d like it if you would be there.”

My heart bubbled. “Really?”

“Yes.”

A warning light went off in the corner of my mind. “Wait, is my brother one of the guys who’ll be there?”

He put his hands out. “Yes, and I know what you’re thinking. But I’m wondering if you would want to come with your mom then it wouldn’t be a big deal. We’re friends, right?”

“That sounds like a plan.” I was trying not to smile. Why did it have to feel so good being close to him?

“Well, it’s late. I don’t know what you’re thinking about this thing. I have to ask, are you leaning toward friends? Do you want me to go?”

His words hung in the air. Did I want him to leave? I stood there with zero ability to pull together even a flimsy thought.

Brain: we’re experiencing technical difficulties…please stand by. Hmm.

As I hit the refresh button in my mind, the visual of me bouncing over, straddling him, and asking him to give me the whole Gabe treatment, was playing on a loop.

But I now knew what it felt like when he’s gone.

And he would be gone. I’d spent nearly two weeks missing everything about him, and I was miserable.

Unlike Taylor, I didn’t think I could do it with a broken heart.

Bottom line was that I would be leaving just days after the wedding, and if we started something up again, I would feel the raw bruise of Gabe not sharing the same oxygen as me again.

No alluring green eyes or that crooked grin that melts my insides.

There was no option for anything more than a fling.

I just needed to tell him to leave. It was the only smart thing I could do. I swallowed hard and met his gaze.

“No, and don’t leave.” Feeerrrnnn, stoooppp!

He stood without breaking his intense eye contact and took a step toward me. “Good.” Another step kicked my heart rate up a notch because he was just inches away from my face. My stomach tied itself in a knot as his hand slid around to my lower back.

“You’ve missed me.” His eyes dropped to my lips, jump-starting my pulse. “I knew it wasn’t only me. I’ve done nothing but think about you.” His lips brushed my cheek. “You’ve got complete control of me, Fern. Do you even know what you do to me?”

Was I supposed to answer? Because the house could be on fire right now, and I wouldn’t be able to utter a word or move an inch.

He pulled me close, and his breath hit my neck while he whispered in my ear. “All I do is think about your beautiful eyes, freckles, and your hair in my face. How you move and how I’d tear through walls to get to you.”

I swear my panties just melted off.

“Tell me, Fern.”

My eyes shut as his kisses traveled down my neck.

“Tell, me.”

“What?” His lips were making me melty and incoherent.

“Tell me you’ve thought of me.” His whiskers scraped along my neck as slivers of electricity pinged through me. “Tell me your body’s craved me like I’ve craved you.”

His words were whipping up something inside.

“I have.” My legs were trembling. “So much.”

I felt the train leaving the station, and I knew there was no stopping it. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as his lips overtook mine while his hands slid to the back of my neck.

“Fern?” The train came to a screeching stop at the sound of my mother’s voice on the other side of the door.

I pushed Gabe’s chest.

“Mom, hi.” I pointed to the closet, and Gabe nearly sprinted to it. “Just a sec, I have my, um, friendship beads on the floor!” WTF?

Her voice was flat. “You’re making friendship bracelets? That’s stupid, Fern.”

I walked to the closet to close the door as Gabe quickly finger brushed my hair before flashing me the thumbs up sign. I shut the closet door and jumped on my bed. “Come in.”

She entered and looked around. “Do you even have beads?”

I attempted to sit up casually. “What beads?”

Her eyes narrowed. “The friendship beads?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, I didn’t have enough to make any bracelets. And you’re correct. It’s a stupid idea anyway.”

She sat next to me. “Who were you going to make a bracelet for?”

“Uh, you.” I was proud of my perfect answer.

She cupped my cheeks with her hand. “My little Boo. So sweet.”

“Hey, are you free Thursday night?”

She kissed my cheek. “Puoi scommetterci! For you, anything.”

“Well, Gabe has this charity he started, and they’re having an event at the Cottage Grove ice arena for the kids him and some of his teammates mentor. Would you want to go with me?”

“I’d love to! I think Dave will be there too.” Her eyes were searching me for answers. “Yes, because you and your mother attending an event together would be, um, normal, right?”

Avoidance slithered in. “Cool, it’s a date for you and me. Nothing like supporting a good cause. Right?”

“A great cause.” She wore a thoughtful look. “So you texted that you and Gabriel went to a movie, huh?”

“Yes, it was a good flick.”

“And? He must’ve done something to make you take time to decide if you’d see him earlier.”

Oh shit. “And nothing. We hung out at his cabin for the wedding party weekend, and he remembered I was just sitting around until after the wedding.” I was nodding liked a bobble head. “I guess he was in the neighborhood today.”

Crap, was her motherly intuition kicking in?

My mom fooled most of the world by appearing fairly reserved, but if anyone messes with her kids, she could break out a level of crazy that would make your nightmares seem like a happy place.

Had a witch girl in high school who spread a horrible rumor about me and some guy on the football field found somebody had stuck a knife in her tire, filled her backseat with dead fish, and note that read shut it ?

Yes. My mother and her sister Ellen swore they had nothing to do with it, but the glimmer in Mom’s eyes told otherwise.

That Italian blood runs through and through, and I didn’t need any of that shit now.

“Of course, anyone in the neighborhood should feel free to swing by.” She stood up and shuffled toward my door. “Good night, Fern.” She looked over her shoulder. “Gabriel, be sure to lock the door when you leave.”

Heat swirled through me as she winked at the same time a muffled, “Yes, Mrs. Novotny,” came from the closet.

The door clicked shut as Gabe emerged from the closet with oh fuck on his face. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

He walked over and gave me a hug. “I think it’s time for me to fly. I don’t want to piss off any Novotny today.”

I walked him out onto the front porch. He opened his jacket, and I slid my arms around his waist while he closed the coat around me.

We exchanged five minutes of kisses that I swore would melt every speck of snow in the front yard before I watched the finest backside in the great state of Minnesota walk to his truck.

I floated upstairs and to my desk. I pulled open my top drawer to see the weekend pass promise ring twinkling back at me.

Right, wrong, or otherwise, I slid it on my right hand ring finger before plopping onto my bed.

I didn’t know if sleep would happen, but if it did, I was certain Gabe would visit me in my dreams.

The next day, two dozen pink and yellow roses were delivered to my door with a card that fanned the flames in my heart.

Fern,

I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

Yours,

Gabe