As Long As You Love Me ✓

3. Don't Try This At Home

*

Gabriel pulled a blue Henley over his head and tried to pat down his unruly hair. This had been one of the craziest days he'd had in awhile. Started out obsessing over an old girlfriend, and now, he couldn't get a stranger out of his head. And she was a stranger because he knew everybody in Parkers Prairie. Hard not to when he'd lived there all of his life, and the town was just shy of twelve hundred people.

But what out-of-towner came here for no reason? Sure, hundreds poured in during the annual festival, but the remainder of the year it wasn't exactly a hotbed for tourists. She was either just passing through or related to someone.

His gut twisted as he popped two antacid tablets, chewed, and swallowed. The accident occurred not far from Holly Hills Estates. Buried somewhere in his sheets, his cell phone rang. He scrambled for the phone and glanced at the caller ID. Elena.

"Hey, El. What's up?"

"Are you okay?"

He should have expected the call. She was always one of the first to know everything in town.

"Sure. I wasn't hurt. How is the girl?"

"I wasn't referring to your daring rescue. I was talking about this being November 3rd."

"Is it? Hadn't thought of that."

"Liar. If you want to come over, I have taco soup."

Elena was the Slow Cooker Queen. When it came to preparing food, everything she used was plugged in. She had more important stuff to do, she'd claim, like fixing old junker cars and hacking into NASA.

"Thanks, but I'm good. I'm on my way to Grillenium Falcon to meet Cole. What about the girl? Heard anything?"

"Nothing official."

"You couldn't find out anything?"

"A little. Morgan told me the patient was stable. Broken wrist and some head trauma, I think. That's all she knew. Anyway, if you decide you want to talk, I'm here for you. Okay?"

"Appreciate it, but I'm fine. Talk to you later."

"Gabe?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"Love you, too. Bye."

He understood Elena's concern. They grew up together. She had a first row seat to many instances of his life. During the months following Rosie's death, he'd gone to a dark place. Wasn't so much he'd grieved for her as it was trying to understand how he could have loved such a selfish person. They'd started school together. Been good friends. Began dating in eleventh grade, and by the time graduation rolled around, he'd loved her. More than she loved him.

He shook his head. No. Not going there. Once he'd recovered from the disappointment and disbelief, he swore he'd never let anyone hurt him like that again. He took a minute to drop some flakes into the fish bowl, then grabbed his truck keys, and headed toward the door.

When he opened it, his mother stood on the other side, fist in mid-air, ready to knock. Just what he needed. More concern over the anniversary of his broken heart.

"Hey, Mom."

She rushed forward and threw her arms around him, squeezing him with all her might. "Oh, honey. Are you okay?"

He'd probably go to hell for lying to his mother, but sometimes it was necessary. "How many times do I have to tell you? Rosie is the past, and I wouldn't have even remembered it if Elena hadn't mentioned it."