P L A Y L I S T
Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
When Elena finished brushing over all the high points of Gabriel's life, Zari loved him even more. He was everything she'd ever wanted. A selfless man who put others first. But the one thing missing from the summary had been any mention of her relationship with him. Elena had been extra careful to omit the slightest tidbit remotely connected to Zari, and that ignited a slimy panic in her gut.
More proof there may have been trouble in paradise, and she'd come here to win him back. Well, that's exactly what she'd do. Forget about what might have caused the riff; she just needed to concentrate on making things right. Unless—he'd done the one thing she considered unforgivable—cheat. She hastily forced the thought from her head; he didn't seem the type. Rarely anyone ever did, but he seemed like the reluctant one in the situation, not scrambling around for a half baked apology.
Had she cheated?
"Thanks for telling me about Gabriel. He doesn't talk about himself much. Well, actually, he doesn't talk much at all." She stared down at her open palms, putting two and two together. The more she ruminated, the more she was slowly convincing herself maybe the problem was really her. But surely none of his friends or family would treat her nicely, amnesia or no, had she broken his heart.
Elena snorted. "Yeah, he's the silent brooding type, which can be a problem because you never know what he's thinking."
"I just have one question." She clasped her palms together, wondering if she should confide in Elena. She liked the girl, but she was Gabriel's friend. "He's—not very affectionate, and that leads me to believe our relationship might have been in trouble before the accident."
Elena stiffened, and Zari's stomach somersaulted, but she had to press on. Better to find out before things went too far. "Has Gabriel ever cheated on me?"
Elena rolled her eyes and groaned loudly, an indicator of how she felt about the subject. She sighed, watching Zari waiting in suspense. "Absolutely not. He'd never cheat."
"Did I cheat on him?" She hadn't anticipated breathing life into that question, but she had to know to quash the queasy feeling in her stomach.
"No," Elena answered a matter-of-factly.
Zari loosed the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Now she could move forward with her plan to regain what they had before the accident.
She waved her hand in front of her body. "All the clothes I have are depressing. Is there a dress shop in town?"
"We have a new one. They carry trendy stuff." She waved her hand, "I guess. But if you don't find anything you like there, later this week, we could head out to Grapevine. They have more to choose from."
"Grapevine...that sounds familiar." Zari cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "I may have gone to a carnival there."
"Oh, really? They have one that comes every September during the county fair. Maybe you went to that one."
"Hmm, maybe. I'm not sure. Oh, wait. I don't know what I'm thinking. I can't shop. I don't have any money. Mr. Kline – Matthew... my godfather, is supposed to send me a new debit card, but I don't have it yet."
"That's okay. I'm sure Maia will let you open an account. She and I graduated together. I'll vouch for you."
*
Two hours later, Zari took stock of her purchases. Jeans, leggings, sweaters, tops, two pairs of boots, lace bras, cheeky panties, and sleepwear. She'd gone all out choosing leather, fringe, lace, plunging necklines and dangling earrings. If her look didn't get Gabriel's attention, then the sexy lingerie should do the trick.
During her shopping frenzy, her handicap became clearer, with only one hand, she needed help dressing and undressing. But that was okay, once Gabriel saw her naked again, then maybe he wouldn't be able to resist. She wasn't slim as Elena, all lithe and muscle beneath her belly, but she had a decent cleavage and a nice figure.
The clothes in her suitcase screamed frugality, and she hoped that was true because she'd just gone in debt for quite a lot of moola. If she'd not been thrifty in her previous life, then she might not have enough in her bank account to cover it. If not, she'd just have to set up a payment plan, because she couldn't bring herself to wear those hideous, colorless, garments one more day. It wasn't... her. That's why she'd worn one new ensemble out of the store.
When Gabriel's house came into view, a strange car sat in the drive. As they drew closer, Zari recognized the occupant.
Elena leaned forward and squinted her eyes. "Who is that?"
Zari echoed the movement. "Matthew—I mean, my godfather. Wonder why he's here?"
Elena parked next to him, then turned to Zari. "I heard Dawn is going out with him next weekend, and it's the first date she's had since Silbie's dad died."
She nodded. "Yeah, I know. Gabriel isn't too happy about it."
Elena made a face. "One thing you'll learn... or re-learn, I guess, is that Gabriel is a Mom. He is a mother hen. Especially when it comes to his mother and Silbie. But he needs to get over it. At least where Dawn is concerned. She could use someone in her life. I know she gets lonely, and once Silbie leaves for college, it will only get worse." She shrugged, before adding, "She was like a second mother to me growing up. My mom... she liked to drink."
As Elena gathered the bags, Matthew got out of his car came around to open Zari's door.
She gazed up at him. "What are you doing here?"
He stepped closer and opened his arms. "Can I have a hug?"
At first, she hesitated, but his sad expression put her into action. She knew her amnesia was hurtful, but there wasn't much she could do about it. A hug wouldn't kill her. Walking into his embrace, he pulled her close, arms tightening around her in a way that brought tears prickling to her eyes. Not from the tight constraint, but the simple feel of a hug by someone that loved you.
She wondered if their relationship had been a good one, or if it had been strained. Probably not since she worked for him, and the way he held her, said a lot. Almost like it was the last time he'd get to do it. Almost... paternal. She knew from his stories he watched her grow up, like an ever present, well meaning, uncle.
"I wanted to be here when they released you but had a couple of client meetings I couldn't miss. I just got back from Dallas. Alisha sends her love." Zari eased away from him, and he let her go, then walked to meet Elena half-way. "You must be Gabriel's sister. I recognize you from the many photos your mother has. I'm Matthew Kline."
"Friend. Silbie's his only sister." Elena set the bags on the ground and accepted his outstretched hand. "So nice to meet you." She nodded to the packages. "Zari and I took a little shopping trip, and I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to pick my daughter up at school."
"Lina, right?"
If Elena was surprised he knew her kids name, she didn't show it. It only left Zari a little miffed, Matthew knowing more about Gabriel and his life than she did.
"That's right." Elena turned to go, then stopped and faced him again. "Silbie told me you invited Dawn for dinner. It's time she started thinking of herself for a change."
He blushed and dipped his head like a nervous school boy. "Well, don't give me too much credit. It's as much for me as her. Plus, it gives me a reason to see Zari more."
As Elena maneuvered herself into her low car and peeled away from the curb, Zari followed her guest to the porch, then stepped around him to unlock the door.
Once inside, he sat down the bags and took an envelope from his jacket pocket. "Nobody but you can get your debit card replaced, so I've brought you a company card. Use it for whatever you need. No limit. I've ordered you some new checks, and you should have them in about ten days, until then, here are some of my checks. I've signed them, so keep them safe. I made arrangements at the local bank for you to have cashing privileges. I wrote your savings and checking balances on this envelope." He handed it over. "Inside is a letter of credit from my bank. I noticed Grapevine has three car dealerships. Go to any of them, buy what you want, and this will take care of it."
Zari's brows skyrocketed, and she blinked at him, speechless. She had anticipated a limit, even having to get another job to pay for herself. "You're buying me a car? Did you own my last one?"
"No. You bought it. Once you're back home, we'll get it all sorted out, but until then, I don't want you to be without transportation." From his other pocket, he brought out another item. "Or a phone." He handed it to her. "Oh, and I filed on your auto insurance. You should receive a settlement check in the next ten days."
Zari felt like a puffer fish, gaping out at the world from a glass bowl. "What about my bills? I'm assuming I have some."
He waved her off, as if providing for her and buying her a vehicle were the equivalent of a bill at brunch. "Everything is current until December 1. Don't worry about anything. Just concentrate on getting back on your feet."
She twisted her mouth around. The first of the month was only two weeks away. "You mean getting back my memory?"
He put a hand on her shoulder, and she supposed that was meant to be comforting. "That, too. But you still have wounds and a broken arm to mend."
She scrunched her eyebrows. "You said everything is paid until the end of November. You think I'll recover my past by then?"
He took a deep breath. "I don't know, but I hope spending time with you over the next few days, makes you comfortable enough you'll come back home if you have your memory or not. If that doesn't happen, then returning to Dallas, being in familiar surroundings, might speed up the process. I want you to consider that."
This guy was good. No wonder he was a successful lawyer. Even if he'd cleverly disguised a two-week deadline, he wasn't fooling her.
*
After Elena's first two texts, Gabriel had turned off his phone. Bad enough Zari kept creeping into his thoughts, but getting play-by-play of their day proved too much. Now that his new roommate had moved in, he needed to concentrate on just surviving her stay. As he brought more people into the charade, the situation got complicated. He really shouldn't expect Elena or anyone else to buy into the ridiculous deception he'd agreed to.
While Cole gathered and loaded the last of the hazard cones, Gabriel removed his rubber sleeves and gloves, then fished in his pocket for the roll of antacids. By the time Zari left, he'd have a bleeding ulcer for sure. Working twelve hour days would help limit his time with her, and then on Friday, her crew would return for the weekend. Gabriel planned to suggest she spend as much time with them as possible. If for no other reason than to get to know them again. Just because she had no memory, didn't change the fact that they were family. And it might jog her memory anyway.
Cole removed his hard hat and ran his fingers along his buzzed scalp. "Man, I'm beat. You want a grab a beer after we get back to town?"
He shook his head. "No. I need to get home. Zari's there by herself, and since she doesn't have a phone, I need to check on her." He wanted to go; he already sort of dreaded coming home, but at the same time...
Cole saw right through him. "I thought you said Elena went over there."
"She did. But only until she had to pick up Lina."
Once on the road, Cole glanced over at Gabriel, grinned, and lifted his brows. "Guess you'll have a bed partner tonight."
Gabriel shot him a glare, blocking the already forming image of Zari in his bed. Naked. He gulped. "We're sleeping together. Sleep. That's all."
He snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."
"What does that mean?" Gabriel huffed.
Cole cocked his head, and Gabriel wanted to smack away his friend's smirk.
"Hey, just saying having a willing woman next to you is going to be hard to resist. Zari is beautiful."
Gabriel scowled. "Aren't you solely into Ellie?"
Cole shrugged, "I can appreciate beauty, whether or not I'm attracted to it."
Gabriel scrubbed a palm over his face. "As tired as I am, it won't be a problem. And here's some good news. Ten-day forecast looks like a bad storm is brewing up east. If that plays out, we might be deployed to the area."
"For the overtime pay or getting as far away as possible from her?" Cole grinned. He really was enjoying this.
Even if the storm site was inaccessible for a bucket truck, and he had to drag fifty pounds of equipment while wearing protective gear, it would be easier than dealing with Zari.
"Both," he grumbled. "But mostly staying away from her."
"Why is that? I thought you liked Zari."
He sighed, defeated. Try as he might, and Zari unknowingly weaseled right in, left herself seared into his mind. And his heart. "Yeah. That's the problem. I like her too damn much."
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D'aw. He likes her.
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