“Oh, Nic.” Celeste clicked her tongue. “God’s blessing upon a marriage is never inappropriate.”
“Maybe so, but I’d feel like a hypocrite.”
Sarah met Celeste’s and Sage’s gazes. “I’ve known her since she was nine years old. No sense arguing with her about this one.”
“That’s right.” Nic smiled around at her group of friends. “Thank you all for helping me through my meltdown. I’m calmer now. I can think more clearly. You are dear, dear friends and I am so glad you’re in my life. Now we should probably get back to the dance. The cookie plate is liable to be empty by now.”
“Wait,” Celeste said, holding up her hand. “There is one important thing we neglected to say.”
She took Nic’s hands in hers, gave them a squeeze, and said, “Congratulations, Nicole. I wish you great joy with your little one. Children are a blessing from God.”
“She’s right,” Sarah agreed. “Congrats, girlfriend.” She gave Nic a hug, then moved aside so Sage could do the same.
“Be happy, Nic,” Sage said. “I can’t wait to see the baby you and Gabe produce. He’s bound to be gorgeous. Having the two of you as parents, he’s hit the genetics jackpot.”
With the mood lightened, the women headed for the door. Sage paused beside the elk placed in a corner at the back of the room and observed, “I couldn’t concentrate to learn anything with all these glass eyes staring at me.”
“You should check out Linda Horten’s fourth-grade class,” Sarah told her. “She has dozens of the smaller animals around her room—five times the number of eyes.”
Sage shuddered and linked her arm with Celeste’s as they entered the hallway. “Maybe it’s my city-girl upbringing rearing its head, but personally, I’d rather learn animals from pictures in a book.”
Celeste laughed. “As a newcomer to Colorado, I’d prefer learning what a black bear looks like this way as opposed to the way I was educated. I’ll never forget opening my front door last fall to put a letter in the mailbox and finding a bear on my porch.”
“What did you do?” Sarah asked.
“I explained to him that I’d forgotten my return address label and I darted back inside.”
The picture coaxed a laugh from Nic and was the reason why she had a smile on her face when she reentered the gymnasium.
Her smile died when she spied the man leaning against the wall of folded-up bleachers on the east side of the gym.
Gabe.
ELEVEN
Gabe wore a gray suit, white shirt, and red tie. Seeing her, he straightened away from the wall. He looked somber and serious, and her stomach sank.
“Whoa,” Sage murmured behind Nic. “Be still my heart. He’s even sexier than Coach Romano.”
“Mm-hmm,” Sarah hummed. “He is a handsome polecat. I’ll give him that.”
“I’ll bet you the keys to my Honda Gold Wing that he’s here to propose,” Celeste declared. “You’ll excuse me if I say I told you so.”
Nic’s stomach took a nervous roll. “Don’t be silly. He’s probably bringing me contact information before he leaves town for good.”
“He’s carrying a rose,” Sage said. “I don’t think a man brings a woman a red rose to kiss her off.”
Sarah shook her head. “The roses are a freshman class fund-raiser. They probably tackled him coming inside. Still, he could have tossed it.”
Nic stood frozen in place, only marginally aware that her friends dropped back as Gabe approached. He carried a long-stemmed red rose tied with a red satin ribbon in his right hand, and when he stopped in front of her, he held it out to her. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She accepted the flower. “Thanks.”
When silence descended awkwardly between them, she twirled the rose between her fingers and thought, School gym. Red rose with a tacky ribbon. Awkward conversation while my best-friends-forever are watching. Junior high déjà vu. “I … um … didn’t expect to see you here tonight, Gabe.”
“Well, yeah.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Can we talk? I want to—”
He broke off abruptly and scowled at something behind Nic. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that said best friends had moved within listening distance. Celeste smiled, her eyes twinkling. Sage gave a little finger wave. Sarah winked at Nic, then shot Gabe her best dirty look.
Nic tried to shoo them away by making a sweeping motion with the back of her hand, but of course they didn’t budge.
Gabe sighed and asked, “Why don’t you give me a tour of the school?”
“Okay.” After requesting the key ring from Sarah, she led him toward the door she’d entered