Blackstone Ranger Guardian - Alicia Montgomery Page 0,40
you the specials,” he began while filling two empty mugs. “Today we have rose lychee pie, burnt apple Camembert pie, and a Thai chicken tom yam pot pie that can be substituted for the beef pie with our lunch special.”
The fuck? He had no idea what the hell came out from Russel’s mouth, but it sure didn’t sound like English. “I’ll have the lunch special with beef pie and a slice of cherry with extra whipped cream for dessert.”
“I’ll have the same, please,” Dutchy said.
“Coming right up.”
As Gabriel was walking away, Dutchy called after him. “Gabriel?”
He whipped around. “Yeah?”
“Um, Gabriel … is your fiancée around?”
“In the back.” He jerked his thumb toward the kitchen door. “What’s up?”
“Do you think I could … if she’s not busy back there, can I go in and talk to her?”
“Sure,” he said. “Let me put your orders in, and I’ll check with her, all right?”
“Thank you, Gabriel.” She fiddled with her hair nervously and turned back to Krieger. “I’ll apologize to her.”
“Should be a good start.” Though he had no idea what Gabriel’s mate was like, she had to be very patient to put up with someone like Russel.
“Hey, Dutchy, I did you one better,” Gabriel announced as he came back a minute later. He wasn’t alone though, as a petite young woman with dark hair wearing an apron accompanied him. “This is my one and only mate, love of my life, Temperance Pettigrew. Temperance, this is Dutchy and Krieger.”
“Hello,” she said shyly. “Gabriel said you wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes I—Oh.” Dutchy stared up at her, shock flashing across her face. “I-I-I …” she stammered.
Krieger frowned, then realized what had caught her off guard. Temperance had a series of scars that started on her right cheek, going down her shoulder and arms. He’d seen some pretty bad burns in his career in the Special Forces, so he recognized them instantly.
Dutchy went completely red, her face crumpling. “I’m sorry!”
“No, no.” Temperance sat down next to her. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.” Gabriel put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. Something passed silently between them, and it was as if they were the only people in the room. “It was a house fire, when I was a teenager,” she continued when she turned back to Dutchy. “A long time ago, and I’m fine now.”
He had no idea that Gabriel’s mate was a burn survivor. It seemed an odd pairing, seeing as he’d always been dubbed “pretty boy,” but it was obvious he was head over heels for his mate.
Dutchy straightened her shoulders. “I wanted to apologize to you, personally, for not getting back to you about your gown.”
Temperance peered at her cast. “It’s all right. J.D. and Anna Victoria told me … told me that you’ve been working through some stuff.”
“I really am sorry,” she said. “I know timelines and things can be tight. When’s the wedding?”
“In the spring,” Temperance said. “Oh!” She clapped her hands together. “Is there enough time? Do you think you could still work on a gown? All these options from the wedding coordinator are terrible. I swear, sometimes it’s like she works for Gabriel’s sister and not us.”
This time, Dutchy’s face drained of blood. “I … I …”
Krieger discreetly cleared his throat and caught Gabriel’s gaze. The lion shifter seemed to understand and squeezed his mate’s shoulder. “Temperance, we can talk about it later, okay?”
“Of course.” She stood up. “It was nice to meet you both. Enjoy your meal, and I’ll see you around.”
“I’ll grab your orders, guys,” Gabriel said and then led his mate away.
“Thank you,” Dutchy said when they were far away enough. “For doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“It’s like … like you know what I need. And you say and do the right things.” Her lashes lowered. “So … thanks.”
He stared at her, stunned. She was easy to read, yes, but also, he was in tune to her every word and action so he could anticipate anything she needed. It was his job as her mate to take care of her. “You’re welcome.”
“This is making me think that maybe I need to start making amends.” She fiddled with the coffee cup. “To go to my friends and apologize for ignoring them these past few months. I know they’ve all been worried about me. I mean, I’ve seen them at least once, because they’ve been helping me in the mornings, but I don’t think I’ve ever told them I’m sorry. Maybe—”
“Here you go.” Gabriel