Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,105
but took the liquor. “Something sounds a bit screwy with that statement, but I don’t really care. I think I needed this tonight. Thanks.”
They lifted their glasses silently, inclined their heads, and drained them in one gulp. Then they sat down at the table and dug into their ice cream.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Pierce finally asked.
“Nah,” Gabe said. “I want to talk about stupid stuff and eat my ice cream.”
“Done,” Carter said. “Did you see the last episode of The Curse of Oak Island? Son of a bitch—I think they may find the treasure.”
Pierce cut a hand in the air. “Nah, it’s fixed. It’s been on too many seasons, and the narrator is always getting excited. I’m afraid it’s a setup.”
Gabe considered it, scooping up a particularly large chunk of cookie. “I think at first they thought they’d find the treasure, but after so many seasons, they’re trying not to look stupid now. Or maybe they just want to live like the characters in National Treasure. I should’ve been an archaeologist rather than a wedding planner. I may have had a better life.”
Carter refilled their glasses. “I don’t think Indiana Jones had it easy. Sure, he got to seduce a bunch of women, but most of them betrayed him. Plus, he had huge issues with his dad.”
“So did I,” Gabe said. “My father was a prick.”
Pierce raised his brow. “No shit? I didn’t realize that. Sorry, man.”
“It’s okay. He was always calling me pretty boy and saying I’d never be successful without using my looks. No matter how hard I tried, he just didn’t like me, let alone love me.”
Carter winced. “That’s harsh. His loss. Not to get mushy, but you’ve become one of my best friends, and I don’t bring people in lightly. As for work? I mean, you’re a good-looking dude, but it’s obvious you have an amazing talent. Otherwise Avery wouldn’t have kept you on so long and promoted you. She even mentioned she wants to offer you partner down the line.”
“That’s good to know.” He took another shot. Hmm. He was starting to like the ice cream and tequila together—it was more complementary than he’d originally thought. “What sucks is that I thought Bella was the woman I was going to marry. I know it sounds pathetic, but the moment I met her, I got this gut instinct like I knew I’d met my future wife. Took us all this time to finally connect, and now it’s gone forever. I’ll have to watch her marry someone else one day who will be a dad to Zoe.” He looked up from his empty bowl. “I’m depressed.”
Pierce poured him another shot. “Sucks. You sure you both can’t work it out? I’ve known Bella a long time, and I’ve never seen her so happy. Taylor said the same thing. It was like a light went on inside her that had been dim. We’d all begun to wonder if she could feel the same way about anyone but Matt.”
The image of her beautiful face floated in his mind. He braced himself for the slap of pain that followed. “It was too much for her,” he finally muttered. “All the crap publicity around me. The gossip. But the bottom line? She’s not able to let go of everything and dig into a relationship with me.” He quickly filled them in on his job interview and their talk in the parking lot.
Both of them winced. “Ouch,” Carter said. “Didn’t know about any of that.”
“I know she was upset, thinking I was going to take that job and leave. But knowing she wouldn’t have even tried to call me and talk? It’s the same thing she did every time she heard a woman’s name brought up. I can’t keep going around like a lost puppy dog in love with her while she struggles to figure stuff out.”
“You’re gonna hate what I have to say, dude,” Pierce finally said. “But this is a classic ‘It’s her, not you’ scenario. Maybe you scared the crap out of her ’cause her last husband died and left. That screwed her up for a while. She may need to figure out if she really wants to take another risk on love.”
“Agreed,” Carter said. “Also, even though you love her, she may not have made you happy. Not if you were always going to deal with her constant doubts about you. You deserve more. I hope you know that.”