Eventually, he got the hint and stopped asking, and though Avery got frustrated with Bella’s stubbornness, her sister finally conceded, accusing her of too much pride.
Unfortunately, Bella was stuck this whole weekend working the Royal wedding with him, but once Avery and Taylor returned, they’d go back to their normal schedule.
Bella sipped her coffee and began bringing up her files on her laptop. “I’m sure knowing what females want has made you good at your job.”
His look was full of self-mockery. “It’s definitely an asset. Unfortunately, my poor father almost disowned me when he discovered I was putting that type of talent toward helping brides.”
Her curiosity was piqued. Gabe rarely spoke about his parents or past. “He had a problem with it?”
“Thought I was gay. Let’s just say that talk didn’t go well, because even though I wasn’t, it pissed me off he had a problem with it.”
She winced inwardly. She’d been guilty of thinking the same thing when he was first hired, but it hadn’t bothered her. It had been a good six months before his female exploits became legendary. “What about your mom?”
“She had no opinion of her own. Whatever my father said was law. Don’t get me wrong—he wasn’t abusive. He just wasn’t . . . warm.”
She picked her words carefully. “I think it’s sad that even in this day and age, people want to pigeonhole others. I think there should be more men in this business, and it’s ridiculous certain careers are discouraged because of someone’s gender.”
“Agreed. But you all took a chance on me, and here I am, freshly promoted.” He shot her a dazzling smile. “I think painful things in the past can be valuable lessons for the future. Do you feel that way?”
The thoughtful question and genuine interest in his gaze warned her they’d gone too far. Opening up his past was an invitation to deepen their relationship—an expert trick in forging intimacy she wasn’t interested in.
She gave a bland smile and focused on the screen in front of her. “Sure. Listen, we have tons of work to get through. Shall we start?”
The air thickened. As her fingers clicked over the keys, she silently held her breath, then heard him take the seat across from her.
“Of course,” he clipped out. “I’m sure you want to get through this weekend as quickly and painlessly as possible.”
She tried not to wince at the double entendre of his words but refused to feel guilt. They had a job to do, and allowing herself to be vulnerable to his good looks and charm wasn’t good for Sunshine Bridal. The less time they spent together, the better. Having her sisters under his spell was plenty. Someone in the family had to look out for their business interests and be practical.
So she didn’t react to his words. She just got to work.
Chapter Two
She was doing it again.
Gabe tried to ignore the spurt of frustration ready to explode like a shaken-up can of soda once freed. He’d hoped working with Bella on this wedding would give them time to build some camaraderie. He’d been working for Sunshine Bridal now for three years, and he wasn’t any closer to breaking down her walls than he’d been when they were first introduced and shook hands.
Why the hell didn’t she like him?
Switching to autopilot, he began going down the multiple checklists for the upcoming weekend, his brain going over and over their exchange. She’d actually asked him a personal question. Usually, she stuck to general greetings, work, or talk about the weather. But he’d been too eager, believing she was actually interested after inquiring about his mom.
Avery usually ran the morning meetings and always started them with enthusiasm, positivity, and genuine questions on everyone’s mental state. Maybe this was Bella’s way of trying to stay focused while her sisters were out of town. Except he was now full-time with his own clients, and she was still treating him like an afterthought.
Politely, of course. Bella was never rude or wanted to hurt feelings. Too bad every time she dismissed him, another piece of his heart crumbled off and blew away like dust.
“Gabe? Did you take care of the flowers?”
He shook his head and reminded himself there was a huge postholiday wedding to pull off. His plan to impress Bella so she was dazzled by his expertise was already failing. “Yes, we’ll have the garland, mistletoe, and pine trees decorated and ready for both the ceremony and reception.”
“Good. I confirmed with the sleigh driver, and