Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,46
couch, lamenting about their single-mother status. With her short, sleek copper-colored bob; lean figure; and big brown eyes, Daisy had been sought out for many dates, but they all came up lacking. It was hard to find a guy who wanted to date a single mom, someone who couldn’t go out for spontaneous dinners or romantic weekends away. Relationships were hard enough without any extra issues, though Bella and Daisy would never consider their children anything but a gift. Still, it made the idea of dating Gabe even more worrisome. Would he really enjoy her routine lifestyle or consistently coming in second to the needs of her daughter?
“Did your dad drive up to take Meg to the dance?” she asked, finishing up with the cupcakes and wiping off the leftover frosting with a napkin.
Daisy nodded. “Yeah, he’s so sweet. He’s going to stay overnight so he doesn’t have to make the trip back in the dark. His night vision sucks.”
Bella smiled. “I love that she’s going with her Pop Pop; it’s so special. Carter got sick, so he couldn’t make it.”
“Oh no! Who’s with Zoe? I haven’t seen her come in yet.”
“Gabe.”
Her friend gasped. “Gabe took her? Oh my Lord, wait till a text leaks out he’s here. I guarantee the attendance will double by all the moms who refused to volunteer.”
As busy as they were, they both tried to do their part to keep active in the school community. But they’d both taken a stand against baking—they bought the cookies and cupcakes for parties and dances. It was their sort of compromise to not become one of those over-the-top PTO moms and get all judgy toward working moms who just didn’t have the time.
Bella knew being supportive of all mothering styles was important. She didn’t know why society still emphasized tearing other women down, but as much as she liked to joke with Daisy, they’d learned not to assume anything by the surface. Too many times, there was rot beneath a sunny, seemingly perfect family. After losing their husbands, they both had said forgiveness and nonjudgment came easier, and they tried not to engage in gossip.
Most of the time it worked, but small beach towns were riddled with juicy tidbits. Sometimes it was hard to resist.
Suddenly, her gaze caught on the subject of their discussion. Standing next to Meg’s granddad was Gabe, who was dancing to some pop song the girls were singing aloud to. He did one of those canned disco moves, swaying his hips back and forth while he laughed with the girls. The lights spun on his coal-black hair, and he threw his head back, smiling, his teeth gleaming white, and the familiar shudder gripped her body like a fever, squeezing it with sheer longing.
“Holy. Crap.” Daisy looked from her back to the dance floor with shock.
Bella shook her head and tried to clear it. “What’s the matter?”
“You’re into him.”
She stared back at her friend with a touch of panic. “Who?”
Her friend jabbed a cherry-red nail in the air. “Gabe. I just caught the way you looked at him. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
She hesitated only a moment. She wasn’t ready to confide in Daisy yet, especially since she didn’t know if it was just a brief attraction or something more. She forced a laugh. “Gabe’s one of my business partners, I would never get involved with him.”
“That’s a valid excuse, but you evaded my real question. Who cares if it’s inappropriate? Are you hot for him?”
“Shhh!” She glared, then grabbed the travel mug and took a sip. The liquid slid down her throat with ease and gave her fake courage to lie. “You’re being ridiculous. I mean, of course he’s hot, I’m not dead. But there’s nothing between us.”
Daisy crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Still not an answer. Why are you so freaked out? It’s normal to lust after a man. I’m just surprised because I’ve never seen that look on your face before, and you’ve been working with him for a while. Are you an item?”
She looked around to make sure no one was listening and leaned in. “Daisy, please let’s not talk about this. We’re not an item. He was nice enough to step in when Carter got sick because he’s both a family friend and coworker. Okay? Can we move on?”
Her friend gave her a beaming grin. “Sure. Did you sleep with him yet?”
She let out a frustrated breath. “Forget it. I’m going to talk to Amy.”