he was asking things she’d been wondering herself, but avoiding answering. “Do you know how annoying it is that you always seem to cut right to the heart of things?”
“You asked,” he reminded her. “How about an honest answer?”
She drew in a deep breath and thought about the question. “Maybe a little of both,” she admitted. “I mean, I can see being passionate about something like this, about creating something so beautiful, something that will make people happy when they hear the sound on the breeze.”
“But?” he prodded.
“I know I was also getting frustrated by not having made a decision. At least this is a step forward, even if it’s not necessarily on the right path.”
Wade nodded. “I had a feeling that might be part of it.”
Her conviction wavered. “Should I just forget all about this?”
“Absolutely not,” he said, surprising her.
“Why not?”
“Because changes aren’t always black-and-white decisions. There’s nothing wrong with experimenting, as long as you understand that the results might not be what you wanted or expected. It’s never wrong to explore, to take risks, to shake things up as long as you understand why you’re doing it.”
“And I do know with absolute certainty that I want something different,” she said, confident on that point at least. “This certainly fits that criteria.”
His eyes sparkled with amusement. “It certainly does. I think you successfully stunned both of your sisters when you made your announcement in that store and then Boone when you told us tonight.”
“And you? You weren’t even a tiny bit taken aback?”
“Nah,” he said, then claimed, “I’ve known for months that there was an adventurous soul in there yearning to break free.”
Gabi rolled her eyes. “You did not.”
“Well, I have to admit I hoped there was.”
“No dull, staid corporate type for you?”
He held her gaze then and leaned cross the console to cup a hand behind her neck, drawing her close. When their lips met, there was nothing dull or staid about the kiss that followed.
He leaned back, smiling. “No worries on that front. I suspect you’ll always be able to keep my heart racing and me guessing.”
Gabi studied him with wonder. “How can you see me that way, when nobody else does?”
“Maybe no one else has taken the time to look beneath the surface,” he suggested, then added pointedly, “Not even you.”
Gabi thought about that and realized it was entirely possible he was exactly right. She’d made up her mind at an early age that she had to impress her father to get his attention. When it hadn’t worked, she’d tried even harder, never taking her eye off that single elusive goal. During the years when other teens changed course a half dozen times, she’d stayed on the straight and narrow. Whatever whims might have passed fleetingly through her heart had been determinedly ignored in favor of higher achievements.
“I feel as if I’ve picked the worst possible time to take off on some journey of self-discovery,” she said.
“Because of the baby?”
“Of course because of the baby. Do you remember hearing about the flower children of the sixties? My impression was they were self-indulgent and irresponsible. Is that what I’m turning into?”
“I suppose it remains to be seen,” he responded candidly, eyes twinkling. “But I seriously doubt all those old responsible habits of yours can be kicked that readily. You’ll try this, and if it doesn’t work out, you’ll move on to something that does.”
“You seem to have a lot of faith in me.”
“Yes, I do,” he said without hesitation.
His immediate belief in her was a revelation. How different her life might have been if she’d had even an iota of that from her father.
“I think you might be very good for me, Wade Johnson,” she told him quietly.
The admission, coming as it did on top of so many other recent and unanticipated changes in her life, scared her to death. And, of course, there still remained the very big question of whether she could possibly be any good for him or whether he was trying desperately to recapture a time in his past when he’d had everything he wanted. Deep in her gut, she couldn’t help remembering how tragically that had ended.
* * *
When Gabi finally got back to Cora Jane’s, she was surprised to find her grandmother waiting up for her.
“Is everything okay?” Gabi asked at once. “You’re never up this late.”
“I thought we should talk,” Cora Jane said. “Samantha told me a little about what went on today. Sounds as if you’re looking to make