Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Gabby

I t's odd having Barrett back in my personal space again. I never got the chance to get used to him, but I missed the hell out of him after he wasn't around anymore. When we first matched on Tinder and I invited him to the shop, neither one of us realized who the other was. On his picture, he'd had a skull bandanna covering the bottom half of his mouth. It'd been taken while him and the guys were four-wheeling. My picture had purposely hidden my face, just for my protection. I was a single woman living on her own, coming into the bakery early by myself. I was interested in having a dating lift again, but at the same time scared that I'd attract the wrong person.

When he'd walked into Get Baked, holding the flowers he'd said he would be, and I was wearing the clothes I said I would be - there was shock on both sides. I think we'd stood there and stared at one another for damn near five minutes, but then we'd smiled, and it felt like his smile went right to the empty shell my chest had been. We'd pushed that aside, though, and decided to go on the date, because we'd had such a good connection over text.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks, as he has a seat at my table, kicking those long legs out in front of him.

"The first time I realized you were B from the app." I say quietly, watching for his reaction.

He rolls his eyes, a mega-watt smile spreading across his face. "Looking back, B wasn't exactly the best nickname to use. If you'd been a little nosier, you probably would've figured out it was me before I showed up."

I wrinkle my nose as I have a seat, cutting the sandwich I prepared in half, and putting it on a napkin in front of him. "Yeah well, using Gabrielle really should've clued you in. But I guess most don't know that's my real name."

Reaching out, he grabs the sandwich and takes a bite. Eyes close and a moan comes from deep within his throat as he chews. "I understand that Kara has the market cornered on tacos, but goddamn you make the best sandwiches and desserts I have ever tasted. You're talented in ways I never even imagined. You take these everyday ingredients and put them on a piece of bread, but it makes one of the most amazing meals I've ever had. Not to mention those chocolate chip cookies. I think I gained fifteen pounds the first month we dated."

His praise warms my cheeks. I'm used to people telling me they like my food, but hardly anyone says it the way he just has. It's more you're sandwiches are good, and next time you have something special let me know. But Barrett, he seems to understand how happy it makes me to provide things like this to not only people I care about, but my community, too. "Thank you. That means more than you could ever realize. I've always envisioned Get Baked as a place for everyone to gather at, where parents bring their kids, where relationships are started and continued. I'm trying not to let the attempted break in bring me down. It set me back some."

"What do you mean?" he asks, as he puts a slice of pickle in his mouth.

"My deductible is out of this world.", I admit. "But when I started, I hadn't had enough money to be able to avoid the high deductible." I wish I'd decided to wait a few more years before starting my business, but I can't change any of that now. The sad truth is if I had waited, I probably wouldn't have had the guts to do it. Pulling the trigger was a shot in the dark that I hadn't been sure would work.

"You act like that's something to be ashamed of, Gabby. Newsflash, hardly anyone has their shit together, no matter how old you are. We're all just doing the best we can, and when it gets better is when you allow others to help you. Which is what you allowed me to do, so thank you."

God why does he have to be perfect, and why do I have to be so stuck on the fact that I'm older than he is. No man my age has ever tried to make me feel better like this. Only Barrett. "I appreciate it."

"Even if you don't believe it, right? He fucked you up, Gabs, but you have to know that ex-husband of yours was a piece of shit and didn't deserve you. He sure as hell didn't know who you were. If he did, he would've realized how bright you shine, honey."

I close my eyes, unable to meet his light green ones. Somehow out of everyone in my life, this man has always been able to see me. Even when I've wanted to hide. "I have a lot of work to do," I whisper.

"I know, I better be going, but Gabby..." He reaches forward, the rough skin of his palm scraping against mine. It's such a contradiction in both our lives. "I want to see you again. Can you give me another chance? I responded badly when you called me out about being younger. I shouldn't have done it."

My heart lurches inside my chest. "I'm just as much to blame as you. Can we take it slow?"

He smirks, the one I hadn't been able to resist when we'd first met each other. It's the one that had us getting way too close on our first date. "Have we ever been able to take it slow, babe?"

"No." I shake my head, swallowing. "But maybe that was the problem to begin with."

He sighs, running a hand through his short hair. "Maybe it was, and maybe this time we shouldn't put expectations on each other? I think we both had some preconceived notions."

I'm going to hate myself for agreeing to this, but I'm also going to hate myself if I don't see where this could take us. I've given up a lot in life, things I don't want to think about anymore, and Barrett Grant isn't one of those things I want to wonder about. I lean into his palm, where it's cupping my cheek. "I want to give us another shot, Barrett, but we have to be honest with each other this time."

He nods, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. "Then can I be honest and say I desperately want to kiss you? I've thought about nothing but doing it since the last time I tasted your mouth."

This man and his words, they kill me. They're one hundred percent why I decided to give him a shot the first time around. Back then I didn't even know what he looked like. Hooking my arm around his neck, I pull him in. "Take that kiss, Barrett. I won't stop you."

He smirks, leaning in, slowly taking the kiss. As our lips meet, and tongues tangle, I realize just how much I've missed this, and vow I won't ever miss it again.