Without missing a beat, Ms. Foster said, “Can’t wait to meet him.”

Summer shook the woman’s hand and headed outside, her mind full of plots to get Gabriel to help her.

She could trick him into marrying her. No, that was too 1800s.

She could pay him to marry her. With what money? Besides, he wouldn’t take it anyway.

So deep in thought, that she almost walked past the man she was plotting against.

“Summer,” he said, in that deep voice of his that sounded like a caress.

Unfortunately, he’d caught her off-guard, and she had no time to put on her mental armor. “Gabriel.”

“Join me for lunch?” He gestured to the empty spot on the park bench. “I packed extra.”

Wary, she sat down, but as far away from him as possible. “I am hungry. My meeting took longer than expected.”

A dark brow rose. “Meeting?”

Crap, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. “Yeah, my monthly home-wreckers not so anonymous meeting. Though can one call it a meeting when I’m the only member?”

He scowled at her. “Stop putting yourself down like that.”

“I’m just saying what everyone else does.”

Gabriel handed her half of his sandwich. “Honey, you haven’t lived her in almost three years. So, how do you know what anyone around here is saying?”

He had a point, and Harrison had said the same thing. “Do you remember when we used to meet under the second set of entwined dogwoods, and eat lunch during the summer?”

He smiled, a far-off look appearing in his beautiful eyes. “You’d always bring me lemon pound cake.”

“You’d bring me Pringles—the cheese flavored ones.”

“Azalea wouldn’t allow processed foods in the house,” he said with a grin. “I remember your fingers and mouth would be yellow-orange by the time you were finished.”

“And you tasted like lemons,” she giggled, and then smashed her lips together. Why did she have to bring that up?

“Cheese and lemons, who would have thought it?”

“Sorry, that was—”

“Nothing wrong with reminiscing. We were childhood sweethearts, Summer, no matter how much you wish it wasn’t true.”

“I never said that.” She’d never wished that either.

He smiled sadly at her. “You didn’t have to.”

Summer fell silent, and Gabriel did the same. It wasn’t uncomfortable, and that bothered her all the more. It was easy and sweet and—

“I need your help,” she blurted.

His blue eyes turned hard. “I’m listening, but I’m not promising anything. Elise needs my full attention.”

“I want you to help me get Ivy back.”

Chapter Eight

Was Summer out of her mind? Of course she was. How else could they have had a civil conversation for longer than a minute, besides insanity or divine intervention?

“You wouldn’t have to do anything beyond marrying me, and then we can get a divorce or an annulment after whatever requirements the state has is met,” she said in all seriousness.

“We’ve known one another for eighteen years, and in all that time, have I ever said I’d get married just so I can get a divorce? And a planned one at that,” he growled. He threw his lunch in the nearby trashcan. It was a good thing he’d shared it with Summer, because his appetite was completely gone.

“You owe me,” she said, her voice just as hard as his.

“Owe you?” His jaw clenched. “I have done nothing but bend over backwards for you. I’ve lost perfectly good relationships because of you. I put people who matter last because of you.”

“People who matter?”

“Yes, people who matter.” He exhaled. “I have gone against advice from my friends, my parents, my ex-girlfriend, and even your sister to help you. It’s cost me everything at times to help you, but do you appreciate that? Hell no.”

Brown eyes grew wide, but her mouth turned stubborn. “I didn’t make you choose to help me.”

“What was I supposed to do—let you starve, freeze, and go homeless?”

Birds in a nearby tree flew away, wings beating loudly.

“You were supposed to believe me, yet you didn’t. You believed what everyone else said about me, and not until you found out it wasn’t true, did you apologize.”

“That still bothers you?” He threw his hands in the air. “The act of a dumb, insecure teenager not taking your word for something still bothers you?”

“It was more than something.” She fisted her hands in her lap. “I was called a whore and a slut. I was accused of sleeping with the entire football team, with teachers if I made a good grade, and if a couple broke up, it was because I screwed their boyfriend.”

“Damn it, I wasn’t there, then. I was in college.”

“I know where you were, but you could have stopped it when the rumors first started,” she pointed out.

“When I found out what Patrick Johnson did to you, I made him pay…I broke his arm and knocked out three of his teeth.” He jumped to his feet. “Does that make you happy? I beat the living hell out of another human being for hurting the girl I loved.”

Shock registered on her face. “You did?”

He nodded once. “Does that make you happy?”

“No—yes.” She beat a fist against her thigh. “I don’t know.”

“Say it makes you happy. Say that knowing what I did makes up for it,” he demanded. “That it makes up for everything.”

Tears made her eyes glisten, and her lips trembled. “You promised to be there for Ivy and me. You promised,” she shouted. “But you left, because—because…” She shook her head. “I don’t know why, but you left me there, in the hospital with that woman. Azalea said you couldn’t handle the pressure.”

His anger ebbed away. Summer truly believed he’d left her? Then again, why wouldn’t she believe the woman who had raised her? “I didn’t leave you,” he swallowed. “Azalea told me I was no longer needed. She had an orderly escort me out, and when I went to see you after you were discharged, she said you moved away.”

Summer stood, eyes glistening. “I swear to you, I did not want you to leave me.”

Gabriel scrubbed a hand across his face. “I want to believe you, I really do, but it’s hard. Thing is, even if I do believe, even if you believe I owe you, I have to put Elise first. I have to concentrate on her. She has to come first.”

“You keep repeating that, but I have to wonder if you’re doing that for my benefit or yours,” Summer said softly. “And if you two are so serious, then why are both of you so concerned with what I will or won’t do to your relationship?”

“Not fair, Summer.” He shook his head. “You’ve never had to compete with anyone.”

Summer stared at Gabriel. The hell she hadn’t. However, none of that mattered. She would convince him to marry her, so she could get Ivy back. What he did afterwards, was no concern of hers.

“Let me make it easy on you. If you don’t help me, then I’ll make Azalea look like a saint compared to how many marriages I’ll break up around here.”

His nostrils flared. “What about Elise?”

“If she loves you so much, then she can wait for the divorce. Hell, have an affair with her until then, if you want, but I get dibs on the honeymoon.” Summer lifted her chin, daring him to call her bluff.

For the love of God, call it.

Yes, she wanted his help, but she had only ever slept with exactly two men in her entire life. The second one had been Darius, and it had taken months for her to learn to trust him enough to even get that far.

Gabriel remained silent, so she fell back on what she knew made him uncomfortable.

She walked up to him, placing her hand on his chest and breathing him in. “I’d be very gentle, angel. Or rough. However, you’d like it.”

He grabbed her wrist, but she noticed he didn’t try to push her hand away. “Summer.”

She fluttered her lashes at him. “Yes, angel?”

His gaze dropped to her lips. “Sex doesn’t scare me. I’m perfectly comfortable with the act.”

Her mouth dropped open a little. “But I thought you were waiting.”

“I am.”

“So, how would you…?”

“It doesn’t matter, but I’ll be damned if I let you threaten me into anything.” He pulled her closer, until nothing separated them—not even daylight.

They still fit perfectly together. Her head right under his chin, her chest to his chest… His grip tightened. She wanted to kiss him, and she wanted him to kiss her back.

“Will you think about it?” she asked, breathless. Her heart beat loudly in her ears, and her blood sang in her veins. Gabriel was touching her, willingly touching her, and holding her close.

His perfect mouth thinned. Suddenly, his eyes widened a little and he made a little noise, something between a grunt and a growl.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Elise saw us.” Gabriel let go of her, like she was a hot poker.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” It was all her fault. She never should have touched him.

“I still need to talk to her.”

“Does that mean you’ll help me?” she tentatively asked.

He shot her a dark look. “It means we’ll talk later. I hope you’re happy.” Then he stalked away, calling Elise’s name.

Summer watched him go. She wished she could say that she wasn’t happy, but she was. Though she really hadn’t wanted to hurt Elise, she had to get her daughter back. No matter the cost.

Someday, after the divorce, Gabriel and Elise could be together again, and Summer would never bother him again, even if it would permanently break her heart in two.

It was funny, if she thought about, because her heart had stopped working a long time ago.

Chapter Nine

Gabriel jogged after Elise, calling her name again and again.

Finally, she turned around, her green eyes blazing. “If I had wanted to talk to you, then I would have stopped, before everyone in the entire county heard you shouting my name.”

“Let me explain,” he said.

Elise’s lips smashed together, and then she took a breath. “There’s nothing to explain.”

“Nothing happened.”

“I know nothing happened, Gabe. You’re not that kind of guy.” Elise made a little face. “You’re kind, honest, and love saving damsels in distress.”

Affronted, he stepped back. “I enjoy helping people, Elise. It gives me joy to do for others what was done for me.”

“It’s not your job to save everyone,” she snapped.

Hadn’t Carlos said those very words to him? “I know it’s not, but all we were doing was talking, honey. Nothing more. I made no promises to help her.”

She smiled sadly. “You didn’t have to. The look on your face said it all for you.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve done nothing, but repeat to Summer that you come first, that you are what I have to focus on, not her.”

“Have to focus on?” She tilted her head to one side. “You make it sound like a chore you have to do.”

“I’m not going to win this argument, am I?” he asked. “I’m not going to be able to convince you that no matter what, I’ll keep my promise, am I?”

“Oh, Gabriel. The only woman you’ve ever kept your promise to is standing right where you left her.”

“I’ve never broken my promise to anyone.”

“That’s because you’ve never made one before.” She glanced away. “I talked to your ex-fiancée.”

“And what did Zoe have to say?”

“That you’re everything I know you to be, everything that any woman could want, but only one woman truly holds your heart.”

Zoe had said that to her? Zoe had known that about him, yet continued to be his friend and take him back, over and over again, until she finally met the man that made her happy? Some kind of friend he’d been.

“What would you like for me to do?” he asked.

“I think it’s best if we break up.”

“No.”

She laid a hand on his arm. “The minute I felt a need to go into Carolina Dreams and warn Summer Holland to stay the hell away from my man was the moment I knew I needed to let you go.”

“Just like that?” Gabriel stood there, stunned. “I can’t—”

“Now you don’t have to. Seriously, Gabe, it’s for the best.” Elise leaned in, brushing a light kiss on his cheek. “I wish you happiness.” It began to rain, and she made a little sound, letting go of him and grabbing her umbrella. “Good-bye, Gabe.”

“Good-bye, Elise.” With the rain beating down on him, he watched her walk away, wondering what it said about him that he only felt the smallest bit of regret.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer to that question.

Whirling around, he searched for Summer, but the park was empty. He thought for sure she would have stuck around to gloat. It was for the best anyway. He really needed time to think.

Helping Summer was possible now, but to what end? He had meant what he said to her about marriage and divorce.

He walked along the wet, tree-lined path and shoved his hands in his pockets. As a child, he never minded the rain, because it meant that he could get a little cleaner, that he and his mother could have a little water to drink.