Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss Read Free Book Online Page A

pulse race. “You know what I mean. You’re taking the vows. Where in the world did all of this come from?”
    For a split second, I saw a flicker of panic cross his face, but it quickly melted back into joy. “Yeah, weird, huh? My mom said the same thing when I told her.”
    There was something to be said for the little exchange between Nora and me after Gabe’s announcement at Christmas dinner. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, except now I was positive that she knew I loved Gabe. Did she wish he was with me? I shook my head, pushing the memory away. There was no point in focusing on my moment with Nora at dinner. Talk about a lost cause.
    “It’s more than weird. It’s a major, major departure for you,” I said, watching Gabe’s face for some sign of remorse. Some flicker of light that indicated he still loved me. “What happened to the guy who said he wasn’t getting married until he was in his thirties? Or later?”
    “I don’t know. I guess my opinion changed. I…” He paused. “I guess I fell in love.”
    I swallowed . That stung a bit. “Well, then, if you don’t mind, can I ask you a question?”
    He furrowed his brow. “When have you ever asked my permission?”
    “Right.” I laid down on my side. “Okay. So…you’ve seen a lot of women.”
    He closed his eyes. “Not that many.”
    “Oh, please, Casanova. You’ve had more girlfriends than Hef.” I socked him in the shoulder.
    “So what’s your point?”
    “My point is…what makes Alicia so different? What makes you want to make her your wife?”
    Gabe stretched out, his fingers laced behind his head while he stared up at the ceiling. “Alicia’s amazing. I wish you could know her the way I know her.”
    I made a gagging sound.
    “Shut up. She’s kind and smart. She volunteers at a soup kitchen, did you know that? And she’s got me doing things to help out the community, too.”
    I pressed my lips together tightly. Gabe was a kind person, but serving the community? He usually wrote his yearly check to the Red Cross, then called it good.
    “She encourages me to do things I’ve never done before. She wants us to host charity events someday. She wants us to be known for our philanthropy when we’re older.” His eyes danced as he rattled on, and a twinge of jealousy stung in my gut. “Alicia motivates me. She makes me want to be a better person. She inspires me to work harder.”
    Personally, I found it hard to believe he could work harder. Gabe busted his ass at his career in advertising and was the youngest junior partner in the history of his agency. I tried to read the expression on his stoic profile. “And you’re happy, right?”
    He turned toward me. A hand emerged from under his head, coming to rest on the side of my face. “Yes.”
    We just stared at each other, the only sound Betsy’s muffled snoring next door. His hand was still cool from being outside, but my skin heated beneath it, and I was frozen in place, with my mind going like a runaway city bus.
    Why did Gabe touch my face? What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to kiss him now? No, no, no…I’d just kissed my boyfriend good-bye, and Gabe was engaged . He was taken. Off-limits. We both were.
    I sensed every curve and angle of his fingers and relished in the way they felt against my skin. It’d been a seriously long time since he’d touched me like this. His face was an odd mixture of emotions as we sat there. Excitement and joy mixed with panic. A departure from his usual state of complete confidence.
    “Why are you here tonight?” I asked.
    He blinked and dropped his hand from my face. “I came to ask you a question.”
    I cleared my throat. “Okay then…hit me.”
    The corners of his mouth pricked upward. “So the reason I came here without Alicia is…”
    “Because she can’t stand me.”
    Gabe frowned. “She doesn’t hate you. She thinks you’re great.”
    “Okay, you get an ‘A’ for effort, dude, but I’m not buying it. The