Hunting Haven
Chapter Eight

Haven

Sprawling across my couch with a good book was probably my favorite pastime. This time my novel of choice was a bodice ripper with a 13th century Scottish highlander as the hero. Romance was a whole lot of fluff that I avoided in real life, but I loved it in my readings. I’d just gotten to the beginning of a very promising steamy sex scene when my phone vibrated. Deciding there was nothing wrong with a little delayed literary gratification, I set the paperback down and opened the text.

Gabe: Hey. Tommy called to let me know your car was ready. I’m off today if you want a ride to go get it.

Yes! It’d been a week since the night Gabe first picked me up from work. My car had been transported from police custody to Gabe’s friend’s garage. Saying I was hesitant to take more help from the deputy would have been an understatement. At first, I’d been adamant that I’d take care of everything myself, but Tommy had just opened his business and offered me a great deal for the cost of repairs. He was desperate for business, and I was just excited to not completely empty out my savings account. I was able to avoid going through my insurance for repairs too, so my premium didn’t go up. Let’s just say, I was pretty grateful for Gabe and Tommy.

Me: Yeah, that’d be awesome. What time?

Gabe: Noon?

I glanced at the time. It was just after ten in the morning, so I’d have plenty of time to get semi-decent looking. Currently, my dark locks resembled more of a rat’s nest than actual hair, and my shirt had more holes in it than swiss cheese. While I briefly lamented the loss of my lazy day off, I was excited to get my car back.

Gabe had been driving me to and from work every day and, much to my dismay, he’d refused to take gas money from me. I was glad to no longer be a burden to him. We’d actually sort of become friends over the past week. We chatted easily and texted often. It was nice to have a friend other than Laura who kind of knew my past. I hadn’t opened up to him anymore, but he knew enough. More importantly, he didn’t look at me like I was damaged goods and he definitely didn’t treat me with kid gloves. We’d bickered enough lately for me to realize that much.

Me: Or we can go get breakfast first :)

Gabe: I really don’t understand how you haven’t turned into a waffle yet.

Me: Maybe one day.

It was no secret that I had a deep love for breakfast foods, waffles in particular. I’d even managed to talk him into two am diner pit stops on the way home from work a few times. He still had yet to let me buy his food, but I was working on it. If he refused to take my money for the rides, I would replace another way to repay him. But, until then, I happily enjoyed my waffles.

Gabe: See you at 11:30 then.

Me: So 11:25? got ya.

Over the past week, I learned that Gabe perpetually showed up exactly five minutes early. After the second day of answering the door with my toothbrush in my mouth, I started getting ready earlier.

Hopping off the couch, I bid my romance novel farewell and raced up the stairs to get dressed. Gabe was strictly in the friendzone, but I still liked to look good when he picked me up. Just because we couldn’t go there didn’t mean I didn’t want him to think about it. Yeah, I’m a terrible person. I know.

A pair of ripped light washed skinny jeans and a navy blue v-neck later, I looked casually hot. Well, kinda. My hair was still rough. It was an intense struggle, trying to get a brush through the matted mess, but it was my own fault. There were rules you had to follow when you had naturally curly hair. The number one rule being no going to bed with wet hair. Thankfully, after a few prayers and a very hot flat iron. I’d tamed the beast that grew out of my head until it was straight and silky. I bypassed my makeup bag, only swiping on a layer of clear lip gloss, and slipping it in my pocket to reapply after we ate.

I’d managed to beat the clock. At 11:20, I bounded out onto my porch and bumped right into Gabe.

“How the hell did you still get here before I made it out?” I demanded, stomping a playfully petulant foot.

“What can I say? When you’re good, you’re good.” He replied with a grin, holding a teal box out to me. “By the way, should I be offended? You do realize the whole cop and donut thing is a stereotype, right?”

I tilted my head to the side and frowned. “Huh?” He tipped the box so I could see the chocolate donuts through the clear plastic window on top. “Oh my god,” I squealed as I snatched it out of his hands. “Where did you get these?”

“So you weren’t being an ass about cops and donuts, huh? Seems like the kind of joke you’d make. The box was on your porch.”

“First of all, I’m offended because I’m funnier than that. Second, I was going to share, but honestly? With that attitude, you don’t deserve the heaven that is Dante’s devil food donuts,” I quipped, sticking my tongue out as I stepped back into my house. He followed without invitation. It was sort of our routine. I’d open the door and then have one last thing to do before I could leave. Gabe seemed to be used to waiting for me already, but this time it wasn’t my fault.

“Where are they from?” He asked as he followed me into the kitchen and sat at my kitchen table.

“Only the best bakery in Virginia. They are my absolute favorite. My best friend, Laura, said she was going to send me some.”

He frowned as he stared at them, “They delivered it like that?”

“No clue. Don’t care.” I said as I pulled one out and took a bite. He looked like he wanted to object to me eating one. “Relax, Gabe. Laura is the only one who knows my address and my Dante’s addiction. Turn your deputy brain off and eat a donut.”

“I thought I didn’t deserve the heaven that is the devil’s food donut? Interesting phrasing, by the way.”

“Hey, I didn’t name the donuts, dude. Quit being a pain in my ass. I’m feeling gracious today, so dig in before I decide you aren’t worthy.”

He shook his head, a small smirk on his face as he grabbed a delicious chocolate ring. His eyes bugged out as he bit it into it. “Whoa.” The exclamation was muffled by the fried dough in his mouth.

“Told you so.” We finished in blissful silence. At least, I was blissed out. It tasted like home and happiness. Dante’s had been my high school haunt. After I’d gotten married, Jesse had refused to let me go because the baked goods would make me fat and he didn’t want a fat wife—his words, not mine. Needless to say, eating the donuts again felt like a giant fuck you to him, and I savored that almost as much as the taste itself. I may have left him in my past over two years ago, but it was still nice to have a little defiant moment.

“I take back everything I said about donuts. I’m all for this,” Gabe said before taking another bite.

“I wish she’d sent one of the lavender macarons, too. They must have been sold out. They’re the Dante’s Bakery signature dessert.”

He let out a gasp and began to cough, choking on the mouthful of chocolate.

“Are you okay?” I asked, standing up as I started to panic.

He waved me away, taking small breaths between his coughs as tears began to stream down his face. After a moment, he composed himself enough to take a solid breath.

“Do you want some milk or water or something?” I offered, shifting from foot to foot.

“I’m good. Just inhaled weird.”

“So... do you usually cry when you choke?”

“I’m not crying. My eyes are just watering.”

“Looks like you’re crying to me. What are you too tough to cry?”

He rolled his eyes and stood up. “I don’t know why I put up with you more than I have to. You wanna go get breakfast still?”

“Ouch, Macias. That was cold. I thought you enjoyed my sunshine and rainbows personality.”

“If you’re sunshine and rainbows, then my real name is Martha.”

I burst into a fit of laughter as I closed the donut box and led the way out of the house. “Martha? Where did that come from? Is that like a euphemism that I’ve never heard or something?”

“Are you almost done laughing at me for the day?” His tone was dripping with sarcasm as he opened my car door.

“Awe, am I hurting your feelings?” I stuck out my bottom lip playfully as I stepped closer to him in mock challenge.

He reached out, catching my jaw quickly yet gently, and swiped my bottom lip with his thumb. My breath caught, my gaze locking with his. As his eyes darkened, my stomach clenched in anticipation before he let me go. “Had chocolate on your lip,” his voice was gruff as he took a step back and looked away. Once his eyes released me, I took a deep breath and slipped into the squad car without looking at him.

Holy shit.

Sometimes, we were so easy-going together that I forgot the sexual tension had increased just as much as our budding friendship. It was enough to tempt me to seduce him, but that would be a mistake. Gabe was the kind of guy you kept around, not one you just rolled around in the sheets with, and I wasn’t the woman that wanted more. Friends was definitely better. Now, I just needed my lady bits to get the memo.

“Uh, we wasted a lot of time,” Gabe said before he was even fully in the car. I looked away to hide the flush in my cheeks as I murmured my agreement. “Let’s just go straight to the garage.”

“Good idea.”

That was the end of our car ride conversation. I wish I could say that was the first time we’d been in this sort of uncomfortable situation, but it was becoming more and more frequent lately. We had a moment full of sexual tension, and then we avoided talking about it. We avoided acting on it, too, even though we both clearly thought about it. Not having my car was becoming detrimental to our friendship at this point. We were too close, far too often. Maybe once we weren’t shoved into such close proximity twice a day, we’d be able to avoid, or at least ignore, the attraction.

He threw the car in park and climbed out almost immediately. The key had barely been removed from the ignition and he was already gone, walking toward the entrance to Tommy’s Auto Repair. That alone showed how interested he was, too. It took a lot to shock Gabe out of being a gentleman. At least, we were on the same page for this one. He wasn’t going to make a move either. It honestly made me feel more secure in our friendship... even if it was mildly annoying to be resisted so easily. Or maybe I was just irritated because resisting him was anything but easy.

Stupid, sexy deputy.