Page 58 of Gary

Chapter 12

She floated into the shop. She had called her mother to tell her that she would be late and asked her to open up for her.

Now an hour after opening, she was pushing the door open, a smile on her face. She had barely slept. Gary had been true to his word and had kept her up.

But she felt wonderful. She was in love with him! And he was in love with her. Ignoring the voice that was telling her to be cautious, she was determined to go along with the emotions coursing through her body. They were going out for dinner later.

She had Thanksgiving things to deal with and was determined to get everything done so that she could be with him.

“Look who is finally here,” Sharon eyed her daughter quizzically as she approached the counter.

“Was it very busy?”

“Just the morning rush. Latte?”

“Please. I am just going to put away my things. I’ll be right back.”

Sharon prepared the latte and a cup of steaming hot chocolate for herself. She had them ready and had placed some cookies on a plate by the time her daughter came back.

“I want to hear all about it. You are glowing.” She patted the space on the sofa next to her.

“Is it that obvious?” Sadie asked with a laugh as she sat down. “Oh mom! I am in love with him.”

“I could have told you that.” Picking up her cup, she sipped the beverage. “And he’s in love with you.”

“He wants to marry me.”

“So soon? Honey, you only just met each other.”

Picking up a cookie, she nibbled delicately. “You were the one who told me to do away with caution.”

“I did. But go out with each other. Go on dates. Talk, do all of that before making a commitment that is going to last forever. This might be sex talking.”

“Mom!”

“You know I have always been upfront with you.” Putting her cup down, she faced her daughter. “I am happy for you, truly I am. And I like that young man of yours.

I am sorry he could not make it to dinner last Sunday and I understand that with his dad being ill, things came up. But youare my only child, and as old as you are, you are still my baby, and I have to look out for you. I want to officially meet him, Sadie.”

“He will be coming to dinner on Sunday,” she said quietly. “He wants me to come and live with him, because he was afraid, I would say no to marriage this quickly.” She shrugged slender shoulders.

“I don’t understand what is happening. Mom, I feel like I am in the eye of the storm. Like waves are crashing around me. When I am with him, I am consumed by so many emotions, I cannot keep up. It’s not just sex, which I have to admit is a huge part of it.

But there is something about him that makes me think that I have known him all my life. I am not shy or withdrawn around him. There is not a time when I can honestly say that he makes me feel uncomfortable. He is unlike anyone I have ever met. He makes me laugh, he is witty and intense.

When he looks at me, I melt, and it feels as if I am the only woman in the world.” She took a breath. “I just know that being without him is not an option. And that scares the living daylightsout of me. I am not used to feeling this way about a guy and it frightens me, especially since we just met.”

Taking her daughter’s cup and putting it down, Sharon took both her hands and squeezed gently. “It sounds to me that you have found something extremely rare, and I am not the one to stand between you and true love. I am in full support of you, and I am very happy you have found the one.”

*****

He stormed into his uncle’s office without knocking, waving the assistant back to her desk. “I don’t care if he’s in a goddamned meeting, this cannot wait.”

He was on a conference call and looked up in surprise when the doors were pushed open, and his nephew strode in.

“Gentlemen, I am afraid I am going to have to pick up this discussion at a later date. Thank you for understanding.”Graham hung up and stared at the younger man, noticing the barely contained fury.

“Drink? You look like you need it.”