Gabe swallowed and sat across from the two women. He didn’t know what Nikki’s father had done to her, but he could guess. He didn’t want to know details. Wasn’t sure he could handle them.
Nikki continued talking, her voice so low that Gabe had to strain to hear her clearly.
“Also having PTSD episodes because of what happened last weekend. My symptoms might get worse before they get better.” She looked up at Melanie with tears swimming in her eyes. “I don’t want to stay here. I miss you.”
Melanie smoothed the silky brown hair from Nikki’s face and tucked it behind Nikki’s ear. “Honey, if this is the best place for you—”
Nikki’s head snapped up, blue eyes flashing fire. “It isn’t. I feel worse here. I want to go home.”
“I’m not leaving you in the apartment by yourself,” Melanie said.
Nikki glanced at Gabe, and he expected animosity in her gaze, but she smiled at him. “I get it. I’m the third wheel to your bicycle built for two.”
“If it’s okay with your doctor,” Gabe said, “we want you to come hang out with us in Austin for a few days.” He didn’t want to offer her a permanent home just yet. He and Melanie had already discussed Nikki’s trial period, but he couldn’t in good conscience separate the two of them. It was obvious that Nikki needed Melanie’s unconditional love, and Melanie needed to nurture her friend almost as much. Melanie would make a great mother, he thought with a unexpected feeling of longing in his gut. Assuming the soft-hearted woman didn’t spoil their kids too much.
“Why does he have that goofy look on his face?” Nikki asked.
“Probably inventing something in his head.”
“Actually,” he said, “I was thinking you’ll be a great mother.”
Nikki squealed. “Oh my God, are you preggers, Mel? Is that why he proposed?”
Melanie shook her head. “We’ve just been talking about our future.”
Nikki grabbed Melanie in another hug. “I’m so happy for you. And you.” She extended a leg and poked Gabe in the shin with her toe. “You’re one lucky son of a bitch. Do you have any idea what a prize she is?”
“I’m seeing it more and more,” he said, his eyes glued to his prize. “Can I go talk to Nik’s doctor about discharge or—?” He shrugged and shook his head, at a loss as to how they should proceed.
“I’ll have to,” Melanie said. “I’m on all her paperwork as her medical contact person.”
“She’s responsible for me,” Nikki said.
Gabe could see that. And Melanie didn’t take that responsibility lightly. While Melanie and Nikki went to talk to someone about her release, Gabe tried to sort through all the new complications in his life and prioritize.
Melanie hadn’t mentioned meeting her parents, but since they were in Topeka, they should probably break the news about their engagement in person. His parents had already met—and loved—Melanie, so he wasn’t worried about their reaction. From what little Melanie had said about her parents, they seemed the strict and conservative type and obviously loving and protective of their daughter. He wasn’t sure they’d warm up to the idea of her getting hitched to a tattooed rock musician currently out of a job. He rubbed a hand over his face, a bit nervous about the prospect of breaking the news to them. He definitely needed to get a ring on that woman’s finger to show he was serious about their future together.
He planned to stop in to see Adam on his way through Dallas, which would likely be tomorrow. Or the next day if Mel and Nik needed more time to get their things together. He didn’t want Nikki to know they were considering her as a fulltime roomie just yet, though, so they should be able to pack a few things and leave tomorrow.
And Amanda still hadn’t called him about Jacob’s confusing emotional state, but he wasn’t sure if she’d gotten his message, so he’d have to track her down when they got back to Austin.
Apparently Owen and Kellen were having a few issues of their own. If he couldn’t rely on the stability of that lifelong relationship, what could he rely on?
He also needed to get that paternity test. What the fuck was he going to do with a baby he didn’t want?
Round and round his thoughts stirred until Melanie returned to his side. As usual, when she was near, all his problems seemed like minor obstacles easily overcome. She was everything he’d been looking for to complete his life, and he hadn’t even known anything had been missing.
“They can’t keep her since she checked in voluntarily,” Melanie said, “but they advise against her leaving.”
“We have to do what’s best for her,” Gabe said, squeezing her hand. He could tell it was hard on Melanie to make the decision.
“She’ll check out on her own if we don’t take her with us.”
“Then we take her with us.”
“I’m not a psychiatrist. I don’t know what to do if she starts acting promiscuous or seeking trouble. Do I put ultimatums on her behavior? I don’t want to threaten her. I want her to feel safe to be herself when she’s with me.”
Gabe lifted her hand and brought her wrist to his lips, kissing her pulse point. “You do what you’ve always done for her—love her unconditionally. I’ll be the bad cop. I’ll try to keep her in check with some rules.”
Melanie snorted. “Nikki doesn’t like rules.”
“If she wants to live under my roof, she’ll follow my rules.” God, he sounded like his father.
“I guess we can try it, see how she responds.”
She grinned at him then, and he knew everything would work out because they had each other’s backs.
“I bet she never imagined the drummer of her favorite metal band would become her surrogate father.”
Speaking of her father. “Did her real father abuse her?”
Melanie glanced away, her eyes brimming with tears. “That’s a nice way of putting it.”
Nikki came into the waiting area before Melanie could say more, and Gabe stood up. He approached her, but gave her plenty of personal space. She didn’t seem to want it as she immediately slipped her arm through his and leaned her head against his shoulder.
“I’m so happy you came with Mel.”
Gabe cleared his throat and spoke in a firm voice. “Before we leave for home, I have a couple of rules you have to abide by or we’re bringing you back here immediately.”
Nikki tilted her head back to stare at him with wide eyes. “Rules?”
“No one-night stands with men.”
“What about with women?”
Even the challenge in her gaze was sexually charged. He wasn’t sure she could function without sexualizing everything in her life.
“No women either.”
“But if I go on dates and plan to make a relationship, then . . .”
“Why don’t you try not dating or hooking-up at all for a month? See how that goes.”
“A month? I’ll dry up like an old nun.”
Gabe laughed. “I seriously doubt that. If you have an addiction, the best way to break it is to quit cold turkey.”
“My therapist thinks I can talk my way through my sex addiction.”
“How’s that going for you?”
“It makes me horny to talk about it. He was very professional when I tried to seduce him. The night charge nurse was a bit easier to manipulate.”
So this place obviously wasn’t helping her.
“There’s always that treatment center in Florida,” Melanie suggested.
Nikki released Gabe’s arm and reached for Melanie, who didn’t hesitate in giving her the hug she sought.
“I want to be with you and Gabe,” Nikki said, her tone reminiscent of a compliant child. “If that means I have to give up sex for a month, then I think I can do it. Let me try. Please. I won’t let you down.”
Melanie glanced up to meet Gabe’s eyes. There was a hint of triumph behind her gaze. This plan might actually work. At least Nikki was being cooperative. And maybe they were manipulating her, but hopefully their ploy w
ould help her regain control of her life, because she was currently in a tailspin.
“We’ll let you try,” Melanie said. “Right, Gabe?”
“If she breaks my rules, she’s out,” he said, dutifully sticking to his tough-cop routine.
“I won’t.”
“She won’t, Gabe.”
Nikki smiled at Melanie’s vote of confidence, her adoration for her friend evident on her entire face.
“I have one more rule to lay out before I agree to this,” Gabe said.
The women looked at him expectantly.
“Nikki will make no further sexual advances toward my fiancée.”
Nikki glanced at Melanie. “I told you what my doctor said about that. Didn’t you explain it to him?”
“I didn’t know you wanted me to,” Melanie said.
Nikki turned to Gabe. “I was confusing platonic love with sexual love. I have a hard time understanding that there’s a difference, because . . .” She licked her lips. “ . . . my father . . . should have been platonic, but was . . .” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Gabe’s stomach turned at the very idea. He didn’t think he could stand to hear her actually say it. “So you’re not confused anymore.”
“I’m totally confused,” Nikki said, “but now that I know what I was feeling for Melanie is part of my condition and not real attraction, I can handle it. I won’t try to jump Mel’s bones again.” She made a cross over her heart. “Hope to die.”
Gabe wasn’t so sure Nikki was confused about her feelings for Melanie, but he would give her the opportunity to prove herself. Regardless, he trusted Melanie not to fuck around on him with Nikki or anyone else.
“All right, let’s shake on it.” He spit in his palm and extended his hand toward Nikki.
Her cute nose crinkled up. “You’re so gross.”
“That’s not what your friend thinks.”
“Maybe she’s wrong about you.”
Melanie laughed as Nikki spit into her own hand, cringing the entire time her wet palm was pressed against Gabe’s as they sealed the bargain with a firm spit-coated handshake.
“Are you two ready?” Melanie asked.
Staring hard into Nikki’s eyes, Gabe nodded. Without looking away, Nikki mimicked the motion.
“Let’s head to the apartment and pack a few things,” Melanie said. “We can start for Texas in the morning.”
“I’ll take a look at your car while we’re here,” Gabe said, unable to ignore his urge to tinker with a machine.
“That would be fantastic,” Melanie said.
Gabe wiped the spit off his hand on the leg of his jeans and took Melanie’s hand. She didn’t flinch or make a face. He was glad she didn’t think he was gross. “I’d like to do one more thing before we leave tomorrow,” he said as they headed out of the hospital unit, Nikki leading the way.
“What’s that?”
“Meet your parents.”
Based on the look she gave him, maybe she did think he was gross after all.
Chapter Eight
Melanie helped Nikki sort through her clothes to find appropriate attire to wear on what Nikki thought would be an exciting mini-vacation to Austin. Gabe was down in the parking lot tinkering with Melanie’s stupid car.
“Does Gabe have a pool?” Nikki asked.
“No, but he’ll probably take us to the lake on his boat.”
Nikki tossed a neon-pink string bikini into her open suitcase. Melanie didn’t comment. She would only wear a swimsuit like that to attract male attention, and in the past Nikki had thrived on that kind of attention, but she wanted Nikki to make her own choices. If she could manage to strut around in that bikini without initiating sex with the admirers that were sure to flock around her, more power to her. Melanie just hoped Gabe was impervious to Nikki’s blatant sex appeal. Crap. She’d forgotten the man had eyes. Of course he’d find Nikki attractive. What had she gotten them into?
Melanie took a deep breath. This wasn’t like situations in her past. She and Gabe were partners. Nikki wouldn’t take him away or seduce him, because he understood her risky behavior was part of her psychological condition. At least Melanie believed he understood that.
Her phone dinged with a text from Gabe. Got it started. Going to take it for a test drive.
“He got my piece-of-shit car started,” Melanie said, smiling at his genius.
“I’m not surprised,” Nikki said. “He’s pretty handy. Did you call your parents and ask them to dinner yet?”
Melanie’s heart took a dive to her feet. “I think I’ll just tell him that they couldn’t come.”
“So you haven’t asked them yet.”
“What if they don’t like him?”
“It doesn’t matter. You like him.”
“I love him.”
“Right. That’s what I meant. And if you love him, they’ll love him.”
Melanie was pretty sure it didn’t work that way.
“They thought Anthony was too wild for me.”
He was an accountant she’d dated a couple of years ago, one of her many boyfriends who’d ended up sleeping with Nikki. Her parents had thought him wild because he owned a motorcycle. He’d rarely ridden it, but just the owning of the dangerous thing had made him wild. If Anthony had been wild, then Gabe had been raised by wolves.
“Anthony was a dick,” Nikki said. “You know he came on to me, not the other way around.”
“I know.”
“I could have said no.” Nikki offered her a regretful frown and then looked into her suitcase. She removed the pink bikini and replaced it with a black one piece.
“Saying no is hard for you.”
Nikki nodded slightly. “Still not a good excuse. I’m sorry for all those times I messed up your relationships.”
“If it weren’t for you, I’d have never met Gabe.”
Nikki lifted her head and met Melanie’s eyes. She smiled. “So I guess that makes up for all my wrongs.”
Not even close, but Melanie nodded. “We’re square. Just don’t try to take him away from me.”
“I’d never. Not someone you actually loved. I’ve seen the way you look at him.” Nikki smacked Melanie in the gut with a bed pillow.
Melanie had thought she was in love with Anthony. Now that she was with Gabe, she knew better. He made her feel far more deeply than she’d ever experienced with anyone. So maybe all that heartache was a blessing in disguise. It allowed her to recognize the depth of her feelings quickly, allowed her to act on them, and to believe in them.
“I don’t know why you keep taking me back,” Nikki said, tracing a stripe on the comforter on her bed. “I’ve done some truly awful things to you.”
“I like to be needed.”
“Then I’m perfect for you. I have boundless need.”
Melanie laughed and hugged her.
“Go invite your parents to dinner,” Nikki said, “or I’m going to call them. I’m sure you remember how well that went the last time I called.”
Her parents had called the police, convinced that something terrible had happened when Nikki wouldn’t let them talk to Melanie. Melanie had been taking a nice leisurely bath. Nikki had called them to ask if they’d lend her the money to buy Melanie a birthday cake, which they thought was some code for drugs. Yeah, her parents were a bit overprotective and judgmental. She could only imagine their reaction when she introduced them to a man with a crimson-tipped Mohawk and dragon tattoos on his scalp. They’d probably think he’d pass those traits directly to their grandchildren.