Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Gabriel held the bag out toward me. He frowned slightly. “I feel like shit that I made you cry. I was just hoping to tease you with the full intent of giving you the muffins.”
“Yeah, well, you should feel awful,” I joked.
He frowned.
I slugged his arm. “I was kidding, but you do owe me those muffins. I’m willing to share one with you, too, if you buy me a new coffee.”
“Only if you take fifteen minutes to drink said coffee with me and help me look over the blueprint that I’m going to send to your husband later today.”
I smiled. “Deal. Grab a table and I’ll run to the bathroom to freshen up so I don’t look like a hot mess.”
“You look remarkable.”
Oh, Gabriel.
Why did you have to grow up to be so…great?
The flutters in my stomach shook me slightly as I tried not to appear too flustered. “I’ll only be a second.”
“Sounds good. How do you like your coffee? Other than scalding hot on my coat.”
I smiled again. He made it so easy to smile. “Preferably dark roast, but they only have light. So light roast with heavy cream and two sugars.”
“You got it. I’ll be at the table in the corner waiting.”
I hurried off to the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. “Everything’s fine, and you’re okay, Kierra,” I told myself. Most of my life was spent inspiring others to be their best selves. Every now and again, I had to give myself a pep talk or two. “You are strong, you are smart, and you can deal with hard situations.”
I fixed my makeup and shook off the discomfort I felt. I could handle the situation before me. Gabriel didn’t remember me. I could sit with him, eat a muffin, and go about my day as if everything was perfectly fine.
After I refreshed myself, I headed back to the table where Gabriel was sitting. I slid into the chair across from him and smiled as I looked at the coffee and muffin sitting in front of me. “This makes things a lot better,” I said.
“I’m glad.” His lazy smile was back, and I couldn’t help but realize how much I’d missed that smile. “How are you?”
“Oh, I’m good. Thanks for asking.” I smoothed my moist hands against my thighs. “How are you?”
He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. “Do you always do that?”
“Do what?”
“Lie about being good.”
I bit the corner of my lip. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I doubt you were really crying over a cinnamon muffin, Kierra. Listen, I get it. I’m nothing more than a stranger to you, but you don’t have to lie about being good if you’re not good. I won’t tell anyone the truth. Our little secret.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Are you the therapist, or am I?”
He held his hands up in surrender. “I’m just a guy asking how you are. But forget it. Cheers,” he offered. He lifted his muffin into the air. “To the blueprint changes being approved by Henry tonight.”
“Cheers,” I said, bumping his muffin with my own before taking a bite of it. And just like that, life didn’t seem as bad as before. All thanks to cinnamon muffins and Gabriel Sinclair. The rest of the interaction went to Gabriel pulling out the blueprints and showed them to me. He talked in architect talk that I didn’t understand, and it was a lot of me just nodding and agreeing with his plans.
“I’m sure you’ve already seen all of this, but it helps to pick your brain,” Gabriel mentioned as he rolled up the plans and placed them back into his briefcase.
“Actually, I haven’t. Henry likes to keep all this stuff to himself, since it’s more of his dream than my own.”
“You haven’t had involvement in the planning? I was under the impression that Henry was coming to me on behalf of you both.”
“Yes, and he was. That’s why my meditation room is included. I told him that’s all I really cared about. I wanted that and a sewing room, but he said he’d only go with one. Everything else was his choice. Between you and me, I don’t really care about a big mansion or things like that. I just want comfort and my family under a warm roof.”
Gabriel’s mouth parted as if he was going to make a comment, but instead he pressed out a grin. It didn’t seem genuine, so it made me wonder what thoughts were in his head.
“Well, talking to you helped me realize a few changes I’d like to make. So, I appreciate your time.”
“I’m glad. I’m sure Henry will love all of this. Our daughter, Ava, will love it, too. She dreams of being an architect someday.”
“No way,” Gabriel replied with a raised brow. “It’s not every day you hear about someone wanting to go into architecture.”