“Earth to Gemma?”
She’d nearly forgotten he was here. And why was he really here? She didn’t buy the whole long-game crap. “What?”
“See, there’s the Ice Princess. I worried she was gone for a minute. You walked out of that cabin looking all soft and flustered and, god, feminine. I nearly didn’t recognize you.”
Yeah, she could guess why. “Packed on a couple of pounds, huh?”
His head shook vigorously. “They look good on you, babe. When the hell did you get boobs? I mean it. You look damn fine, Gemma, but I need the real you. I need the killer lawyer.”
“Why?”
“Because I can get your job back. I didn’t come here empty-handed. Look, that whole meltdown thing is history. The partners realize what they lost. I’m here to talk to you about coming back.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Not at all. Look, they had to hire two people to do your work and they still weren’t as efficient as you.” He reached across the table, his hand covering hers. “And they aren’t the only ones who miss you.”
So soft. His hand was actually soft. It shouldn’t have shocked her. She’d gone on weekly manicures with the man. She couldn’t imagine Jesse or Cade sitting around and letting someone clip their nails. Their hands were rough, callused from hard work. She shivered when she thought about how those hands made her feel. Safe. Wanted.
She pulled away from Patrick. It felt wrong to have him touch her. “What happened to Christina?”
She winced when she realized she’d left off the “Big Tits” part of Christina’s moniker because it really was a little rude.
He had the good sense to look ashamed. “She went back to the West Coast. The partners sent her there. She was far more trouble than she was worth. And I was an idiot. I got cold feet. I should have talked to you about it, but you can be really intimidating.”
“Yes, talking to me would have been better than sleeping with someone else.”
Stella walked up to the table, a notepad in her hand and a smile on her face. “Hey, there, hon.” She looked to Patrick, her smile fading. “I was sure you would be with Jesse today. Or Cade. Who’s your new friend?”
No judgment there. Damn. She felt like a kid who’d gotten caught with her fingers in the cookie jar. A blush crept up her throat. She didn’t owe Stella any explanations. None.
“I’m Patrick Welch, her fiancé. I’ve come to rescue the princess and take her back home where she belongs.”
Gemma groaned, wanting to barf a little. She used to think he was so charming. “Ex-fiancé. And Jesse and I are very casual.”
“That’s not what I heard, hon. And I hear that man is hopping mad. He’s been calling all over the county looking for you. Now I understand why. So is it true? Are you heading back to the city?”
Patrick leaned forward. “I thought you were involved with the one named Cade. Who the hell is Jesse?”
She ignored him, speaking to Stella instead. “I don’t know. Patrick here claims he can get my job back. I worked really hard for that job. It’s something to think about.”
Stella’s eyes turned soft and sympathetic. “You do need to think about it. It can be hard to choose between your personal life and your career. Hell, sometimes it’s hard to choose between your personal life and your pride. Just remember this. There’s no corner so small you can’t find your way out of. And don’t you let this slick talker sway you. You do what’s right for Gemma. Now, what can I get for you?”
Patrick frowned up at Stella. “I suppose I’ll try a salad. Can’t mess up a salad. Get me the Cobb salad, strawberry vinaigrette on the side.”
God, if she was even thinking about going back to New York, she needed to get back to her fighting weight. They might like curves in Colorado, but she would be judged for them in New York. “I’ll have the same but nix the strawberry and give me an oil and vinegar on the side.”
Stella’s foot tapped. “She’s allergic to strawberries, you know.”
Patrick shrugged. “I’m not. I would suggest you don’t get the orders mixed up.”
Stella turned back to her. “Yes, you need to do a whole lot of thinking, hon. I’ll be back.”
“The service here is horrible.” Patrick waved her off. “Now, let’s talk about how soon we can get out of here.”
It was too freaking much. And she hadn’t eaten a thing all day. She needed to sit down and cry. She only did it once a year and she’d already done it back when she’d gotten dragged from Patrick’s apartment. It was three months before she was scheduled for another crying jag.
“I’m going to the bathroom.” She scooted out of the booth and started walking toward the ladies’ room.
She was a woman who scheduled her emotions and who had no idea how to deal with them when they didn’t get with the plan. What the hell was she doing? Why hadn’t she jumped on Patrick’s offer? Not to be with him, of course. She was utterly over Patrick Welch. She wasn’t even tempted. He had nothing on Jesse and Cade.
She noticed the man they’d been sitting next to at Trio the night before. Blond and hunky, he looked up from his burger and then back at Patrick. He frowned and sighed as though he’d always known she’d be trouble.
Tears blurred her vision as she pushed past the door and into the small bathroom. Just two stalls, but she already felt better. That man was probably calling Jesse right now telling him she was hooked up with a tourist.
Stella was right. She was in a corner, and she didn’t know how to get out. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted anymore. She should want to go back. She should want her damn career back, but all she could think about was Bliss. And when she really thought about doing that job again, all she could see were pictures of those kids. No matter what the EPA said, something was wrong in that town and those children were suffering. Damn Nell. She was happier when those freaking kids had been names and ages on a page. She hadn’t thought about their pain. She hadn’t thought about what their parents must be going through.
She was the Ice Princess. When the hell had she started to melt?
“Oh, Beth, honey, you were totally right.” A pretty brunette walked through the door, followed by another brunette, though this one was visibly pregnant.
“I know a woman on the edge when I see her.” The pregnant one smiled shyly. “Hi, I’m Beth. This is Hope. You must be Gemma.”
Hope? The woman who’d had her job before. “How did you know?”
“We might not get off the G much,” Hope said. “But we listen to gossip on a daily basis. Are you okay?”
Gossip. Yeah, she understood that. And she also understood that women loved to kick each other when they were down. She dried her eyes. The crying jag would have to wait until the scheduled time. “I’m fine. I just have something in my eyes.”
“Do you need to talk about it?” Hope asked. The concern in her brown eyes was just about enough to get Gemma crying again.
But she’d been played too many times before. “There’s nothing to talk about. I must be allergic to something.”
“Is that the man from the YouTube video?” Beth asked.
Hope nudged her, her voice going low. “Beth, you can’t ask that.”
“If I don’t ask, then how will I know?”
“It’s really none of your business.” Gemma didn’t mean the words to come out so harshly, but they did and Hope flinched a little.
Beth didn’t. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she leaned against the counter. “It’s okay.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re safe here. We gossip and pry but we do it to help each other. I wasn’t born here. I come from a little town in Texas, and I grew up surrounded by some of the meanest women you can imagine.”
Gemma shook her head. “Oh, I can imagine a lot.”