Happily Ever After Isn't Easy Read online

  Gabe met Brandt’s gaze, and for a moment he was trapped like a fly in a web, lost in the depth of those almond-shaped hazel eyes. He forced himself to look away and shuddered. He definitely wouldn’t turn down another playdate.

  “Good to see you again, Gabe.” Brandt saluted and jogged toward the school. Gabe drew in a deep breath and released the air slowly. Why was life so unfair?

  “Okay. To the car. We’re going to the diner.”

  The kids shouted their approval and raced Gabe to the car, and they were off to their favorite place to eat.

  A COUPLE of hours later, they pulled into the driveway of his old house. Randy’s truck was in the driveway, and Gabe’s gut clenched. Randy probably wouldn’t be thrilled he had the kids. Mikey ran through the front door. Maddy had passed out in the car, and Gabe carried the princess into the house. Karen met him inside the door.

  “Hey. She’s out like a light.”

  Gabe shifted the sleeping Maddy into Karen’s arms. “Thanks, Gabe.” She had whispered. Had that been for Maddy’s sake or so Randy wouldn’t hear? “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Gabe looked into the living room, but he only saw Mikey playing with his trucks.

  “Is everything okay?” Despite Randy not being fond of him, he generally said hello when Gabe was there.

  “Randy’s tired. He just got home. I’m going to give the kids a bath and get them to bed. Give him some quiet.”

  Gabe raised his brow. Quiet? He barely spent time with them as it was. “You have an appointment tomorrow?”

  She nodded. “At nine. Again, thanks.”

  Gabe had no choice but to leave. He leaned forward and kissed Maddy on the head. “Bye, Mikey.”

  Karen visibly flinched with the volume of his voice. Gabe might have done that on purpose.

  “Bye, Unca Gabe.” Mikey waved, then went back to pushing his monster truck.

  Gabe went to his car, thinking about what Karen had told Charles about her marriage. Randy was well-known in Westport. No one had ever said a bad word about him, so Gabe wasn’t concerned that he was hurting Karen. But something was going on between the two of them. The worry wanted to settle in, but he wouldn’t allow it to take residence. His afternoon had been good, and he was going to enjoy escaping his mourning for Tim. Even if that feeling wouldn’t last.

  He smiled as he drove home, memories of Brandt playing with the kids fresh in his heart. Someday he had to find someone he actually had a shot with. Until then he’d live in his fantasies.

  Chapter 6

  FRIDAY AFTERNOON arrived with little fanfare. Thursday night, Gabe had stopped at the house hoping to catch Randy, but not surprisingly, he was working late. Gabe had to admit Karen’s affect had been good. The kids had appeared well cared for, the house had been clean and dinner on the stove. Gabe hoped she was finally heading out of the depression.

  The last few days had been uneventful. Gabe tried not to revel in that peace, because the moment he relaxed, the world would end. With the weekend almost upon him, Gabe was looking forward to leaving the workweek behind and Brandt with it. He’d foolishly allowed himself to fantasize about the ex-soldier to the point that he’d spaced out during a counseling session. He needed to get a grip and leave thoughts of Brandt behind.

  At the end of the school day, Gabe checked in with Travis. The usually sullen teen had a glint in his green eyes and a slight smile on his lips. Missing were the two dominant states he generally vacillated between—the me-against-the-world scowl and the lost, lonesome boy. He’d expressed gratitude to Gabe for talking the principal out of suspending Gregg. The beatdowns probably would have been massive, he’d told Gabe. He had to agree.

  From Travis’s reaction, gym class was going better for the kid. His admission that Mr. Sawyer wasn’t a bad guy had raised Gabe’s eyebrows. Travis rarely had much to say about anyone. He went on to rave about some kind of obstacle course and team-building activities. A rare wide grin had split his usually stoic features as he’d boasted about his team coming out on top three times already. Though initially wary of Brandt’s methods and his assertion that positive results would follow, Gabe couldn’t ignore the turnaround in Travis about gym class. Could it all be attributed to some modified military training? Gabe wasn’t totally convinced, even given Travis’s complete one-eighty. But he had to give credit where credit was due.

  As Gabe shut off his computer at the end of the day, his cell phone rang. Thinking Betsy was calling to check in, he answered without looking at the caller. “Hello.”

  “Hey, Gabe.”

  “Ahh, Julia. Happy Friday. Since you’re calling my cell, I’m guessing you’re not on official business?” He tensed, waiting for the world to end—or at least his quiet Friday night.

  “All is calm on the school front. A few of us from school are going to the Wooden Nickel for drinks. I need your buffer skills.” The pleading in her voice was undeniable.

  While Julia enjoyed getting drinks with her coworkers, once alcohol loosened lips, she—being the principal—often became the target of every gripe and complaint from the overworked and underpaid staff. Gabe was there to change the subject or offer a distraction. He wasn’t in the mood to wrangle drunk teachers and ruin his good mood. But when he thought of how Julia had never failed to come through for him, he couldn’t say no.

  Gabe sighed, rubbing his hand over his gritty, fatigued eyes. “What time?”

  “Six thirty. Thanks, Gabe. I owe you one.”

  “Let me go home and get cleaned up. I’ll meet you there.”

  One drink and then he was going home.

  AT SIX twenty-nine, Gabe parked in the lot behind the Wooden Nickel. The bar was just outside of town and a popular hangout for the older crowd. Gabe went straight to the bar and ordered a Switchback. The dim lights and lack of windows belied the bright sunshine he’d just left. In the corner, the jukebox played low enough for comfortable conversation. A few regulars hung at the bar. Because he was so early, the place was practically empty. Stan, the bartender, pointed Gabe to the back room, knowing why he’d come. A larger than usual group crowded around a few tables. Taking a drink from his beer, Gabe navigated round empty tables to the group. He recognized most of the teachers and administrators. Some of the faces were new.

  “Gabe, glad you could make it.” Tomas Young, the school superintendent, rose and held out a hand.

  Gabe shook his hand. “Nice to see you, Tomas. It’s been a while.”

  Tomas laughed heartily. “The wife is out of town with the kids, so I’m walking on the wild side. I might even stay out until ten.”

  “I might not make it that long.” Gabe already wished he were home. Julia waved him over and pulled out the chair she’d reserved for him. Gabe pointed in her direction. “I’m being summoned.” Gabe patted Tomas on the shoulder and rounded the table. He plopped into the chair.

  “Thank God you’re here.” Julia’s face was flushed, and there were two empty glasses in front of her. A full one was in her hand. “We got here a little early. Speaks to what a shitty workweek it was.”

  “I hear ya.”

  Gabe surveyed the woman who’d been his friend for over ten years. Her golden blonde hair, usually pulled into a tight, no-nonsense bun, lay loose and soft along her shoulders. The top few buttons of her gray dress shirt were undone, revealing ample cleavage she never allowed to see the light of day in school. Not a petite woman, she resembled the curvy pinup girls from the forties. Her wide light gray eyes were inviting and friendly.

  Gabe took a drink of his beer. “So where’s Dave number two?”

  Julia waved her hand in the air. “Work, home, somewhere.”

  “Uh-oh, is there trouble brewing in the ‘D’ paradise again?”

  Julia threw him a look of spite.

  Gabe held up his hands. “Sorry. I can’t help it if you jumped on the D train and didn’t get off. Or is it the Dave train now?”

  Julia slapped his arm. “Could you cut out the D crap? There w
eren’t that many.”

  “Six in a row, the last two having the same name.”

  “Okay. Maybe I’m in a rut.”

  “Try a crater, but hey, I’m on your side. So is Dave number two going to make it?”

  She sipped her drink. “That remains to be seen.”

  Gabe tipped his beer at her. “Doesn’t sound good for D two.”

  “Yeah, well, what about you? You look like shit.” She crinkled her brow.

  “Leave it to you not to mince words.” Gabe shrugged a shoulder. “Same old. Karen’s having a hard time, so I’ve been helping with the twins.”

  Julia gave him a speculative look. She liked Karen, understood their situation, had been there for the past ten years. She wasn’t afraid to tell him he was too involved with his ex.

  “Let’s just not talk about that. I really need a break.”

  Julia nodded and lifted her glass of wine. “Yes, let’s hide from life for one night.”

  Gabe clinked his beer with her glass. A conversation happening down the table caught his attention.

  Tish Lambert, high school English teacher, spoke in her thick Brooklyn accent. Her black hair was teased as high as humanly possible. Her bright red lipstick exaggerated the paleness of her skin. “I went into the gym the other day, and he’s got them building these towers in groups. You could tell he picked the groups. He had the jocks working with the nerds and the stoners with the achievers. A-ma-zing.”

  Dan Smyth, the science teacher, snorted, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes more apparent with his amusement. He was the same age as Gabe but a bit rougher around the face.

  “This morning, when I left my classroom, I heard the loudest noise coming from the gym. So I headed across the hall to break something up, you know? When I get there, I see two kids climbing the ropes, and the rest of the class is screaming at them to get their asses to the top.” He leaned forward as if ready to divulge something in secret. “You know who one of those kids on the ropes was?”

  Tish shook her head, her helmet of hair not moving a bit. By now most of the table had quieted to hear the conversation about the new substitute gym teacher. “Randal McKinley. And get this. He beat Derek Louis to the top.”

  A chorus of guffaws and gasps of disbelief sounded from around the tables.

  “No way. Little Randal McKinley beat macho man Derek Louis to the top?” Allison Stone, the special ed teacher, asked. The look of amazement on her young face mirrored those of the others.

  “How the heck did he do that? A stiff wind could blow the kid over.” Julia’s eyes were wide as she sipped at her mixed drink, having gone to something harder than wine.

  “Never underestimate your opponent or the effect of having a team on your side.” From behind Gabe, that deep whiskey tone sent chills racing up Gabe’s spine. His hand clutched his beer bottle as he wavered between excitement and dread that Brandt was there.

  “Ah, Brandt, glad you can join us.” Julia plastered a huge grin on her face as she turned to greet him.

  Several of the women around the tables—married and single—placed that same goofy grin on their faces. Apparently the new substitute had the same effect on the women as he had on Gabe. Christ, he wasn’t going to make it through the night.

  “There’s an empty chair right here.” Allison patted the vacant seat beside her. Her doe eyes shone up at the man who probably would have a good six inches on her. That chair put Brandt practically across from Gabe. As Brandt rounded the group of tables, Gabe noticed how his black button-up shirt pulled tight across his chest, and envisioned those tight jeans doing the same across his ass.

  Sitting, Brandt greeted each person he knew and received an introduction to those he didn’t. Gabe pulled at the label on his bottle and, when it was his turn, looked up confidently. The intensity in those hazel eyes never failed to stir butterflies in his stomach and make him catch his breath.

  “Reynolds.” Brandt gave him a curt nod.

  “Sawyer.” Gabe dipped his chin, trying to hide what he knew amounted to nervous excitement on his face. So much for forgetting the man.

  “We were just talking about what you’re doing with your classes. I believe it’s been very effective so far.” Tish leaned closer to Brandt, her blooming cleavage apparent even from across the table. Wow, she was subtle.

  Brandt appeared to lean away from her. Did the woman unnerve him? “Well, it’s only been a couple of days, but the kids are really getting into the spirit. Actually, I have Gabe to thank for the inspiration.”

  Gabe choked on his beer hearing his name fall from those perfect lips. “Huh?” A couple dozen eyes, trained on Gabe, caused him to shift in his seat. “I mean, you’re welcome.”

  Brandt cocked that eyebrow, which definitely had a direct connection to Gabe’s groin. Gabe could swear he saw a twitch at the corners of Brandt’s mouth.

  Gabe started on the second beer that had magically appeared in front of him. Talk continued around him as he consciously worked to avoid Brandt’s gaze. Soon he finished the second beer and started on a third. He glanced to Julia, who gave him a knowing look. At this rate, he was heading for a good drunk. Heaven knew he was due.

  As the night progressed, the bar filled to capacity, the volume of the music increased, and Gabe started to relax. Across from Gabe, Brandt tried to converse with others while the two single women on either side of him kept him busy with thousands of questions.

  “How long were you in the Army?” Allison gazed at Brandt with great interest. The only thing Gabe had ever seen her interested in were her shoes. He’d bet his left nut that the ones on her feet cost more than he paid for rent in a month. Definitely a sign of her daddy’s money and not her teacher’s salary.

  “Seventeen years.” Brandt took a sip of his Saranac.

  The answer surprised him. Brandt’s youthful appearance, in Gabe’s estimation, had placed him near thirty. Seventeen years in the Army had to place him in at least his midthirties.

  “That’s close to that magic twenty,” Dan said. “Why not stay the course?”

  A subtle twitch in Brandt’s jaw contradicted the composed exterior. “Just time to get out.” He shrugged and chugged what remained of his beer.

  Gabe wondered what his story was. Betsy had stayed in the service for eight years. Seventeen years spoke of someone in it for the long haul, someone who thrived on the regimented lifestyle, believed wholeheartedly in the mission, lived and breathed the military. Now he was subbing in a high school gym class. Didn’t fit.

  Gabe remained outside the fringe of the conversations. Commenting when asked but mostly listening. Every so often, he would catch Brandt’s gaze and become locked in his pointed stare. As their eyes met again, Brandt raised his Saranac to his lips and took several long pulls. Gabe watched the glide of his Adam’s apple, imagined that throat swallowing and squeezing around his cock. Intently, Gabe stared as Brandt lowered the beer and, with what seemed great deliberation, swept his tongue along his sweet lips. Gabe’s enthralled gaze followed as the pink muscle glided from one side of his mouth to the other. Balls, he was getting hard. And drunk.

  Glancing up again into those absorbing eyes, Gabe startled, realizing what he’d been doing. Jumping up, he knocked the table with his thighs, tipping some of the drinks. A chorus of protest went up.

  “Hey, big guy. Take it easy.” Julia grabbed her teetering drink. “You okay?”

  Gabe nodded and only managed to mutter, “Bathroom.”

  Gabe rushed to the men’s room and locked himself in a stall. He pressed his sweat-sheened forehead against the cool metal of the door and let out a ragged breath. The night was going so horribly wrong. He envisioned Brandt meeting him in the parking lot and cleaning his clock for his conspicuous gawking. He was going to have to avoid him for the rest of the night.

  After relieving himself and washing up, he circumvented the table and went to the bar. He hadn’t meant to drink anymore but couldn’t bring himself to leave. When Stan set
the beer down, Gabe reached for his wallet.

  “I’ve got it. And give me a Saranac.” Brandt laid the money on the bar.

  Someone really hated Gabe.

  “Thanks.” Gabe tilted the bottle to him and then drank half. His throat had never been drier, and with the buzz he had going, he feared he’d say something stupid.

  Brandt picked up his beer. “Shoot a game of pool?”

  Gabe couldn’t halt the bark of laughter. “Me? I can’t play when I’m sober, much less with a buzz.”

  Brandt lifted the corner of his lips. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to take advantage of you while you’re drunk.”

  Gabe’s mouth dropped open, and he knew Brandt hadn’t meant the innuendo he’d heard.

  “Come on. Table’s open.”

  Reluctantly, or maybe not, Gabe followed Brandt as he wove through the crowd to the pool table, eyes glued on that luscious ass, which confirmed his earlier theory of those tight pants. Why was he torturing himself like this?

  Chapter 7

  BRANDT PUT in his quarters and racked the balls. All Gabe had to do was keep from staring and he’d be fine.

  “You’re gonna have to break. I suck at that too.”

  Brandt smiled. “Just playing for fun. Don’t get your panties in a knot.”

  Gabe chuckled and tried to relax. Around them, people shouted to compete with the loud music. However, Gabe was so focused on his pool opponent that the noise was a distant rumble.

  Brandt broke and ended with solids. He lined up his next shot and sunk that ball. When he moved in front of Gabe and bent over to line up his shot, ass front and center, time seemed to stand still. Gabe flushed, turned on his stool, and gulped down his beer.

  “Here.” Brandt held out the cue stick.

  Grateful for the distraction, Gabe walked around the table, assessing his options. Brandt sat back against a stool, arms and legs crossed. His gaze was like a heated beam on Gabe, bringing back his nervousness. He shook his shoulders and decided to go for cool and unruffled.