JOANNA

What the hell happened during dinner?

One moment Gabe and I are just eating our food and having a good time and the other he's saying he's there for me if I ever need a big brother to kick Jaxon's ass. Did I really get it right? Did he really say big brother?

After finishing my wine, I walked back inside the house to do the dishes. Now that the kitchen is sparkling clean, I peek outside to see if there's any sign of Gabe.

Not surprisingly, he's nowhere to be seen.

I still can't believe I basically said he's a man-whore to his face. I mean, I wouldn't be lying. But who am I to judge his actions? He's a handsome, famous, and very much single guy as far as I know. He can do whatever he wants with his life.

My issue is with committed men who can't keep it in their pants. It has nothing to do with Gabe.

Sighing, I head to my bedroom to get my computer. I came here to focus on myself and that's what I'll be doing. As Gabe and Maria pointed out, this house is big enough for two people to live together for a while. And if he's fine with me staying as he said he is, I'll be using my time here to get my life back on track.

Everything inside me is telling me I'll fail, though. After catching Jaxon with another woman, it feels like my confidence hit rock bottom. I can't help but keep questioning my actions, my value, and my looks. But as my mom told me once, I have to keep going; to keep pushing.

The email I got from the publisher with the contract for a new book still sits unread in my mailbox. They had given me three weeks to go over it, and now I need to get back to them by the end of this week. My lawyer says things look pretty standard, so it's up to me now to accept their offer or not.

Grabbing my computer, I walk to the back patio to think. The sky is clear and the cool summer breeze touching my skin makes me smile. Can I force myself to write a new story? I love everything about romance books. I've edited tons of them since I started working as a freelance editor. I know the technicalities of writing a novel. I've written a successful book before. But can I write a book when I have zero inspiration?

A hundred questions flow around in my mind as I get comfortable in a cozy recliner. The enormousness of the sea in front of me definitely put my mundane problems into perspective and a tingle of hope that I can still become a full-time author invades my heart.

When I start my computer, the barking of a dog calls my attention. The sound is loud and urgent, clearly letting one know something is wrong. Looking around, I see it's coming from the neighbor's house on the left.

I'm about to walk to the neighbor's place when I see Gabe walking toward the house. He's frowning and looking around too, and the moment our eyes meet, I know I'm not insane and this dog's bark is not normal.

"Do you think something is wrong?" I ask when he meets me on the doorstep.

"Only one way to find out." He motions to the house by our side, and soon we're knocking on the neighbor's door.

No one answers and the dog seems to bark even louder when he hears the bell ringing. Gabe lets out a frustrated noise by my side, clearly worried too. I look through the windows, trying to see anything.

"The door is unlocked," Gabe says, and before I have time to say how crazy he is to trespass, a black golden retriever comes in our direction, pulling us inside.

"Gabe!" I try, but he's already following the dog.

"What's up, buddy?" Gabe says as we walk to the kitchen.

"Oh, my God!" I gasp when I see an elderly man, probably in his seventies, lying on the floor. "Sir, are you okay?" I rush to kneel by his side, Gabe following suit.

"I'm a little dizzy. I need..." He looks around, a bit disoriented.

"He's wearing a diabetes bracelet," Gabe says at the same time the dog nuzzles a little bag that looks like an emergency kit towards the man.

"What is it?" I get the kit and turn to the man.

"Low blood sugar..." the man murmurs, trying to sit up. "Need my glucose tablets."

"Let me help you." Gabe grabs the man's arms, pulling him up and guiding him to a chair.

"There are no tablets in this bag," I say, making sure to double-look inside all pockets.

"Bedside table," the man says, and Gabe rushes to get them.

"Here you are," Gabe says a moment later. "Let me get you a glass of water."

"Thank you," the man says after he takes his medicine.

I realize the dog has stopped barking, but his eyes are trained on his owner. The poor doggo looks as worried as we are, and I can't help but smile at the canine loyalty.

The man closes his eyes and takes a deep, calming breath. Then he looks at his dog and lets out a small smile. "Good boy, Toby," he whispers, and the dog barks as if saying he's welcome.

"Would you like me to help you to the couch?" Gabe says, and the man nods weakly.

Once he's sitting in the living room, he lets out a relieved sigh. "Thank you. I'll be feeling better in a few minutes."

"Can we do something? Call someone?" I ask.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I don't want to take up more of your time. You two have done a lot for me already." He smiles, a bit of color returning to his cheeks.

"It's no trouble, really." Gabe takes a seat by the man's side. "I'd feel better if we could sit here with you for a while."

"Oh, you kids are too kind." He lets out a weak chuckle. "I haven't had much company lately. I wish I was feeling better so I could cook you two something."

"We're right next door if you ever want some company," I say, feeling my heart squeezes in my chest at the sad smile on the man's face. The wrinkles around his eyes and his snow-white hair tell us he's probably in his early seventies. He's tall and lean, but time has definitely taken its toll on him. Loneliness and social isolation can definitely be an issue once you get older, and it seems like something he has been facing for a while.

"I'm Ed, by the way." He offers me his hand, which I promptly shake.

"Joanna. But everyone calls me Jo." I smile, pulling a chair to sit. "And this is my friend, Gabe."

"Oh, I thought you two were a couple." Ed smiles as he shakes Gabe's hand.

"My family would kill me if I ever tried anything with Jo." Gabe smirks, his eyes darting to mine. "She's my sister's best friend."

"Yeah..." I clear my throat. "We're more like family."

"Oh! That's a shame." Ed shakes his head. "You two would make a beautiful couple."

Gabe and I choose to ignore his comment and thankfully, Ed feels better soon. For the next thirty minutes, we all talk about nothing and everything. We learn Ed is a retired chef and that he's only spending the summer here. He recently lost his wife and will be moving closer to his kids in the South. But he wanted to visit the town he had shared so many memories with his late wife one more time before leaving.

He was doing some work on the back porch when he felt a little dizzy. Toby, his diabetic service dog, tried to alert him his blood levels were low, but by the time he made it inside the house, he realized he needed to refill his emergency bag with his glucose tablets that were up in his bedroom.

He got a kick out of knowing Gabe is a famous rock star and insisted we came back for dinner tomorrow. It's clear how he's enjoying our company, but after he yawns for the second time, I know we should leave so he can get some rest.

"I think we should go so you can rest a bit," I say as I stand up.

"Here's my number." Gabe stands up and pulls a business card out of his pocket. "I'm just a phone call away if you ever need anything."

"Let me open the door for you." Edwards stands up, looking much better now. "Thanks again for everything."

"Please let us know if you need anything." I squeeze his shoulder.

"Thanks, sweetheart." He nods, a warm smile on his lips.

Once Gabe and I step inside his parents' house, that little awkwardness from earlier creeps in. I don't know if it's me and my awareness of every inch of him, or if things are weird now that it's only us alone again. We've never hung out, just the two of us, apart from our little dinner earlier, so I wonder what's going on in his mind.

"Glad Toby let us know Ed was not okay." He walks to a bar in the corner and pours two glasses of Scotch. "My grandparents also got diabetes. That's some serious shit!" He offers me a glass, leaning on a tall, large window that faces the sea. His elbows are resting on the window stool as he faces me, and he's looking exactly like the yummy rock star he is with the wind blowing his hair.

Yeah... I need to get this crush under control. I give myself a mental shake as he offers me a glass.

Leaning on the window by his side, I keep my eyes on the sea. "Yeah, I've never seen a service dog before. I'm glad Ed has him." I take a sip of my drink, frowning at the bitter taste coating my tongue.

"Not a whiskey fan?" Gabe chuckles, turning his body to the side, so he's looking at me.

"I'm more of a wine kinda girl." I clink my glass to his. "But I can see the appeal of something stronger. Especially after the scare we had."

"Are you really up for having dinner at his place tomorrow?" he asks. "I feel like he could use some company."

"And we'd also have a professional chef cooking for us." I shrug and his eyes shine with humor.

"Sounds like a good deal." He takes a sip of his scotch and I let out a smile, glad to go back to the easy mood from earlier today.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to vote & follow me here @CelesteABrook for news and updates.

XOXO

Celeste