caught Gabe’s warning look. “Uh, maybe you’re right. I gotta go pump some iron. It was great seeing you.”
As soon as Mr. Sleaze ball rushed off, Janie removed Gabe’s hand from her shoulder and dropped to the blanket. “That jerk!”
Gabe sat down beside her. “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
“Well, I’m not going to waste my time worrying about him. There are plenty of other men.”
“You’re right,” he said absently, reaching for the ball of tissues. “Maybe you should stick this back in your bathing suit top and see if you can reel in a few more before we leave.”
“Give me that,” she demanded, then stuffed the wad down the front of her suit.
Gabe snorted and shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with having small breasts. Some guys even prefer small breasted women to women with big ju--” He stopped short. “You know what I mean.”
“Oh, sure. I wasn’t born yesterday, Montero. I know what men want.”
He rolled onto his stomach, made himself comfortable and rested his on his folded arms. “Janie, you don’t have a clue.”
She lay down as well and propped her chin in her hands. Gabe tried not to stare at her pert little behind.
“Well, I’ll admit I have no idea what you want. Only what you don’t want. Me ,” she added.
“Like I said, you don’t have a clue.”
She rolled her eyes, then said to the kids, “Great castle. Don’t forget to build a moat.” Then a dreamy expression crossed her face. “I almost forgot about my date with Hubert Epstein tonight. Maybe something exciting will happen between us.”
“Don’t count on it.”
She cocked her head to the side. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” He couldn’t resist another glance at her. He liked the way her green eyes grew wild with emotion, then flickered with annoyance.
“If I didn’t know better, Montero, I’d say you were jealous.”
He laughed. “Hey, if you want to go out and ruin your life, that’s your business.”
“I’m not going to ruin my life. I’m simply going to . . .” She stopped mid-sentence, obviously because the kids were nearby. “I’m not going to ruin my life,” she repeated in a hushed tone. “In fact, my life is just beginning.”
Gabe stared at her. She was serious. And he was burning with jealousy.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Gertie’s gynecologist turned out to be a huge disappointment. He’d taken Janie to dinner and then talked non-stop about his mother the entire evening. Except for the times when he’d talked about his Siamese cat, Ping. Pong, Ping’s sister, had died two years ago. Hubert had wept like a two-year-old while telling her about how the cat had literally choked on a fur ball.
As Hubert eased his station wagon into a parking space in front of her townhouse, Janie tried to think of a way to cut their evening short. Faking a yawn, she said, “I’m sorry, but for some reason I’m exhausted.”
“It’s only nine o’clock. Of course, Mother goes to bed at nine every night. She always jokes about needing her beauty rest.”
Janie smiled politely and reached for the door handle.
“Wait. Let me,” he said, jumping out of the car and coming around to her side. Hubert was tall, thin and average looking, with medium brown hair and soft gray eyes. There was nothing physically wrong with him, but she knew he wasn’t going to rock her world. Not tonight. Not ever. Mostly because she wasn’t about to give him the chance.
The man did nothing for her libido. Not the way Gabe had earlier that day, parading around the beach in his swim trunks. It was all she could do not to stare bug-eyed at every inch of his nearly naked torso; his muscular chest covered in dark hair, his lean hips and powerful thighs. Gabe Montero was a character right out of one of her books.
Walking her to the door, Hubert cleared his throat, reminding her he was still there. They walked up the three porch stairs together, and when she reached in her purse
As soon as Mr. Sleaze ball rushed off, Janie removed Gabe’s hand from her shoulder and dropped to the blanket. “That jerk!”
Gabe sat down beside her. “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
“Well, I’m not going to waste my time worrying about him. There are plenty of other men.”
“You’re right,” he said absently, reaching for the ball of tissues. “Maybe you should stick this back in your bathing suit top and see if you can reel in a few more before we leave.”
“Give me that,” she demanded, then stuffed the wad down the front of her suit.
Gabe snorted and shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with having small breasts. Some guys even prefer small breasted women to women with big ju--” He stopped short. “You know what I mean.”
“Oh, sure. I wasn’t born yesterday, Montero. I know what men want.”
He rolled onto his stomach, made himself comfortable and rested his on his folded arms. “Janie, you don’t have a clue.”
She lay down as well and propped her chin in her hands. Gabe tried not to stare at her pert little behind.
“Well, I’ll admit I have no idea what you want. Only what you don’t want. Me ,” she added.
“Like I said, you don’t have a clue.”
She rolled her eyes, then said to the kids, “Great castle. Don’t forget to build a moat.” Then a dreamy expression crossed her face. “I almost forgot about my date with Hubert Epstein tonight. Maybe something exciting will happen between us.”
“Don’t count on it.”
She cocked her head to the side. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” He couldn’t resist another glance at her. He liked the way her green eyes grew wild with emotion, then flickered with annoyance.
“If I didn’t know better, Montero, I’d say you were jealous.”
He laughed. “Hey, if you want to go out and ruin your life, that’s your business.”
“I’m not going to ruin my life. I’m simply going to . . .” She stopped mid-sentence, obviously because the kids were nearby. “I’m not going to ruin my life,” she repeated in a hushed tone. “In fact, my life is just beginning.”
Gabe stared at her. She was serious. And he was burning with jealousy.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Gertie’s gynecologist turned out to be a huge disappointment. He’d taken Janie to dinner and then talked non-stop about his mother the entire evening. Except for the times when he’d talked about his Siamese cat, Ping. Pong, Ping’s sister, had died two years ago. Hubert had wept like a two-year-old while telling her about how the cat had literally choked on a fur ball.
As Hubert eased his station wagon into a parking space in front of her townhouse, Janie tried to think of a way to cut their evening short. Faking a yawn, she said, “I’m sorry, but for some reason I’m exhausted.”
“It’s only nine o’clock. Of course, Mother goes to bed at nine every night. She always jokes about needing her beauty rest.”
Janie smiled politely and reached for the door handle.
“Wait. Let me,” he said, jumping out of the car and coming around to her side. Hubert was tall, thin and average looking, with medium brown hair and soft gray eyes. There was nothing physically wrong with him, but she knew he wasn’t going to rock her world. Not tonight. Not ever. Mostly because she wasn’t about to give him the chance.
The man did nothing for her libido. Not the way Gabe had earlier that day, parading around the beach in his swim trunks. It was all she could do not to stare bug-eyed at every inch of his nearly naked torso; his muscular chest covered in dark hair, his lean hips and powerful thighs. Gabe Montero was a character right out of one of her books.
Walking her to the door, Hubert cleared his throat, reminding her he was still there. They walked up the three porch stairs together, and when she reached in her purse
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