Gabby Revealed (Finding Perfect) (6 page)

Chapter Eight

The small
, gold bells chimed. Gabby barely acknowledged the noise announcing a customer, and when she did, her shoulders fell. What was he doing here…again? He’d been following her like a shadow she couldn’t rid herself of. Each time she caught a glimpse of him, her nerves went on high alert. This wasn’t her. She didn’t know what to do or how to act around him, and she absolutely abhorred feeling so out of control of her feelings.

“Good morning, darling.”

Rolling her eyes, she tried to hide the shiver his voice sent down her spine. “What do you want now, Shane?”

His height let him easily lean over her precious oak counter top, peering to the screen on her laptop, her fingers stilled on the keys, the sentence left hanging unfinished. His boyish grin widened as he read what was visible.

“That.”

“That what?”

“That, what you’re working on. It’s what has brought me here, and you know it.”

“No, I mean here, here. Like as in the store—again. You’ve come every damn day, and you just hang around like a nuisance. People are starting to whisper, Shane. When are you leaving?”

“Leaving?”

“Yes…leaving. You know, as in—going home. I’m sure you have one. One that isn’t…you know—here.”

“I already told you, Gabrielle, I’ll leave when you agree to come with me.”

Her heart
heard what he said one way and pounded. Her brain heard what he said the way he meant it, and the thought of his proposal scared the hell out of her as much as it excited it her. Being able to shove her fame and status down the throats of the very bitches who continued to treat her worse than scum beneath their shoes was a dream come true. Gabby couldn’t do it.

The bells chimed again and the reason why walked through the door. “Fuck. Shane, go sit somewhere and keep your damn mouth shut
,” she whispered through gritted teeth as her father approached.

“Hey, how’s my favorite girl?”

“Dad.”

“Busy today?”

“Yep,” she answered without looking away from her computer, trying to close the screens before he saw what she was working on. It broke her heart to lie to the man, but she had to.

“Well, I just thought I’d hang out here while Mom was grabbing us some coffees from next door. Then we’re headed on some errands. So what’s new?”

“Nothing, Dad.”

Leaning in, he peeked over at Shane. Following his line of sight, Gabby knew what was coming and swallowed hard. “So…who’s the guy dressed to the nines?”

Why couldn’t Shane at least try to blend in? Gabby rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know.”

“Don’t bullshit a bullshitter, Gabriell
e James. He’s been here all day, every day, for three days straight. You know exactly who he is.”

If he
had been within kicking distance Gabby would have left a hell of a bruise on Shane’s shin, but from her stool behind the counter, she was helpless watching the corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement behind a book he pretended to read as he sat in one of the brown leather chairs. Oh, that jackass was so dead. Dead as in dead, dead. Getting even had become sort of a pastime of hers, and his ass was grass.

“Fine. Noisy. He’s some big shot from New York.” She watched Shane’s face, and one eyebrow rose, but he kept his eyes on the pages in front of him. “He’s trying to get me to sell some of his shit.” Shane started to choke and Gabby nearly fell off her stool.

“And he came all the way here…from New York? Must be some pretty big names they’re promoting. So, you gonna pull them in?”

“I doubt it. I don’t think anyone here would like the shit he’s trying to sell
,” Gabby said louder, knowing Shane would hear. When he peered over the book, he glanced at her dad, then mouthed “liar” back at her. Gabby sneered then turned back to her father.

The bells chimed again and Gabby groaned. Her father gave her a disapproving look as her mother walked through the door.
As Gabby knew she would, her mother went straight to the handsome gentleman dressed in sharp, tailored black pants, a crisp, French blue button-down, and expensive dress shoes and sparked up a conversation. There was no such thing as a stranger to her mother, and Gabby hadn’t been brave enough to tell Shane the truth about her need for total privacy.

Making herself comfy in the chair near his, Gabby
watched in horror as her mother charmed the newest person in town, welcoming him with open arms. Shane’s smile widened as he engaged, his light laughter drifted through the bookstore and clenched Gabby’s heart with two fists. She was falling for a man she couldn’t have, and it was starting to hurt. He was about to leave any day, probably the minute he figured out she wasn’t going to give in. There was no way.

They both looked her direction. Her momentary lapse in attention had her missing what they were talking about, but it was obviously her.
Reality struck her upside the head and her worst nightmare started coming true. The air was stolen from her lungs in slow motion, Shane’s eyes proved it.

Shane set the book down and rushed to the counter, grabbing her hand, fear lined his face. “Gabby…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

Her mother was on his heels. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

It wasn’t anger that took
over; she could run with that, it was a sinking feeling. “Oh my God. Shane? What the hell? What did you say?”

“What’s going on here?” her father looked between the three of them.

Gabby tried to yank her hand from Shane’s hold, but he wouldn’t let go. He gripped it stronger as his forehead creased more and more. “I knew you wanted to remain anonymous, but I didn’t realize your parents didn’t even know. God, Gabby, please forgive me?”

At that moment, her world as she knew
it fell crashing down around her. She was about to kill the one man she’d tried for years to protect.

“Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”

Shane gulped, looking between the two women. One who had pure pride smeared across her face, the other looked so green,
like she might throw up on the glass counter top. Shane had worked overtime trying to charm the sharp-tongued beauty now giving him a death glare so sharp a lesser man would have melted into a puddle. So he hadn’t been close with his parents, he could understand that. That didn’t seem to be the case though. She’d brought them up in a few conversations while he’d been here, so he assumed they were at least somewhat close, close enough to know something as big as this.

Before he could help himself, he grabbed her laptop, spun it around and brought up the Amazon website
. Typing her pen name in the search queue brought up list of eighteen New York Times Best Sellers.

“Shane—don’t!”

“Young man, I don’t know who you are, or what you think you’re doing—”

He cut her father’s disapproving words off as he unplugged the power cord from the laptop and turned with it to show her parents the screen. “Have you ever heard of this author?”

“G. Jamieson—”Her father’s brow creased. “Yes, of course I have. But, what does that have to do with the fact you’re obviously upsetting my daughter? Do I need to call Mike over here, Gabby?”

“There’s no need for the police, Mr. James. However,
let me introduce myself. I’m Shane Compton. I’m an agent, a literary agent based in New York. I represent this author.” Her dad’s face was starting to flame. Shane sped up his explanation before her dad really did call in the local authorities. “I came to Renlend to meet her in person, as she’s led a very private life, out of the limelight. Her readers are dying to know more about her. Let me introduce to you, G. Jamieson, also known as, Gabrielle James.”

“Gabby…what’s this man talking about?”
Her dad’s jaw practically hit the glass countertop as he waited out her response. “Well?”

“Dad
,” she whispered.

Deflated, she looked so much smaller than the witty woman he’d grown accustomed to. A piece of Shane’s heart broke as he watched her face, the lines creasing, her eyes started to glisten.
Shane set the laptop back down on the glass, walked around the counter, and gathered her into his arms. For the first time, Gabby had no fight in her. Willingly she slumped against his chest.

Squeezing her tightly, he barely heard the words she whispered
, “My dad has being trying to get published for over a decade.”

“Oh
, Gabby—I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I just assumed, and I was very much in the wrong.” She gave a slight shake of her head against him, but didn’t pull away.

“Is this all true? Is this you? Are you an author, a bestselling author at that?”
her father asked, but even Shane could hear the excitement building in the older man.

Gabby was so conflicted. She should be pissed as all hell at the man holding her tight. Instead, she wanted to curl into his embrace and get lost in his cologne. Her father’s voice faded to the background, his questions
took a backseat to the fantasy. Gabby had kept the secret for almost five years. Now, Shane was in her store and he was holding her, the outcast not wanted by the kids back in school was suddenly being comforted by the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.

Before she was ready he pulled away, tipping her chin upward. Drawing a long
, steeling breath through her nose, Gabby slowly opened her eyes. The only thing in her view was a pair of warm, brown eyes focusing on her. Flecks of gold and green sparkled back, the silent question hanging in the air.

He bent down, closing the space even more. Hope and despair lined his face, he chewed his lower lip, but she couldn’t break the connection. For more reasons than she could count on two
hands, she should want to slap him hard enough to make his head spin. “Thank you,” she mouthed.

Once the two simple words were out, a weight fell away so fast she had to suck in air. It was like she was coming up from under water
after holding her breath for far too long. His face instantly relaxed, the smile lit his eyes back up, the corners crinkled. Unexpectedly, he gathered her close to his body once again with her cheek pressed against his chest. She felt his heart pounding hard and fast. Two sides of her warred with each other: the shame for hiding from her family and the success her writing achieved, almost drowned her in guilt.

The female side of her was hungry. The longing in Shane’s eyes matched what she felt in her heart. She was crazy. They couldn’t be more opposite if they tried. She was worn jeans and cowboy boots, he was starch and tailored dress clothes.

But she knew. The message was loud and clear in those love-filled eyes.

“Gabby, hey. I’m trying to talk to you.”

She and Shane both snapped their attention back toward her father. “Is this true?”

Gabby followed her father’s finger pointing at the website and the last book she’d released. Gathering strength from the arm still wrapped around her, giving her an extra squeeze just when she needed it most. Inhaling, she slowly nodded. “I’m so sorry—”

“But why?” Trying to read her father’s puzzled face was like navigating a minefield. What answer would hurt him the least? The truth was on the tip of her tongue when he pressed on. “How could you not tell us about this amazing part of your life? I couldn’t be more proud of you, dear girl.”

“Oh
, Gabby, honey. I wish your grandparents could see you now,” her mom choked out, her hand not quite covering her trembling lower lip.

“You’re not upset?” Gabby breathed out, her eyes wide.

“Upset?” Her father’s brow furrowed. “Why would we be upset?”

H
e was going to make her say it. A knife sliced through her heart. They had circled back around to the truth. Her chin fell to her chest. Family was everything to her, topping the bookstore and writing. She’d remained a recluse, her identity kept behind an iron gate in order to protect the man questioning her. Closing her eyes to avoid him completely, she whispered, “Because…I. I—”

He nearly laughed, as if what she was trying to say was absurd. “You weren’t worried about my feelings, were you? Oh
, Gabby.”

“But I…I was. I thought you’d be—”

“Jealous?” Gabby could only nod as Shane squeezed her waist again. “I know you’re young, not married, and don’t know the joys of parenthood, but, honey, I could never be jealous of my pride and joy. Mom and I hurt when you hurt, and we celebrate when you succeed. Oh, I’m still plugging away on a hundred stories, probably will until the day I die. But, Gabrielle, you’re a real author, a bestselling author. I can’t wait to shout it from the rooftops. My only regret is that your grandparents didn’t get to see you make it to the top. But I know they’re looking down on you with all smiles.”

“So eighteen books? How
? You’re only twenty-seven?”

Shane squeezed her close to his side and she was pliant, fitting perfectly aside his body. “I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven when she sent me her backlist. She’d been writing for years, and she’s such a natural talent, a quick pass through editing and we were off and running.
The first was picked up immediately and then the houses were scrambling to get her, practically cat fighting over the newest star to hit the market since Nicholas Sparks or John Grisham. Her audience practically screams if a new one isn’t out within three or four months of the last because they were spoiled with the books she had ready to go. Speaking of which, she’s writing one now. It’s been sold already. And with Gabby’s work the process tends to move a bit quicker than with other authors. I’ll have this one on the shelves—”