Her heart started beating faster. She glanced down at her white shorts and old Support Your Library tank top. Not exactly the most attractive outfit, but it’d have to do.
She swung the door open. “Hi.”
Deacon looked uncomfortable as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“It’s fine. Do you want to come in?”
He shook his head. “I saw your light on and figured you couldn’t sleep, either.”
Either? As in he didn’t sleep at night? Interesting. “I was going over more plans for the fund-raiser.”
“At this hour?”
“You gave me until tomorrow to come up with a revised plan.”
“I did, didn’t I?” When she nodded, he frowned. “If you need more time, it’s not a problem.”
“Actually, I’m just about finished. Tomorrow works fine to go over the agenda.” She was certain that wasn’t why he stopped over. “What did you need?”
He glanced down. There was a book in his hand. When his gaze rose and met hers, there was uncertainty in his eyes. “It was nothing.”
“Obviously it was something or you wouldn’t be here. Are you sure you don’t want to come inside?”
He shook his head. “I—I just finished reading this new book and thought you might enjoy it.”
The fact he’d thought of her and wanted to share something personal filled her chest with a warm sensation. A smile lifted her lips.
She held out her hand. “What type of book is it?”
He handed it over. “It’s a suspense book. But I’m sure you have other books you’re already reading.”
“Actually, I just finished one last night. So you have perfect timing.”
“I do?”
She couldn’t help but smile at his awkwardness. When it came to business, he was very sure of himself. But here, with it just being the two of them, he was nervous. And that bit of knowledge chipped away at the wall she’d erected to keep him out of her heart.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Usually I can figure out what’s going to happen in the end, but this book kept me guessing until the last page.”
She turned over the book and quickly read the blurb. “It sounds intriguing. I can’t wait to read it. Thank you.”
“I, uh, should be going.” And with that he walked away.
As Gaby closed the door, she was struck by the gesture. It was so small and yet, it said so much about the man. The fact that he liked to read checked off a big box for Gaby—not that she was looking at him as a prospective boyfriend. But the fact that he used his mind for more than just work meant a lot.
And what meant even more was that he was thoughtful. The more she got to know him, the less he seemed like the monster that others had made him out to be after the accident. It was getting harder and harder to view him as the enemy.
* * *
“Okay. You have yourself a fund-raiser,” Deacon said the next day after going over her revised plans for the event in his office.
“I do?” Gabrielle smiled.
He tried to ignore the way her smile warmed his insides. Focus on the fund-raiser. He cleared his throat. “Do you have a name for it?”
“Actually, I’ve given this a lot of thought. And you can change it, but how about the Diana Pink-Rose Tournament?”
The title that Gabrielle had chosen couldn’t have been more perfect. His mother’s name. She would have loved it. He was touched that Gabrielle had included her name in it. A lump of emotion swelled in his throat and for a moment he didn’t trust himself to speak.