Free Gabby Revealed (Finding Perfect) by Amy Gregory Page B

change.”
    “Oh I had to. Thanks to you.”
    “Shane, since you’re not from around here and don’t know a real woman from a wallflower, give me a call. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. Oh, and its Maggie Lane. I don’t believe I caught your last name or where you’re staying.”
    “No. You didn’t.” Shane sneered. Lane. Wow. That was it. She was Dianna’ s sister, but damn. There was no way they could be close to being related. Sure the similarities lay in their faces, but ended there as well.
    “And?” Maggie smiled.
    He’d been flashed a thousand fake smiles in his lifetime. Shane could see through them each and every time. “And…what?”
    “You r name?” She grinned as if the last seven minutes had actually taken place. “Where are you staying?”
    Waiting for a long moment, he gave her as little information as possible, “Shane.”
    “Shane…you don’t have a last name?”
    He wrapped his arms around Gabby, enveloping her across the chest in his hold. With a million dollar smile of his own, “It’s been nice meeting you both. The pleasure has been all mine. I’m sure.” Gabby’s wild streak didn’t ignite, even with her parents seeing her in his hold. Sensing her vulnerability, Shane hugged her tighter, wanting to protect her. Her ice-cold hands reached up and gripped his forearms.
    “Maggie, I’ve got a million things to do, so hurry up ,” Elise said, her nose in the air.

     
    Chapter Nine
     
    No one said anything as the pair flounced their way out of the store, and he felt the tension drain from Gabby as soon as the door closed behind them. The last few moments of his life had been surreal, as if he’d walked straight back through a set of high school doors. The minute they were gone, Gabby’s mother acted as if nothing had happened to her daughter. There was no apology, no sincere sorrow in her eyes, only the scolding Gabby received for not pampering the customer. Shane held in his disgust, concentrating on the girl still in his arms.
    “We must get going. ” Her mother’s chipper voice, the one that made him feel like he’d missed something as a child suddenly irritated him.
    Happy to see them go, Shane walked with Gabby through the store, his palm resting on her lower back as they ushered her parents to the door. The familiar bells chimed.
    Her father reached out, “Well, son, it was nice to meet you.”
    Shane gripped the outstretched hand for a hearty shake.
    “Yes, Shane, it seems it has been a long time coming—though unbeknownst to us.” Her mother’s smile matched Gabby’s identically—the few times she’d allowed it to shine.
    It struck him in that moment, although he’d managed to get Gabby to laugh a few times, there was a new lightness to her, even after dealing with that witch. Keeping her secret must have really been dragging her down. With her career revealed, Gabby appeared different.
    The bronze knob twisted back into place as the latch fell and , though they were alone, Shane couldn’t hear the soft music drifting through the maze of shelves due to the loud pounding of his heart, the rushing blood in his head dominated the quiet.
    Here they were , the two of them alone once again. Gabby stared up at him, silent and blinking. There wasn’t a sharp slap falling from her tongue, the barbs and sass he was used to were missing. Two very different pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place when he figured out why her identity had been tightly guarded, unique and painful. But the front she put up to protect it, even from him or maybe especially from him, was destroyed. He’d demolished it without meaning to. He’d been the one to change their relationship for the second time in days. Now neither knew what to do.
    She blinked once more and her guard went up before his very eyes. She rushed back to the counter. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
    He shook his head, the cobwebs made it hard to think straight. “Do what?”
    “Whatever it is you came to talk me