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not really hungry.” She put her hand to her stomach, and he could see the color drain from her face as a waitress passed by with a tray of food. “I have a hard time keeping an ything down.”
    Knowing Chandra was straining to hear every word, he mouthed, “Morning sickness?”
    “Sure. And all day.”
    He led her away from the bar. “My sister Mallory was sick from conception until birth. All day long. And that was her third so she had two other little ones she was always caring for.
     
    Andrew is still paying for making her so sick.”
    Her eyes widened and glazed over with fear.
    He shook his head. “It’s not always like that. Don’t panic.”
    “I’ve been panicked since I gathered my clothes off the floor of the hotel room,” she said.
    He wanted to touch her face again. He wanted to pull her into his arms and just hold her, but not here. Not yet.
    “I’m going to take you upstairs and get you settled, then I’ll come down and get us a couple bowls of soup. Does that sound okay?”
    Holly’s lips turned up into smile and she nodded. “I might be able to try some soup.”
     
    The apartment above the restaurant wasn’t as shabby as Holly had imagined. It was as big as her condo. The walls were painted in warm browns, and the window coverings were heavy drapes, obviously to keep the light out when he slept during the day. The couch was a rich, dark leather that matched a battered recliner that had seen better days.
    Gabe turned on the gas fireplace and it lit the living room up in an orange glow, casting shadows on the ornate wood
coffee table.
    “I’m not sure what’s on TV this time at night, except for sports.” He pushed the buttons on the remote until the TV turned on and then handed it to her. “Find anything you’d like. There are water bottles in the fridge. Bathroom is down the hall.” He turned back to the door. “Make yourself comfortable and I’ll be back up in a few minutes.”
    Holly nodded as he walked away. She flipped through the channels, which were only local, and settled on something just for the noise. She shrugged out of her coat and laid it on the couch. Without even leaving the room, she decided she could learn a lot about the man who was now her partner in life.
    There was a bookcase full of mystery novels and even a few
     
    romances. That made her chuckle. There were a few trophies for baseball and one for bowling.
    Above the fireplace were framed pictures. The largest frame stood in the center of the mantel. Gabe, his parents, his sisters, and their families were thrown into an impromptu hu ddle, smiling broadly. Everyone in the photo resembled Gabe and each other, so she assumed they were his family. She would have known his father anywhere. They were a match, though he had his mother’s eyes.
    The smiles on the faces of the two boys he held in his arms tugged at her heart. They were as different as night and day, but almost the same age. They each had their tiny arms wrapped around Gabe’s neck and their cheeks pressed to his. She’d never seen a man so happy.
    The other frames were of ski trips and people crowded around the bar with friends. There was a picture of Gabe with an older man behind the bar in the restaurant downstairs. His uncle, perhaps. A picture of Gabe and his mother had her wondering what her reaction was when he told her about the baby. She’d been too cowardly to even think about calling her mother. She’d have to, but she wasn’t ready.
    Holly wandered around the room, picking up things and setting them down. Off to the side, a frame stood on a table by itself. She walked over and picked it up.
    Gabe stood behind a woman, leaning over her shoulder so they were cheek to cheek. His arms were wrapped around her waist and their bodies were pressed to each other’s. Wherever they were, it was cold—their cheeks and noses were red, but their smiles warmed even Holly, who only looked down at the
    memory on paper. This woman couldn’t be a