Melanie’s gaze darted to Gabe’s as he tried out the girlfriend word for the first time, but she didn’t make him retract the statement, so he was feeling pretty good about his prospects of making it a reality.

His dad extended his tanned and weathered left hand because his right was tightly gripping his cane. Melanie naturally extended her right hand so instead of shaking hands, they ended up awkwardly holding hands, but her charming giggle melted the old man on the spot. Gabe was feeling pretty good about that too.

“Come up on the porch in the shade,” his dad said. “You’ll bake your brain in this heat.”

By the time they made it to the porch, his mother had brought out a pitcher of iced tea and four glasses.

“So glad you stopped by,” she said. “Even though my Gabriel only lives a mile down the road, I hardly ever see him.”

“You saw me yesterday,” Gabe reminded her.

“How’s Lady?” his dad asked. “Mom told me she was hit by a car.”

“I visited her this morning. She’s going to be fine.” It was a perfect opening to ask if they’d be willing to take care of her while he was on tour, but he reached for a glass of tea instead.

“That’s great,” his dad said. “Kathy made it sound like your dog was pretty banged up.”

“I thought she was,” his mom said. “Will she be okay by herself while you’re gone?”

Opening number two, gaping wide. Gabe took a sip of his tea and glanced at Melanie, who gave him an odd look.

“I wish I could stay and keep an eye on her,” Melanie said, “but I have to work.”

Opening number three slipped right by.

“Do you need someone to watch her?” his dad asked.

“Well…”

Melanie squeezed his leg beneath the table.

“I could probably use a hand with her,” Gabe said, “but I know how busy you both are.”

“Yeah, watching this grass grow all summer keeps me overextended,” his dad said and then laughed.

“Aren’t you doing research this summer?” Gabe asked.

“Didn’t we tell you?” his mom asked.

“Tell me what?”

“Your dad is starting to hand off his unfinished projects to the junior scientists in the department so he can retire next spring.”

“Dad’s retiring?” Gabe sputtered. But only old people retired. Sure, his dad was in his sixties, but he was far from old.

“I know we told you,” his mom said, patting his father’s hand. “We told him, Luke. Didn’t we?”

“No one told me anything,” Gabe said.

“We told you on the phone months ago,” his mom said.

Gabe shook his head. He would have remembered that his father was retiring. It was sort of a big deal.

“Maybe we told Leslie and Jennifer and forgot to tell him,” his dad said, looking reflective.

“All anyone in this family ever tells me is what a huge disappointment I am,” Gabe blurted.

“What are you talking about, Gabriel?” his mother said sternly. “No one ever—”

“He had such a promising future before he joined that rock band,” he mimicked her exact words from the night before. “Leslie is our MD and Jennifer our PhD and Gabe, well, let’s just say he turned out a little different from what we expected.” He’d heard her tell some stranger that a couple of months before.

“We aren’t disappointed in you, son,” his dad said, “but you are a little different.” He chuckled at Gabe’s expense

“I’m glad he’s different,” Melanie blurted. “It makes him that much more wonderful.”

Stunned, Gabe glanced at Melanie, who covered her mouth with trembling fingertips and looked from one of his parents to the other, a horrified expression on her face. He couldn’t tell if she was about to cry or punch someone in the nose, but he could tell that she was upset. And once again standing firmly in his corner.

“I can’t believe you think we’re disappointed in you, Gabe,” his mother said. “I never thought you’d take my bragging the wrong way.”

“You have a right to brag about Leslie and Jennifer,” Gabe said, “they’re both everything you expected them to be.”

His mom reached over and patted his face, rather harder than necessary. “You, hush. I was bragging about you. Every family has a doctor. Hell, ours has twelve, but not everyone can say they have a rock star for a son. But I still hate those damned tattoos. On. Your. Head. Gabe. Why did you have to get them on your head?”

Melanie giggled.

“The young lady seems okay with them,” his dad said.

The young lady seemed okay with everything about him. And for the first time in a very long time, he found he could relax in the company of his parents. He still didn’t quite believe that his mother actually bragged about him, but he almost believed that they weren’t entirely disappointed in him and hadn’t written him out of their will.

“So about that dog of yours…” His father prompted, giving him opening number five or number six. Gabe had lost track.

“Would you mind going to pick her up from the vet’s office tomorrow and nursing her back to health?” Gabe asked.

“On one condition.” His father lifted a finger at him, and he half expected him to require he get the dragon tattoos removed from his scalp.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“That Beau stays here with her so she doesn’t drive me nuts with her constant need for attention.”

Gabe smiled, his love for the man squeezing his throat. “You have a deal.”

“Good,” he said. “Now I insist on Melanie telling me everything about herself since I already know all about you.” His dad winked at him and then turned his attention to Melanie. She soon discovered that she was the most popular rock star at this particular table.

Finding herself sprawled naked across Gabe’s bed once again, Melanie touched the back of his head, her eyes closed in bliss. Sparks of pleasure danced along her nerve endings as he sucked at her nipple, apparently intent on making it as hard as a diamond.

“Do you think they like me?” she asked, still thinking about their visit with his parents. She and Gabe had returned to his house less than ten minutes ago and before she could ask him if he thought things had gone well, he’d had her naked and moaning in his bed. His parents had made her feel welcome during their short visit, but maybe they were that nice to everyone.

“My lips definitely like you,” Gabe murmured.

“I mean your parents. Do you think they like me?”

His head popped up, and he stared at her, his long nose crinkled in displeasure. “Please tell me you are not thinking about my parents right now.”

She couldn’t help it. Meeting them had been a big deal to her. “I just didn’t expect them to be so friendly.”

Gabe dropped his forehead against her chest. “I can’t believe you’re actually thinking about my parents right now.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Please continue.”

She grabbed his head and directed his mouth back to her nipple. His warm, wet tongue traced the sensitive tip and she shuddered.

After she enjoyed another moment of his tender assault on her breast, the thoughts racing through her busy brain still refused to quiet, so she asked, “Why are you always so tightlipped about your home life? Whenever I ask you questions about yourself or your family, you change the subject.”

He bit her nipple, hard, and she sucked a breath through her teeth.

“Is it because you’d always had your family’s approval and now you think you don’t?”

“Maybe,” he said.

“That really bothers you, doesn’t it?”

Gabe sighed loudly. “This calls for some assistance,” he said and rolled off the bed.

She lifted her head and watched his sexy ass flex with each step he took toward his armoire. He was after his toys again.

“I’ll be quiet,” she promised. But she really wanted to talk about his reluctance to share his personal life. Maybe he’d be more open to conversation after he took care of the raging hard-on he was currently sporting. There were times to be nosy and times to shut up. She’d completely missed the mark on this one.