11: Compliments

Warning: Adult language

reckon = a strong likelihood of yes

Gabriella could stand it no longer. She needed to apologize, and she felt like it was eating her alive. Plus, she knew he surely knew she was coming. He knew she wanted to apologize, and obviously he was going to make her eat humble pie and come to his place. Fine, then!

Nervously, she pulled up to his house and parked her car. Her last visit to his house hadn't gone so well. She knew Gus must be around here somewhere, and she wasn't positive Nate would protect her from him this time. Nathaniel was probably still mad at her.

As she walked up, she heard him talking to the horses in the stables, so she gratefully made her way over to them instead of the front door. She had the feeling Gus didn't spend much time in the stables. At least, she hoped he didn't.

"Nathaniel? Are you in there?" she asked timidly, knowing he could hear her even though she spoke quietly.

"Yeah, c'mon in." she heard him say. She couldn't tell his mood from his voice. He'd been laughing a moment before, but the laughter stopped as soon as she'd opened her mouth. Is he surprised I'm here?

At first, Nathaniel refused to turn around to face her. After all, she'd said she wanted nothing to do with him. As the day progressed, he'd gotten better at making her part of the background noise. Thus, her visit was a bit of a surprise. He knew she'd thought about coming by yesterday but immediately threw that idea out because she was worried about Gus.

"Hello, Gabriella." he said stiffly to the far wall. He led Reggie a little more to the middle of the stable to make both horse and human more comfortable by putting a little distance between them since they hadn't been introduced. This also gave him an excuse not to look at her.

Gabriella looked around. She didn't know what she expected the stables to look like, but it wasn't this. This was so... clean. Yes, it smelled like horse, but it was a pleasant smell. It wasn't overwhelming like so many horse stables could be. She looked over at the beautiful stallion Nate was leading behind him. He moved with a gentle grace and his coat had a subtle sheen to it from the gas lanterns on the walls that gave the place a quaint feel. She literally felt like she'd stepped back in time, and she felt out of place.

When Nate turned around his heart leaped into his throat, and he wished he hadn't. How on earth could he stay mad at her? She had no right to stand there looking so damn beautiful in a shirt that could easily pass for a nightgown instead. Did she wear that damn thing on purpose just to torture me?

Aggravated by what she did to him, he snapped, "So what do you want? You said you wanted nothing to do with me. Why are you here?"

Gabriella took a small step back in surprise. "What do you mean 'what am I doing here'? You mean you don't know?" she said, now nervous at the glint of anger she saw in his eyes. Surely he knew she was coming?

"I have finally learned to tune you out. I'd love to block you out completely, but unfortunately that gives me a headache of all things." He paused a moment before he said, "Have you finished your temper tantrum?"

"Well, if you must know, I'd finished my 'temper tantrum' as you call it that same night. This explains why you didn't hear me." And how dare you treat me like some toddler!

"Throwing a tantrum like that was very toddler-like." he said and expected any minute now for her to stamp her foot.

"I came to apologize, but now I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't." she glared at him as he raised his eyebrows in an expression that said, 'Well, are you going to or not?'

When he'd had enough of her glaring silence he said, "Either do it or don't. If you're just going to stand there in a huff, then I have things I'd rather be doing." Like trying very hard not to commit to memory how you look right now so that I won't wind up torturing myself later.

She couldn't look at him while he looked at her with mildly amused impatience. So, she looked at the horse while she said, "I'm sorry I said what I said. You know as well as I I'd been having a rough few days. I incorrectly blamed you for them, and that was wrong."

"I accept your apology, and I must say that was not spoken like a toddler." he said and smiled while she slightly glared at him. Then he watched her eyes being drawn to the horse behind him.

"He's beautiful. What's his name?"

Nathaniel got Gabriella a few carrots to help break the ice between the two and introduced them. "This is Reggie." He handed her the carrots as she walked up to Reggie. "Reggie, this is Gabriella, the one I was complaining about."

"Humph." Gabby said while feeding the carrots to Reggie. "Don't listen to him, Reggie." She petted the horse's velvety nose. "Even if he does have every right to be angry. At least let me plead my case." She giggled a little when Reggie suddenly bobbed his head up and down and side-stepped towards one of the stalls that held another horse. The horse's mood felt playful.

"Traitor." Nate muttered to Reggie. "You're such a pushover for a pretty face."

Gabriella did her best to ignore Nate's compliment. Instead, she laughed.

"He was hoping to go for a run. I reckon I can just put him out and let him go on his own this time." Nate said quietly.

Nathaniel walked over and opened a back door of the stable. Reggie just stood there and stared at him blankly. Nate motioned for Reggie to exit to run around. Still, Reggie obstinately stayed next to the other horse's stall.

"Reg, I told you. If I let the two of you out at the same time, she's just going to bite you again." he lightly scolded.

Gabriella worked at hiding a smile while watching the two of them fight a battle of wills.

"Fine. I don't have time for arguing with you tonight. The door is open, leave if you want." he said. Then he said in an undertone, "Stubborn horse." He turned and faced Gabby's smile, and as he did, he remembered how he had intended on asking her out anyway that day at the store before she had the vision. Everything had changed once she'd had that vision, or... did it?

Gabriella watched as Nathaniel walked towards her, and she wondered what he was thinking. It wasn't fair he could tell what she was thinking when she couldn't do the same to him. There was an intensity to his eyes that made her nervous, but she continued with her planned conversation anyway.

"I.. um. I was wondering if ... Well, there's a fundraiser event coming up and I have no one to go with, and the last time I went alone this one coworker flat drove me crazy. So, um..."

"Why, Miss Hudson," he said with a quite unnecessary, at least Gabby thought, exaggeration of his southern accent, "are you asking me out?"

She wanted to shove him. "No. I just wondered if you'd go to the function with me." she quipped and then blushed. The blushing only furthered her annoyance.

 "You're incredibly beautiful when you blush." he said quietly to her while reaching up and running his knuckles against her cheek.

She stamped her foot like a child and said, "Don't do that!"

He chuckled. It was only a matter of time. "Do what?" he asked, still grinning.

"That! That, that... complimenting stuff."

"Complimenting stuff." he stated for clarity, one eyebrow raised in a scheming sort of way.

"Yes!"

His smile sobered somewhat as he said, "I apologize. I guess I won't mention then that I love the way that top compliments your eyes."

"Nathaniel..." she warned.

"Or how I love hearing you say my name, even if it means you're scolding me."

She blushed again. "Stop it. Don't think I don't know what you're doing!"

"Of course you know what I'm doing! You asked me not to compliment you, so I'm not!" he grinned widely at her, enjoying the game.

"Fine! Don't come to the fundraiser!" she glared at him then raised her eyebrow, wondering what he'd make of that.

"I'd love to go. When is it?" he said, still grinning.

"Friday night. We... we can meet each other there. It's... black tie." she stammered now and looked at the floor.

"Let me introduce you to Desi." Nathaniel offered to ease the tension.

Gabriella loved her immediately. Desi merely loved the apple she offered.

"So, how is it you're going to a fundraiser? Aren't those expensive to go to on principle? I don't mean to sound rude, I'm just curious. Is this a cause you're passionate about?" he asked her, trying not to feel jealous of the attention she gave to the horse. He hadn't realized until this moment how he'd really, really missed her.

"I organized it. It's part of my job. So, I'm afraid I will be abandoning you periodically throughout the evening to attend to various things." she explained.

"I'm sure I'll manage okay. Maybe I'll even see someone I know so I won't get too lonely." he said as he watched her stroke the mare's face. He wondered if she'd picked up on the word lonely and the way he stressed it.

"Maybe." she said. There was a slight pause before she spoke again, "Can I ride her?"

"Umm. Maybe I should go and get Reggie. She's rather high spirited." he said carefully.

"Oh, and you think I couldn't handle her." she teased.

"Well, yes. She's incredibly stubborn. She'll often try to go her own way no matter what direction she's pointed in." he said and raised one eyebrow. "And ignore what's right in front of her."

She patted his shoulder. "I think I can take it." she said and totally missed his double meaning. She walked past him to pick out a saddle.

Turning slightly to watch her, Nate mumbled to himself, "Question is... can I?"