Several hours later, I sat at the top of the steps, watching the man downstairs. I could just barely see him from my position.
Rachel was waiting in the kitchen for Gabby, which was the same reason I was at the top of the stairs instead of downstairs learning. Rachel and I had been down there with the man when he'd pulled the machine out to look at the back. While I'd been learning, she'd been eyeing the man in a potential Mate way. I wondered if that meant she was no longer with Peter. I doubted it because she still smelled of him.
The sound of a car coming down the road pricked my ears. Gabby's engine and exhaust system were distinct and easy to identify. As soon as Gabby pulled into the driveway, Rachel dashed out the back door.
"You are brilliant!" Rachel said, still outside.
"What'd I do?" Gabby's words were faint.
"There's a hot repairman working on the washer in the basement."
Hot? I looked at the man again as he bent over to pick up a tool.
"Thank you for breaking it," Rachel said.
She and Gabby walked into the house.
"I didn't do anything but throw in a load of laundry before I left," Gabby said quietly.
I turned to look at her. Did she suspect something?
"Hey," Rachel said. "I'm not blaming...I'm just thanking."
"But, I thought you were into Peter," Gabby said, echoing my thoughts.
"I am. It doesn't mean I don't window-shop. Go down there and flirt with him and see if we can get twenty percent off our bill."
Flirt? Before I could get even more upset with Rachel, Gabby snorted.
"I will not. It'd be safer to send Clay down there to learn how to fix it than me trying to get us a price break."
Done.
"If our dog starts fixing things, we're hitting the road and making some money," said Rachel.
The man started up the basement stairs, and Rachel's face lit with anticipation while Gabby eyed the basement door with dread. I backed up a few steps, positioning myself between her and the door, trying to reassure her with my presence.
Her look of dread changed to one of appreciation when the man reached the top of the stairs. The man didn't miss her appreciative look, either. He flexed for her. I briefly considered nudging the man to send him falling down the steps.
Gabby flushed and turned to Rachel.
"I have to go pick up my ring before Clay gets here. He'd be heartbroken if he found out I bent a prong on the setting already. Plus, my hand feels naked without it."
She held out her left hand and gave it a wistful look.
What ring was she talking about?
"The dog?" the man asked with a puzzled look at Rachel.
Gabby laughed nervously. "We named the dog after my fianc?. He has a good sense of humor and likes the dog, too."
She said it so fast I could barely understand her. By the time the words sank in, she was already out the door. I wanted to run after her. Was I the fianc?, the dog, or both?
Stuck with two human witnesses, I couldn't shift to let myself out the door and chase her down. Instead, I listened to her car peel out of the driveway.
It took another hour before the man left and longer still for Gabby to reappear. When she cautiously walked in, bags looped over her arms, I was waiting for her.
She set down the bags and peeked around the corner before she spoke to me in a whisper.
"You better keep reading the books I bring home. You can be our repair guy. It gives me the willies that he knows where I live."
I nodded just as Rachel turned the corner from her bedroom. She paused mid-stride, her eyes wide.
"Did he just nod?"
Gabby smiled. "Yep. I've been working on it with him. He caught on really fast. The nodding isn't bad, but his smile can be a little scary."
Her pulse tripped, giving away her lie. Rachel stared at us for a moment then shook her head.
"You're weird, Gabby, but in a good way. Anyway, it was one hundred and twenty-five dollars to fix the washer. I covered your half. With the vet bill, you're up to one hundred, minus the burger and drink from disaster night."
I saw Gabby's cringe.
"Okay. I'll run to the bank after class tomorrow." She chewed her lip for a moment, and I scented her concern.