**I got a chance to update this after who knows how long. Hope it's alright.**
G - Gift
"Hey, there's my favorite waitress," Rafe said as she walked into The Brady Pub several weeks later. He took a seat at the bar and offered her a smile. She smiled in return as she carefully delivered two heaping bowls of clam chowder to a couple canoodling in the back booth.
Gwen wiped her hands on her apron as she walked towards the bar. "Hi there," she said. "The same as always?"
"Yep, a bowl of Caroline's world-famous chowder and an Irish beer," Rafe said with a grin. She grabbed for a bottle of his favorite beer and screwed off the cap, setting it before him.
"Say, you're getting good at this."
Gwen chuckled. "Well, I haven't spilled anything on anyone yet tonight. That's a new record."
"You're getting better and better," Rafe said, tipping the bottle to his lips and taking a slow chug. "I knew you'd do well. Caroline really likes you, you know."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes. She told me that herself the last time I was in here." Rafe came in to the Pub to see her almost every night and she found that the nights that he didn't show up (usually due to work obligations), she actually missed him.
Gwen found herself smiling, pleased at hearing those words. It was nice to be liked. She hadn't been very well-liked in the past. Of course, she had done some horrible things and deserved not to be liked for them, but she didn't want to think about any of that tonight. Tonight was supposed to be about celebrating.
At that thought, Gwen reached underneath the counter and retrieved a small package wrapped in sky blue paper. She set it in front of Rafe.
He smiled. "Hey, what's this?" He put down his beer and reached for the little bundle.
"A little thank you gift," Gwen said. "I received my first paycheck yesterday and I knew that I wanted to do something for you. I am so grateful for this job, it's… a new start for me, I guess you'd say."
"This isn't necessary. I was just glad to be able to help."
"I know, but I want you to have it anyway," Gwen said. "Open, open."
"Okay, okay," Rafe said and slowly peeled back the paper on the item. He laughed when he held up the paper which was ensconced deep in a layer of tissue paper. "A certificate for The Beef Jerky of the Month Club. Why you shouldn't have."
Gwen chuckled softly. "I absolutely did not know what else to get you. High quality wristwatches cost more than I could ever afford now; you don't seem like a get-dressed-up-and-go-out sort of guy so a tie was out. A novelty mug that said 'Best Cop Ever' seemed quite gimmicky and I bet you have a dozen of them anyway."
Rafe puffed out his chest dramatically. "In fact, I do." He chuckled. "No, this is great. If there's one thing I love to do, it's eat."
"I've noticed that," she said. "That said, I better go get your standard heaping bowl of Caroline's chowder."
"Sure, but -" He reached out and grabbed her hand lightly as she was about to turn away. She looked down at his calloused fingers laced across hers and she froze for a second, not knowing how to react. She felt something in that moment for him - something far deeper than friendship and it scared the hell out of her.
"You okay?" Rafe asked, no doubt noticing her deer-in-the-headlights expression.
Gwen tried to shake it off. "Sure, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, trying to sound flippant.
"You just … Never mind," he said and released his hold on her. She felt both relieved and disappointed all at the same time. "I just wanted to say thank you."
"It's just beef jerky," Gwen said.
"Well it means a lot that you thought of me," Rafe said. He offered her another adorable smile.
Gwen's knees quaked a bit, seeing that grin. "You're - you're welcome," she said. "Now about that clam chowder …" She said and raced off.
Once in the relative safety of kitchen, she let out a shaky breath, nearly collapsing against the wall behind her. Rafe was gorgeous and kind and all around wonderful, but she couldn't actually go and fall for him. She wouldn't let herself. She'd only ever loved one man and look at how that had turned out. It had turned into a full-blown obsession that had cost her absolutelyeverything.
She could never allow herself to fall for a man ever again, even one as wonderful as Rafe Hernandez seemed to be.
