Chapter 3

Masamune had no idea what she had just done, but it seemed that she was perfectly clear with her intentions. She sat in the cab of his truck when he got into it and just looked her over. He was seeing if she was indeed the normally quiet, sweet girl she always was. He didn't know that she was burning through. She was burning from the inside out from the first touch of his kiss.

Gabbie looked in front of her. She had no idea why she did that, but it seemed like a good idea to do. She really hadn't wanted to ignite a fire in her skin. The look on his face made her want to do it again and again, though. She tried to sit still, but everything that was touching her sent shivers down her spine. The added pressure now on her skin that seemed like everything around her was going to combust she knew she had done something other than what she had wanted too. She was trapped by the feeling as well.

Gabbie knew she was in trouble the second she let her eyes flicker over to where he was now sitting looking at the road. Masamune, as she knew him, liked to talk, but he sat there with his lips pressed together and he was fighting himself to keep his eyes on the road. He did every once in a while take a quick glance over to her. She felt his eyes roam her, looking for something to explain the reaction she had to him she assumed.

She felt stupid in the moment. He didn't respond to it as she had hoped. She thought she had her answer, he really didn't like her that way. She would be forever his adopted niece. Now her skin felt on fire, and her heart was breaking. She turned and looked out the window so he couldn't see if a few of the tears she felt building up behind her eyes fell.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked as his hand was on her knee now. The simple touch she could feel his body heat of his hand through her pants and starting a new fire on her leg.

"What?" she croaked out trying to mask the emotions rolling through her.

"You don't kiss a man like that and then turn away," he replied.

"Whatever Masa," she replied, trying to keep calm. She was forcing herself to stay that way.

"No, Sweetheart. This isn't one of those Whatever moments you are so fond of." he said softly.

"Then what is it?" Gabbie asked as she turned and looked at him. He glanced over, and she saw the burning blue in his eyes. It was the same burning blue that her mother had when she was angry, or she was with her dad.

"You don't know?" Masamune asked. There was no put down in the statement Gabbie could hear. It was an honest question. He wanted her to explain to him what was going on.

"I have an idea." Gabbie replied. She didn't want to get into it while he was driving or when she was filled to the top with emotions and feelings she couldn't sort out.

"We do need to talk, but I get it, sweetheart," Masamune said as a smile passed over his face.

"Why do we have to talk about one kiss?" Gabbie asked.

"It isn't about just one kiss that we have to talk about," Masamune said. "There is a bag in the back, it is for you."

She turned and looked in the back of the cab, and she saw the large paper bag and pulled it closer as she twisted and turned in the truck to be able to reach inside. When she did, she pulled out a bottle and saw what it was. She turned to him completely shocked that he could possibly know. She looked at the other bottles as well. "How?"

"It wasn't easy getting those either," Masamune said with a grin.

"That doesn't explain how," she said quietly.

"You have always talked about doing a cake like that. I figured that you were going to try for your finals, but like you always do you would chicken out because you are still unsure of the flavors melding together. This way you can try it our well in advance to see which pair up well and which don't. Cooking is like a science experiment. You can do everything right, but it can still fail. Now you have all but one of the ingredients to make the best cake those teachers and judges have ever had." Masamune said with his grin growing.

"This must have cost a fortune!" Gabbie replied.

"Price doesn't matter," Masamune said. "Your smile does."

"Masa about the kiss." Gabbie said.

"Not now." Masamune said, "We can discuss that when we get home."

Masamune knew the present would be the icing on the cake, so to speak. She had talked about doing a cake like that for a year or so, but she lacked the confidence to do it. The simple gesture had more meaning than she would know. He knew the last the thing she needed to have for her skills to be at the best they could be. He was willing to show her that, but he knew that he had to take his time with this one. He couldn't ride to her rescue and just show her. She had to learn on her own. She had decisions to make, and he didn't know if she would pick him in the end. He really hoped, though.

He continued driving, and though he wanted nothing more to pull over and show her what he meant right there, she needed time to process things. By his count, she had never dated before. He had spent more time at their house over the past few years, and he had been watching. She was after all his friends daughter even though she was adopted by him. He know understood why Mitsuhide had acted the way he did when Rin was still in the hospital so many years ago.

They all had thought Mitsuhide had overstepped his normal behavior when he up and moved Kit and three of the kids into his house for their protection. It was so unlike him that they had all gathered in front of his house and waited for him and her to get back after a shopping trip. When they looked at him as he looked at her, everything was clear though no one understood it. Mitsuhide had found love right under his nose. Masamune now understood the same feeling. He had found love as well, but he had to ease into it. The ideas and pain of that would be hard for him. He liked to seize things quickly, but now, with her, it was the opposite. She was new to this. She deserved better.

His plan though not fully formed in his head as enough to hold him back. He knew that this was going to be an interesting weekend, to say the least. He either was going to win her heart, or he was going to drive her away. Either way, he would have his answers. He side glanced at her again as she sat with the flavors oils that were normally used for candy in her lap with a wistful look crossing her face. She was thinking. Her normally dark eyes were still green, and he was happy to see that. Over the years, he had learned what that meant, and she was truly happy. That was all he wanted to see in the long run, her happy.

Masamune watched as she pulled out her phone and sent a text to someone. He didn't know who at the time and he was slightly jealous. He wanted this time with her. He didn't know if it was a boyfriend, a guy, or someone else. It was slightly driving him insane. He tried to focus on the road, but even that was hard as her fingers flew over the keyboard.

Mom, I'm staying with Masamune this

weekend-G

Are you sure about that - M

As sure as I can get.- G

Did something happen -M

Yes-G

What -m

I am not sure yet.-G

I see.-M

You see what -G

Nothing. See you tomorrow for lunch.- M

Mom -G

Mom-G

MOM-G

Have a good time._M

Gabbie was confused by her mothers answers. So she tried her sister.

Rin -G

What -R

Mom is acting weird-G

How weird -R

She wants me to have a good time at Masa's this weekend.-G

You're staying with Masa -R

Yeah.-G

I'm being dropped off to Yuki's-R

What is going on -G

Dad-R

What -G

Dad is being weird.-R

What is going on -G

Time to find out-R

Talk later -G

You bet-R

Gabbie looked at Masamune and wondered if he got her parents to agree by some other thing other than him being nice. If her dad was involved, she knew she might not see the spider as she dove into the web. He was that good. If Rin was with dad, then chances are he might not be running the show. She knew her mother wasn't good at plots like her dad was.

Kit looked at the door when Mitsuhide walked in with his grin. She shook her head at him. "They know something is up."

"I know," Mitsuhide said with a chuckle. "They are my girls. This time though it isn't me running the op."

"You weren't subtle when it was you." Kit replied.

"I couldn't be," Mitsuhide said as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"What is the next part?" Kit asked.

"We wait," Mitsuhide replied with a smile. "They all need to figure out what they want. The guys, for the most part, have been chomping at the bit for years. Now is the perfect time to strike for both. Our daughters had to find themselves to know what they want for the future. They both could have someone who worships the ground they walk on, or they could have something else. The fact is they all need to move forward, or they need to move away."

"You really think this is going to work?" Kit said.

"I have to have hope that the girls will make the right decision," Mitsuhide said.

"And that is?" Kit asked.

"Simple, whatever makes them happiest. I have no horse in the race, Princess. If the guys can make the girls happy, then let them at it. If either hurts them, I will go after them with a wrath, unlike anything you have ever seen before." Mitsuhide replied.

"Spoken like a father of four daughters." Kit said.

"Well, I do have four daughters. Why couldn't we have ugly kids?" Mitsuhide said as the statement brought them both to laughter.

"I don't know." Kit said as she smiled at the three playpens downstairs in the corner of the living room. "I guess we got the punishment of having four beautiful daughters."

"Plus you think this one is a girl," Mitsuhide said as he placed his hand over the place he knew the baby was.

"I think she will be the last." Kit said with a soft sigh.

"One more," Mitsuhide said.

"One more?" Kit asked as she turned and looked at him. "Mitsuhide I think you are trying to kill me."

"Just one more," he repeated as he looked outside then down to his sleeping three young children as he thought of his older two.