Letters to Gabriella

by Patricia Paris

  “What’s there to think about? Clearly I want you, and I think you want me. We don’t need to overanalyze it, Gabriella.”

  “It’s not that easy for me. Yes, I want you; I’m not going to deny the obvious, but I haven’t been intimate with anyone for a long time. It’s not…” She sighed and looked away.

  Justin shelved his disappointment. It wasn’t fair to push her if she wasn’t ready. He could be a patient man, especially when the prize was worth waiting for.

  “It’s all right, sweetheart, you don’t need to explain.” He stood up and reached for her hand. “But when you decide you’re ready to take the plunge, promise you’ll give me some kind of sign.”

  She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. “You’ll be the first to know.”

  “Good, because I’d look like a real fool if everyone else knew but me, and they were all wondering why the hell I wasn’t jumping your bones.”

  She hit him in the arm and laughed. “I really do like you, Justin Morrison.”

  He smiled. “And I like you, Gabriella Forelli.”

  THERE WAS a cricket somewhere in the room. Maybe it was outside. The windows were open so it could be outside. It could be on the windowsill looking in at her wondering what she was doing lying awake at three thirty in the morning wondering if there was a cricket in her room.

  The cricket wasn’t the problem. The cricket wasn’t keeping her awake. Justin Morrison was keeping her awake. Rather, her own indecision over how involved she should let herself get with the man. That was the stimulant responsible for her current bout with insomnia.

  If she followed her emotions, she’d probably still be with Justin, curled up in bed with him…naked…more than likely blissfully satisfied…sleeping. Instead, she was tossing and turning, alone…in one of Bruce’s old tank tops and a pair of boxers…uncomfortably frustrated…awake.

  Gabriella groaned and rolled onto her side, punching the pillow down before resettling her head with a huff. Go to sleep. Go—to—sleep! Nothing.

  Temptation. He should have been named Temptation Morrison. That’s what he was, and she had been ready to pay homage to that name. She’d been ready to take the plunge with him. Had been on the verge…lost in the seduction…aware only of his whispered words, his hands, and his masterful mouth, trailing fire wherever it landed. And then her censor had to show up and ruin things.

  Now she was doing battle with herself. On one side of the ring was the rational, wise, careful woman who had her heart and best interests in mind. You haven’t known him long enough. You shouldn’t jump into a physical relationship with him unless you’re sure you can handle it emotionally. You shouldn’t make love to someone unless you’re pretty sure you love him. If you think you love him, and you make love to him, and it doesn’t work out…well…that would pretty much suck. He could break your heart.

  On the other side of the ring was the lustful, go for it, live-a-little woman who wanted to slip between the sheets with him, throw all caution to the wind, and deal with the fallout when it came. And she was the one screaming the loudest.

  But what if giving in to her desire and opening her heart was what was in her best interest? One of the reasons she’d moved was so she could live her life more freely. She had wanted to experience more without worrying whom she would disappoint or what her in-laws would have to say about it. She hadn’t wanted her daughter to have to conform to the same rigid expectations she’d grown up under or risk being looked down upon. So why was she still imposing restrictions on herself? Why couldn’t she just let go and do something she really wanted to do?

  Justin was an amazing man. He was fun and charming, and he was great with Chloe. What horrible, awful thing was going to happen if she went to bed with him? She wanted to. He wanted to. She was pretty sure he was going to make her toes curl…pretty sure. She could be wrong, it was possible…but…no…her toes would be curling.

  She had to stop overanalyzing and trust her gut more. Her gut was telling her it was going to happen anyway. She didn’t know what she was waiting for. She really, really, really liked the guy. It was possible she already loved him. She’d thought she had loved Bruce, and it turned out she had just really, really, really liked him…as a friend.

  Gab flipped onto her back and squeezed her eyes shut.

  Go to sleep. Go—to—sleep!

  Gab slept in and didn’t get to Blake and Delaney’s until nine thirty to pick Chloe up the following morning. She jumped out of the car, slammed the door and ran up the steps of the Morrisons’ front porch.

  As she lifted her hand to knock, Delaney pulled open the door, looking as unruffled and adorable as always.

  “I’m so sorry!” Gab’s shoulders slumped. She felt like a contender for world’s worst mother, dropping her child off at someone else’s house for the night and showing up an hour and a half late to pick her up.

  “You already apologized on the phone.” Delaney gave her a hug. “And that one wasn’t necessary, either. Chloe’s been no trouble at all, so stop fretting about it.”

  “I just can’t believe I slept in. I never sleep that late!”

  “Well, just forget it.” Delaney closed the door behind them and wrapped an arm around Gabriella’s waist. “Come have a cup of coffee and tell me how you’re doing. Have you had breakfast yet?”

  “No, I got dressed and over here as quick as I could. I’m just—”

  Delaney cleared her throat. “I don’t want to hear one more word about it, okay? Now come into the kitchen. I’ll make you some eggs.”

  Gab started to protest, but Delaney marched off in front of her, leaving Gab to stand in the entry or follow.

  Fifteen minutes later Gab was eating two perfectly poached eggs that had been served up over fresh-baked biscuits, with a side of thick cut pepper bacon and a cup of French-pressed coffee.

  “She’s pretty amazing,” Gab said to Blake, who had joined them a few minutes after she had arrived.

  “Won’t hear me complaining,” he said.

  “What smells so good?”

  Gab looked up from her meal, and her heart did a little flip-flop as Justin came strolling into the kitchen. He did a double take when he saw her sitting at the table, his step faltering a moment, and she could tell he was just as surprised to see her there.

  He gave her a nod, the corners of his mouth lifting in a sexy grin. “Sugar,” he said, “didn’t expect you’d still be here.”

  “Yeah, I…Delaney invited me to stay for breakfast.” Gab saw no reason to tell him she’d slept in and only just gotten there because thoughts of him had kept her up all night.

  He pulled out the chair next to hers and sat down. “What are my chances of getting some of those eggs and biscuits, Delaney, my love?”

  “Two or three, darling?” Delaney grinned across the table at him.

  “Two, thank you kindly.” Justin looked at Blake. “That’s one amazing woman you married, bro.”

  “Won’t hear me complaining.” Blake shot Gab an amused look.

  A few minutes later Ben and Chloe came running into the kitchen through the back door.

  “Hey, Mom!” Chloe skipped over and gave her a hug. “A raccoon scratched at our tent last night,” she said breathlessly. “And Ben said there was this guy, umm, Peazley Green.” Her eyes glowed with excitement as the words tumbled from her mouth. “And he got struck by lightning one time, and umm, that’s why he’s greeeen. And…and he always has this wooden box with him, umm, ‘cause he collects kids’ heads in it.”

  “Benjamin!” Delaney slung a hand on her hip and gave the boy a stern look.

  “Well, that’s what Billy Molton told me,” Ben said in his own defense. “And his dad told him and said it was the truth, and if kids went out at night alone, Peazley Green would come and try to get their heads.”

  “Billy Molton’s dad just told him that so Billy would stop climbing out of his bedroom window at night and getting himself into trouble.” Delaney looked at Blake, as
if he should offer a little fatherly advice or wisdom. Blake and Justin both looked like they were trying not to laugh. Delaney shook her head and rolled her eyes at Gab. “Men,” she huffed, which made the two sitting at the table look even more amused.

  “So did you have a good time, honey?” Gab slipped an arm around Chloe’s waist.

  “Yeah, it was awesome!” Chloe looked at Ben, and the two of them gave each other a fist bump. Neither one looked too concerned about losing their heads.

  “Do we have to go already?” Chloe asked.

  “In a little bit. I’m just finishing some breakfast Miss Delaney made and then we need to get home. But you can play for a few more minutes until then.”

  “Let’s go,” Ben said, and the two took off for the backyard again with Ben’s dog Hunter close on their heels.

  “Sorry about that,” Delaney said. “I hope Chloe doesn’t have nightmares about Peazley Green coming after her.”

  “Peazley Green’s been collecting kids’ heads around these parts for decades,” Justin said. “We used to tell that story when we were boys, and I’m not sure who told us, but I know George believed it. I don’t think he went out after nine o’clock until he hit high school.”

  “Who’s George?” Gab asked.

  “Billy Molton’s dad,” Justin said, and they all started laughing again.

  Delaney set Justin’s eggs and biscuits with a side of pepper bacon in front of him. He winked at her and said, “Thanks, darling.” They were all so easy with one another. Gab wondered what it would be like to have those kinds of connections in her life.

  “Why don’t you and Chloe come over next weekend for a barbecue?” Delaney suggested to Gab.

  “Thanks, but we can’t. I’m driving Chloe to Connecticut on Friday to visit with her grandmother.”

  “Oh, how long will you be gone?” Delaney asked.

  “I’ll be back sometime Sunday evening, but Chloe will be gone for two weeks.”

  Justin’s head shot up, and she wasn’t sure what it was she saw in his eyes—surprise, interest, maybe both.

  “Lil, that’s my mother-in-law, made me promise to bring Chloe down before school started, and in a weak moment I agreed.” Gab took the last sip of her coffee. “I’m sure Chloe will have a great time visiting her cousins, but I’ll probably be a wreck by the time she returns. I’ve never been away from her longer than a couple of days.”

  “Well you’ll just have to stay busy while she’s gone.” Delaney looked at Justin and arched her brows.

  “I’ll have plenty to keep me busy with work,” Gab said, not fooled at all by Delaney’s tack. “And I’ve got several projects around the house as well, but I know I’ll still miss her.”

  Gab pushed her chair back. “I really should get going.” She stood up. “Thanks again for keeping Chloe. I know she had a great time.”

  Justin started to rise. “I’ll walk out with you.”

  “No, please,” Gab insisted, holding up her hand. “Finish your breakfast while it’s warm.”

  She backed away from the table then turned and walked out the back door to collect her daughter.

  THE REST of the weekend passed quickly. Gab and Chloe drove to Annapolis on Sunday. Neither had ever been there, and it was a nice way to spend the day together. They enjoyed going in and out of all the shops and walking along the riverfront near the Naval Academy. They bought matching Navy tee shirts. They ate lunch at a waterfront restaurant and got a kick out of watching all the boats as they came in and out of the little harbor area known as Ego Alley.

  Gabriella thought the town was charming. Although it seemed quite cosmopolitan, it still had a historical look and feel. There were several small brick side streets with quaint row homes. Some had brightly painted front doors and window boxes overflowing with begonia, impatiens, blue lobelia, sweet potato vine, and an array of other colorful flowers and greenery. They peeked through iron gates to find elaborate hidden gardens, and only once got caught when the homeowner came walking up the sidewalk behind them and asked if he could help them.

  They left Annapolis around five thirty and stopped at a restaurant on Kent Island on the other side of the Bay Bridge for dinner. By the time they got back home it was just past nine o’clock.

  After Chloe went to bed, Gab took her computer outside on the back porch and started to edit some of the copy she’d written the day before. She tried not to think about what was happening between her and Justin. What to do, what not to do, was she in love with him, was it just lust…was it love and lust? The only thing she really knew was that she’d never felt this way about anyone. And that was the very reason she tried not to give in to her usual tendency and over think it.

  MONDAY MORNING Blake called Gab to see if she wanted him to stop over to take a look at her house. She’d asked him Saturday morning when she’d first seen him if he might be able to give her a rough estimate for the remodeling she wanted to do.

  She heard his truck pull up in front of the house around eleven and walked out onto the porch to meet him. He got out of the truck and just stood by the open door for several moments, staring at the house with an odd expression. She didn’t think he even noticed she had come onto the porch. He looked rigid, just standing there, staring, and she imagined she could feel something else…a tension, like he didn’t want to be there.

  She shook her head. He was probably just taking stock of the structure. Maybe he’d had a bad morning and his mood had nothing to do with her or her house. Maybe the sun was in his eyes.

  He closed the truck door and started toward the porch, his head down. He was mumbling something.

  “Hey, Blake,” she called out.

  He looked up, surprised, she saw, that she was there. He really hadn’t noticed her.

  “Morning,” he said, in what she’d begun to recognize as an inclination toward brevity. He mounted the steps and smiled at her. She might have been looking at Justin. The two were so identical she couldn’t tell them apart. If she hadn’t known Blake was stopping by, she wouldn’t have known which Morrison was standing on her porch.

  “Thanks for coming,” she said, still picking up some negative vibes. She didn’t feel comfortable asking him if there was a problem. Maybe he was upset about something personal and wouldn’t appreciate her prying. “Come on inside and I can tell you what I have in mind.”

  He nodded, said nothing, and followed her into the house. After going over some of her ideas with him, Gab followed Blake around while he studied the rooms, made some notes, knocked on some walls, checked out the attic and basement, and then went outside and walked around the house.

  He stopped walking when they reached the driveway and made some more notes. When he looked up from his notebook to the front of the house, Gab thought his expression grew grave again, and she felt the same uncomfortable tension as when he’d arrived. Maybe her house was supposed to be haunted or something. Wouldn’t that be a bummer if she’d inherited a haunted house—not that she had ever believed in that sort of thing—but one never knew.

  In the midst of her pondering, Blake hitched his head toward the front of the house and asked, “Mind if I take a few measurements?”

  “No, of course not.” She led him back inside. “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got some fresh lemonade in the fridge.”

  “That sounds good. Thanks, sugar.” He reminded her so much of Justin when he said it that she just stared at him for a couple of seconds. He grinned, the same kind of crookedly sexy grin that was Justin’s, and then pulled a tape measure off his belt and went about his business. Gab gave herself a mental shake and went into the kitchen to get the lemonade.

  About twenty minutes later Blake told her that he would put together some drawings and get back to her by the end of the week with an estimate.

  She walked outside onto the front porch with him. “Thanks for coming by. Tell Delaney and Ben I said hello.”

  “Will do.” He jogged down the steps, giving her a wave over
his shoulder. Just before he turned his truck on, Gab saw Blake take a final long look at the house. Even from where she stood on the porch, she could tell he was frowning. He shook his head, then backed up, turned around, and drove away, a small cloud of dust rising in the truck’s wake.

  After closing down his computer Tuesday evening, Justin called Gabriella to see if she’d go with him the following morning to pick out some artwork for his new lobby. She told him she had intended to drive into town to run some errands after dropping Chloe off at camp anyway and could meet him at his office afterward.

  Friday morning he’d be going to settlement on his condo in DC. It was the last remaining thread to his old life. Justin shook his head, unable to believe just a short time ago he’d been mired in it so deeply. He’d made arrangements to drive up Thursday afternoon and get together with some of his old friends for dinner. He’d stay at the condo that night, make sure the cleaning crew had done their job while he’d been absent, and go to settlement from there in the morning.

  He was selling the condo furnished. The stuff had looked great in the showroom, and it fit the style of the condo, but it was more contemporary than he liked, and it wasn’t comfortable. He liked a big, cushy couch he could stretch out on with a beer in one hand and if he were lucky, a woman in the other. When he finally bought a house here, he’d make sure he got the biggest damn cushiony couch he could find. He knew the woman he wanted snuggling up to him on it in the short term. If it developed into something long term, he thought he’d be just fine with that.

  He hadn’t been with a woman since breaking things off with Brin a few months ago. In retrospect, it was hard to believe he’d been so oblivious about what was going on in their relationship, or that he’d allowed himself to lose sight of the things he’d always valued so much. He’d gotten sucked into the whole, big firm mentality. The money. The power. The perks. The lure had been tremendous but so had the price. Thank God he’d escaped.

  After what happened with Brin, Justin had decided to take it slow where women were concerned. He planned to focus on his new practice, settle in, find a place, and restore balance to his life. He hadn’t thought he’d be considering another relationship this soon…but he hadn’t planned on Gabriella. The woman was a curve ball he hadn’t seen coming. Despite his more recent convictions though, he felt surprisingly comfortable with the prospect now. Pursuing a more intimate relationship with Gabriella excited him. The only question bothering him at the moment was whether she wanted the same thing.