Swan Point

by Sherryl Woods

  Carolina looked deeply shaken by Adelia’s words, but she backed away just the same. “I have to go inside.”

  “Please don’t,” Adelia pleaded one last time.

  “I have to,” Carolina said, her expression defeated.

  She darted inside, leaving Adelia standing on the porch, tears streaming down her cheeks and fury burning in her heart.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Gabe had never had a problem with loneliness before. After years of the chaos of living with his mom, he’d craved a peaceful lifestyle. He’d lived mostly on his own for years now, found female companionship when he wanted it or created distractions that kept him occupied whenever he had time off.

  Since coming back to Serenity, though, he’d discovered that Sundays seemed endless. Mitch flatly refused to let him work at the Main Street site. He claimed the churchgoers in town wouldn’t approve, that Sundays were meant for church and family.

  Though he considered himself to be a man of faith, Gabe hadn’t set foot in church since the one time his mother had dragged him to a service, only to be subjected to searing looks of disapproval that didn’t seem to him to be very Christian or welcoming.

  As for family, he figured Mitch had seen more than enough of him weekdays. Though he had a standing invitation to Mitch’s, he didn’t want to interrupt his cousin’s family time just because he was at loose ends.

  That left Adelia’s. The renovations were coming along, even with the scant amount of time he had to devote to them. That didn’t mean that the occasional Sunday on the job wouldn’t help to speed things up. If he caught a glimpse of her or got to spend time with the kids, so much the better.

  As he headed to Swan Point, he called to make sure it would be okay with Adelia for him to put in a few hours. He didn’t get an answer and assumed she was off somewhere with her family. Since he had a key and her permission to work whenever he could, he went on over.

  He’d just pulled into the driveway and was about to go inside when he spotted Adelia’s car coming down the street at a breakneck pace. She skidded to a stop in front of the house, at least a foot from the curb. To his surprise, though, while she cut the engine, she didn’t get out. She sat where she was, arms braced on the steering wheel, her head lowered onto them. Gabe doubted she’d even taken note of his presence. Something definitely wasn’t right.

  His heart thudding, he walked over and tapped on the window. She jumped, then regarded him with dismay. He took in her pale complexion and the tears streaming down her cheeks and grabbed the door handle. Opening the door carefully, he kneeled beside her and rested a hand lightly on her thigh.

  “What is it? What’s happened?” he asked, keeping his tone gentle.

  She shook her head, the tears coming harder than ever. Her pain was enough to break his heart.

  “Is it one of the kids? Is someone hurt? Is it your mom?”

  Again, she could only seem to shake her head.

  For a minute he couldn’t think what to do. Then it occurred to him that sitting here in the car sobbing where anyone could see probably wasn’t something she’d want if she were thinking clearly.

  “Is it okay if I take you inside?” he asked, sensing that she was so fragile right now, he didn’t dare do anything without her permission.

  “Please,” she whispered. “I can’t seem to move.”

  He snagged the keys from the ignition, then gently picked her up and cradled her against his chest. It took only a few strides to carry her up the walkway and open the door. Inside, though, he hesitated.

  “Living room? Kitchen? Your bedroom?” The last came out on a husky note. “Do you need to lay down?”

  “Just hold me,” she said, snuggling closer.

  Gabe knew she was distraught, that she’d never be all over him if she were thinking straight. He vowed not to take advantage of her while she was in this state, not even if it killed him. He at least had to get to the bottom of her distress first.

  Since that was the immediate goal, he decided they’d better steer clear of the bedroom. She was obviously vulnerable, and he’d never been called a saint.

  He strode into the living room, sat on the sofa and held her close. Though it was a warm day and the air-conditioning wasn’t running in the house, she shivered. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to try to get the circulation going. She shivered even more, though it was hard to tell if it was from a chill or a reaction to his touch.

  “Talk to me,” he pleaded. “What’s going on?”

  She drew in a deep shuddering breath and then the words began to tumble out. He tried to follow, but she was so upset and speaking so quickly, he could barely piece together what had happened.

  “Your sister’s husband is abusing her?” he asked, to be sure he’d heard right.

  “I tried to get her to come home with me, but she won’t.” She gave him a heartbroken look. “How can she stay there, Gabe? Was I wrong to leave her in that house with him?”

  “It sounds like you did everything you could,” he said slowly. He thought of the times his mother had tolerated being slapped around just to keep some man in her life for a few more days or weeks. He’d tried intervening with them, even taking a punch himself on occasion. He’d tried pleading with her, but nothing had worked. She’d made her choices. The irony, of course, was that the men had eventually left, anyway, taking her self-respect right along with them. “You can’t make her do something she’s not ready to do,” he said based on experience.

  A sudden thought crossed his mind. “Does Elliott know?”

  She shook her head. “Mama and I agreed he can’t find out. He’d kill Ricky.”

  “Secrets like this always come out,” Gabe warned. “I think you need to fill him in.” He held her gaze. “And Carter at the same time. If Carter’s aware of the situation, maybe that will be enough to keep your brother from going off the deep end.”

  “I can’t take that chance,” she said at once. “And if Carter knows, won’t he have to do something? I know if he tries to arrest Ricky, Carolina will deny anything’s happened. She’s already said as much. She’s convinced herself—and tried to convince Mama and me—that this is all her fault.”

  “What about her kids?” Gabe asked. “Are they in danger?”

  “They’re at Mama’s,” Adelia reported. “Hopefully Carolina will let them stay there.”

  “And your kids? Are they at your mother’s, too?”

  She nodded. “I called when I left my sister’s and told Mama that I hadn’t had any luck changing Carolina’s mind. My kids are fine with Mama for another couple of hours. She’s baking cookies. They get to lick the bowl and eat the cookies straight out of the oven. I doubt they’re even aware I’m gone. I needed some time to pull myself together before they come home. I’ll pick them up later or she’ll bring them home.”

  Even in her distressed state, she’d thought of her children, made sure they were okay. Gabe tried to imagine what his life would have been like if his mother had ever put him first.

  “Is there anything I can do?” he asked Adelia, wanting to share this burden with her, to ease it if he could.

  “Stay here with me, Gabe. You don’t need to be mixed up in this. You don’t even know my sister.”

  “She matters to you, so she matters to me,” Gabe said without hesitation.

  She regarded him with wonder. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

  Gabe was almost as surprised by that as she was, but it was true. It might not be his problem to resolve, but he hated what it was doing to this woman he cared about. If he could pummel Ricky and solve anything, he’d do it in a heartbeat. It was ironic really how many people he’d wanted to punch out on Adelia’s behalf or Mitch’s lately, but he’d managed to resist the urge. Maybe he really had grown up and realized there were always b
etter choices.

  “I really mean it,” he told her.

  “I’ve never had a hero before,” she murmured, her eyes drifting closed as she finally relaxed in his arms.

  “Oh, darlin’, I’m nobody’s hero,” Gabe protested, but she was beyond hearing him. She’d fallen asleep, obviously worn-out by the day’s traumatic events.

  As he sat there holding her, Gabe realized something else. The loneliness he’d felt earlier in the day had vanished. Even with Adelia asleep and a very real crisis threatening to erupt, he felt more at peace than he had in a long time, maybe ever.

  * * *

  When Gabe was satisfied that Adelia was sleeping soundly, he covered her with a soft blue afghan that was on the back of the sofa and slipped away. First, he went out and pulled her car closer to the curb to lessen the risk of it being struck by another driver. Then he considered going upstairs to work, but he was afraid any noise he made would wake her. Instead, he went into the kitchen to see if there was anything basic that he could fix for dinner.

  He’d just pulled salad ingredients and hamburger meat from the refrigerator when Selena came in. Her eyes widened when she saw him.

  “You’re making dinner?” she asked.

  He smiled at her incredulous expression. “I thought I’d give it a try. Want to help me?”

  “Sure,” she said, taking over with the salad ingredients. “Mom’s asleep in the living room. How come? She left Abuela’s early and never came back. Is she sick?”

  Sick at heart more likely, Gabe thought. To Selena he said only, “I think she was tired.”

  “She does work awfully hard,” Selena said. She gave Gabe a worried look. “Do you think it’s too much for her? I know she was determined not to take any help from my dad, except for the money he gives her for us. She puts that into a college fund, though. Maybe she should be spending it, instead, so she doesn’t have to work so hard.”

  “I may not know your mom very well yet, but I think she wants to provide for you guys. I think she takes a lot of pride in it.”

  “I guess,” Selena said, setting aside the bowl she’d filled with lettuce, peppers, grape tomatoes and croutons. “But if she’s worn-out, that can’t be good.”

  “I think it just hit her today,” Gabe said. “I don’t think it’s anything you need to worry about. Where are your sisters and brother? I thought you were all over at your grandmother’s.”

  “We were, but we wanted to come back here. Abuela wanted us to stay, but I told her I could look out for the kids.” She flushed guiltily. “I guess maybe she knew Mom was here resting or with you. I probably should have listened to her, but Uncle Elliott was leaving and he said he’d drop us off.”

  Gabe smiled. “It’s good you’re home. I think your mom will be glad to see you when she’s awake. Where are Tomas and your sisters now?”

  “Out back. When I saw that Mom was asleep, I sent them outside to play. Tomas didn’t want to go, because he saw your truck. He wanted to come in and help you.”

  “He can help me with the burgers on the grill,” Gabe said. He gave Selena an approving look. “I hope you know what a big help you are to your mom by looking out for Tomas, Natalia and Juanita.”

  She blushed at the compliment. “I’m grounded. What else do I have to do?”

  He smiled at that. “It’s more than that. You’re mature enough to see that your mom could use a little help and you’ve stepped up.”

  “Does being mature mean I have to keep doing this, like, forever? Even after I’m not grounded?”

  Gabe laughed. “Oh, I imagine your mom will reward you with some time off for good behavior.”

  “I hope so, ’cause I really, really miss hanging out with my friends.”

  He studied her for a minute. “Are you allowed to use your cell phone yet?”

  “Only for emergencies,” she said despondently. “And for maybe fifteen minutes, if Mom thinks I’ve been extra good.”

  “If she were awake, I think she’d let you use it for fifteen minutes right now,” he said. “The salad is made. You have a little time before the burgers will be ready.”

  Her eyes brightened. “Really?”

  “I think so.”

  “But what if you get in trouble for letting me?” she asked worriedly.

  “My problem,” he said, then grinned. “Maybe she’ll ground me, too.”

  Selena laughed at that. “Thanks, Gabe.”

  “Fifteen minutes,” he warned. “Not a second longer.”

  “I promise,” she said and ran from them room, already making a call.

  He was about to go outside when he saw Adelia standing in the doorway, hands on hips and what he hoped was a mock scowl in place. “Did I just hear you give my daughter permission to use her cell phone?”

  He winced. “Sorry. She’d been really helpful.” He gestured toward the counter. “She made the salad. She shooed the younger kids outside so they wouldn’t wake you. And she admitted she wasn’t allowed to use the phone except when you gave her permission.” He shrugged. “I made an executive decision.”

  “And what if I did decide to ground you for it?” she asked, her lips twitching. “How do you see that working?”

  “I’d have to stay here,” he told her solemnly. “For as long as you want.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “For some reason, when you say it, it doesn’t sound so much like a punishment.”

  “That depends on where you let me sleep,” he teased.

  “Gabe!” she protested, giving a quick glance around to make sure none of the kids were nearby.

  He stepped closer. “Any thoughts about that, Adelia?”

  She swallowed hard. “I can’t think about anything when you’re this close.”

  He grinned. “Exactly what I was going for,” he said. “That and getting some color back in your complexion. Mission accomplished.”

  She touched a hand to his cheek. “I meant what I said earlier, you know. You are my hero. And I won’t let you deny it now, the way you did then.”

  “I thought you were asleep and didn’t hear me.”

  “No, I heard you, but it wasn’t worth arguing about. I know the truth and that’s what counts.”

  For the first time in his entire life, Gabe actually realized what it felt like to be someone’s hero. He wasn’t sure he deserved the label, but it felt darn good just the same.

  * * *

  Adelia did her best to put her sister’s situation out of her mind and to focus on her own family for the remainder of the evening. She smiled when Selena bounced back downstairs after exactly fifteen minutes and put her cell phone down on the kitchen counter with a dramatic flourish.

  “Right on time,” Selena announced, then regarded her mother worriedly. “Gabe’s not in trouble for letting me use it, is he?”

  “No, I think he showed good judgment,” Adelia told her. “You’ve been a huge help to me lately. You deserved a break. And the fact that you acknowledged to him that you weren’t allowed to use the phone without permission showed me something, too.”

  “What?”

  “That you respect my rules, even if you don’t always agree with them,” Adelia told her. “You’re growing up, Selena.” She grinned. “A little too fast for my taste, but I do appreciate the maturity you’ve been demonstrating lately.”

  To her surprise, Selena gave her a fierce hug.

  “I don’t want to let you down, Mom.” She glanced around. “Where’s Gabe?”

  “Outside cooking hamburgers, or trying to. Last time I looked, he was trying to keep Tomas from flipping them onto the ground.”

  “Dad was never patient enough to let Tomas do anything,” Selena said. “I think it’s cool that Gabe is.”

  “So, you really have changed your opinion of
him?” Adelia asked carefully.

  “He’s a good guy,” Selena conceded, then frowned. “I just don’t know how I feel about him being with you. It’s still kind of soon.”

  “Remember that feeling when I try to tell you who you can date,” Adelia said, deciding it wasn’t worth some long and serious discussion since things were far from settled between her and Gabe. One official date was hardly a relationship, though he did seem to be increasingly a part of their lives.

  Selena grinned at her comment, just as Adelia had intended. “Good point,” she said. “How about I promise not to butt into your life and you don’t butt into mine?”

  Adelia laughed. “Nice try, but I’m the mom. I get to butt in anytime I want to.” She tugged gently on a strand of her daughter’s hair. “And you have to listen.”

  “Not fair,” Selena declared, but her eyes were shining. “Do you think Gabe will want to do game night with us?”

  Adelia regarded her with surprise. “We haven’t had a game night in a long time.” It had been a Sunday night tradition for years, though Ernesto had rarely joined in the games. With all the commotion of the past few months, the tradition seemed to have died.

  “I know,” Selena said. “I kinda miss it. We could play team Scrabble. I could play with either Juanita or Natalia, you could play with the other one and Tomas could play with Gabe. It might be fun.”

  “Why don’t we bring it up at dinner?” Adelia suggested. “We can see if everyone wants to play that or something else.”

  “As long as it’s not Candy Land,” Selena said, rolling her eyes. “I think I played that about a million times.”

  Adelia laughed. “I think maybe everyone’s beyond that now. You should be safe.”

  Just then the younger girls came running inside, announced that the burgers were ready, then raced off to wash their hands.

  Gabe was right on their heels with the platter of hamburgers, toasted buns and, to her astonishment, some grilled vegetables, as well.