by Carol Henry
“Are you apologizing, or is your mother?”
She was immediately contrite. Her words sounded waspish even to her own ears.
His full, sensuous lips lifted into a hint of a smile. He was an extremely tall, handsome man, and his musky scent, mingled with the fresh outdoors, filled the room. It surrounded Gabriella in a heady warmth—his closeness had her heart beating a fast drum-roll.
“I guess I deserved that,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “Mother’s right. I do owe you an apology, even though I would have offered it without her suggesting I do so. As the baby of the family, and not married yet, she likes to think she has to keep me in line. I humor her.”
His serious gaze turned warm and sparkly. Was he actually smiling at her? Her heart fluttered again and she couldn’t help but respond and smile back. Maybe he wasn’t the scrooge she had suspected him to be. But a niggling feeling deep down inside cautioned her to keep her distance.
Before either of them could continue, Ethel barged through the doorway with a sleeping baby in her arms. Chad’s warmth from a moment ago vanished only to be replaced with a scowl. He quickly made his escape. Gabriella heaved a heavy sigh of relief. And frustration. Just when they were breaking ground and calling a truce, it appeared he still had reservations about her. And Nina. Maybe, like Charles, his temperament was because of Nina.
Ethel laid Nina gently on top of the cozy bedding, and covered her with the warm downy blanket. Gabriella joined her next to the crib and together they looked at the sleeping babe.
“She’s fed and sleeping like a lamb. What a wonderful little girl you have,” Ethel said. There was no hint of having overheard the conversation between her and Chad.
“I hope she won’t be any trouble. I’ll try to keep her as quiet as possible.”
“Babies cry, don’t you know? So don’t you be worrying. Why, she’s such a dear. And once Jodi and Sheila’s kids arrive, oh, my, there’s no such thing as quiet. We don’t mind a bit, though, especially during the holidays when they’re all so excited about Santa and presents.”
“Thank you, Ethel. I appreciate your kindness.”
“No need to thank me. Now run along. Helen is waiting for you in the library. She’ll be wondering why I’m keeping you. I’ll bring tea in as soon as the kettle boils.”
“I’ll just freshen up before I go.”
“The bath’s to the left of the stairs just down the hall.”
Gabriella did a fast wash up in the very old-fashioned washroom. The claw-footed deep oval tub had a draw curtain around it, and the washstand stood on its own on the black and white tiled floor. The towels were fluffy and fragrant, but Gabriella didn’t waste much time, not wanting to keep Helen waiting any longer than necessary her first day on the job. She must have taken longer than anticipated because Ethel was just wheeling in the teacart as Gabriella entered the library.
“Ah, Gabriella. Just in time, my dear. Come have a seat,” Helen called to her.
“I’m sorry if I kept you waiting.”
“Not to worry. Come, I’ll let you pour, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Please, Helen, you’ll have to tell me what you expect of me while I’m here. As I said, I’ve never been a health aide before.”
“Now, dear, we’ll worry about all the particulars later. Let’s enjoy our tea and get to know each other.”
Gabriella poured tea into dainty china cups that reminded her of her grandmother’s. The herbal aroma steamed, filling the room with an inviting and relaxing hint of mint. Cinnamon buns slathered with icing pooled over onto a crimson Christmas platter. Gabriella served them on matching plates.
“These are one of my favorites,” Helen said. She nibbled on her confection for a moment. “Ethel is such a wonder in the kitchen.”
Gabriella bit into the warm bun and closed her eyes in wonderment. Ethel’s fresh creations were better than her pumpkin muffins, and even they were to die for. These were better than anything she’d ever eaten.
“Being in this wheelchair has put an extra strain on Ethel this holiday. I wanted her to be able to enjoy the festivities as much as everyone else. That’s why it was necessary to get someone in to help keep me company.”
She understood Helen’s need for companionship. With her family gone, the loneliness weighed more heavily this year. Without Mindy and Trish, she would have been completely alone.
“Now, my dear. Why don’t you tell me more about your unfortunate predicament.” Helen reached across the tray and helped herself to another sticky bun. “I have a feeling there’s more to it than you’re letting on. Getting it out in the open and off your chest will do wonders for your spirits.”
“I don’t want to burden you with my problems, Helen, you have enough to worry about as it is. You’ve been kind enough to give me this position, and truly, it’s more than enough.”
“Nonsense. We have all the time in the world to chat. We can help each other keep our spirits bright this season.”
Helen’s concern was so genuine, it only took seconds for Gabriella to open up and tell Helen all about the loss of her family.
“Since my sister and brother-in-law were killed in a car accident, I’m the only family Nina has left,” Gabriella said.
Helen was easy to talk to, and Gabriella unloaded all her frustrations, which did make her feel much better.
“So, this baby isn’t yours?”
“No. But I’m in the process of legally adopting her. That’s why I need a job. So I can pay the legal fees.”
“And this is interrupting your entire life, isn’t it? Especially wanting to finish your degree?” Helen sipped from her cup. She replaced the dainty cup in the saucer she held in her other hand.
Gabriella indulged in the pastry as well, enjoying Ethel’s baking expertise. She didn’t want to mention Charles and how he had given his ultimatum. Although Gabriella was well over him, which said a lot about her feelings—or lack of feelings for him, it still stung. But she confided about having to deal with Social Services and the lawyers. Once all the paperwork was approved, and Nina was legally hers, she’d be able to finish her degree and move on.
“Nina is my main concern right now, and I can’t thank you enough for helping me out by giving me the opportunity to have her with me instead of sending her to a babysitter.”
“Just think of us as family,” Helen said. “We’re glad to have you.”
Helen placed her cup and saucer back on the teacart. “I’ve invited the rest of the family for Sunday dinner day after tomorrow. I’d like them all to meet you. In the meantime, I won’t need your help the rest of the day. You can concentrate on unpacking. Chadwick will be home soon, so you’ll have the evening to yourself as well. Ethel will let us know when dinner will be ready. On Monday the physical therapist will be here and we can set up a routine for the rest of the week. Ethel will show you around the place later, so you can become familiar with things around here. If you’ll just wheel me back to my room and help me get in bed, I think I’ll take a nap.”
Gabriella rose and had just gotten behind the wheelchair when Chad walked in. After their conversation and his sincere apology in her bedroom earlier, Gabriella smiled. But once again his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He squinted, drawing his eyebrows together in a scowl.
“Are you settled in already?” he asked.
He made it sound like an accusation.
“Almost. As soon as I wheel your mother to her room I plan to finish.”
“I thought I’d join you for tea, but I see I’m too late. Perhaps another time,” Chad said, walking further into the room. “I can wheel my mother to her room. I’ve hardly had a moment to enjoy her company since I got home. We won’t keep you from your unpacking.”
“It will only take me a minute, and her room is on my way…”
“Nevertheless, I’ll do it.”
“Now, children, don’t fight over me,” Helen chuckled.
Gabriella’s cheeks warmed. Chad i
gnored his mother’s words, and placed his hands on the wheelchair handles. His fingers brushed against Gabriella’s. Tiny shockwaves traveled up her arm. She drew back as if stung. His ice-blue eyes showed similar shock. Gabriella backed away.
“Sorry, Helen, of course your son should be the one to assist you when he’s near. Have Ethel call me when you need me. I’ll be in my room unpacking.”
“I’ll show you around the place while my mother naps.” Chad surprised her.
“What a lovely idea,” Helen said.
Gabriella noted a cheerful note in the woman’s voice and tried not to let it bother her. The last thing she wanted was to have Chad show her around the large home. She didn’t want to be in his company any longer than necessary.
“I don’t want to be any trouble. I can wait for Ethel,” Gabriella protested.
“No trouble at all. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right back.”
****
Chad stood in the doorway, taking a moment to study the woman who was firmly entrenched in his home. Standing next to the flickering fire, he had to admit she looked angelic—her auburn hair falling around her shoulders, glimmering in the fire’s glow, lit up like a halo. Her slim figure, attired in a bulky turtleneck sweater and tight fitting blue jeans, caught his attention. His resolve to put her on the spot about her intentions almost vanished. She’d mentioned something about a lawyer when he’d walked in on her and his mother talking earlier. What the hell was she up to? If she thought she could wheedle more money out of him or his family, she had another thought coming. It wasn’t going to happen. Of course he would offer her a settlement like he had Tanya and end this fiasco before it escalated and she took his family for every cent she could get. No way did he want his family’s name—or his pen name—dragged through the courts.
Chad cleared his throat. “Ready?” he finally spoke and stepped into the library.
Gabriella took her time stepping away from the hearth.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said, her hands held tightly in front of her. “I’m sure you have other more interesting things to do besides showing me around.”
“It’s no bother. I have a few things I think we need to discuss.”
“I already told you, I don’t want anything from you.”
“So you say. But I can see you’re in a position that says otherwise.”
“What is it going to take to convince you I don’t need, or want your money?” she stepped forward, emphasizing her words. “That is what this is all about, isn’t it? You think I’m out for more money?”
“We need to settle this dispute between us. I figure a sum of somewhere between three and five thousand will keep you from contacting your lawyer about a lawsuit.”
“Lawsuit? What lawsuit? There is no lawsuit. I have no intention of starting one.”
Gabriella was staggered by the amount he offered. Not only would it pay the lawyer’s fee, it would also enable her to afford a reliable day care so she could finish the spring semester and her degree. But she had to be honest. There was no way she could live with herself if she took his money. She refused to be bought off.
“What? You want more?”
“Now you’re questioning my integrity? You’re insulting. For the last time, I. Don’t. Want. Your. Money.”
“But it’s obvious you are in need.”
“You can keep your charity. I don’t need you or any other man bailing me out of a situation they know nothing about.”
“I know enough.”
“So you say.”
Gabriella threw his words back in his face. Perhaps he didn’t know everything, but as far as she was concerned, he didn’t need to know anything.
“Perhaps we should calm down and discuss this rationally. Have another cup of tea.”
“I’ve had enough, thanks. Forget about the tour—somehow I don’t feel in the mood right now.”
“We need to continue this conversation. Come, I’ll show you the kitchen. I’m sure Ethel has more goodies on hand, and as I’ve missed morning tea, I’m dying to try some of her delicious gingerbread.”
Gabriella hesitated, turned, and headed in the opposite direction. He’d anticipated her intentions and blocked her retreat.
“Running away?”
“From what? You? Hardly. I just have better things to do with my time than to stay and argue when I know you won’t listen to anything I have to say. Why waste my time?”
He stepped close. She lifted her head to look up at his raised brows.
“Why don’t we start with why you talked to my mother about retaining a lawyer?”
“You were eavesdropping?” she accused.
“Don’t change the subject. I merely overhead you talking when I walked into the room. So, why a lawyer?”
“If you must know, I’ve been working with a lawyer in order to get legal custody of Nina.”
“Legal custody? The child isn’t legally yours? I assumed a mother has all the rights. Is the father trying to take her away from you?”
“No. Her father died in a car crash recently.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be a problem in gaining custody. Are the father’s parents interfering?”
“Her mother, my sister, and my brother-in-law, died in a car crash. Nina is my niece. I’m in the process of adopting her. Satisfied?”
Tears gathered at the back of Gabriella’s eyes.
“I’m sorry. The baby can’t be very old—when did this happen?”
“Just before Thanksgiving.”
“Oh, Lord.”
He reached for her—she stepped back. She’d been holding her breath, keeping a sob back along with the tears. She cleared her throat to control her emotions, looked back up at him—the sadness in her eyes his undoing.
“Your sympathy is misplaced and not wanted. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must go check on my daughter.”
Chad let her go without a word. What could he say? Not only had he misjudged her intentions, he had unknowingly done the unthinkable. He’d bumped into the back of her car while Nina was in the back seat. Gabriella must have been beside herself with grief so soon after the deadly crash of Nina’s parents. The fender-bender was sure to have given her pause. No wonder she had been distracted and protective. He’d been an insensitive ass. She must hate his guts right about now.
Chad skipped tea and set out for a walk. The brisk winter air would go a long way to clear his addled brain. He needed to sort things out before he made a bigger fool of himself than he already had. He wasn’t usually so obtuse when it came to other people’s feelings. But Tanya had changed all that. Still, there was no excuse sufficient to absolve him from his insensitive actions this time.
He zipped his warm, fleece-lined dark blue jacket and wrapped a scarf around his neck on his way through the kitchen. He grabbed a couple of gingerbread men from the cooling rack and slipped out the side door. The iced gingerbread sported raisins for eyes, nose, and buttons down the front. In frustration, Chad trudged toward the lake and the enclosed gazebo next to the dock. He bit off first one gingerbread head and then the other. He’d come down here to the gazebo many times as a kid growing up. It served as a refuge from his sisters, and a place where many happy family memories were made.
He thought about Gabriella, and his heart picked up a pace or two as his active imagination went crazy wild with the possibilities of what he would like to do to her in the gazebo. He closed his eyes and pictured her the way she had looked standing next to the fireplace. He’d been attracted from the beginning, he had to admit. Romantic seductions entailing a certain ginger-haired lady swirled around his head. He missed a step and stumbled along the pathway leading to the lake.
Coming home for the holidays might not have been such a bad idea after all.
Chapter Six
Chad woke late Sunday morning still not able to get over the fact that Gabriella Rumsey lived right down the hall—in his own home
. One night under the same roof with her and she had his hormones going crazy. He hadn’t slept a wink all night. True, he’d spent most of the night working on his latest novel, but getting through the next day on only a couple hours sleep was sure to test his nerves.
To make matters worse, his mother had called in the troops for Sunday dinner. The whole kit-and-caboodle—kids and all would be pouring in within a few short hours. A pre-Christmas dinner, his mother called it—a homecoming event in his honor. Bunk. It was nothing more than an excuse for her to introduce Gabriella and Nina to the rest of the clan.
Aware his mother might be thinking of Gabriella as the next “hopeful” meant he’d have to be prepared for the onslaught. If his mother even got an inkling of his unexpected attraction to her nursemaid, well… he’d cut his visit short and head back to the city.
Although yesterday’s talk with Gabriella hadn’t gone well, he was still ready to offer her a settlement. How to go about it without making it look like charity was going to be a challenge. Perhaps Dennis might have a few ideas to suggest.
Grabbing a change of clothes, Chad padded barefoot down the carpeted hall to take a shower. His robe hung open, exposing his naked chest. He opened the door, and the second he stepped inside the bathroom, steam swirled around him. Across the room, a mirage of rich moist skin appeared as if in a dream. Long slender legs, hips, breasts, arms, stepped from behind the shower curtain. Gabby’s outstretched arm was as seductive as hell as she blindly searched for, and retrieved, a towel. She didn’t see him until she stepped from the tub while wrapping the large white towel around her gleaming body. She slowly tucked the ends into the folds that barely covered her moistened, full breasts.
Chad gulped.
Gabriella turned, looked up, and froze.
Chad couldn’t have moved if he wanted to. After thinking about her all night, seeing her undressed and dripping wet with bubbles sliding down her enticing body had his mind racing. His heart flipped over in his chest. His lower extremities hardened.
