by Holly Jacobs
Scooting off the bed without jiggling it, she quietly left the room. She could hear the television and padded down the stairs. Gabriel was on the couch, his feet propped against the coffee table and papers propped against his thighs.
“Am I intruding?” Joy asked.
He put the papers down, clicked off the TV with the remote, and patted the space on the couch next to him. “Not at all. Actually, you can save me from myself. I’m trying to go over some figures, and they’re all starting to run together.”
Joy felt strangely reluctant to sit so close to Gabriel. Thoughts of fairy matchmakers, boxer shorts and the way his hand had felt in her hair—the way her heart had sped when Sophie started begging him to kiss her . . . She gave herself a mental shake. No, the more distance she put between herself and Gabriel St. John, the better. She ignored the spot on the couch and sank into the chair across from him.
“It’s so quiet out here. Most of the time, my work takes me to cities. I’d forgotten how quiet it can be in the country.”
“I think I’ve got the best of both worlds here. We’re only twenty minutes from downtown Erie, and I still have crickets singing in my backyard during the summer.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his brow.
It was the first time Joy had seen his glasses, and she thought they added a look of distinction to his already near-perfect image.
Gabriel placed the glasses on the pile of paperwork. “I need time away from the city to truly be away from work and the whole rat race.”
“Well, I can see why you like it here.”
“Tell me more about what you do,” Gabriel prompted.
“I’m pretty sure it’s your turn to tell me a story. You already know a little about what I do, and I know nothing about what you do.”
“I own a small company. We manufacture a new line of motherboards.” At her blank look he added, “For computers.”
He talked of motherboards and circuitry and other terms that meant little to Joy. She didn’t interrupt, didn’t want to. Instead, she listened to the steady rhythm of his voice and watched his face. Some new circuit he was developing as a prototype caused his entire face to light up. Words like innovative and growth potential tripped from his tongue as his eyes echoed the thrill she heard in his voice.
She didn’t need to be a computer expert to sense his excitement and sense of accomplishment. Despite her lack of computer experience, she found herself becoming excited on his behalf. “That’s wonderful!”
Suddenly, Gabriel stopped. His eyes narrowed as he studied her. “You didn’t understand a single thing I was talking about, did you?”
Joy chuckled. “Well, I have heard of circuits, of course, and I did realize that everything had to do with computers. But past that . . . No.”
“I’m sorry. Trudi always got so frustrated when I would go on and on.”
Joy stopped him. “Please don’t apologize. I enjoyed listening to you. I’m sure that, though I didn’t understand much of what you were talking about, I could learn if you wanted to explain some of the technical terms to me.”
“Really, I don’t want to bore you with computer terms you have no interest in.”
“Gabriel, I have a brother who is a psychiatrist. I’ve learned a lot about bipolar personalities and manic depressives. And Nick’s an attorney, so I know about briefs and dockets. Then there’s my sister-in-law. She writes, so I know about book tours and agents . . .” She stopped. “Do you get the picture? I don’t mind learning. I mean, while I’m here, I bet I can bend your ear about the joys and woes of Ripples. Or how to twist an arm, empty a pocket, and do it with a big enough smile that the person you’re twisting really doesn’t mind.”
Gabriel chuckled. “You’re a different kind of lady, Joy Aaronson.”
“So I’ve been told on more than one occasion. Now, I know you clicked off the television, but I was hoping you wouldn’t mind leaving it on. I thought I heard the theme song for Friends, and it just so happens I have a thing for Chandler.”
“I guess I might have a tiny little thing for Phoebe,” he admitted.
“Phoebe? I thought you’d be the Rachel type.”
“And I thought you’d go for Joey, so where does that leave us?”
“With Ross and Monica?” She laughed. “Just turn the TV on.”
“Bossy.” The word sounded like a caress, and for a moment, Joy forgot she wasn’t interested in Gabriel St. John. For one brief moment, she could almost imagine what it would be like to have him whisper a real endearment. Darling. Sweetheart. He’d have his hand in her hair again, but this time he wouldn’t be rubbing a bump. No, he’d be caressing her, calling her darling, kissing her . . .
No. That was enough of those kinds of thoughts. She wasn’t interested in Gabriel St. John. And it wouldn’t do to have her mind-reading, nosy fairy godmothers hear these particular inner thoughts.
She jerked from her momentary daydream when Gabriel repeated, “You’re a very bossy woman.” He picked up the remote control and turned on the television.
Joy forced a laugh. “Gabriel, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
They sat back and enjoyed the half hour of fun and laughter. There was nothing forced about it. For thirty glorious minutes, Joy forgot that she was haunted by fairies and daydreaming about a man who, despite what the fairies said, would never see her as more than a caretaker for his daughter.
“You know, I can’t remember the last time I just sat back and enjoyed watching a show with a woman.” Gabriel’s expression was puzzled.
“Well, I don’t know about the women you hang with, but where I come from it’s considered pretty normal to have a favorite TV show. We even eat dinner, sometimes just nuking something out of the freezer. We wake up with our hair a mess and no makeup on and . . .” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “. . . sometimes we even use the bathroom.”
“Do tell,” Gabriel said, easily falling into her banter.
“Honest and truly. Why, just last year my mom went out to a restaurant and excused herself to use the bathroom, and she didn’t even powder her nose.”
“And they allowed that?” Gabriel mimicked a look of shock.
Joy was unable to keep up the absurdity. “I think I’m getting a bit too punchy. These last few days have been busy. It might be early, but it’s time to say good night.” She stood. “Good night, Gabriel. I can’t remember the last time I was just able to sit and relax. I’ve been fund-raising for months, and the types of people I’ve been hanging with aren’t the type to sit and watch Friends on a Thursday night.”
“I imagine they’re the type to sip their port and smoke cigars?”
“Oh, my gosh, you know them?” she asked, batting her eyes innocently.
He chuckled and shook his finger in her direction. “You’re right, you need to get some sleep. Go to bed.”
Bed. Gabriel. It would be a heck of a lot more fun than going to sleep in a solitary sort of way, not that she was interested, she silently amended, in case the fairies were listening. “Gabriel, you’re definitely not what I expected.”
Gabriel rose. “And you, Joy Aaronson, aren’t what I would have expected, if I had been expecting you at all.”
Joy took the first couple stairs. “I think it’s a good thing you weren’t expecting me. You might have run off in fear.”
Gabriel grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. “No, I don’t think that would have happened. Not at all.”
He was going to kiss her. Joy could see it in his eyes. She should pull away, but she didn’t move as his lips came closer, closer, and then moved upwards. Gently he kissed her forehead. “You’re something else, Joy, something else altogether.”
Joy pushed aside the brief feeling of disappointment and strove to capture the same lighthearted tone they’d used all night. “Ah, Gabriel, you�
�ve just summed up the story of my life.”
Flustered, she backed up a step. “Good night,” she whispered and fled up the stairs. At the top, she missed a step and stumbled, but this time she didn’t fall. Maybe the fairies were really looking out for her. She thanked them silently as she ran to her room and shut the door.
Safely inside with a closed door separating her and Gabriel St. John, Joy held a hand to her chest. Her heart was pounding hard enough that she worried it was going to explode.
No, Gabriel St. John wasn’t what she’d expected at all. But one platonic kiss on the forehead wasn’t going to make her fall for a man who was already spoken for.
“Not enough?” Myrtle asked.
Joy spun around, ready for another round with her unwanted godmothers, but the room was empty.
“Cowards,” Joy whispered. “I’m not going to fall in love with Gabriel, no matter what.”
But even as she spoke the words, Joy worried that it was already too late. Gabriel St. John would be an easy man to love. The tenderness he used with Sophie, the laughter and easy banter, the gentleness she sensed in the big man. Yes, he’d be an easy man to love. And every minute she spent with him was another chip at the armor she was desperately trying to build around her heart.
Five
“SOPHIE?” GABRIEL CALLED.
Thank God it was Friday. Gabriel loved his job, but today he’d wanted to delegate all his work and rush home—home to Sophie and Joy. It had been a long time since he’d had anyone to hurry home to.
“Sophie,” he called again, shutting the front door. Gabriel heard Sophie’s smothered giggle and sensed a game was afoot.
“Joy?”
“Ready, set . . .” Joy whispered. “Go.” The two of them bounded from behind the kitchen’s island and yelled, “Boo.”
Gabriel rocked backwards in mock horror and gave what he thought was a very convincing shriek. “You two scared me,” he accused, much to Sophie’s delight.
She ran up to him. “Joy’s teaching me how to fight dirty. She says when someone’s bigger than you, you have to use every . . .”
“Advantage,” Joy supplied.
“Yeah, advantage.” Sophie accepted his quick hug and continued talking as if nothing special had happened. It was the most contact she’d allowed her father since they arrived, but to Gabriel it was more than special. He watched Sophie, the wonder of her being here—being home—still fresh and overwhelming.
“Joy’s brothers were both bigger than her,” Sophie continued, “so she used to think of ways to get them. Once, she went into their room real early in the morning. She screamed, ‘The bus is coming’ and they both jumped out of bed and started to get dressed. Then she started to giggle ‘cause it was only—”
“Saturday.” Joy laughed.
Gabriel couldn’t help chuckling as well. Joy’s sense of humor, her sense of life, was contagious. Since she’d walked into his life, Gabriel found himself marveling at how appropriate her name seemed.
“Saturday,” Sophie repeated. “They made her pay ‘cause they’re boys, and boys always make you pay.”
“How did they make you pay?” Gabriel asked, looking at Joy with interest.
“I don’t think that now would be the time to talk about it because I can see the desire for revenge in your eyes.”
“Maybe it’s not revenge I’m desiring,” Gabriel murmured.
No, not revenge. That kiss last night—that one chaste kiss on the forehead—had left him wondering what really kissing Joy would be like.
The fantasy was broken when Sophie cried, “I know what they did Daddy.”
Pulling his attention from his fantasies, Gabriel watched in delight as Joy stuck out her tongue.
“Traitor,” she snarled at Sophie.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around his giggling daughter. “Sophie’s not a traitor. She’s a smart girl who has decided giving up a comrade is preferable to being tortured herself.”
“It’s okay. You go on and tell him, Miss Sophie St. John. Just remember, I fight dirty.” Joy gave the child the evil eye.
“I didn’t say anything,” Sophie shouted as she ran up the stairs, laughing.
“No fair threatening a little girl to save yourself.” Gabriel rose and watched as Sophie ran up to her room. She was home. How many times would he think that thought until the idea felt real?
“I never claimed to fight fair. As I told Sophie, I fight dirty.” Joy started towards the kitchen. “Have you made any progress with finding someone to stay with Sophie while you work?”
She didn’t look at him, but gave her full attention to the sauce that was bubbling merrily on the stove. Gabriel had the feeling she was uncomfortable, though he wasn’t sure why. She’d seemed comfortable enough last night, at least until he kissed her. But it was just a peck on the forehead. It didn’t mean anything.
So why had that one small kiss been a prominent feature in his dreams last night? Why had it kept creeping into his thoughts all day?
Without thinking, he moved closer to her. Her soft floral scent was enticing. “Since it’s Friday, I thought I’d start looking next week. I can’t imagine I’d make much headway over the weekend.”
Joy picked up the wooden spoon and stirred the sauce with a clockwise motion.
“I imagine you’re right,” she said. “Monday then. Are you planning to look at daycare centers or have someone come in?”
“I hadn’t given it much thought.”
“Well, there are pluses to both options. In a daycare center, Sophie would have the opportunity to mingle with other kids her age. I don’t think there was much of that at your wife’s, uh, ex-wife’s house. But, with everything else that’s going on in her life, I’m not sure it’s the way to go, despite the kids. I mean, it might be wise to let her spend these last few weeks of summer vacation getting reaccustomed to her surroundings. That way, when school starts, she might be ready for another big change.”
“Well, I—”
“I know, it’s hard to decide which way to go,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “But she’ll be meeting all kinds of kids in school. She’s bound to make friends right away.”
She slowly brought the spoon to her lips and blew on it before tasting the sauce. Gabriel’s mouth went dry and his body tightened. Only a sick, sick man got excited by a woman cooking. She was just tasting sauce. What was the matter with him?
Joy seemed oblivious to his reaction. She reached for the oregano and sprinkled liberally. “And have you thought about where she’ll go to school? I mean, what kind of education does your school district offer? Would you be better off placing her at some private school in town, close to your office? That way when there are school activities during the day you might have a better chance of sneaking out to go to them. I—”
Gabriel reached from behind her and he gently placed his hands over her own. Guiding her, he placed the spoon on the rest and turned her around. “Do you ever let a man get a word in?”
“I’m sorry. Feeling the need to take over and manage things is a terrible habit of mine. I’m sure whatever decision you make will be the right one.”
“Really, I don’t mind. It’s interesting to see how your mind works. But I have to ask, why do you care so much, Joy? Why are you here?” She turned her head away, trying to get back to the sauce, but Gabriel held her in place. He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face back towards his. “Why?”
That was the question he kept coming back to. But he wanted to know more than why she cared so much about his daughter. He wanted to know why she was affecting him—and she definitely was affecting him.
“Joy?” Gabriel prompted. His fingers trailed across her cheek as he reluctantly released her.
“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I’ve been wonderin
g myself. I’ve spent the last five years traveling. I’ve met scads of kids, but not one has ever taken up a corner of my heart like Sophie. Maybe it was because she reminded me so much of myself at her age. Or maybe it is just that—like I told her—we’re kindred spirits, and we just recognized each other. All I know is Sophie matters to me. She matters enough that I’ll juggle my schedule for a couple weeks, or longer if necessary.”
Gabriel wanted her to say more, wanted to hear Joy say that she was staying because of him as well. That he mattered. But that was absurd. They’d just met. How could he matter to her? A better question might be, why did Joy matter to him? Was it just gratitude? Were these strange feelings simply a sense of thankfulness that she’d brought his daughter home? Gabriel didn’t think so, but he wasn’t ready to think about what else those feelings could represent.
“I mean,” she continued, “there’s no one I have to answer to, not even at work. I make my schedule, so I can juggle it at will.”
“In case I haven’t said it, thank you,” Gabriel whispered. For half a moment he thought about kissing her again and wondered how she’d respond. But the moment passed, and Gabriel released her.
Striving to recapture their easy camaraderie of last night, he asked, “Now, do I get a taste of this sauce? The smell has been driving me crazy with desire since I walked in the door.”
Of course it’s the sauce he desires, Joy thought. For a moment she’d thought there was something in his eyes, something more than just an appreciation of her cooking skills, but obviously she was wrong.
With fascination she watched him take the spoon from its rest and dip it into the bubbling red liquid. He brought it to his lips and held it there, savoring it. “Mm,” was his only comment as he took a tiny portion off it. “Honey, we could market this and make a fortune.”
He was just tasting sauce, not tasting her, but.. . .
Joy cut off the fantasy. She had to stop having these strange flights of fancy that seemed to attack her whenever Gabriel was in the vicinity. She shouldn’t allow herself to even secretly fantasize about him. The fairies would catch wind of those daydreams, and then there would be trouble.
