“Don’t worry. I’ll sleep on the plane.”
“This isn’t about sleeping, although you are burning both ends of the candle,” she said tartly.
“I’m doing this for you, Leah. For us.”
“I understand.” She sank onto the bed and began toying with a loose sequin. “Tonight, when I saw the picture of me and the children on the screen…” Her throat closed and unconsciously she knotted her dress in her fist. She hated getting emotional and had told herself she wouldn’t, but here she was, doing the very thing she’d vowed she wouldn’t.
“That photo is my favorite,” he said as he sat beside her. “I don’t know how or when Sheldon snapped it, but I’m grateful. He’s going to give you a copy, by the way.”
“Thanks,” she said. Seeing the image was a bittersweet experience and would be until the Mexican court finally reached a decision. She was at the point where she was willing to propose they grease a few palms, although she could imagine Gabe’s horrified reaction to the suggestion. If he’d nipped her kidnapping attempt in the bud, then he certainly wouldn’t be open to her attempt at bribery.
She rubbed her forehead, wondering what her ideas said about her character if she was willing to resort to illegal activities. Then again, she was a desperate woman.
Pushing those thoughts away, she added, “The point is, after seeing those pictures, I…I need you, Gabe, here with me. Not jetting miles and miles away.”
He caressed her cheek. “Aw honey, I’d like nothing more than to be here, but this trip is important. I feel as if I’m so close.”
She held his hand to her face. “You said that last time.”
“I know, but—”
“You’d tried to protect me from experiencing emotional ups and downs, but now it’s my turn. Please, Gabe, don’t go. I know you’re trying to give me my heart’s desire, but maybe it isn’t your place to provide it.”
“I want to, though.”
She snuggled close. “And I love you for trying, but we need to step back and let David handle things.” She paused. “He is still investigating, isn’t he?”
As Gabe’s nod, she smiled. “Then let him do his job.”
He stared at her like a dog staring at a new dish. “What if David doesn’t succeed? What if we lose our case?”
“I’ll be crushed,” she admitted, “but I won’t be nearly as devastated as I will be if I lose you. So, please. Promise me this is your last trip.”
He looked as if he was ready to protest, but instead he simply nodded. “Okay,” he said wearily. “You win.”
“Good,” she said, relieved by his decision. “Would you like me to drive you to the airport?”
“Thanks, but Sheldon is tagging along so he’s picking me up. Meet me when my plane lands on Monday evening?”
Greeting him at the airport when he returned had become part of her routine. She’d added it because she needed the reassurance that he’d arrived safely. The main reason, however, was because she missed him terribly and wanted to see him as soon as possible.
“I’ll be there with bells on.”
Leah puttered around the house after Gabe left, wanting to do something but unable to find anything interesting enough to hold her interest. She baked a cake, but when it didn’t rise, she realized she hadn’t added all the ingredients. It landed in the trash.
She sewed a couple of loose buttons on Gabe’s shirts then discovered she’d stitched the placket closed. She ripped it out and started over.
She took their formal wear to the dry cleaner’s and after arriving at the shop across town realized she had forgotten to bring Gabe’s tuxedo pants.
Staying at home and reading a book was pointless because she couldn’t remember what she’d read from one page to the next.
Unsettled for reasons she couldn’t understand, although she attributed the feeling to Gabe’s absence, she meandered again into what she’d tentatively decided would be the girls’ room.
Idly, she wondered if Gabe had seen the changes she’d made in here. Granted, they’d only been small ones and had only occurred a few days ago, but for her they were a step forward.
As she looked at the space where the crib had once stood, she reflected on all the “what ifs”. What if one or both of their previous adoption attempts had been successful? Gabe wouldn’t have insisted she join him on his trip to Ciuflores. She wouldn’t have met Carlotta or her three grandchildren.
But even before that, what if Gabe hadn’t returned from his plane crash? Or what if he had, and they’d divorced?
Those ideas sent a cold shudder down her spine. Of all the people who’d come and gone in her life, Gabe was her anchor. Whether or not the Mexican government allowed her to keep her promise to Carlotta, she would still have Gabe. He was her rock and she couldn’t imagine life without him.
Fortunately, Jeff had taken her announcement in his stride. He’d suspected she hadn’t gotten over her husband and was glad he’d allowed her the space she’d needed to figure that out for herself.
As for the children, if fate exacted another pound of flesh and stole her dream again, she would grieve, just as Gabe would. The difference was, they’d do it together, not separately. She loved him too much to fall back into those marriage-destroying old habits. She might never raise children, but she had Gabe and she would fight to keep their marriage alive, even if she had to resign her job and donate her time to the Montgomery Foundation in order to see him.
Strangely enough, her decision chased away her gloom. Over the next twenty-four hours nothing spoiled her good mood or her inner peace—not even what Jane had affectionately termed “another shift from hell”.
Fortunately, she was able to leave the hospital promptly at six p.m. on Monday. Forty minutes later, she’d been cleared to wait on the tarmac near their plane’s hangar, where she polished off the bottle of soda she’d purchased from a vending machine. Finally, the familiar plane with its red and black markings appeared overhead, and a few minutes later taxied to a stop in front of her.
She stood, eager for Gabe to open the door and descend the stairs. He’d been gone less than forty-eight hours and it seemed like forever.
Finally, the door descended, but no one exited.
“What’s taking so long?” she muttered impatiently as she stared at the empty opening.
No sooner had she spoken than Gabe appeared. She strode forward, determined to meet him at the bottom of the steps. “Gabe,” she called, waving to capture his attention.
His answering smile was broad. Apparently his trip had turned out better than he’d expected because he seemed happier than he had on previous returns.
She watched him step out, but then, before he carefully descended the stairs, he hoisted a small figure onto one hip. Her steps slowed. What in the world…?
Behind him came a larger child wearing a floral print sundress. This one painstakingly took each step as she held onto the railing with one hand and clutched a familiar doll in the other. Sheldon brought up the rear, carrying another child—a boy.
Leah froze in her tracks as the group come forward. Gabe looked positively ecstatic and the children’s eyes were filled with wonder as they took in their surroundings.
The crowning moment came when Anna saw her. A huge grin spread across her little brown face and she ran forward, crying “Mamacita!”
Mommy. Leah swore her heart skipped a beat, probably several. Could it be?
She crouched down to hug her. “My goodness, you’ve grown,” she told the youngster in a tear-choked voice. “Gabe?” she asked, hardly able to believe the reality of the little girl in her arms.
Her husband’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Hi, honey. We’re finally home.”
The look of awe and pure joy on Leah’s face made everything Gabe had gone through worth the effort. Gifting her with the Hope diamond wouldn’t have made her this happy or been this satisfying.
“Gabe?” she said again as she rose, reaching out tentati
vely to stroke Rosa’s hair, as if afraid the children were only an elaborate hallucination.
He bent his head to drop a swift kiss on her startled mouth. “How do you like the presents I brought?” He held out Rosa, who immediately dove into Leah’s arms, confident in Leah’s quick reflexes and ability to catch her.
“They’re fantastic,” she told him, “but how was this possible? Are they here for a visit? When do they go back? Where’s David? Did the judge finally hear our case?” Then, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He laughed at her rapid-fire questions. “First things first. Let’s get these monkeys in the car.”
“But we don’t have three car seats,” she wailed.
“Yes, you do,” Sheldon piped up. “As soon as we knew we were bringing them, I called the office. Loretta found three and stuck them in my car.”
It took a while to make the transfer, but she and Gabe soon had everyone buckled into the safety seats and they were on their way. Corey would deliver the rest of their things later.
The children were clearly tired and fussy from their experience, so Leah’s questions had to wait. All except one.
“Are they ours, Gabe? To keep?” she asked as he drove out of the airport.
Determined to chase away the fear in her eyes, he nodded. “They’re ours. No refunds allowed.”
She let out a long, deep, heartfelt breath then turned the most brilliant smile on him as moisture glistened in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said as she squeezed his elbow before she looked into the back seat for the tenth time in as many minutes.
Leah smiled at the children behind her. Rosa and José were dozing and Anna was fighting to stay awake, but soon the car’s motion lulled her to sleep, too.
The nap during the short drive home completely restored their energy. They were more than ready to eat the crackers and sliced apples she hurriedly assembled before rushing off to play with the toys she and Gabe had purchased beforehand, in anticipation.
“We need an emergency grocery-store run,” she informed her husband. “I don’t have kid-friendly food in the house.”
“I’ll go,” he advised her. “Or, better yet, call Loretta and give her a list.”
She didn’t think shopping for groceries fell under the duties of an office assistant, but the woman was a grandmother and under the circumstances, would most likely be thrilled to do it.
“Okay, tell me what happened,” she demanded when the youngsters were entertaining themselves with both their old and new toys. “And talk fast because we have a thousand and one things to do.”
“After we landed in Mexico City, David called to tell me the judge was holding a preliminary hearing. I wanted to be there to state our case and answer his questions, so we immediately flew to Ciuflores. As it turned out, the investigators David hired had turned up some rather damning information about Jorge. Once the evidence was presented to the court—at the eleventh hour, I might add—the judge ruled in our favor. I thought about waiting until we could bring them home together, but David thought the children would have a difficult time with another separation, even a short one. So, here we are.”
“Why do I sense there’s more to this story than you’re telling me? And where did David find the money to hire an investigator? His services couldn’t have been cheap.”
Gabe shrugged innocently. “I heard he received an anonymous donation to help defray those costs, but it’s purely a rumor. Of course, it would also be pure speculation to guess the identity of the man who personally called in a few favors from some of his own contacts.”
“I should be upset with you for leaving me out of all the fun, but I’m not.” She stood on tiptoe to swiftly kiss him. “I’m glad you’re back, Gabe. If I forgot to tell you this, welcome home.”
His midnight-black eyes reflected tenderness. “I know things will be crazy for a while, probably years,” he tacked on wryly, “and we may feel harried and hassled, but I’ll always make time for us.”
She wrapped her arms around his chest. “I intend to hold you to your promise.”
The sound of raised voices caught Leah’s attention. Clearly, José and Anna were having a difference of opinion. “You may want to rethink your stance on work-related travel,” she advised. “A trip may be the only time you experience peace and quiet.”
“It might,” he agreed, “but peace and quiet can’t compare to having a family who needs me.”
“And we always will.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8855-7
SIX-WEEK MARRIAGE MIRACLE
First North American Publication 2011
Copyright © 2011 by Jessica Matthews
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