Falling For You

by Nicole Taylor

  “What’s that you have there?”

  “Blueberry scones. Mrs. MacLoughlin just dropped them off,” he said, placing them on the coffee table.

  “Who’s she?” she said, uncovering the basket of goods.

  “The lady that lives down the street in the white house with the brown roof.”

  “Oh, you mean that sweet old lady. She flagged me down the other day to inform me that you had just left, and no one was home. She suggested I come in and sit and wait until you returned.” Leiliana took one of the scones, and after a brief prayer sank her teeth into it. “I think she was trying to figure out if I had a key. Anyway, I told her that her offer was very kind, but I didn’t mind waiting at your house at all. She’s quite friendly.”

  “That’s one word for it,” Gabriel said wryly.

  “What do you have against Mrs. MacLoughlin?” Leiliana asked as she bit into the scone.

  “She’s always asking when I’m going to get married. She likes to remind me of Genesis 2:18.”

  When he saw Leiliana’s brow wrinkle, he said, “And the Lord God said, ‘it is not good that a man should be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.’”

  Leiliana burst out laughing. “Oh, I like her.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “Can I get you something hot to drink?”

  “A cup of English breakfast tea would be nice.”

  When he returned bearing the tray, Leiliana was finishing up a scone.

  “These are really good. Try them, they’re great,” she said, offering him one.

  “No, thanks.”

  “What’s the matter with you? Do you resent the woman so much you can’t bear to eat her scones?”

  “Not at all. It’s just that I’m on a gluten-free diet.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I was a child and my grandmother realized I had an intolerance of her baked goods.”

  “You never told me this,” she said, looking a bit put out.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wasn’t trying to hide it or anything. It’s just not something I’m in the habit of declaring to people unless it comes up.”

  “Now I think back on it, you always ask the waiters to hold your bread when you have soup. But I have seen you eat bread, like the day we had club sandwiches and Thursday at the park. So you eat bread sometimes?”

  “Gluten-free bread.” He smiled as he poured her a cup of tea. “Usual cream and sugar?”

  She nodded. “I’m so sorry to hear this.”

  “Don’t look so pitiful. It’s not like I have cancer or anything.”

  “No, I’m sorry because now you can’t enjoy my pancakes.”

  “Were you planning on making pancakes for me?” he asked with a teasing grin.

  “Yes. This morning, in fact.”

  He came to sit beside her and rested his hand lightly on the back of the couch. As he eyed her, he noticed the smattering of freckles on her nose. “Hey, you have freckles!”

  She immediately went red in the face.

  “Are you embarrassed about your freckles?”

  She smiled sheepishly. “I was teased about them at school. That’s when I began wearing make-up to cover them. That’s why you don’t notice them.”

  He reached out and tilted her chin up. “Let’s have a look.” He scrutinized her face. “You look lovely. Your freckles do not detract from you in any way.”

  She colored for the more. He was tempted to kiss her all over her freckled nose, but he figured if he did, there would be nothing that could stop him from giving her lips the same treatment, and once he got started...

  He cleared his throat and tried to refocus on the conversation. “Well, …then…what were we saying before? Oh…you’re right. It could be bad news. Unless you’re willing to try your hand at making pancakes with gluten-free flour.”

  “Have you got any on hand?”

  “I’ve got some rice flour you can use. Hemp flour and millet flour are also good options, but I don’t have any of that right now.”

  Her eyes lit. “I didn’t know about those. It would be exciting to try something different.” She was about to reach for another of Mrs. MacLoughlin’s scones but caught herself. “I need to stop, or you’ll have to roll me out of here. These scones are addictive,” she said, wagging her finger at them, then covering them over with the dishtowel.

  He watched her until she straightened up and glanced at him. Their eyes met and held. She swallowed, and he found he could no longer resist. She looked so natural and beautiful.

  “I didn’t say good morning to you properly,” he said softly and then dipped his head and gave her a deep kiss.

  ~*~*~*~

  Leiliana found a gluten-free pancake recipe online. Using the rice flour Gabriel had on hand, she set to work making them. They came out pretty good. Gabriel was over the moon.

  “These are incredible,” he said between bites.

  Leiliana laughed.

  “I’m glad you think so, Gabriel.”

  Then she was suddenly conscious that she hadn’t showered in 24-hours.

  “I’m going back to the hotel to take a shower.”

  “You can take one here.”

  “But I don’t have a change of clothing.”

  “Yes, you do. You remember you had left some clothes here after your workout. Ms. O’Connor washed them and put them away neatly for you.”

  “She’s the sweetest thing.”

  “If I’d known then how much you enjoy washing your own clothes, I would have told her to leave them for ya,” he said with a smirk.

  She made a face at him.

  He laughed. “Go on upstairs and take your shower, and then how about us doing some sight-seeing around Dublin this morning.”

  “That sounds delightful!” she said. “In fact, that reminds me we’ve got to visit two more art galleries in the city to select some more pieces for your home. I was thinking one or two sculptures and glass pieces this time. I think we have enough paintings. I’ve got some pieces in mind, but I want you to see them first.”

  “I trust your taste. I can live with whatever pieces you choose,” he said quietly.

  “Mr. Walsh, a lady, can get carried away if you continue to say such things.”

  “Maybe I want her to get carried away,” he said softly.

  Smiling, she leaned over and met his lips with her own.

  “See you soon.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Leiliana put on her blue jeans and slim fit grey knitted T-shirt and pulled back her hair in a low ponytail. She reached for her makeup, and remembering Gabriel’s comments about her freckles decided not to put it on.

  She put on a little mascara, ran lip gloss over her lips, and she was ready to go.

  Gabriel was perched on a kitchen bar stool wearing a nice denim shirt, dark blue jeans, and tan loafers and looking at his phone.

  “I’m ready,” she declared.

  He raised his head, and his expression gave her cause for alarm.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I just received an email from Jack Stevens.”

  “Dot Judd’s lawyer?”

  Gabriel nodded. “I don’t know how it happened but she got wind of our impending merger and objects to it.”

  “Can she do that? She is only a minority shareholder,” Leiliana asked.

  Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t know. I just forwarded it to my lawyer to get his advice. I contacted her, and she told me she wants to meet to discuss it.”

  “Meet how? Is she here in Ireland?”

  “No. She wants me to come to New York.”

  “You’re not going are you?”

  He sighed. “I don’t know. I think I need to find out what she’s up to. This makes no sense. What would she have to gain by doing this? Maybe she doesn’t understand that shares in the newly formed enterprise would be worth more than what they are now.”

  Leiliana grabbed his arm. “Listen, Gabriel. I’m sure her lawyer would h
ave advised her of that. You don’t need to go tramping back to New York to explain it to her.”

  “Are you sure? Because I’m not sure about anything at this point. I need to hear from her own mouth why she’s doing this.”

  Leiliana shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. “So what do I do in the meantime. Do I just sit around here and daydream while you’re gone? We’ve still got work to finish up here. I put my life on hold for this now to hear that you want to end it because Dot Judd crooks her finger.”

  He pulled her towards him. “Come here, darling.” He coaxed her folded arms apart and wrapped his arms around her. “I haven’t really thought this through yet. It has happened so quickly. If I go to New York, I want you with me. Honestly, I don’t want you out of my sight right now. I can meet with Dot and then we can have some fun in the city and come back here the next day and continue our negotiations. What do you think of that?”

  Leiliana wasn’t wholly convinced, but she realized that Gabriel felt strongly about going to see Dot over this matter. At least he wanted her to be with him. Such a meeting shouldn’t take long, then they would be free to enjoy each other’s company, and perhaps she could pay a visit to Gabriel’s New York resident. For all she knew, that might require a woman’s touch too. The more she thought of it, the trip might not be all bad.

  Chapter 19

  G abriel had agreed to meet with Dot on Monday afternoon at the JJ Inc. headquarters building in the Village of Pelham in Westchester County, New York. It wasn’t a long trip from Manhattan, only about half an hour.

  As they traveled there in the town car, Leiliana turned to him.

  “Does she know I’m accompanying you?”

  It had been a last-minute decision of his, to invite Leiliana to the meeting with Dot. He had felt odd meeting with Dot alone to discuss his merger with Lamport Holdings. He felt, somehow, that Leiliana should be part of the discussions.

  He nodded. “I texted her just before we left the city and told her you would be coming with me.”

  “That was rather short notice, Gabriel. What was her response?”

  “She texted me back and said, okay.”

  Presently, the driver pulled up at the offices of JJ Inc. The company was housed in an expansive brownstone two-story building. It had a stately, prosperous look and was clearly well maintained.

  Gabriel and Leiliana were ushered in to meet Dot.

  She was not alone. Gabriel was not surprised. Knowing Dot, she probably rang her lawyer up and asked him to come the moment she learned Leiliana was attending the meeting.

  Still, he felt compelled to comment when he took his seat, “I didn’t realize that your legal counsel was going to be joining us. I thought this was going to be a conversation between friends.”

  Dot glanced at Leiliana pointedly. “But we’re not all friends, are we?”

  Before he could say a word, Leiliana spoke with quiet strength. “We may not be friends yet, Miss Judd, but I’m sure that by the end of this meeting, you’ll agree that a partnership between us will be more beneficial than a rivalry.”

  Gabriel noted the quick glance of reluctant admiration Dot gave Leiliana before she resumed her look of cool detachment.

  He decided to get things moving. “Let’s begin then, shall we? Mr. Stevens informed me a few days ago that you objected to the merger with Lamport Holdings. I would like to know why.”

  Dot was silent for a long time. She kept her head bowed, then she raised it finally and said, “I felt that I was being disrespected and ignored. That’s why. I was quite shocked when I learned that negotiations were going on between you two regarding my father’s company, and no one had bothered to inform me.”

  Gabriel couldn’t understand why he had to come all the way from Ireland so that Dot could throw a tantrum, but he decided to remain calm. He spoke evenly. “The reason you weren’t informed was that negotiations are at a very infant stage. We have not decided on anything or signed any agreement as yet. It is intended that, once that is done, you, as the minority shareholder, will be informed.”

  “Still, I believe that I should have been informed before this. I sold the company to you and not Lamport Holdings for a reason. I don’t like the idea of her waltzing in here now and laying claim to it.”

  Gabriel could see Leiliana’s back stiffen in his peripheral vision. The last thing he wanted to do was part of a catfight. He quickly spoke. “Listen, Dot. The fact is that you really are in no position to object to anything. As minority shareholder, you don’t have many rights beyond having access to the annual reports and financial statements and receiving any dividends that are issued.”

  He turned to Jack Stevens. “Am I not right about this, Mr. Stevens?” Gabriel knew he was on solid footing with his assertion. His lawyer had already advised him of such two days ago. But he felt it was important that Dot’s lawyer confirm his point so that she might also believe.

  Mr. Stevens cleared his throat. “While that is certainly true, it does not preclude Miss Judd from filing an objection on the grounds that as minority shareholder, her opinion is not being considered.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “There would be no point in that. She still would have no say. The most such a motion can do is to pause any contractual arrangements before the court throws it out as baseless.” He turned back to Dot. “If you wanted to continue to have a say in this enterprise, you should have negotiated to retain more than ten percent of the shares.”

  To his surprise, her eyes filled with tears. “This is my parents’ company. The only reason I only retained ten percent was that I expected it to be run solely by you.”

  He was quite taken aback by this. It didn’t seem to align with what had actually played out. “Why didn’t you just sell it to me outright then? Why did you allow a bidding war to erupt between me and Lamport Holdings that cost me millions more?”

  She glanced across at her lawyer. “I was advised that it was the best way to get the most out of the negotiation. I figured you were good for it. I also figured that you would come to realize that Leiliana Lamport was trying to take from you what you wanted most.”

  Gabriel sat back in shock. “So that was deliberate. You were trying to play us against each other?”

  Dot glanced at her lawyer once more, as though for help. “I wouldn’t put it that way, Gabriel.”

  Mr. Stevens spoke again. “What Miss Judd is trying to say, Mr. Walsh, is that all is fair in love and war. The sale of JJ Inc. was a business transaction. My client sought to get the best deal as should be expected. There is no reason for you to take it personally.”

  Gabriel took in a deep breath. He tried to shake off the revelation that Dot’s aim in the business deal had been to achieve two things. Get as much money from him as possible and kill any romantic feelings he had for Leiliana Lamport. But were those two things connected with the objection she had raised to the merger? Her explanation about not being informed about the intended merger did not seem to fit somehow.

  He searched her face. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze. He sensed that he would get no more out of Dot now. She would not speak freely in front of Leiliana. He realized it might not have been the best idea to bring Leiliana here. Yet, he couldn’t turn back time.

  “Listen, Dot, I want to reassure you that it isn’t our intention to keep you out of anything or to silence your input as minority shareholder. As soon as we have finalized things and are ready to sign a letter of intent, you will be formally notified. Is that acceptable?”

  She looked over at him and nodded. Her gaze flickered, and there was something in her eyes as she quickly glanced away that told him his instincts were right. Something was definitely up.

  On the return drive to Manhattan, Leiliana seemed relieved that the whole thing was over and happily chatted away about their plans for later that evening. He, on the other hand, could not shake his discomfort about that meeting with Dot. It seemed like she had been trying to send him a cryptic message.
/>
  By the time the driver dropped Leiliana off at the Waldorf International Hotel and Towers in midtown Manhattan, Gabriel had decided to stop worrying about Dot and instead focus on the woman in front of him.

  He took Leiliana in his arms and kissed her passionately. Then he stared into her eyes. “Thank you for being there.”

  She smiled. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “You didn’t scratch Dot’s eyes out. That was admirable.”

  She laughed.

  “The Broadway show is going to begin at 7 p.m. so I’ll come by and collect you around quarter to six and we can get a quick bite before the show. What do you say?”

  “Iontach! Slán go fóill. (Great! See you later)”

  Gabriel’s jaw dropped open, and his eyes almost bugged out of his head. “Did you just speak Irish?”

  “Tá (Yes),” she said with an innocent smile.

  “Did you learn Irish on account of me?”

  “What do you think?”

  “When did this happen? When did you find the time?”

  “I started about a week ago. Each evening after I returned to my hotel, I went on-line and taught myself. I’ve still got a long way to go.”

  She had spoken the language slowly, and her accent needed a bit of work, but he was blown away that she would go to so much effort to learn his mother tongue. It spoke volumes about the way she felt about him.

  He covered his heart with his hand. “I’m honored,” he said sincerely.

  She reached up and kissed his cheek, her hand on the car door. “Slá leat (goodbye),” she said.

  “Slán agat, gráinn (goodbye, darling)!” he replied.

  ~*~*~*~

  “Hello, Gabriel.”

  “Dot!”

  “Are you alone?”

  He nodded and then caught himself. She couldn’t see him through the phone. “Aye. What’s going on?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “I left you not too long ago. You seemed reluctant to talk.”