Struggling to hold the towel in place, she fished through the diaper bag—like finding something in a deep black hole. Finally, her fingers closed around her cell and she yanked it free.
Her mother’s number flashed on the caller ID. Relief warred with frustration. Already, she could imagine all the ways her mom would push her to come home.
She mentally switched to German and answered, “Hello, Mama.”
“Why aren’t you answering your phone at your apartment?” her mother asked, rapid fire and frantic. “I was worried sick some criminal had come in off the street and killed you both.”
“I can assure you we’re alive and not being held hostage by someone looking to hock my seventeen-inch television and costume jewelry.”
Although she did have her diamond engagement ring, tucked away in a box and waiting for Max to give to his future wife one day.
“Well, if you’re not being held at knifepoint and you’re not dead in a ditch, then you were out all day. Too long for you to be out with a baby. Did your old car break down? You know your father could help you with things like that if you lived here.”
She looked around the room and thought of how convoluted it would be to tell her mother everything going on with Hank right now. Especially when she wasn’t even sure what was going on with Hank.
“Sorry, Mom, I just couldn’t get to the other phone before you hung up.”
“Tttt, ttt,” her mother reprimanded. “You never were good at lying.”
“Sheesh, I’m not ten anymore.” She sank to the edge of the bed. “A water pipe broke in my apartment. My place is unlivable at the moment, so I had to find somewhere else to stay.”
“My God, now of all times? Where are you?” Her mom still felt the need to keep tabs on all five of her kids, as if that would give her more control over a world where her husband got called away to secret locales at the drop of a hat.
In a way, Gabrielle got it. She wanted control over her own life now, too.
“I’m staying at a bed-and-breakfast.”
Hopefully this time her lie played better to her mom’s radar ears.
“A bed-and-breakfast? That sounds nice, almost as good as being home.” Her mother’s voice edged down a notch. “I just wanted to check on you. You promise you will call after Max’s surgery.”
“Of course I will.” As a mother herself, she could well imagine how freaked out her mom must be right now. If only she could just be less…pushy about her own fears. It shouldn’t take an entire ocean to create boundaries wide enough. “I know you’re worried, too.”
“I would be there, if you let me.”
“Thank you, and I appreciate that. Honestly. But you already came out when Max was born.” And when Kevin had died. Although she didn’t want to talk about death, especially not tonight. “Thank you, Mama, but really, I’m managing okay.”
Thanks to Hank.
Guilt pinched again over not being completely truthful with her mother. Her mom was an amazing woman, other than that “dead in a ditch” syndrome. She was a military wife, mom of five, two of which were still in junior high. She worked as a math teacher, swapping schools every time they moved. Her mother was so darn near close to perfect it was overwhelming sometimes.
Like now.
Gabrielle needed the space to be less than strong, less than perfect. She needed to just be upset for her child without worrying about making her mother even more smothering.
“Thank you for calling, Mama. But I should get some supper.” And put on some clothes.
“Hold on just a few more minutes. Your father wants to say hello, too.”
Gabrielle mentally switched to English to speak with her dad. She pictured her wiry, energetic mom zipping up all three flights of stairs in their fourplex searching. Gabrielle could hear her mom’s repeated calls of “Gary!”
As a kid, she’d had nightmares about her burly, invincible dad dying in a war. Some of her mom’s “dead in a ditch” syndrome had rubbed off. She’d grown up torn between a deep respect for those who wore a uniform and a desperate wish for her father to be someone different from who he was.
Even her perfect mother cried when she thought no one was looking.
Gabrielle gripped the phone tighter, questioning for the first time if she’d stayed in New Orleans for practical reasons—or because she hadn’t wanted her family to see her grief.
“Gabby girl.” Her dad’s rumbly voice traveled through the connection, strong and familiar.
“Hello,” she said to her father just as a tap sounded on the door. “Wait!”
She called out fast, but too late. The door was already opening after the hello.
“Ohmigod.” She shot to her feet, towel gripped tight in her fist.
Hank stood in the open doorway, eyes wide. His feet were planted as if he was rooted to the floor in shock. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it and tried again. She held up a hand to silence him and damn near dropped her towel. She let the phone fall instead and grabbed fast to keep the towel in place.
Carefully, she knelt to pick up her cell without taking her gaze off Hank for a second. “Dad, love you tons, but I gotta go. Max needs me. I promise to call you and Mom tomorrow as soon as Max is out of surgery. Bye now.”
She thumbed End Call, pitched the cell onto the bed and pressed both hands against the towel. Her body flamed to life at the stroke of Hank’s eyes and yes, even more than that. Heat stirred because she saw him. More than just the breadth of his shoulders filling the doorway or his slim h*ps in khakis, she took in his face and, holy Gerard Butler, he was handsome in that rugged way made all the hotter by the keen intelligence in his blue eyes.
“Hank?” She cleared her throat and her thoughts. “Did you need something?”
Hank’s slow, lazy blink spoke of hot sweaty sex. “Is there anything you need that hasn’t been provided here?”
“Thank you, but we’re fine. Everything’s beyond perfect. I’ll be down as soon as I get dressed.” Although no way could she bathe now, not knowing that he would be thinking of her in the tub and she would be in that water thinking of how his eyes stroked her with unmistakable appreciation.
After months of pregnancy and postpartum body adjustment, she couldn’t deny that his unhidden desire for her felt good. Who wouldn’t be flattered, right? She was simply flattered.
Yet, the second he closed that door after him, her knees folded.
* * *
Hank sat on the lanai with a glass of sweet tea and listened to the distant sounds of a city that stayed awake late. Very late.
Draining his glass, he rocked the chair back and forth on two legs. He would have preferred a beer after the mind-blowing image of Gabrielle in nothing but a towel. Or maybe a few beers until he could pass out asleep rather than awake with the vision of her strolling through his mind every other second.
But he had to stay clearheaded and available in case she needed his help.
A dim light still shone from her room even well past—he checked his watch—one in the morning. She had to be dead on her feet after getting up with a kid all night, then the early start today. Not to mention the stress.
He’d already put into place a couple more plans for easing her life during Max’s recovery. And damn it, there would be a recovery because Hank refused to accept any other outcome for tomorrow’s surgery.
His chair legs slammed down on the porch.
He needed to check on her. Now. Find out why she couldn’t sleep and see if there was something he could do. She’d been far too quiet at supper, eating in silence then excusing herself to go to bed. Except she still wasn’t sleeping. Unless she left the lights on, in which case he would slip back out and grab some sleep himself.
These days he only managed about four hours of shut-eye anyway. That had started right about the time Kevin died. Hank was just wired. It would settle out as soon as he gained some closure by helping Kevin’s kid.
A mocking voice in the back of his head reminded him he was here to see Gabrielle as much as the boy.
Hank strode quietly through the house. A good house. His stepbrother had done his standard stellar job on the place. A bit more furniture and it would be a worthy addition to the historic home tour circuit. He couldn’t help but notice Gabrielle’s appreciation. Felt good to get something right for her.
He took the stairs two at a time and stopped at the first door. Tapping once, twice, he waited…but no answer. He wasn’t going to make the mistake of barging in on her again.
He started to turn away when the door opened. Gabrielle stood wide awake—and blessedly covered by a thick terrycloth robe. Max slept in her arms, his head on her shoulder.
Hank braced a hand on the frame, leaning toward her without touching her. “Everything okay? Your light’s still on. I thought you might need…a glass of water or something not here.”
“There’s water in the mini-fridge. The place has more amenities than I could have asked for.” She rested her cheek on her son’s head. “I just can’t sleep. I need to hold him.”
“Want some company?” The words fell out before he could rethink the wisdom of hanging out here in the late night with her.
Indecision flickered through her green eyes for a flash that had him thinking of emeralds. Nodding, she stepped back. “If we both can’t sleep, might as well keep each other company.”
Adjusting the baby on her shoulder, she curled up in a corner of the love seat. He dropped down beside her and waited. And waited. They used to talk for hours. Granted, they’d shot the breeze about lighthearted things or whatever was in the news. The one time they’d gone deep with the discussion he’d made the lame mistake of kissing her when he should have been comforting her.
He definitely needed to tread warily here.
Hank reached in the mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, twisted off the top and set the drink beside her. “He’s going to be okay.”
“I know the odds are in his favor, but there’s no way to be one-hundred-percent sure.”
Grabbing a bottle of water for himself, as well, he nudged the door closed and leaned back, but the sofa brought them close, his leg pressed to her knees. He cleared his throat. “I looked into your doctors, and you’re right, they’re top notch.”
She sat up straighter. “You investigated my son’s doctors?”
“Shhh, you’re gonna wake the kid.” He waited until Max settled back to steady, sleepy breaths. “And yes, I wanted to check into them.”
“You wanted to see if your money could bring something better.” Her mouth pressed tight.
“Is that so wrong?” Although even if she thought it was, he would do it all over again. “Would you have turned me down on principle even if it meant settling for less for your kid?”
“Don’t you think I already investigated them? As for the cost, I would have begged, borrowed or stole anything to make sure he gets the best possible care. I appreciate all you’ve done, but this is my child.”
There was no mistaking the steel in her voice.