expression.

“Dad, hi.” Julia walked over and hugged him.

“Hi, Jules.” He hugged her back before pulling her behind him

protectively. “Emerson.”

Undeterred by Tom’s unfriendly tone, Gabriel stuck his hand out.

Tom simply stared at it as if it, like its owner, was felonious.

“I think we should find a quiet corner in the bar. I don’t want

an audience for what I have to say to you. Jules, do you need help carrying your luggage?”

“No, the porter has it. I’m, um, going to my room. Gabriel, I’ll

let you check into your room yourself, okay?”

He nodded, noting that Tom’s scowl relaxed slightly at the news

that his daughter was not currently cohabitating with the Devil.

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“Just for the record, I love both of you. So I’d really like it if you didn’t injure one another.” Julia looked warily between the two men, and when both failed to answer, she shook her head and walked to

the front desk. Her first order of business was to find out how well stocked the mini-bar was. P

Later that evening, after a somewhat tense but not unpleasant

dinner with her father, Julia availed herself of the gift basket of lavender bath products Gabriel had sent to her room, complete with

virginal lavender poof. She laughed when she thought of the first time he’d poofed her.

She sobered when she realized that he’d purchased lavender items

rather than vanilla, despite the fact that he preferred vanilla on her to any other scent. Perhaps this was his way of keeping her at arm’s length. Whatever his reason, she’d respect his wishes and hope that he’d change his mind. Soon.

She was soaking in the large, pedestal bathtub when her cell

phone rang. Luckily, the accursed device was well within reach.

“What are you doing?” Gabriel’s smooth voice filled her ears.

“Just relaxing. Thank you for the gift basket, by the way. How

are you?”

“I can’t say my conversation with your father was enjoyable, but

it was necessary. I gave him the chance to curse me and say that I’m a no good cokehead who doesn’t deserve you. Then I did my best to

explain what happened. By the end of our conversation, he begrudg-

ingly bought me a beer.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“I can’t imagine Tom paying ten dollars for a Chimay Première.”

Gabriel chuckled. “It was Budweiser, actually. And not the origi-

nal Budweiser Budvar from the Czech Republic. He ordered for me.”

“I guess you must love me, if you’re willing to give up your pre-

tentious European imports for appalling bath water.” Julia gave the 365

Sylvain Reynard

large bathtub a baleful look. She would rather have been bathing

with Gabriel than without him.

“Drinking a domestic beer is the least I could do. I don’t think

your father will forgive me for hurting you, but hopefully things

will improve. I told him that I want to marry you. Did he mention

that over dinner?”

She hesitated. “He told me that I was his little girl and that he

wanted to protect me. Then he said some things about you that

weren’t very complimentary.

“But he admitted I’m an adult and that I need to live my own

life. He said it was clear to him that you’d changed — even since

he’d seen you last. I think you surprised him. And he isn’t used to being surprised.”

“I’m sorry.” Gabriel’s voice sounded pained.

“Sorry for what?”

“For not being the kind of man you could bring home to your

father.”

“Listen, my dad thought the sun shone out of Simon’s ass. He

isn’t exactly the best judge of character. And he doesn’t know you as I know you.”

“But he’s your father.”

“I’ll handle him.”

Gabriel was quiet for a moment as he contemplated her response.

“My conversation with Tom was a good warm up for dinner with

my family.”

“Oh, no. How did that go?”

He paused. “Talking to Scott on the telephone is one thing, but

having dinner with him is something else.”

“He’s protective of me. I’ll talk to him.”

“Dad asked me to offer a toast to Mom at the wedding reception.”

“Oh, darling. That’s going to be difficult. Are you sure you want

to do that?”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

“I have some things I need to say. Things almost thirty years in

the making. Now’s my chance.”

“So you’ve kissed and made up with everyone?”

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Gabriel’s Rapture

“Basically. Dad and I made our peace on the telephone weeks ago.”

“Did you meet Tammy’s little boy?”

Gabriel snorted into the phone. “He soiled me as soon as I

picked him up. Perhaps Scott coached him to make his feelings

about me known.”

“Quinn peed on you?”

“No, he spilled milk all over my new Armani suit.”

Julia dissolved into peals of laughter at the thought of the very

elegant, very particular professor being soiled by his brother’s girlfriend’s son.

“Is it wrong that I didn’t care that much? I mean about the suit.”

Julia stopped laughing abruptly. “You didn’t care? What did you

do with it?”

“The concierge sent it to be dry-cleaned. I’ve been assured that

milk will come out of wool crepe, but I’m not holding my breath.

Suits can be replaced, people can’t.”

“You surprise me, Professor.”

“How so?”

“You’re sweet.”

“I try to be sweet with you,” he whispered.

“That’s true. But I’ve never seen you around children.”

“No,” he said quickly. “You’d make beautiful babies, Julianne.

Little girls and boys with big brown eyes and pink cheeks.”

Julia’s sharp intake of breath whistled in Gabriel’s ear.

His voice almost caught in his throat. “Is it premature to have

this conversation?”

She didn’t answer.

“Julianne?”

“My hesitation about marriage isn’t over having children. It comes from what happened between us and being a child of divorced parents.

They loved each other once, I think, and ended up hating each other.”

“My parents were married happily for years.”

“That’s true. If I could have a marriage like theirs — ”

“We can have a marriage like theirs,” Gabriel corrected her. “That’s what I want. And I want it with you.”

367

Sylvain Reynard

He tried to communicate with his tone how much he desired

a marriage like the one Richard and Grace enjoyed. How he was

trying desperately to become the kind of man who could give Julia

that kind of marriage.

She exhaled slowly. “If you’d asked me to marry you before, I

would have said yes. But I can’t right now. There’s so much we need to work through, and I’m already stressed out about grad school.”

“I don’t mean to stress you out.” His voice was soft but slightly

strained.

“I thought you made your decision about having children.”

“There’s always adoption.” He sounded defensive.

She was quiet for a moment.

“The thought of having a little blue eyed baby with you makes

me happy.”

“Really?”

“Really. Seeing what Grace and Richard did with you, I’d be

interested in adopting someday. Just not while I’m a student.”

“The adoption would have to be private. I doubt a respectable

agency would place a child with a drug addict.”

“Do you really want children?”

“With you? Absolutely. If we were married, I’d consider having

my vasectomy reversed. It was done many years ago so I don’t know

how successful a reversal might be. But once we’re married I’d like to try — with your blessing.”

“I think it’s premature to have that conversation.” The arm she was leaning on accidentally slipped off the side of the bathtub, splashing into the water.

Scheisse, she thought, too worn out to call on a god to come to her rescue.

“Are you taking a bath?”

“Yes.”

She took comfort in the fact that he groaned into her ear. It was

painful that he could resist her, day after day, no matter what.

He sighed. “Well, I’m across the hall feeling lonely and sad, in

case you need anything.”

“I’m lonely too, Gabriel. Can’t we do something about that?”

He hesitated, and Julia felt hopeful.

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Gabriel’s Rapture

Gabriel groaned again in frustration. “I’m sorry, I need to go. I

love you.”

“Good night.”

Julia shook her head somewhat resignedly as she ended the call.

P

Despite the absence of her mother, Rachel almost had a fairy-

tale wedding. She and Aaron were married in a beautiful garden in

Philadelphia, and although Aaron had initially rejected the idea of having fifty doves released at the moment the priest pronounced

them husband and wife, Rachel wore him down.

(At least none of his relatives decided to practice their target

shooting.)

As maid of honor and groomsman, Julia and Gabriel found

themselves standing near the bride and groom, flanked by Scott.

Julia spent much of the ceremony peeking over at Gabriel, and he

stared at her unashamedly.