Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno #1)(178)

Downstairs, Richard was a whirling dervish of activity, making and serving Sunday breakfast for his hungry family. Scott was eating everything that wasn’t nailed down or claimed by anyone else, and Rachel and Aaron were poring over pictures of Philadelphia wedding reception venues on Aaron’s Blackberry.

“There they are.” Rachel greeted her brother and her best friend when they entered the kitchen.

“I need to give this back to you,” Julia whispered as she began to undo the scarf she had knotted around her neck.

“Keep it. Mom would have wanted you to have it.”

Julia pressed her friend into a grateful hug. Once again she was thankful for her generosity, and also for Grace, whose generous presence never seemed far away.

“You look happy this morning.” Scott poured Julia a glass of orange juice as she sat down.

“I am. I really am.”

“Make sure he treats you right,” he whispered, his expression serious.

“He has changed, Scott. He…loves me.” She spoke in a low voice so no one else could hear.

Scott gazed at her in surprise. “I’ll be damned,” he muttered. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, changing the subject.

“Simon was supposed to have a bail hearing yesterday. His lawyer was trying to have him released.” He looked at Julia cautiously. “I haven’t been able to find out what happened.”

It took a moment for his words to register, but when they did, she was seized with anxiety. She knocked her orange juice over accidentally, turning her breakfast into a sticky, juice soaked disaster.

She blinked rapidly as she tried to regain her composure, trying to mop up her latest mess, cursing herself for being such a bundle of nerves.

Gabriel has to be tired of watching me drop things. I am such an idiot.

Before she could stand to her feet, a hand appeared in front of her face.

Julia looked up into a pair of concerned sapphire eyes. Gabriel moved his hand slightly, encouraging her to take it. He pulled her into his side and seated her on a different bar stool, kissing her forehead quickly.

“You’re safe now,” he whispered. “I won’t let him near you.” For good measure, Gabriel rubbed her arms up and down comfortingly.

While Richard prepared another waffle, Gabriel picked up her ruined breakfast and headed to the sink.

“I’ll do that. Sit with your girl.” Scott’s voice was low and gruff at Gabriel’s elbow. “And I’m sorry.”

No one noticed the subtle exchange between the two brothers — the prodigal son and the son of constancy. Their eyes met and a look of understanding and perhaps even forgiveness passed between them. Gabriel nodded gratefully and took a seat by Julia, wrapping his arm around her waist and murmuring soothing words in her ear until she stopped shaking.

He had to get her out of Selinsgrove.

As they drove away, Julia closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

It had been an emotional morning. Saying good-bye to her adoptive family was always difficult. And saying good-bye to her father after the weekend’s events was exhausting.

“Are you sorry to leave?” Gabriel reached over to stroke her cheek.

She opened her eyes. “Part of me didn’t want to leave. Part of me couldn’t wait to put everything behind me.”

“I feel the same way.”

“What did my dad say to you when he shook your hand?”

Gabriel shifted in his seat. “He thanked me. He said he knew you could have been hurt a lot worse.” Gabriel threaded his long fingers through Julia’s, pulling her hand to his lips so that he could kiss it. “He asked me to keep an eye on his little girl. He said you were everything to him.”

That made a tear run down Julia’s cheek. She wiped it away and looked out the window. Things with her father had certainly changed.

On the flight back to Toronto, Julia cuddled up to Gabriel, eschewing her homework to rest her head on his shoulder.

“I need to make arrangements for our trip,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“When will we leave?”

“I’d planned on leaving as soon as classes were over on Friday. But if you’re coming, I’ll need to wait until after Katherine turns in your grade.

My lecture is on December tenth. Could we leave on the eighth?”

“I think so. I have to submit essays on Friday, and Katherine is expecting a draft of part of my thesis then too. I’m assuming she’ll submit my grades within a few days, so I could probably leave on the eighth. When were you planning on coming back?”

Gabriel moved his arm so that it was wrapped around her and she was resting her head against his shoulder. “Rachel is adamant about having everyone home for Christmas. That includes you. So we would have to leave Italy on the twenty-third or the twenty-fourth and bypass Toronto for Philadelphia. Unless you’d rather spend Christmas in Italy, with me.”

Julia laughed. “Not at the risk of incurring the wrath of Rachel. And my dad is expecting me, even though he knows I can’t stay at his house.”

She shivered involuntarily.

Gabriel squeezed her. “Then you can stay with me. We’ll reserve a room at a hotel. I’m not sleeping across the hall from you ever again.”

She blushed at his remark and smiled.

“We’ll have two weeks to enjoy Florence. Or we can travel to Venice and Rome, if you wish. We could rent a villa in Umbria. I know of a place near Todi that’s very beautiful. I’d like to show it to you.”