Gabriel's Redemption (Gabriel's Inferno #3)(52)

“Sometimes I can’t tell,” he admitted.

“Has it happened before?”

“On occasion. It’s been a while.”

“You never said anything.”

“It isn’t something I like to discuss, Julianne. My memories of my childhood are vague at best. And what I remember, I try to forget.”

“Have you told Dr. Townsend about them?”

“Briefly, yes.” He touched Julia absently, floating his fingertips over her back. “I know very little about my parents.”

“I can understand your anger at your parents. But it isn’t a healthy thing to hold on to.”

“I know that.” He stopped touching her and rolled to his side, facing her. “There might be terrible skeletons in my family’s closet. Could you love me in spite of them?”

“I’d never love you in spite of anything, Gabriel. I just love you.”

He captured her mouth, but only for an instant. They relaxed into the bed, spooning under the covers.

Just as she was about to drift into sleep, Gabriel’s voice sounded in her ear.

“Thank you.”

The next morning, Julia was sunning herself by the pool before it grew too warm. She wore a large sun hat and a very small blue bikini. Gabriel had persuaded her to purchase the bikini during their trip to Belize before they were married. She had had few occasions to wear it.

She thought back to the previous evening and Gabriel’s nightmare. It had disturbed them both. She couldn’t help but envision what he’d described—his mother on the floor, crawling after the man who fathered her child and abandoned her. Perhaps that image, fictional or otherwise, was part of what generated Gabriel’s intense antipathy to the sight of Julia on her knees. Even now, several months into their marriage, that was one position he couldn’t countenance.

Perhaps it’s because of Paulina.

Julia winced. She didn’t like thinking of Gabriel’s former lover and the mother of the child they’d lost. But unless Gabriel was hiding something, he hadn’t heard from her in over a year.

Julia was inclined to let sleeping dogs lie.

A shadow fell over her legs and she looked through her sunglasses to see him standing over her. He was clad only in black swimming trunks and was carrying a towel.

His muscled chest and arms rippled as he moved, kissing her before placing the towel on a chair and diving into the pool. The water was warm and a welcome respite from the bright Umbrian sun.

Gabriel swam laps, losing himself in the almost-silence of the water. Back and forth and back and forth. During physical exercise, as during sex, he could relieve his mind of all worry and stress, focusing only on his movements.

He actively suppressed all thought or reflection on his nightmare. An intuition had taken hold that told him that the dream was a memory. No amount of reasoning had been able to persuade him otherwise. So he simply turned his attention to something else—the feel of the sun and the water against his flesh, the sound of splashing in his ears, the taste of chlorine, the glorious burn in his muscles as he pushed himself to swim faster.

He was counting laps, flip turn upon flip turn, when the peacefulness of his morning swim was broken by a sudden cry.

He surfaced immediately, his eyes searching for Julia. She was still in her chair, but she’d swung her legs over the side of the lounge and was holding her iPhone to her ear.

“She’s what?” Julia’s voice was unusually shrill.

Gabriel wiped his eyes so he could see her better.

“You’re kidding.” She paused, mouth gaping. “When is she due?”

Gabriel swam to the ladder and climbed out of the pool. He picked up his towel and began to dry off, his eyes fixed on her.

“No, I’m happy. I’m happy for you both. I just can’t believe it.” Her tone was sincere, if not surprised, but her body language was notably tense.

Gabriel waved a hand in front of her face. “Who is it?” He pointed at the phone.

My dad, she mouthed.

Now it was Gabriel’s turn to gape. If her words meant what he thought they meant, then . . .

“So when is the wedding?” Julia peered up at Gabriel, lifting her eyebrows.

“I don’t know. I’ll check with him and get back to you. Wow, Dad. This is really sudden.”

She laughed. “Yes, for you too. Obviously.”

Gabriel reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. She covered his hand with her own.

“Yes, of course. Put her on.” Julia paused. “Hi, Diane. Congratulations.”

Gabriel wiped his face with the towel a second time and moved to sit on the lounge next to Julia.

“Of course we’ll be there. We just need to sort out the date.

“That’s right.

“Of course. Congratulations again. Bye.

“Hi, Dad. I’m happy for you both.

“Yes, of course. Bye.”

Julia disconnected the phone and slumped in her seat. “Holy shit.”

“What is it?”

“My dad is getting married.”

Gabriel’s lips twitched. “I gathered that. They spoke to you about it in Selinsgrove.”

“Yes, but they want to get married immediately because Diane is pregnant.”

Gabriel stifled a grin.