Finding Isadora(105)

“No, I should. You’re his father and the two of you are starting to heal things between you. If he’s going to hate someone, it should be me.” Though my heart ached at the thought.

“Uh-uh. This isn’t your fault.” He jerked his head. “Fault. Stupid word. It suggests there’s something wrong with us being together. This is right, not wrong.”

I reached out to caress his cheek, his firm jaw. “Yes. But Richard won’t see it that way.”

“Not in the beginning. But Isadora, we won’t give up.”

I smiled at the earnestness in his voice. “You’ve become a parent, Gabriel.”

He made a rueful face. “Not a good one.”

“But you’re trying. That’s all you can do. And I’ll try, too. I care about Richard.”

“All we can do is keep trying, and hope he gets used to the idea eventually.”

Eventually. Gabriel understood we had a future.

“And keep letting him know we care about him,” I said. “He’ll take it personally, like we’re deliberately trying to hurt him. But we have to make him see that this is about us, not him.”

“I’ll call him tomorrow, see if we can get together and talk.”

I had just reached out for Gabriel when my phone rang. We both gave a guilty start. “The real world’s calling,” I said.

I hurried out of bed, grabbing Gabriel’s shirt and pulling it on as I went to check call display. When I saw Jan’s number, I answered.

“Hey, you are there,” she said. “I tried your cell and it went to voice-mail.”

“I forgot to charge it. Hi, Jan.”

“Say hi from me,” Gabriel said, and I spun around to see he’d sauntered in from the sitting room, wearing not a stitch of clothing.

“Is that Gabriel?” she hissed.

“Yes.”

“He’s there again?”

“Still.”

“Oh, my god! Oh, wow!” Her exclamations were so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. “So is he as good as he looks?”

I studied him, in all his naked splendor. “Better.” And winked.

He shook his head in mock dismay, then headed toward the bathroom.

I watched, enjoying the rear view. The man had a fabulous butt. The moment the door closed behind him, I said, “Good? Try incredible!”

“I’m so jealous,” she wailed.

“Jan…” I checked the bathroom door. It was still closed, but even so I whispered when I said, “I love him.”

“Oh, my god!” This one nearly shattered my eardrum. “Have you told him? Did he say it back?”

“No, I haven’t told him. I’m giving him some time to adjust.”

“But don’t you think…”

I didn’t catch the rest of what she said because Gabriel emerged from the bathroom, saying, “You done yet?”

“Jan, I’ll talk to you soon. Bye for now.”

“Kiss Gabriel goodbye for me,” she said cheekily.

When I hung up, he looped his arms around my shoulders. “Does she approve?”

“I think ‘oh, my god’ constitutes approval.”

I noticed I had a message on my voice-mail. “Did you hear the phone ring earlier?”

“Amid all the fireworks?” he teased.

“Someone must have called when we went out this morning. I forgot to check.”

I dialed in to retrieve the message and heard my mother say, “Morning, Isadora. Just wanted to tell you there’s a meeting on that disability rights thing this afternoon, if you want to come. It’s at Gabriel’s.”

“Gabriel, there’s a meeting at your place?” I asked.

“Oh, f*ck,” he groaned. “I forgot about that.”





Chapter 16


“What time—” I started to ask Gabriel, then heard Grace’s voice continue with, “It’s at three o’clock. Give me a call if you want a lift.” As she rattled off Gabriel’s address, I checked the clock on the microwave. Twenty to two.

“Oh-oh, it’s at three o’clock,” I said.

“Damn. Why did that have to be today?”

“We had to get out of bed some time.”

“Why?” He sounded like a sulky child and I had to grin.

“Grace offered me a ride. If I’m going to accept it, I need to call right away. And shower and get dressed.”

“Why would Grace think you’d want to come to this meeting?”

“Oh, uh…” Now I felt shy in front of this man who’d explored the most intimate parts of my body. “I told her I was interested in helping out.”

“You did?”

“You got me thinking about what I really want to do. Rather than worrying about what other people want, or what they think of me. And I want to do this.”

He leaned down, his breath toothpasty fresh, and said suggestively, “What else do you want to do?”

“I’ll show you later.” Doubt set in, and I hastily added, “I mean, whenever you have the time to get together again.”

“Isadora.” He shook his head, smiling as if I were a foolish child. “After the meeting?”