Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(15)
After a quick shower, she changed into a pair of eggshell-colored slacks, a coral sleeveless silk blouse, and a pair of sky-high strappy sandals. When she added the matching lightweight jacket for her flight later in the day, she’d look more the part that her parents and Gabe always expected her to.
With a quick peek into the living area, she found she was still alone, so decided to call her parents since she hadn’t spoken with them in several days. Unable to reach them, she called her father’s chief of staff, Peter Cooley.
“Have you spoken with my father?”
“We talked first thing this morning,” Peter said, his deep voice rumbling over the phone. “The town hall meetings have gone well and his polling numbers are trending up, but your mother isn’t thrilled with traveling on a bus.”
“That’s my mom,” Claire said with a chuckle. “A woman of the people.”
“Fred’s picking you up?”
“Yes, if you don’t need him.”
“Not today. What time does your flight get in?”
“Two o’clock.”
“Have a good flight,” Peter said. “When I speak to your father, I’ll let him know you’ve been trying to reach him.”
When Claire ended the call, she walked into the living room to find Gabe had returned from the restaurant and was sitting on the couch, frowning as he tapped away at his laptop.
“I was trying to reach my parents.”
He glanced up from the screen. “Get ahold of them?”
Claire sat next to him, wishing he would set his laptop aside and put his arm around her, but he didn’t. “No, but I spoke with Peter. He said the bus tour is going well.”
“That’s good. Your dad’s opponent has been getting a lot of media attention lately.” Gabe glanced up and finally focused on her, then reached over to give her shoulder a squeeze. “I know you’re stressed with school, but maybe we can take a real vacation soon. Somewhere quiet, with no clients.”
At Claire’s doubtful look, he leaned back from his laptop and held up his hands. “I promise. We can go anywhere you want—except for your parents’ mountain cabin. Having no internet is a deal-breaker for me.”
“Going on vacation means no work, you know,” Claire said.
“Babe, I can’t do that.” Gabe frowned, then his face brightened. “Actually, I’ve got something that might help your parents the next time they go.”
He stood up and headed into the bedroom, returning with two boxes in hand. “Here.”
Raising a brow, Claire accepted the larger package, still in its shrink-wrap. “A satellite phone?”
“I picked it up on my last trip, thinking it would help your mom and dad when they’re off in the wilds of Virginia,” he said with a smirk.
“That’s so nice of you.”
Last winter, Claire and Gabe had spent a few days at the property her parents had bought several years ago in the Blue Ridge mountains . . . hundreds of acres of unspoiled forest that teemed with white-tailed deer and wild turkey. Thomas and Eva had built a beautiful lodge-style cabin there, but it was a little too quiet and remote for Gabe’s taste. Cell and internet service was spotty in the mountains, which meant they were often out of touch, and Gabe had nearly had a fit when he couldn’t check his investment portfolio on the hour.
Claire had loved the isolation, finding the quiet solitude a balm to her unsettled soul. The beautiful mountain scenery and crisp blue skies drew her outside to the cabin’s deck each morning, and she’d begged Gabe to bundle up and go on snowshoe hikes with her through the forest in the afternoons. Each and every time, though, she’d ended up going alone.
Gabe smiled and held out the other gift, a rectangular jewelry box. “And this one’s for you. A small thank-you for flying down here to help me this weekend.”
She gave him a quizzical look. “You didn’t have to get me anything. Really, I was happy to help.”
Setting the satellite phone beside her on the sofa, Claire picked up the small box. No doubt it contained something expensive. Over the past year, Gabe had given her jewelry that had to be worth over a hundred thousand dollars. It made her uncomfortable to accept such lavish presents from him, but whenever she tried to refuse one, he accused her of not loving him and froze her out for days afterward. Unable to deal with his mood swings, she’d learned to accept his gifts graciously.
“Open it, Claire.”
She gave him a nod, opening the box and widening her eyes with surprise when she saw the diamond tennis bracelet resting on the black silk inside. The morning sunlight streaming through the windows caught it, making iridescent pinpoints of light bounce on the wall.
She must have been silent too long, because he frowned and asked, “Do you like it?”
“Of course.” Claire quickly met his gaze. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you so much.”
A satisfied smile brightened his face as he sat beside her. He picked up the bracelet and fastened it around her wrist, then tapped it pointedly as he caught her eye. “I’ve got another diamond in mind, but I think your parents would prefer to be around when I give you that one.”
Claire’s breath caught as she stared at him. They’d never even talked about marriage before, so where was this coming from? She and Gabe had only been dating for a little over a year. He treated her well . . . she should love him.