Page 6 of Gabriel's Promise (Gabriel's Inferno 4)

Julia closed her eyes as the tears flowed. She shook her head.

Gabriel pulled her against his chest. “I don’t understand. Do you want everyone to leave?”

She shook her head again.

He rested his cheek against her hair. “I didn’t know they were planning all this.”

“There are twice as many balloons,” she mumbled.

“Is helium dangerous for babies?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” She fisted his shirt. “That’s not the point. There are twice as many gifts and flowers than what we had at the hospital. And there are flamingos on our lawn!”

“I can remove the flamingos, darling.” Gabriel kissed her hair. “I’ll do that now.”

“This isn’t about the flamingos.” Julia dipped her hand in one of the pockets of Gabriel’s jacket, eventually retrieving a handkerchief. She waved it in front of him. “I’m glad I bought you this.”

She blew her nose.

“A gentleman always carries a handkerchief, for just such occasions.” He caressed her back, his concern escalating. “You’re upset about the flamingos, but you don’t want me to remove them?”

“The kitchen is filled with presents. Katherine came all the way from England and quoted Dante!” Julia burst into tears again.

Gabriel frowned, for the sight of her tears pained him. “Of course there are presents. People give gifts to babies. It’s a tradition.”

“How many of my relatives are in the kitchen?” She dabbed at her nose.

Gabriel’s hea

rt constricted. “Your father and Diane wanted to be here, but Tommy is sick. You’ll see them soon.” He wiped Julia’s tears away with his thumbs. “The kitchen is filled with family, our family. People who love you and Clare.”

She swallowed hard. “I miss your mom. I miss . . .”

Gabriel winced. There was an ocean of pain in Julianne’s unfinished sentence. She’d had an unhappy childhood with a mother who was sometimes abusive, sometimes indifferent.

“I miss Grace, too,” Gabriel admitted. “I think we will always miss her.”

“I’ve only been a mother for a couple of days, but I love Clare so much, I’d do anything for her. What was wrong with Sharon?” Julia whispered, clinging to her husband.

Gabriel gazed down at his wife. “I don’t know.”

His answer was true. How does one explain indifference and cruelty? He’d experienced both from his biological father. And eventually he came to realize that any attempt to explain such behavior was futile, because explanations often masqueraded as excuses. And he would not countenance excuses.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “I love you, Julianne. We love each other, and we love Clare. We didn’t begin our lives with the best role models, but think of who we have now: everyone in our kitchen, and Tom and Diane, and Scott and Tammy, and everyone else we love. We get to create our own family, for Clare.”

“She won’t know what it’s like to have a mother who doesn’t love her.” Julia’s tone grew fierce.

“No, she won’t.” Gabriel’s embrace tightened. “And she has a father who loves her and her mother very much.”

Julia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry for ruining the party.”

“You haven’t ruined anything. It’s your party. You can cry, if you want to . . .”

Julia laughed and it was like the sun coming out after the rain. Then, inexplicably, she lifted up on tiptoes to peer over Gabriel’s shoulder through the front window. “Our lawn is covered in flamingos.”

Gabriel’s lips twitched. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

“I kind of like them.”