Wrangling with the Laywer (22 page)

Alice looked satisfied. A man appeared to shuffle them along as the next act was brought forward, a young singer who already had the younger women in the audience screaming outside in the hall. Harper wandered into the hallway, turning back to Gabe as soon as she had the chance. The lights were less harsh in the corridor. She saw the strain on his handsome face as he pulled her into his side to accommodate a drum kit being led from a nearby doorway. She caught the familiar scent of his skin and the urge to bury her face in his chest was overwhelming.

He turned to her on an exasperated sigh. “I have to get Alice home.”

“She looks beat.” Meeting his gaze, Harper allowed herself a stolen moment of wonder, just taking the features she’d so lovingly recalled every spare second for the past three weeks. He was smiling at her now, his expression wry.

“Do you need a ride?”

Her lips parted to refuse automatically. Then she remembered she was here alone. She remembered sobbing in front of her sister just under an hour ago, thinking that she’d lost Gabe forever. Yet here he was, again, offering her another branch. She realised she didn’t want to play it safe. She’d never played it safe with Gabe and it had burned her, but she couldn’t
bear the thought of never knowing. He might never be capable of having a loving relationship but she realised she’d never know if she didn’t try. She had to at least try.

“It’s just a ride.” His expression lost some amusement, darkening again.

She took a deep breath. “Sure. Let me get my things.”

Alice fell asleep in the quiet car. Harper insisted they take the child home first. She was hoping Gabe would invite her in, and he didn’t disappoint. Handing his daughter over to Frida, he gestured for Harper to go through to the den. She sat on one of the sofas, trying to erase the memories from her previous visits to the flat from her mind. She had to think clearly tonight. She had to forget the past and focus on the possibilities they had. All she knew as she watched Gabe enter the room, loosening his tie and discarding his jacket, was that she wanted Gabe in her future. She wasn’t willing to compromise on this.

“I’m starting to think,” he offered, taking a seat a respectful distance from her on the sofa, “that maybe Alice engineered the invitation to your party that day after all.” He exhaled slowly. “She seems to have inherited her father’s resourcefulness.”

“Did you tell her she could bid tonight?”

“No.” He laughed at her incredulous expression. “I saw Don give her the pallet. He was just trying to make trouble, I think. I figured it would raise the bid.”

“She really does have her father’s resourcefulness, then. She couldn’t have engineered it better if she’d schemed for weeks.”

He lay back, watching her lazily. “Are you disappointed?”

“Am I?” This made her laugh aloud. “Your daughter just spent twenty-five thousand dollars for a day out at the zoo.” The laughter stopped her again; she had to wait for it to pass. “How could I be disappointed? This going to be the best day at the zoo anyone had ever had in the history of mankind.”

“It’d better be.”

She laughed again at his dry tone. “Are you disappointed?”

“No.”

His response was so quick and so sure that it stilled her. The amusement settled in her throat.

“I’d have paid a lot more than that if you’d been on stage.”

She digested the words slowly. She’d wanted to hear these words, or at least the significance of these words, for so long that she had to savour it. She forced herself to keep his steady gaze. Tilting her head to one side, she weakened for a moment. “I wish I’d acted differently... the last time we met.”

“Do you?” He leaned forward, coming closer to her.

Nodding, she swallowed deeply.

“I’ll say it all again if I have to,” he murmured gravely.

“You don’t have to.” She touched his hand where it sat on his leg. He felt his limb stiffen.  Her finger stroked his reassuringly. Looking into his face again, she took a shaky breath. “I want to put all of that behind us. I’m just grateful it got us here. I didn’t think for a second that you felt anything for me. It was such a surprise-”

“My God, Harper.” He sat forward, taking her face in his hands. “I can’t believe how badly I nearly messed things up with you. I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she breathed, her eyes fixed to his. “I don’t even feel it anymore. It’s like it never happened.” She paused, her hand rising to cup his on her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed her, hard and passionate. After a moment, he lifted his head, his eyes dark. “Can you stay tonight?”

She nodded.

“Can you stay permanently?”

Smiling, she kissed him softly. “Maybe we should discuss that after the zoo trip.”

“Really?” His eyes creased with humour. “Is that the final test? I’m going to have to pull out all the stops for this trip to the zoo I can see.”

“I expect more than a twenty-five grand zoo trip to sweep me off my feet, you know, buddy.”

He laughed, pullin
g her into his arms.

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