Once Upon a Proposal

by ALLISON LEIGH,

  Bobbie thumbed the end button on her phone and turned in to the parking lot. There were a half-dozen signs directing people to various areas and she found herself heading up the emergency ramp instead of entering the visitor’s parking lot. Cursing under her breath, she turned around at the first opportunity and managed to get herself back where she belonged.

  The parking lot was crowded there, too, and she had to park some distance from the entrance, which meant that several minutes had passed before she finally made her way through the automatically sliding doors.

  She spotted Gabe right away. He was the tall, broad man in blue jeans and a gray flannel shirt swooping down on her, pulling her into a fierce hug despite the water clinging to her raincoat.

  Her heart jumped into her throat as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. When she stood on her toes, her nose found a spot in the warm crook of his neck. “You told me she’s going to be fine,” she reminded him huskily.

  He nodded and she felt a deep breath work through his chest. Then he was pulling back a little. Enough to press a hard, fast kiss to her lips. “I’m glad you came.”

  Quick or not, she still felt absurdly rocked by the kiss. “Of course I came.”

  “For Fiona?” His voice was low.

  She pressed her tingling lips together for a moment. “Yes.” Telling him she’d been concerned for him, too, would be as good as admitting how quickly she was getting in over her head with him. But she still couldn’t prevent her hands from rubbing over his bunched shoulders. He could reassure her that his grandmother was going to be fine, but he was clearly still stressed. “How long have you been here?”

  “A few hours. Dad called as soon as he heard. I was on my way out to a job site in Ballard and just turned around to come here. I called your house, but didn’t want to leave the news on your answering machine. Would have called your cell sooner, but I didn’t know your number until I got hold of Fiona’s phone.”

  She grimaced. What believable couple wouldn’t know the phone numbers of their beloved? “How many more things like that should we have thought of?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I have it now. And you have mine.” He tucked her head beneath his chin.

  She closed her eyes, breathing in the warmth and comfort of him. “How long do you think it’ll be before I can see her?”

  “Shouldn’t be long.” His chest expanded beneath her cheek. “We can go up to her room if you’re ready.”

  She wasn’t sure she was, but she nodded anyway. He waited while she slid out of her raincoat, then took her hand and walked to one of the elevator banks. They rode up several floors and all too quickly he was leading her down one hallway after another, until they finally stopped at the end of one.

  She could see into the rectangular room just how crowded it was with every Gannon but Fiona, and the low heels of her leather boots suddenly wanted to drag on the tile floor. But Gabe drew her through the opened doorway anyway. Her self-consciousness solidified when all conversation dropped as everyone turned to look at them.

  It was Colin, Gabe’s father, who broke the awkward lull. He stepped forward and took her hands before dropping a light kiss on her cheek as if it were perfectly natural for him to do so. “It’s good of you to come. I know Fiona will be pleased to see you.”

  “Thank you.” Gabe’s hand on the small of her back was the only thing keeping her grounded. “I’ll be glad when I can see her, too.”

  Colin moved slightly to one side, looking at his wife, who was sitting on the foot of the single hospital bed, a magazine open on her lap. “Astrid?”

  The woman tossed aside her magazine and looked at Bobbie. “Hello, Bobbie,” she greeted, though her eyes were anything but welcoming. “That’s short for Roberta, I presume?”

  Bobbie kept her smile from dying through sheer grit. “Yes.” If she really were engaged to Gabe, she’d have been terrified of having the intimidating woman as her mother-in-law.

  “Hmm. I suppose Bobbie suits you better.” Her tone was smooth, but Bobbie still had the distinct impression that Astrid hadn’t meant it as a compliment.

  “I think it does,” Gabe agreed, and his tone made it clear that it was. He picked up Bobbie’s cold hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

  Astrid’s lips twisted in a mockery of a smile before she picked up her magazine again.

  Bobbie was just relieved not to be under the cool stare of the woman. She nodded a murmured greeting at Gabe’s brothers and their wives, who were perched on the only chair the room offered and the wide windowsill. “Where are Todd and Lisette?”

  “Stephanie took them down to the cafeteria for a drink,” Renée supplied. She gave her a look. “She’ll be back.”

  It was more of a threatened promise than a friendly warning.

  Bobbie glanced around the crowded room. Renée was still filing her long fingernails. Diana was busily texting on her BlackBerry. Paul and Liam were leaning against the wall in the corner, talking quietly as if they were anywhere other than a hospital room. Only Colin looked truly concerned for his mother. His suit coat was abandoned, his red tie was loosened and he’d folded his shirtsleeves up his arms.

  She decided that she could maybe like Gabe’s father after all.

  She slid her arm through Gabe’s, and looked up at him with a smile. “Why don’t we go find them,” she suggested.

  He looked surprised but then nodded. Before leaving, Bobbie looked back into the room. “Can we get something for anyone?”

  Colin just shook his head and did another three-pace circuit. Bobbie figured nobody else would respond—as if it were a crime against the one they figured Gabe should be with—and bit back a faint sigh.

  “I’d love a coffee,” Diana announced before they stepped out the door.

  Bobbie looked back, surprised. The other woman had slid her BlackBerry into her case and was watching Bobbie with a vaguely puzzled look. As if she couldn’t figure out why Bobbie had made the offer.

  “Sugar or cream?” The woman looked as if she hadn’t partaken of either pleasure in a decade.

  “Artificial sweetener,” Diana said. Then she smiled a little. “Thank you.”

  “Sure.” Bobbie glanced around, but Diana’s words hadn’t managed to break through any significant dam with the others. She and Gabe left the room and she slid her hand into his, feeling his warm fingers weave with hers.

  Considering there was nothing permanent—nothing long-term—about her engagement to Gabe, she knew she had no business feeling a spurt of victory at even the smallest sign of acceptance from his family.

  No business at all.

  Chapter Eight

  Despite the doctor’s assurance, it was hours before Fiona finally returned to her room. By then, Gabe’s brothers and sisters-in-law had departed, as had his mother. Colin remained, though, and Bobbie knew better than to suggest Gabe go home and get some rest.

  He had managed to convince Stephanie to leave the children at the hospital with him, however, while she went off to her husband’s business dinner.

  Bobbie had fully expected another dose of Stephanie’s vitriolic attitude, and had been surprised when none had been forthcoming at all. Maybe it was because the children were there, listening, or maybe it was because they were in a hospital. Whatever the reason, she’d been relieved when the other woman had suddenly capitulated and left the kids in Gabe’s care.

  Unfortunately, that meant that Lisette and Todd had been forced to sit around for hours, too.

  And even if they’d badly wanted to see their great-grandmother, the long wait had definitely been taking its toll on their patience.

  When Fiona was delivered in a wheelchair back to her hospital room, only the fact that the children were there kept Bobbie’s tears at bay. Her dear friend had never looked so worn. And for the first time, it was almost easy to believe that Fiona had just turned eighty-five.

  Once the nurse had gotten Fiona situated with the various wires and tubes tethering her
and departed, Fiona let Todd use the buttons to raise the bed more until she was sitting up to her liking.

  “Can we do it again?” he asked hopefully, holding the controller.

  “It’s not a video game, dummy,” Lisette scoffed.

  Fiona grinned, though her eyes were tired. “I’d rather be playing video games right now,” she assured him. “You can play with this darn bed all you want tomorrow if you get to come and see me.” She eyed Colin. “Go home and get some rest. You look like you’re the one ready to have a heart attack.”

  “Don’t joke,” he chided, bending over to kiss her cheek. “You gave us a scare. I’ve been telling you for several years now that it was time you cut back. Those dogs don’t need you working yourself to death.”

  “Don’t exaggerate. And it’s not the dogs I do it for, as you well know.” She patted his cheek and looked at Bobbie and Gabe. Despite her health crisis, there was still a glint in her eyes. “Soooo. Some mischief has been afoot? I suspected there was more going on than repairs over at the carriage house and once I saw you together last night, I knew I was right.”

  Bobbie felt her cheeks go hot. “Fiona—”

  “We can get into all that later,” Gabe assured, giving his children a pointed glance.

  Fiona rolled her eyes, but she dropped the subject easily enough. “Payroll isn’t done. Bobbie, you have a key to the office. Could—

  “Mother—” Colin started, but she just waved his protest aside.

  “—you go to the office and bring me the checkbook? It’s locked in my desk, but you know where the key is. I’ll sign the checks. All you have to do is fill in the same amounts for everyone as the last pay period and get them back to the office for Cheryl to hand out before the end of the day tomorrow.”

  Bobbie stared. She’d pinch-hit any number of tasks at the agency over the years, but never had anything to do with the nine paid employees’ compensation.

  “Mother,” Colin said again, this time with enough steel in his voice that Bobbie had a sudden impression of him in a courtroom. “You do not need to be signing those godforsaken paychecks,” he said flatly.

  But Fiona eyed Colin with just as much steel, proving where he’d come by the trait. “I’m the only signer on the account,” she pointed out. “And when I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.”

  He gave an irritated sigh and turned away from the bedside. “Talk to your grandmother,” he told Gabe, who was standing at the foot of the bed. “She listens to you.”

  “Bobbie can sign your name for you,” Gabe told her without hesitation. “At least this once. Nobody’s going to come charging after anyone for fraud, after all. And I’ll get new signature cards from the bank tomorrow so you can get someone else added on to the account.”

  Fiona crossed her thin arms over the pale-blue hospital gown that she was nearly swimming in. “Fine. Bobbie?”

  She lifted her shoulder in a shrug, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. “I’ll do whatever you need, Fiona, you know that.”

  Fiona suddenly smiled benevolently. “Yes, I do know that, my dear.” Then she looked at Todd. “You can push the button to lower the bed now. After all the poking and prodding I’ve had, I want some sleep, assuming I don’t get caught in the web of wires they’ve got going here.” Her gaze went back to the adults as the motorized bed started to lower. “Now, go on and get out of here. I’m told I probably won’t kick the bucket tonight, so you can come back and see me tomorrow.”

  “Mother,” Colin chided in a tone that told Bobbie he knew he was fighting for a lost cause, but he leaned over and kissed his mother’s cheek again. There was no doubt of his affection for his mother, even if she did exasperate him. He gave Bobbie a smile and clapped his hand over Gabe’s shoulder as he left.

  “All right. You, too,” Fiona looked from Bobbie to Gabe and back again. “The last place Todd and Lisette want to be is hanging out in some musty old hospital.”

  It was a poor description of the comfortably modern, high-tech institution. “You’re not gonna die, are you?” Todd wrinkled his nose. He was still holding the remote control for the bed, his fingers stroking the sides of it.

  “Heavens, no. Not today,” Fiona assured him. She reached out her arms. “Give this old lady a hug. You, too, Lissi.”

  Both kids easily bent over their great-grandmother, hugging her as enthusiastically as she hugged them.

  Bobbie blinked hard and looked down at the floor. A moment later, Gabe’s hand closed around hers.

  Startled, she looked up at him. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was watching his children hug their great-grandmother with a stark expression on his face.

  She knew in that moment that it no longer mattered what her reservations in the beginning had been regarding the wisdom of their little deception. She couldn’t stand by and not do something to help him.

  Her hand squeezed his and his gaze slowly came around to her. “It’s going to be okay.” Her words were nearly inaudible. But she knew he heard.

  And when he lifted their linked hands and brushed his lips across her knuckles, she also knew that no matter what their brief future together held, she was never going to be the same.

  When she managed to drag her gaze away from him, it was only to find Fiona’s attention focused squarely on them. She looked decidedly satisfied and Bobbie felt warmth begin to creep up her throat. She vainly willed it to stop.

  The children finally moved aside and Gabe let go of Bobbie’s hand then, to get his own hug in. Then it was Bobbie’s turn, and she kissed Fiona’s gently lined cheek. “Don’t scare us like this,” she whispered.

  Fiona patted her hand. “Don’t you waste time fretting about me when you’ve got much more interesting things to concern yourself with.” She glanced past Bobbie and her smile widened. “Like all of them.”

  “I…right.” The flush sped up unstoppably and she quickly changed subjects. “Don’t worry about the agency, either.”

  Fiona leaned her white head back against the pillows. “I’m not. Now off with you.” She flapped her hands as if she were shooing flies. But there was still a faint smile on her lips, even as she closed her eyes.

  Bobbie gathered up her purse and long-dry raincoat and followed the children and Gabe out of the room.

  “Can we go back to Bobbie’s?” Lisette suggested when Gabe asked what they wanted to do about dinner.

  Todd, who’d run ahead of them to punch the elevator’s call button, started nodding, too. “We could have pizza and play with the dogs again!”

  Bobbie bit back a smile and tried to pretend she wasn’t ridiculously touched. “I think Zeus and Archimedes are the real draw.” They all stepped into the empty elevator when the doors slid open.

  “Bobbie might have other plans for the evening,” Gabe said mildly and she suddenly found herself the focus of two sets of very anxious eyes.

  “No.” She smiled a little shakily. “No other plans at all.”

  Todd gave his father a “duh” sort of look that amused Bobbie so much she forgot all about that tender shakiness. “What?” She tugged lightly on Todd’s ear. “You think there’s no way on earth I might have something else to do?”

  Todd’s cheeks went crimson. Bobbie laughed out loud and caught the boy’s face in her hands, giving him a smacking kiss on the forehead. “I’m just teasing you,” she assured. “I would like nothing better than for you all to come over. And I’m sure that Zeus and Archimedes will be very happy to see you, too. But maybe we can come up with something a little more nutritious than pizza.”

  He went from red-cheeked to looking suspicious in a heartbeat. “I don’t like spinach,” he warned hurriedly. “Or anything else green.”

  “Todd,” Gabe inserted, “you’ll eat what’s put in front of you. Even green vegetables.”

  Bobbie bit back another grin as the boy’s expression went from suspicious to purely horrified. “What about carrots?” she asked.

  Todd gave the matter some consideration. �
��I guess they’re okay.”

  “Then I think maybe we can manage something.” She didn’t know what, considering the yawning caverns that masqueraded as her kitchen cupboards, but fortunately, she could call Tommi on the way home for some advice, and nobody would be the wiser. “What about you, Lisette? Anything you don’t like?”

  The elevator arrived at the ground level and they stepped off. Lisette tucked her pale hair behind her ear and handed Bobbie her backpack while she put on her jacket. “I don’t care what we eat as long as we get to sit on the floor. Mother never lets us sit on the floor.”

  Compared to the former Mrs. Gannon—witchy attitude aside—Bobbie figured she’d more often than not come up short. “Well, if I had a kitchen table at all, I can assure you that we’d be sitting at it.” She returned the backpack.

  “Then I’m glad you don’t have one.” Todd was matter-of-fact. He trotted ahead of them toward the automatic door and his backpack—camouflage-green in comparison to Lisette’s pale-blue—bounced between his shoulders. “It’s more fun.”

  Only because it was a novelty to them, she figured, as they followed Todd outside where it was still raining.

  “I’m parked in the north forty,” Gabe said. “Wait here while I get the truck. Then I’ll drive you to yours.” Not waiting for an argument, he set off at an easy jog, his long legs eating up the distance.

  She couldn’t remember the last time someone worried that she might get wet walking to her car. Had someone—other than her mother—ever worried about that?

  She dragged her thoughts together and looked back at the children. “What do you usually do for meals at your dad’s house?”

  “We go to restaurants mostly, ’cause the only things he can cook are tuna sandwiches or steak on the grill.”

  Bobbie grinned. “I don’t want to alarm you, but my repertoire doesn’t include much more than that.”

  Todd rocked back and forth on his shoes. “Can you make macaroni and cheese?”

  She nodded.

  “Out of a box?” Lisette gave her an intrigued look.

  “Well. Yes. I can make it in the oven, too, though.” Tommi had given her a recipe for it that used about four kinds of cheese and took hours to prepare. She’d made it once and promptly decided that if she ever wanted it again, she’d go to her sister’s bistro and order it.