Adelia felt a lot better about that. “Seriously?”
“He definitely had a good time doing it.”
“And you? Did you have a good time telling him off?”
“I have to admit, I enjoyed it,” Gabe said. “I figured I owed it to you to get in a couple of good shots.” He gave her a lingering look. “I’m not sure what came over me, but I cut him down with words instead of punching him out. I consider that progress in my evolution. You must be a good influence on me.”
She didn’t entirely buy his claim. Knowing his history, she felt compelled to warn him. “While I can’t say I don’t appreciate the protectiveness, please stay away from him, Gabe. Ernesto has ways of getting even with people he perceives as enemies. It’s better just to stay out of his path.”
“How about this? I’ll promise not to do or say another thing to the man as long as he doesn’t give me cause to.”
“I’m not sure I like the loophole you left for yourself.”
Gabe shrugged. “Take it or leave it. That’s the offer.”
“He’s not worth it, Gabe.”
“No question about that, but if I think he’s doing anything to hurt you or your kids, I’m not going to ignore it. Not my nature.”
“We’re not talking about a school-yard bully throwing insults about your mom,” she told him.
For an instant she thought she’d gone too far. Gabe’s expression went hard.
“A bully is a bully, Adelia,” he said flatly. “It doesn’t matter where he is or how old he is. And nobody hurts the people I care about. Not ever, if there’s a single thing I can do to stop it.”
“I don’t want or need you to fight my battles for me,” she argued, worried that things that had been dismissed as the actions of a troubled teen could turn into something else entirely when two grown men were involved.
Gabe studied her for a minute. “You’re not worried about me embarrassing you or causing more trouble for you, are you? You’re actually afraid for me.”
“Somebody has to worry about you,” she said, not denying it.
His expression immediately softened. “Nobody ever has before,” he said very, very quietly.
She heard something in his voice that reached in and touched her soul. She heard the pain of a kid who’d spent too many years trying to protect someone only to pay a heavy price for it without ever getting so much as a word of thanks. She couldn’t help wondering if all those years ago when he’d been fighting his mom’s battles if anyone at all had ever fought his. It didn’t sound like it.
She straightened her shoulders and met his gaze. “Well, now you have me. I’ll have your back.” She smiled to lighten the moment. “But you probably ought to know, I’m not much good in a brawl.”
He laughed at that. “I’ll keep that in mind and try to stay out of trouble.”
She nodded. “All I’m asking.”
CHAPTER TEN
Adelia hurried downstairs to keep herself from crossing the bedroom and dragging Gabe into her arms for a hug he seemed to desperately need. Or maybe that was her need, to show him that he was no longer alone. She couldn’t help thinking about how long it had been since any man had needed her. Ernesto certainly hadn’t, at least not for anything other than being able to claim he was respectably married to a woman who was a terrific mother to his kids.
Downstairs, Adelia found Selena at the kitchen table, along with Natalia, Juanita and even Tomas. To her shock, their homework was spread out on the table.
“I’m impressed,” Adelia told them. “And the casserole I left for dinner is in the oven?”
Selena nodded. “I put it in when I heard you come in. I waited till then, because I didn’t think you’d want to eat the second you walked in. I figured you’d be a while with Gabe.”
Since Selena didn’t sound especially distraught by that, it was evident something had changed. Adelia wondered how much it had to do with that impromptu tea party and the tiara.
She leaned down to give her two younger girls a hug. “I hear you had a tea party. That must have been fun.”
Selena actually giggled at that, filling Adelia’s heart with hope. If her teen’s sense of humor was back, perhaps she was finally emerging from the dark place she’d been in ever since she’d discovered what Ernesto was up to.
“It was dumb,” Tomas said, his voice radiating masculine disgust. “They made Gabe wear this shiny crown thing. He did it, too. I don’t get it. Guys shouldn’t do stuff like that.”
“And why is that?” Adelia asked.
Tomas looked confused by the question. “Just because,” he said stubbornly.
Adelia kept her tone even as she told her son, “Someday you’ll understand that men will do a lot of unpredictable things for women they like.”
“Well, not me,” Tomas said. “Daddy wouldn’t have done something stupid like that.”
“No, he probably wouldn’t have,” Adelia agreed quietly. “But personally I think it says a lot about Gabe that he would do something silly to make your sisters happy.” She turned to Selena. “What do you think?”
“I think he looked pretty cute,” she said. She frowned at her brother. “And it was cool that he went along with it.” She held her cell phone out to Adelia. “Want to see?”
Sure enough, the younger girls were seated at the kitchen table with Gabe, doll-size teacups in front of all of them. Natalia and Juanita were wearing their favorite princess costumes. Gabe was adorned not only with that ridiculous tiara, but a pink feather boa. Neither could do a thing to take away from his potent masculinity, though. If anything, he looked sexier than ever, at least to her.
Adelia chuckled at the image. She really did owe him big-time for going along with her girls’ request. It had clearly been an attempt to win her daughters’ approval. And judging from the broad grins just now, it had worked, even with Selena, at least temporarily.
“Looks like a lot of fun. I wish I’d been here,” she told the girls. She gave Selena a measured look. “So, how many people have you texted that picture to?”
“A few,” she admitted, then added with a touch of defensiveness in her voice, “Come on, Mom. It’s a great picture. Gabe knew I was taking it.”
“I imagine he also knew you’d delight in making him a laughingstock all over town.”
Selena flushed guiltily at the gently spoken accusation. “Do you think he’s going to be mad?”
“No,” Adelia told her. “I think he knew exactly what your intentions were and went along with it to try to win a couple of points with you. He wants to get along with you, you know.”
“Maybe he’s not such a bad guy,” Selena conceded.
Adelia patted her shoulder. “Remember that the next time you see him. Cut him a little slack.”
“Is he staying for dinner?” Selena asked.
“I didn’t mention it to him.”
“Can I ask him?” Selena requested.
Relieved by Selena’s willingness to make more of an effort with Gabe, Adelia nodded at once. “I think he’d really appreciate that.”
“We’ll come, too,” Natalia said, jumping up.
“No,” Adelia said, stopping her. “Let Selena do this.”
She could see from her oldest’s expression that Selena understood not only just how much this gesture meant to Adelia, but how much it might matter to Gabe.
Selena wrapped her arms around Adelia’s waist and gave her a fierce hug. “I’ll try harder, Mom. I promise.”
Adelia tucked a finger under her chin. “It makes me very happy to hear you say that. All I’ll ever ask of you is that you be open-minded.”
“Because everybody deserves a chance,” Selena said, echoing what Adelia had said only a few days earlier. She glanced at the photo still on the screen on he
r cell phone. “Gabe might really, really deserve one.”
She gave Adelia another grin and headed upstairs. Watching her go, Adelia breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t need her daughter’s approval for whatever might happen between her and Gabe, but it was nice to know it might not be withheld. Things between her and Gabe were complicated enough without having to fight that particular battle. Of course, she was wise enough to recognize that winning one battle did not win this particular war. Selena’s mercurial moods could change on a dime.
* * *
Gabe had finished painting the ceiling and was working on the trim when he noticed Selena standing hesitantly in the bedroom doorway.
“Hey,” he said. “Everything okay?”
“I thought you might want to see the picture I took earlier,” she said, then grinned. “Or maybe not.”
Gabe chuckled. “I have a hunch I’ll be begging you to delete it.”
She shook her head at once. “Not a chance.”
“Good blackmail material?” he asked.
A smile tugged at her lips. “Really good.”
He beckoned for her to come closer. “Let me see.”
He took in the tiara, the pink boa and the miniature teacups and barely contained a groan. Sadly the picture was clear as a bell. Too bad it wasn’t so blurry no one would be able to identify him.
“Nice shot,” he commented.
“That’s what everyone thinks,” she said, then winced, her expression filled with guilt.
“Everyone?”
“I might have texted it to some people. Sorry.” She tried to look contrite, but failed at it.
“If I had a picture this good, I’d want to share it, too,” he said.
She looked surprised by that. “Really?”
“Sure.”
“You aren’t humiliated that it’s probably all over town by now?”
“Was that your intention, to humiliate me?”
“Maybe,” she confessed. “At least until I thought about it.”
“And then?”
“I realized it was really nice what you did, going along with Natalia and Juanita. My dad would never have done something like that. He’d be too freaked out about his image.” She made a face. “As if his is all that great in the first place,” she added.
There was real anger in her voice. Or perhaps it was disappointment Gabe heard. Either way he wasn’t about to go down that road with Selena. “Well, if you promise not to tell anyone,” he said, “I’ll tell you a secret.”
She looked intrigued. “I won’t tell. Cross my heart.”
He leaned closer. “I had fun. I’d never been to a tea party before. Or worn a tiara and whatever that feathery thing was.”
“A boa,” she said, giggling. “You liked it?”
“I liked that it made you laugh and it made your sisters happy,” he corrected.
To his surprise, his words seemed to cause tears to well up. Unsure of what he’d said to bring them on, he regarded her worriedly. “Selena, what did I say? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’ll bet you wouldn’t have made a big deal about going to a father–daughter dance with your daughter, would you?” she blurted, the question seemingly coming out of nowhere.
Gabe regarded her with confusion. “I don’t understand. What’s a father–daughter dance got to do with this?”
Her expression turned sad. “I asked my dad to take me to one at school a while back. He said he’d go, but at the last minute he tried to bail, just like always when something was important to me. He said he was too busy. My mom made him go, but he didn’t want to be there. It was awful. My uncle Elliott took Daisy and he loved being there. That made it worse.”
Gabe heard the misery in her voice and added yet one more reason to dislike Ernesto to his rapidly growing list. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She swiped angrily at the tears on her cheeks, then asked, “Would you have gone?”
There had never been an opportunity for such a thing in Gabe’s life, but he was pretty sure he’d never disappoint a child the way Ernesto had disappointed Selena. “If I had a daughter, there’s nothing I’d be more honored to do than to take her to a father–daughter dance if she wanted me to be there.”
“That’s how Uncle Elliott felt, too.” She sighed. “I guess some people can’t change who they are and how they feel about stuff, huh?”
No, but they ought to try, especially if their actions were going to hurt their kids, Gabe thought. “People can always change,” he said carefully.
“You’re nice,” she said, as if that was a huge surprise to her.
“Not always,” he confided just to see another smile on her face. She rewarded him with a bright one.
“Yes, you are.” She stuffed her phone into her pocket, then regarded him hesitantly. “I came up here to see if you want to stay for dinner. We’re having Mom’s enchilada casserole. Actually it’s Abuela’s recipe, but Mom’s getting pretty good at making it. It’ll be ready in about ten minutes.”
“I would love to stay,” Gabe said, not just because the promise of good food was tempting, but because she’d made the unexpected overture. “Thanks, Selena.”
“Okay, I’ll tell Mom.” She got to the door and turned back. “Mr. Franklin?”
“You can call me Gabe, if that’s okay with your mother.”
“Okay, Gabe. Do you like my mom?”
“I do,” he said.
“I mean a lot. Do you want to date her and stuff?”
Gabe wasn’t sure what sort of “stuff” Selena had in mind, but he knew admitting to it was probably a very bad idea. “We’re getting to know each other,” he said, choosing his words carefully.
“That’s what she says, too.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“I’m not really sure.”
Gabe nodded at her honest reaction. “You don’t have to be sure right this minute. Nobody’s on a timetable here.”
Her expression brightened again at that. “That’s good then. Thanks.”
“No thanks necessary,” he said, watching as she left.
While the whole conversation seemed like a giant step forward, it was also a very big reminder that the situation was a whole lot more complicated than he’d ever imagined. If he did decide to see where things might go with Adelia, he needed to remember that there were a lot of other people who’d be affected by their actions. Was that a risk he was willing to take? Especially when he’d already made it clear, to Adelia at least, that he didn’t do the whole happily-ever-after thing?
* * *
“You were awfully quiet during dinner,” Adelia said as she and Gabe cleared the table and put dishes into the dishwasher. He’d insisted on helping, so she’d let the younger kids go outside to play and allowed Selena a half hour of phone time with her friends.
“Seriously?” she’d asked, looking shocked at the special dispensation from the rules of being grounded.
“Seriously,” Adelia had told her. “I think you showed some signs of real maturity today. I think you deserve a break, just this once.” She’d given her a stern look. “Though from now on, would you please remember that no phone includes no texting. You seem to be having a little trouble with that.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Selena said, sounding suitably contrite. A genuine smile had broken across her face then. She’d thrown her arms around Adelia. “Thanks, Mom.” Then she’d grinned at Gabe. “Thank you, too.”
Gabe had regarded her with bewilderment. “Me? What did I do?”
“You’ve made Mom all mellow,” Selena responded, then darted off.
Now Adelia focused her attention on Gabe, who seemed to be avoiding not only her comment, but her gaze. “What’s going on, Gabe?”
“I have a lot on my mind, that’s all,” he said, an oddly defensive note in his voice.
“About work? Is it getting to be too much, doing my renovations after hours?”
“No.”
“Am I going to have to play twenty questions to get the truth out of you?”
His lips quirked up at that. “No. It was something Selena said earlier. It got me to thinking.”
“What did she say?” Adelia frowned. “She wasn’t rude, was she? I told her she could call her friends because I thought she’d made amends with you.”
“She never needed to make amends with me, but, no, she wasn’t rude. Nothing like that. It’s just that some of the things she said made me realize that what’s going on with us...” He glanced at her quickly. “Not that anything is.”
“Right. Not that anything is.”
“It’s just that the decisions we might make down the road don’t just affect us.”
Adelia began to understand. “You’re absolutely right. I will always have to think about my kids and put them first.”
“Which means I have to think about them, too,” he said. “I’ve never had to look beyond my own wants and needs before.”
“Of course you have,” she said impatiently. “For years you put your mom’s needs first.”
“Since then,” he said, conceding the point. “And let’s just say it—that situation was all upside down. I was a kid. She was the parent. I’m not sure what I took away from that, maybe just an understanding that I didn’t ever want to be responsible for anyone’s happiness or well-being again.”
“Which is why you don’t do relationships,” she said. “Yes, you’ve mentioned that.”
“I just want to be up front with you.”
“And you have been. You’re doing it again right now, making it clear that I shouldn’t have any expectations where you’re concerned.”
Gabe frowned. “You make that sound like a bad thing. Would you prefer me to start something with you and then take off with no warning when the situation gets to be more than I can handle?”
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