“No,” Isabella cried, at the same time James bobbed his head. She grabbed his arm. “He killed my babies to punish me for leaving him. You can’t let him get away with murder. You can’t.” Her voice rose.
Hayden wrested free of her. “Take her out the back way, Poston. Get a grip, Isabella. An outburst like this in court and I won’t bet two cents on our chances of winning. If there’s any hint of a replay of this scene, I’ll bar you from proceedings.”
Her face turned ashen. “I promise I’ll keep it together,” she whispered.
Gabe moved her to the door. Seconds before they exited, he turned back to James. “Is there a number we can reach you at if Isabella changes her mind about sitting in?”
“I won’t,” she quickly interjected. “I’ll be there. Tomorrow, in Bend, at ten o’clock, correct?”
“Cecilia has a folder with all the information you’ll need. Oh, do you know where you’ll be staying?”
Isabella deferred to Gabe. He patted his pockets and eventually pulled out a scrap of paper with an address and phone number. “I booked a cottage in a gated resort. It’s roomy enough to accommodate Isabella’s family if they’re able to get away. Plus, security there is tight enough to discourage reporters.”
“Good.” James straightened his rumpled tie while studying Gabe from a new angle. “I’m afraid I didn’t catch what you’re doing now, Poston. Those transcripts you identified are impressive. I don’t suppose I could entice you into interviewing for one of the openings on our staff?”
Gabe laughed. “I’m not licensed to practice law in Oregon. At the moment I’m considering raising sheep.”
“Sheep? Isn’t that a waste of your talent?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. If I should decide differently, I’ll more than likely buy out Larkin Crosley’s general practice. He’s in Callanton.”
“I know Crosley. He’s hung on ten years past his prime. It’s probably a smart move. But if you change your mind, let me know.”
Isabella arrived back, having picked up the information from Cecilia. She listened intently to the men’s conversation. Once they’d cleared the hall and had started down the back stairs, she frowned at Gabe. “I can’t afford to stay at a resort.”
“Sure you can. It’s off-season.” He named a figure well below what he’d put on his credit card.
“I suppose I can swing that. Gabe, Papa will be disappointed to learn you’re giving up running sheep so soon. Are you really thinking about buying Mr. Crosley’s practice? Or were you feeding James a line, too?”
“What do you mean, too? I haven’t fed anyone a line. This morning your father didn’t seem too disappointed when I offered to lease my pastures to him for the purpose of expanding his angora goat herd.”
“You talked to Papa?”
“While you were getting in your beauty sleep.”
She blushed profusely. “That would take more hours than there are in any given day, I’m afraid. Everyone knows I’m the least pretty of the Navarro sisters.”
“Then everyone is blind,” Gabe said flatly. “Wait here while I go around and get the car. James seemed to think that with the trial getting under way, there might be newshounds hanging around out front.”
“Won’t they know the trial’s been moved to Bend?”
“My guess is they’ll stake out your bakery, Hayden’s office, your house and the grocery store where you shop.”
What little color she had drained from her face. “I’m catering Estrella Aguirre’s wedding this evening. Surely they won’t disrupt that.”
“Can you let Trini, Sylvia and Ruby handle it?”
“No. It’s my responsibility. Our families have been friends for years. She’s their youngest daughter. It takes weeks to prepare a Basque wedding.”
“They’re different from other weddings?”
“Your education is deficient. They last for three days or more. The party moves from the church to the bride’s home, to the groom’s home to the homes of friends. Why don’t you come with me and see firsthand?”
“Uh, I’ll think about it. I have a tendency to get claustrophobic at weddings. Gotta go get the car. Be right back.”
Her eyebrows spiked upward. But he’d disappeared out the door before she had an opportunity to tease him about his phobia. Maybe he’d been dumped at the altar. Frankly, she found that hard to comprehend. However, she didn’t know a lot about his background; she didn’t even know if he’d ever been married.
The question bothered her so much, it was the first thing she asked after he’d pulled up and she’d hopped in the SUV.
“Where did that question come from?” He seemed amused. “I haven’t been married. Why would you think I had?”
“Usually a person who systematically avoids family events has a psychological dread of them, based on experience. You know, events like weddings, holidays…funerals.” She whispered the last.
Boy, howdy, had she nailed him square. Gabe wasn’t ready to bare his soul to her. Mostly because he made a habit of keeping his quirks to himself. Always, in the back of his mind, Gabe worried that if a woman he liked knew all about his family background, she’d be scared right off. An addict mother, a loser father…
“No big deal,” he said suddenly. “Hell, I’ll go. You’ve intrigued me now. It’s too bad we can’t stay for the whole thing. Really? A three-day wedding? Hey, does that mean no honeymoon?”
Color rushed up Isabella’s neck again as she suddenly pictured what it’d be like to spend a magical first night in bed with Gabe Poston.
“Well,” he drawled, his Texas boyhood accent coming to the fore. “It’s a logical question if I’m to be educated in your traditions.”
“We…uh…call it luna de miel.”
“Ah, a night of honey. I like the sound of a one-night special. American honeymoons are so commercial they’re like…vacations.”
“I agree,” she blurted, then thought about what she’d said and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Gabe only grinned. “Now don’t be saying you’re sorry for speaking your mind. By the way, changing the subject, Trini’s wrong about Hayden. The guy’s overworked, but he has a fire in the belly for his job.”
“I’m glad. I thought so, too. Honestly, I’ve never heard him speak with the passion he showed today.”
“Maybe I should rile him every day.” Gabe’s smile spread.
“Are you really planning to sit in on the trial?”
“Guaranteed. I wish your family could all be there for you. Since they can’t, I’ve appointed myself their surrogate.”
“How can I thank you? I’ve been counting on them being in my corner. I was sick when the storm brought lambing on early.”
“Relax. Use this wedding tonight to unwind. Sample some of Louis’s wine and just kick back.”
“And have Julian’s parents report to his lawyers? I don’t think so, Gabe. Besides, I’m going as the caterer, not as a family friend.”
“You have to deal with his parents the night before they start picking a jury? Who in God’s name would invite them, knowing you were catering the reception?”
“Ours is a small intimate community. Javier and Elena Arana grew up with Estrella’s parents, the same as mine. I’ll have to avoid them if at all possible.”
“Point them out and I’ll run interference.”
“I need you to stay out of this, Gabe. The Aranas are doing their damnedest to ruin my name in the valley. If it weren’t for the fact that I’m the only Basque caterer on this side of the Idaho border, I think Estrella’s parents would’ve canceled their order. I know you and I are just friends. I also know Elena’s propensity for—how do you say it—making mountains out of mole holes.”
“Molehills. All right, I’ll try and abide by your wishes, Isabella. But I’m not making promises. I won’t stand idly by and let someone attack your character.”
Isabella’s heart sped up, and she felt an odd warmth she hadn’t experienced in such a
long time. Had she ever had a man, other than her brothers, so unquestionably behind her? Certainly back when they were dating, Julian had warned his friends to watch their mouths around her. Who knew what else he’d said to them in private? In light of what she knew about him now, his warnings probably had been more about staking his territory than about her.
“If I begged you not to engage the Aranas in any confrontation, Gabe, would you respect my request?”
He stopped outside her bakery. Judging by the tension filling the SUV, Gabe felt the question had more significance than any of the others she’d asked him. Needing to touch her, he bent and brushed his lips over hers.
Feeling no response, he slowly withdrew until he sat upright, facing her again. “If something means that much to you, Isabella, of course I give you my word. It’s not my wish to make your life harder. In fact, what I had in mind is the opposite.”
For the first time in their brief relationship, she voluntarily touched him. Isabella laid a hand alongside Gabe’s cheek, and she actually smiled at him.
He basked in the brilliance of that smile for hours after she’d left his vehicle.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ONE HOUR INTO the two-and-a-half-hour drive from Callanton to Bend, Gabe glanced over at Isabella, who’d been asleep since he’d picked her up. He stifled a yawn, envying her. She hadn’t exaggerated one bit about the partying fools who’d attended Estrella’s wedding. For himself, he’d called a halt at 3:00 a.m., but he had no idea how long Isabella had stuck around. The long tables set up at each end of the Basque Center had never lacked for food, which was her doing.
Every time Gabe thought the musicians were winding down, a new group showed up with drums, horns and stringed instruments, and the crowds surged into the center of the hall again.
Gabe hadn’t danced so much in years. But he never circled the floor with Isabella. She wouldn’t dance with anyone except her brothers, one dance each. Gabe whirled around the floor with her sisters, her mother and her sisters-in-law, including Christina, who couldn’t see her toes due to her advanced pregnancy. Gabe met a lot of nice people at the wedding, and a few who studied him suspiciously.
Heading that list were Mr. and Mrs. Arana. They’d greeted him politely enough. But after listening to the whispers that trailed in the couple’s wake, Gabe realized that had he not known Isabella, the Aranas’ allegations might have raised doubts about her.
He managed to keep his promise and not confront them because everyone at the wedding strove so hard to be neutral.
The scenery flying past his window couldn’t compare to the lush valley they’d left behind. Right before they’d driven off from the Navarros’ caserío, Luisa had pressed a sack of food into Gabe’s hands. Amid tears of regret about the family’s not going to Bend, she asked him to stop at a little town called Brothers. There was a roadside picnic area nearby, according to Luisa. He should get Isabella to eat something. According to signs, they were nearing the spot. Gabe shook Isabella gently.
She opened one eyelid. “Are we there?” Bolting awake, she straightened her suit and shined the angel pin Gabe had given her, which adorned her lapel.
He was pleased but didn’t say anything about it. “This isn’t Bend, but it’s our last chance to stretch our legs. We don’t want to go into court looking like we just climbed out of bed.”
“I’ve been so nervous, I can’t believe I actually slept.”
“Jury selection is boring. You won’t want to sit through it after today.”
“I will. If prospective jurors have to look at me every day, maybe they’ll think about what I’ve lost. Everything,” she said woodenly. “I’ve lost everything.”
Patting her arm, Gabe pulled into the lay-by. Theirs was the only vehicle on the high windswept plateau. Dark clouds had hung up on a distant mountain peak, and he thought it might rain. “When you went upstairs to get your suitcase, your mom gave me a sack of talos, jam and sausages.”
“I see a thermos. I only want coffee.”
“Too much caffeine on an empty stomach will make you jittery. At least eat part of a talos. It’ll be something to soak up the caffeine.”
“Mama wanted to come. I wish she could have. Although I’d rather have them all at the trial.”
“I know, sweetheart.” As they stepped from the SUV, Gabe tugged Isabella into an embrace.
She burrowed close, accepting his solid warmth. Even then she shivered.
He briskly rubbed her back. “I hope it’s warmer in Bend.” The city, which had begun as a ranch community like Callanton, had grown steadily, thanks to tourists headed for Sun River and Mount Bachelor. “If you’d rather eat while we travel, I think we’ll have time to check into the cottage, and freshen up before we need to be in court.”
“Really? I’d like that.” She ducked out of his arms so fast, Gabe cursed himself for making the suggestion.
Traffic remained light, and the rain held off. They reached the resort with an hour to spare. Gabe showed his ID at the main gate. A security guard called the front desk to confirm that they were registered, then provided Gabe with a sticker for his windshield and an electronic gate card. “The receptionist said you’re involved in the big court case that’s starting today. This card frees you up from checking with us each time. The gate arm swings shut fast, and ought to keep reporters from following you.”
“Thanks. Yeah, media will be a problem if the case goes to trial.” Gabe propped the tag where it could be readily seen and pocketed the card.
“Why did you say if the case goes to trial?” Isabella asked after they’d passed the gatehouse.
“Because it’d take too much time to explain the difference between phase one and phase two. Media coverage will triple if Julian’s found competent to be charged with murder.”
“He has been charged, hasn’t he?”
“Yes and no. The charge goes into effect if he’s medically and mentally sound.”
Isabella seemed to retreat inside herself. She let Gabe check into the facility for both of them and roused only to accept the second key he handed her. Her first response of any kind came in the form of a gasp when he unlocked the cottage and stood aside to let her enter.
“Gabe, this is impossibly luxurious! There must be a mistake. We can’t be getting all this for the amount you told me.”
“I qualified for frequent flyer upgrades. I traveled a lot for SOS.”
Isabella stepped to the middle of a central living space where light flooded in from clerestory windows. Turning slowly, she surveyed the thick gold carpet, the pale yellow walls, a beautiful brick fireplace surrounded by comfortable, inviting furniture.
Gabe pointed out a fair-sized kitchen and two couches that converted into beds before he led her to one of two bedrooms set on either side of a large, shared bath.
“I can’t stay here.” She grabbed the suitcase he’d set on her bed and started for the door.
“Wait! Why not? I’ve arranged to have the kitchen stocked while we’re out. I thought you’d like to have some meals here. The place offers hiking, horseback riding and indoor swimming. You’ll need to unwind after sitting all day in court.”
“What if someone reports that we’re…uh…staying together?”
“Who’ll know except us, your family and James Hayden? I was assured the resort staff is very discreet. The registry is kept under lock and key. It’ll be fine, Isabella. Or…is it…that you don’t trust me?” Gabe confronted her with fists on his hips. He tried not to show how much her answer mattered.
“I trust you.” As she walked past him, taking her suitcase back to the bed, it crossed her mind to wonder if she ought to trust herself. She alone knew how difficult it had been last night, watching him laugh and dance with her sisters. She’d cautioned herself a hundred times not to be jealous—he and she were nothing more than friends. But her heart refused to accept the truth that kept rearing its head.
He gazed at her stiff back for a few seconds, until her clipp
ed statement sank in. “Well, good. Since that’s settled, why don’t you unpack. I’ll do the same. We have twenty minutes before we need to leave.”
Isabella sensed more than heard when he left her alone. Her knees had gone so weak, she finally turned and sat on the edge of the bed, clenching her shaking hands. Accepting these arrangements probably wasn’t smart. Definitely wasn’t smart. What harm can come of it? argued another part of her brain—the part Isabella chose to hear. You’re a big girl. The cottage is almost as big as the house you shared with Julian. You managed to avoid him for weeks after you filed for divorce.
Feeling calmer, Isabella rose and hung her things in the closet. Storing her bath items in drawers and a cabinet where Gabe had already left his soap and shaving kit almost sent her running again.
She picked up a new bar of soap and sniffed the wrapper. A light, woodsy aroma, which Isabella recognized as Gabe’s, was discernible for only a second, as if his ghost had walked by. It was far superior to anything her brothers wore. Keenly aware of the fact that she couldn’t pass any counter displaying Julian’s aftershave without gagging, she wondered if her brain had drawn her to Gabe because she found this tangy scent so appealing.
Replacing the shaving kit where she’d found it, Isabella bent over the sink and splashed cold water on her face and wrists. She fluffed her hair and applied some fresh lipstick, refusing to let her eyes stray again to Gabe’s personal belongings.
“Ah, so you’ve finished,” Gabe said when she emerged from the bathroom. “Rather than take any more time, let’s stop somewhere on the way for coffee. I checked the phone book, and found a place near the courthouse.”
“I’d love a coffee with cream.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and advanced to the door. “I’ve got a beautiful view of snow-capped peaks from my bedroom window.”
“The clouds have disappeared. It may turn out to be a nice day.”
“I don’t know about nice, but not so gloomy at least.”
“I’m sorry, Isabella. It’s easy for me to look around and pretend I’m on vacation. You constantly live with the truth of why we’re here.”
Someone To Watch Over Me (Harlequin Super Romance) Page 19