best to sway things in her direction, beginning by
He’d just walked Holly over to his father’s house when his telephone rang. She hesitated a second, then decided, what the hell. She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Um…I think I have the wrong number,” a female voice said. “Is this Derek Corwin’s residence?”
“Yes, it is. I’m sorry. He stepped out for a minute. Can I take a message?” Gabrielle glanced around the family room and found a pen and paper beside the phone.
“Is Holly there?” the woman asked.
Realization dawned. She must be talking to Derek’s ex-wife, Gabrielle thought, a wave of emotion she couldn’t name washing over her. “Actually, she’s with Derek,” Gabrielle said vaguely.
She wasn’t sure what Marlene knew about the shift in living arrangements, and Gabrielle wasn’t going to be the one to tell her.
“Who is this, anyway?” the other woman finally asked.
Gabrielle swallowed hard. “Um…”
The front door opened and Derek stepped inside.
“Here’s Derek now,” Gabrielle said gratefully. “Hold on, please.”
She covered the mouthpiece and waved the phone toward Derek. “It’s Holly’s mother,” Gabrielle mouthed to him.
He winced and settled onto the couch beside her, taking the phone from her hand. “Hi, Marlene.” He glanced at his watch. “Is everything okay?”
He listened, then said, “Why? Because it’s late for you to be calling.”
Gabrielle rose and started to leave the room to give him privacy, but he cleared his throat loudly. She turned and he waved her back.
With a shrug, she took a seat at the other end of the couch from him, curling one leg beneath her.
A series of “mmm-hmms” followed as Derek listened to whatever his ex-wife had to say.
“I understand, but I have her party planned here.”
Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. Obviously the conversation involved Holly.
“That’s generous of you, but wasn’t the idea for me to spend more quality time with her?” he asked.
“Mmm-hmm. Yes, I’d miss her, too, but-”
His gaze met Gabrielle’s, and in his eyes she saw a wealth of pain. “I’ll talk to her and get back to you tomorrow.” He hung up without saying goodbye.
She was dying to ask, but she didn’t want to pry. Luckily, she didn’t have to.
“Marlene had planned a four-week trip to Europe. She’d been gone about two and decided to come back early. She misses Holly and wants to take her home to New York when she gets back this weekend,” he explained, his tone hard edged, his disappointment obvious.
Gabrielle shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not sure I should agree to this. I rarely get time with Holly as it is.”
Gabrielle understood, but she also thought he should consider all sides before he reacted in a way that could hurt him even more. “But didn’t you say Marlene’s just starting to be reasonable about visitation? Do you want a fight that will get her angry and make her be even more difficult again?”
“You’re right. She did promise to bring her back up for her birthday party as planned. She also said Holly could come up as often as we could arrange for the rest of the summer,” Derek said, the admission obviously difficult for him. “But it still bugs me that just because she misses her, I have to give her up.”
Gabrielle eased closer to him and placed her hand over his. “I’m on your side,” she assured him. “I just wanted to play devil’s advocate.”
He smiled grimly. “I appreciate it.”
“Um…Derek? Does Marlene know that Holly’s living with your father?” And did Marlene know about Gabrielle, period-past and present-she wondered.
He shook his head. “Not from me. I didn’t think she’d appreciate the fact that no sooner had Holly moved in than I moved her out.”
Gabrielle groaned, her guilt returning. “I am so sorry. I really shouldn’t be here. It’s wrong. I can get a hotel in Boston and have all the security I need.”
“You could, but you won’t,” he insisted. “I want you here where I can see for myself that you’re safe. Besides, after the way Holly reacted when I left you home for dinner, can you imagine how she’d carry on if you moved out?”
Gabrielle shook her head and laughed. “I really do love that kid.” The words slipped easily from her lips.
She didn’t want to take them back any more than she wanted to spook Derek. She glanced at him. If he’d heard her, he didn’t react. No doubt he was more wrapped up in the fact that he was losing Holly sooner than planned. She ought to be relieved he wasn’t paying attention to her.
Instead she felt a bone-deep emptiness. One she feared would grow larger over time.
LONG AFTER DEREK AND Gabrielle had climbed into his bed, long after they’d made love and fallen asleep in each other’s arms, Derek lay awake, replaying the night in his head.
He didn’t know what he was going to do with her, nor did he know what to do with feelings that were growing by the day. Right now, though, he had to keep her safe. And for that reason, letting Holly go home with her mother seemed like the most logical-if painful-solution. But he had no intention of allowing Marlene to think she could continue calling the shots where his daughter was concerned. There would be no more allowing Marlene to schedule silly things on
In fact, first thing tomorrow, he was getting Holly her own cell phone with a limited calling plan so he could get in touch with her whenever he wanted.
He’d just found his daughter again.
He wasn’t about to lose her.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS PASSED in a haze of normalcy. Derek woke up beside Gabrielle, they’d shower, eat breakfast with Holly, then she’d head off to the library to work while he took Holly to the beach. In between, he’d have business appointments while his father took over hanging out with Holly and Fred. Holly had agreed to go home with her mother as long as she could come back as often as she wanted.
Derek knew how much she missed her mother. Because he didn’t want her to feel torn between her parents, he’d made the decision an easy one for her. “Fred and I need some alone time to plan your birthday party,” he’d said.
She’d laughed.
In reality, Derek was glad Marlene was home in time for Holly’s birthday. All Derek could offer her was cake, presents, Grandpa Hank and Fred, the dirty old basset hound. Her mother could give her the one thing she needed more. A party with friends her own age.
This morning, the sky was overcast, which nixed a trip to the beach, so he decided to go to the office for a few hours before meeting Hank and Holly for lunch at the Diner. He finished up early and decided to stop by the library to see if Gabrielle wanted to join them.
Along the way, he noticed all the new election signs posted along the town line and sporadically in well- traveled places in Perkins.
Bold signs with a bolder message, urging voters to listen to their conscience, to ignore curses and vote for change. In both towns there were fliers announcing a town meeting where people could meet Richard Stern and discover what he stood for. As promised, Richard had stepped up his campaign, putting pressure on his opponent.
The Perkins family’s power in town was now, unofficially, in jeopardy. Derek couldn’t imagine that Mayor Perkins appreciated the fact.
Derek parked and entered the air-conditioned library. Because it was a nice summer day, the place was empty. He found Sharon alone in her back office.
He knocked on the door to announce his presence and she jumped up, obviously on edge.
