Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
A nna glanced over at her daughter when she walked into the kitchen. She was putting bread into the oven. Because there wasn’t any in the cupboard that would work for dinner, she’d whipped up a batch using what she presumed was left from when they lived in that place after the Siege. Thankfully, the yeast was still alive. Gabby could cook, but she wasn’t much of a baker. Her boys, though? They would bake like crazy, and Charley was good at both. “When I said I’d like a hug, I had no idea we’d be coming over.”
Gabby smiled. “I think the world has conspired to have Dad and Con in the same room at the same time. I don’t think anything could have prevented this from happening.” Gabby looked around her. “Smells delicious. What are you making?”
“Just pot roast. Could you peel those potatoes?” Anna pointed with a nod of her head toward the potatoes she was talking about.
“Sure.” Gabby went to the sink. “What do you think of Con?”
Anna smiled as she washed her hands. “He seems like a nice young man.” She grabbed a towel and wiped her hands. “Your dad and I took a walk near Buckingham Palace yesterday.”
Gabby stopped peeling the potato in her hand and turned to look at her mom. “Is that so?”
Anna nodded. “It seems to be a popular place for … oh, I don’t know … people who like to skip and ride piggyback.”
Gabby dropped her head back and looked at the ceiling. “Did Dad see?”
“Yes. We didn’t want to interrupt your day. You looked like you were having a wonderful time.” Anna grabbed a paring knife and started peeling potatoes, too.
“We did. Mom, he’s … I don’t know how to explain it.”
Anna waited for a moment before asking, “Does he make you happy?”
Gabby chuckled. “Happy? Yes, definitely. He’s so smart that sometimes he doesn’t see the obvious.” Gabby chuckled, and then she quieted for a moment. “Mom, he’s special.”
Anna bumped her hip into Gabby’s. “Is there chemistry?”
Gabby’s face flamed, but she nodded. “Yeah, there is.”
“I know his mother. She’s very driven. Her older boys work for her. I didn’t even know she had two younger sons.”
Gabby smiled. “Brandon is his little brother. They’re close.” Gabby reached for another potato. “How do you know if someone is the one?”
Anna stopped peeling and closed her eyes. “I’d say if you can’t imagine your life without them, they’re the one. Your dad and I had our ups and downs when we first got to know each other. But always in the back of my mind, I was comparing others to him. I wondered what he was doing and if he was safe. He filled some of the dark places inside me.” Anna laughed. “Who am I fooling? He filled all those spaces. He became my light.”
Gabby sighed. “Con and I haven’t gotten that far. But I’d like to see if we could.”
“Why couldn’t you?” Anna asked with a frown.
“Because of who we are. I’m assuming Dad will have restrictions or requirements.”
“We talked about that yesterday. The only restriction is that before you tell him anything about who Dad is, you let us know, and he signs an NDA. Guardian has thoroughly vetted Conner, but the NDA is absolutely necessary to protect not only you but the rest of the family.”
Gabby put the last potato into the pot. “So, I can tell him my real first name?”
“Sure. He’s figured out who your dad is in the organization. He obviously knows what you do.” Anna wiped her hands, moved the pot over to the stove, and set a flame under it. “It’s about time you had an adult relationship.”
Gabby snorted. “I’ve had relationships.”
Anna mimicked her snort and said, “You’ve had sex.”
Gabby gasped, “Mom!”
“What? Do you think your father and I don’t have sex?”
Gabby put her hands over her ears and shook her head. “I’m not listening to this.”
Anna laughed and pulled the pot roast out of one of the three ovens. “Right, because you came by way of immaculate conception … not.”
Gabby dropped her hands. “Can we not talk about you and Dad and sex at the same time?” Gabby shivered. “No … parents should never scar their children that way.”
Anna laughed and put the roast on a platter to rest. “Fish the carrots and onions out of that pan, please.” Anna made a roux and stirred it into the drippings. Then she switched topics. “How’s the design business going?”
“Not too good.” Gabby leaned back against the counter. “Today, I helped Con, doing the routine stuff, so he could do the important things. It was rather satisfying.”
“More satisfying than creating a gown?”
Gabby chuckled. “No, but let’s face it, Mom. I’m never going to be an international success. The only reason the house in Paris allowed me to show my gowns under their name was because of people you knew.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But I enjoy it, and because of you and Dad, I’ve been able to indulge my curiosity and try to make a go of it. But Guardian is what I love. Taking bastards down, or for that matter out, is what I’m passionate about. A fellow Shadow once told me I wasn’t like them. I hesitate to take a shot until I’m absolutely sure.” She looked at her mom. “What if I hesitate and someone from Guardian gets hurt?”
Anna added some beef stock to the roux and stirred the gravy as it thickened. “I think you should talk to your father about that. You don’t want to know what I think.”
“Yes, I do.” Gabby walked over to her. “You have the best advice.”
“Well, I think you could do anything you want. You’ve proven that to yourself. My question is do you need to be the one to pull the trigger? Does it have to be you at the end of the knife? When you go to sleep at night, is it in your heart and head that you, as a Shadow, is where you want to invest your time and your energy? Or would you be just as happy watching from a computer screen as others take down the bastards?”
“Mom, you just swore.” Gabby chuckled softly.
“Oh, sweetheart, my swear vault is full of words. The word bastard doesn’t even rate a lifted eyebrow.”
Gabby stood beside her as she stirred the gravy. “It doesn’t need to be me.” Gabby looked up at her. “And that scares me. Where do I fit in now? Charley knows exactly what she’s doing. The twins have always known where they’re going in life. I feel like I’m drifting on the waves.”
Anna turned off the burner and put the wooden spoon on the spoonrest. She put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “Baby, sometimes, it takes a while for a person to find their way in life. I had a job I enjoyed, but I wasn’t fulfilled. I’ve ridden those waves. Sooner or later, you’ll find your anchor. Maybe Con is that for you, and, honey, maybe he’s not, but you won’t know unless you go for it.”
Gabby nodded. “And Dad wouldn’t mind if I worked with Con or somewhere within Guardian, not as a Shadow, instead of being a fashion designer?”
“Dad would be relieved. At least then, he’d know where you were at all times,” David said as he walked into the room. “I have libations.” He handed Gabby a drink and then put the tray down and fished another ice cube from the ice maker. His wife loved her wine cold. He placed it into Anna’s wine glass and handed it to her, taking a kiss for his effort.
“Why the sudden change of heart?” He turned to look at his daughter.
Gabby drew a deep breath. “It was pointed out to me that I hesitate to take the shot. Not all the time, but it’s true, I want to make absolutely sure.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and seemed to search for the right words. “I’ve been thinking about that and some other things with a new perspective, or rather a shift in how I look at life, my life specifically. It’s time I started living the life I want to lead instead of the life I think everyone else needs me to lead.”
Anna caught her breath. “Gabby,” she whispered. That was all she’d ever wanted for her daughter, and it had been the one thing Gabby couldn’t seem to do.
“Don’t cry, Mom.” Gabby shook her head. “I’ll walk out the door.”
David picked up his drink and put his arm around her, and Anna leaned into him. “To Gabby. May she find happiness in any direction she chooses to go as long as it’s the way she chooses for herself.”
Anna watched as Gabby’s eyes teared up. “Thank you, Daddy.” She took a sip of her drink.
Anna glanced up at her husband and, for a second, could have sworn he was misting up. But then again, it could have been her.
“Is that fresh bread I smell?” David went over to the oven. “Oh, you do spoil me.”
Anna chuckled and replied, “Of course, I do. It’s my job.”
“What do you think you’d like to do at Guardian?” He glanced at his daughter as he asked the question. Gabby blinked and snapped her gaze to Anna, who took a sip of her properly cooled wine. She winked at her daughter and caught the blush that rose to her cheeks. As Gabby and David talked, she relaxed. Anna took another sip and silently thanked the stars above her daughter and husband had seemed to find common ground. Hopefully, the tug and pull between them would lessen. She smiled as she turned to finish getting the meal together.