Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Autumn
I almost couldn’t breathe, the view was so spectacular.
Gabriel had us in the penthouse suite, enjoying what must have been the best view in Italy.
We could see for miles from up here. I took in the domed churches and higgledy-piggledy buildings from the doorway of the balcony, Bethany on my hip.
“That must be St. Peter’s,” I said, pointing to the large grey dome.
“I just can’t believe I’m here with you guys. ”
“I can’t believe it’s bloody raining,” Gabriel mumbled from behind me.
I tutted. “It’s California dew. Not rain.
I come from the Pacific Northwest, and California dew doesn’t even get me wet.
More importantly, we’re in Rome. That’s Italy, in case you didn’t know.
We brought raincoats and rainboots. We’re all set.
” I wasn’t about to let a bit of H2O spoil this trip.
“Bethany, Rome is the capital of Italy. It’s on the river Tiber and it was founded in 753 BC. ”
Bethany nodded solemnly, squinting at the view as I lectured her.
“And did you know that it has the best ice cream in the world?”
“Really?” she asked. “Can we eat some?”
Gelato was definitely on our itinerary. “Sure. We have to make sure your dad tastes some too.”
“And we can play hide-and-seek as well?”
As soon as we’d gotten into the hotel, Bethany’s eyes had lit up with the idea of hiding in all the different nooks and crannies of the hotel. The thought terrified me.
“We gotta make a deal on this, Bethany,” Gabriel said.
“Okay, I can deal,” she replied.
“The deal is, when we come in that door, into our bit of the hotel, we can play hide-and-seek. You and me or you and Autumn. But outside that door, you need to be able to see Autumn or me all the time.”
“Okay,” she said, looking a little confused. “Deal.”
“No playing hide-and-seek until we’re in our suite. Okay?”
She nodded. “So, now we can?”
“Now is good. I’m going to count to twenty-five.”
“Did you lock the suite door?” I said, concerned she wouldn’t know which door led out into the hotel corridor.
“Yeah, and I put the chain on. She’s not getting out of here.”
“This balcony could be a problem,” I said. Rome was going to be exciting, but I was going to worry about Bethany a hundred times more than I did at home.
“Not if your California dew keeps up. We’ll have the doors shut.”
“You have to learn how to dance in the rain, Gabriel. Haven’t you heard? You can’t just wait for the storm to pass.”
“I’m not dancing anywhere,” he replied, his eyebrows furrowed together.
I spun around in the middle of the sitting area. “Well, you’re going to miss out. And I refuse to let you. Let’s go and find your daughter—who by the way, is hiding behind the door of the bathroom on the chair in there. Then let’s go and get gelato.”
“How do you know where’s she’s hiding?” he asked.
I shrugged. I wasn’t about to confess that she’d started on again about playing her favorite game as soon as she’d seen that little seat. “If we find her there, you have empirical evidence that I know what I’m talking about, so you’ll have to come out to eat gelato with us.”
“Are you the second woman today that I find myself making a deal with?”
I grinned at him. “Absolutely.”
He pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips against mine. Instantly I became boneless and forgot everything except the hot press of his skin on mine. It took all my willpower to place my palms on his chest and withdraw from his kiss. “We need to find your daughter.”
“Okay,” he said, before cupping his hands around his mouth. “Coming, ready or not.” We headed to the bathroom to find Bethany. But she wasn’t behind the bathroom door.
Gabriel beckoned me to follow him with a tilt of his head, and we wandered up the corridor toward the bedroom. “I have an idea.”
As we entered the bedroom, I spotted Bethany lying on the bed, having tried to burrow under the pillows and cushions.
“Where can she be, Autumn?” Gabriel asked, pretending he hadn’t seen her and her socked feet poking out from the blankets.
“Behind the curtains maybe.” He went over and made a show of scooping up the drapes. “Nope. What about under the bed?”
Bethany giggled as he stepped closer to her, and then he pounced, grabbed her, and fell back onto the bed, his daughter in his arms.
They were beautiful together. They always were. They had a bond that seemed to be unbreakable. And I’d been proven wrong—Bethany hadn’t been hiding where I thought she would.
“Looks like I lost our bet,” I said.
“I had an advantage and didn’t tell you.” He tapped his nose. “Historic knowledge.”
He was such a good father. Yes, he worked hard, but he paid attention and gave Bethany all his time at weekends. He was a wonderful man. No wonder Hollie hated all my loser boyfriends if there were men in the world like Gabriel.
He began to tickle Bethany and she giggled and squirmed before he set her on her feet and announced, “Ice cream in the rain is next on the agenda, I believe.”
“But I lost,” I said.
He shrugged and led Bethany out. “Apparently we can’t wait for the storm to pass.”
We headed out in our rainboots and slickers, with directions to the best gelato in Rome.
Bethany insisted on walking between us, holding both our hands as we dodged puddles and pedestrians and navigated the narrow streets that led into open square after open square.
We managed to squeeze past a moped coming in the opposite direction through a narrow path under some buildings, and then we were out in the open again.
This time, surrounded by tourists. “Keep hold of her,” Gabriel said, and I could tell by the dark tone of his voice he was in Sensible Dad mode.
I tightened my grip on Bethany’s hand. “We’ll look but won’t stay long. ”
“Look at what?” All I could see was people.
He lifted his hand above the crowd and pointed. “The Trevi Fountain.”
I followed his hand and looked up. It was the wildest thing I’d ever seen. We were in a tiny square but on one wall was a huge building that seemed to have a marble Triton bursting out of it in his chariot, bringing the crashing waves of the sea with him. “It’s . . . wonderful,” I said.
Gabriel grinned and then his face turned stern. “Keep close. I’m going to get us to the front.”
He moved into the crowd with the confidence of a man who knew he would get to wherever he was headed. It must be why he was such a great lawyer.
Sure enough, we got to the front and it seemed even more majestic, more imposing from up close.
“Can you see the horses?” I asked Bethany, pointing at the marble statues of the sea horses riding through the water.
“It’s like they freeze-framed an invasion,” I said as I stared up at the onslaught of marble.
“Yes, it’s very baroque.”
“You hold tight to Daddy while I get some euros out.” I rummaged in my purse and pulled out some change.
“Here. You have to throw over your right shoulder,” I said, tapping her gently to indicate the correct side.
“Turn around.” I handed her a coin in her right hand.
“Throw it back over your shoulder and make a wish.”
She did exactly what I’d said. “I wished for really good ice cream,” she said, and I laughed.
“I hope that one comes true for all of us,” Gabriel said.
“Now you,” I said, pressing a coin into Gabriel’s hand.
He rolled his eyes but turned around and threw the coin over his right shoulder just the same.
“What did you wish, Daddy?”
His gaze flitted between his daughter and me. “I wished to stay as happy as I am right now.”
My stomach flipped and I reached for him, wiping the raindrops from his wet cheek.
“What about you?” he said, as he took Bethany’s hand.
I turned around and tossed my coin over my shoulder.
“What did you wish?” Bethany asked.
“I cheated,” I confessed. “I made two wishes in one. I want great ice cream and to stay this happy.”
Gabriel held my gaze. When I’d left Oregon, I’d expected to come to London, start my job as a trainee executive, and have the time of my life.
I had no idea that the time of my life would be had hanging out with the best man I’d ever met and his daughter.
Unexpected as this was, nothing could have made me happier than I was right now.