Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (199 page)

But that didn’t stop him from worrying. It was his nature to worry and protect.

Gabriel stepped inside the room, and his sister slipped out, but not before patting him reassuringly on the back. Summer met him halfway, smoothing down her dress as she walked.

Isabella was like that, always helping others, while giving no thought to her own well-being, and that’s exactly why she’d been used by her ex-fiancé. Isabella was too naïve for her own good, but one day he knew she’d meet the right man, and be happy with her personal life again.

“Too many people, huh?” He kissed the top of her head. “We can go, if you like. Mom and Dad would understand. It’s a madhouse tonight. I’ll order some pizza, pick up a case of your favorite beer, and we can watch a movie at my place.”

“Do you usually have dates over to your place?” she asked.

“What would you think of me if I said no?” he asked.

She started to reply, but his mother’s voice came floating down the hall, calling his name.

“Gabriel, bring that pretty date of yours outside so your father and I can meet her.”

Panic registered on Summer’s face. “They’ll love you,” he said, and then bit the side of his lip, making his dimples play in his cheeks. “Okay, so my mom might not love you right now, because she and Elise’s mom had become best friends, and were set on us marrying. But I promise no one will be unkind to you.”

Summer glanced up at the ceiling. “Yeah, yeah, I know,” she muttered and then fixed her gaze on him. “I’ve faced worse than a mother who wanted her son to marry a woman worthy of him.”

Worthy of him? “Summer,” he began, but she stopped him with a sad smile.

“Gabriel, it’s the truth. Everyone will think it, and you’re fooling yourself if you think otherwise.”

He touched his forehead to hers. “When are you going to learn that I don’t care what other people think?”

She pulled away from him, stepping back, and shaking her head. “And when are you going to learn that you do?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she walked out of the room.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

IT COULD BE WORSE
, Gabriel thought.

Gloria smiled at Summer as she passed her the salad greens, but it didn’t quite meet his mother’s eyes.

“Thank you,” Summer said, before serving a portion on her plate. She passed the bowl to Isabella, adding some dressing and starting to eat.

Everyone looked at Summer, and Gabriel reached under the table and grabbed Summer’s knee. Startled, she dropped the fork and looked up at him, cheeks turning red at an alarming rate as she realized everyone else was staring. “Is something the matter?”

Irene giggled. “We haven’t said the blessing.”

“No Grace. No food,” Paul intoned.

“Angels are weeping,” one of the twins’ friends said.

“Hush,” Isabella glared at the preteen.

Yeah, he should have waited until Sunday, but he was about to go out of his mind. However, he couldn’t just get engaged and show up at his parents’ house, with a woman they’d known only by reputation. Most likely, their extremely short engagement would raise some eyebrows, and make more than one old biddy measure Summer’s waist with her eyes for the next nine months.

Yet another obstacle they would have to overcome together.

“Oh.” She looked as though she wanted to crawl under the table and hide.

Gabriel caught her eye, picked up a roll, and took a huge bite out of it. “Whoops,” he said with a wink. The grateful, yet surprised look she gave him made him want to jump up from the table and take her in his arms. He didn’t doubt that very few people had ever tried to make things easier on her.

“Sometimes, I forget too,” his dad said. “The meals Gloria prepares are that good.”

Summer’s gaze flew to his dad’s face, and his mother positively beamed at the compliment.

“We don’t correct our guests,” his mother said to the girl beside her. “Apologize to Summer. We want her to feel welcome and come back again.”

“Sorry,” the preteen said.

“It’s okay,” Summer said, ducking her head. “I should have asked first.”

“Nonsense,” his mother said. “We should have told you, like good hosts.”

Summer’s head came up, and the color of her cheeks stopped flaming. One of the twins’ friends spilled a glass of milk, and everyone, it seemed, jumped up and started talking all at once again.

Gabriel turned to his mother. “Thank you.”

“I may not be happy with what happened with Elise, but I can’t help but think that the plan I had for you wasn’t the one you were meant to follow,” his mother said just soft enough so her voice wouldn’t carry. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll get over myself, and love that girl, just as you do. We all will.”

He gave his mother a grateful look. “Thank you.”

She patted his arm. “It’s what a mother is supposed to do.”

After blessing the food, everyone ate, including Summer. He watched as she and Isabella carried on a conversation at levels too low for him to hear, but he didn’t care. It eased his mind to see the two of them get along.

Summer caught him staring at her, from across the table. She smiled, and he couldn’t help but smile back.

Having her here, in the house he’d grown up in, was like a teenage boy’s dream come true. All he needed to do later was kiss her in his bedroom, and then his life would be complete. His smile grew bigger at his ridiculous thoughts.

Summer wrinkled her nose, her head tilting to one side as if to say,
What are you thinking
?

Later that evening, after the dishes had been done and the kids were either in bed or watching a movie, Gabriel and his dad sat on the front porch, in their usual spots. Inside, he could hear his mother and sister’s laughter, with Summer’s chiming in every so often.

She needed to laugh more. Laughter was good for the soul. Hearing Summer laugh was good for
his
soul.

“I plan on asking Summer to marry me.”

“A little unexpected,” his dad said. “But it’s not good for a man to be alone.”

“I plan on asking her next week.”

“Have you spoken with her parents?”

Gabriel twisted his lips a little. “You know as well as I do that Summer’s mother skipped town a long time ago, and no one knows who her dad is.”

“There has to be someone.” His dad held up his hands. “I know, I sound a little old-fashioned, but Summer deserves respect. I doubt she’s been afforded that for much of her life.”

Gabriel considered the few people Summer spent time with—Jemma Leigh, Blackbeard, her customers, and him. “The only person I can think of is Jemma Leigh. She’s been looking after her, and making sure that I get her home on time after every date, because a lady’s never out past midnight.”

His dad chuckled. “I like Jemma Leigh. She has a good heart.”

“She’s made it her mission to be Summer’s best friend, but more often than not acts like a mother hen.”

“There’s your answer, son.”

“What about Mom?”

“She loves weddings, and will be happy to help Summer plan—”

“The wedding will happen before the end of the month.” Gabriel mulled over his next words. “Summer and I have talked about getting married before, and neither of us wants a long engagement.”

His dad stopped rocking. “
Gabriel.
”

Oh, good grief
. He gave his dad a look. “She’s not… I didn’t put her or us in that position.”

“You know what people will think.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Ah, but you’d be surprised how much it will matter.” His dad exhaled. “You’re a good man, Gabriel, but you do value your reputation too highly.”

The assertion hit a little too close to home for him. “With the exception of one time, I’ve done nothing but be a good son to you, to prove that you two didn’t make a bad decision when I was adopted. You’re a pastor, for goodness sake. My reputation is a reflection of yours.”

“That’s not your responsibility,” his dad said sharply. “Being a man of God who keeps his words and promises, loves his friends as well as his enemies, as well as lays down his life for the one he marries—that’s your responsibility. Your mother and I loved you from the start, and for you to suggest it was based on how
good
you were or are…Frankly, it’s an insult, and one a grown man shouldn’t give to the people who raised him.”

Immediately chastised, Gabriel settled back in his chair, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I didn’t mean to—I only meant to say that I don’t care what others think of me. The only opinion that matters the most is Summer’s.”

His dad smiled. “See that you keep thinking like that, and I’ll talk to your mother.”

“Talk to me about what?” Gloria asked as she stepped outside.

Gabriel could let his dad smooth things over, or he could be a man and tell his mother his plans. Besides, it wasn’t as if Summer would say no.

“I’m going to ask Summer to marry me and,” he swallowed, “if all goes well, then we would get married before the end of the month.”

“Oh.” Worry lines appeared on his mother’s forehead.

“Nothing elaborate. Just here, in the backyard, with family. I thought we could do something low-key.” Besides, weddings took time, and since they had very little time, the smaller the better.

“Absolutely not,” his mother exclaimed. “That girl will have a dream wedding, with the entire town invited. We won’t hide Summer in the backyard, like we’re ashamed of her. ”

“I’m not ashamed of her,” Gabriel snapped, then held up his hand and winced. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She touched his face and smiled. “Let us take care of everything, with her input of course.”

“She might not let you,” Gabriel pointed out.

His dad chuckled. “When has that stopped your mother?”

Gabriel stood. “I’ll let you know how it goes first, before you start planning.”

“Of course,” his mother said smoothly. “Then we can get started.”

Smiling, Gabriel shook his head. “Thank you.”

“It’s what family does,” his dad said softly.

* * * * *

SUMMER KEPT QUIET as long as she could before she finally blurted, “What did you and Gabriel talk about at lunch today?”

Jemma Leigh took a sip of her coffee, her eyes sparkling. “A little of this and a lot of that.”

Summer sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, and trying her best to pin Jemma Leigh with a dirty look, but she couldn’t keep it for long.

She and Jemma Leigh had made it a habit to meet each other at Muffin Top’s at least twice a week. At the rate they were eating muffins, Summer might have to buy an entirely new wardrobe in a larger size. To compensate, she took long walks, ate light lunches, and had her standard bowl of cereal for supper—unless Gabriel took her out on a date.

“You can stare at me until there’s a hole in my head, but I’m not saying anything.”

“At least tell me if it was a good thing or a bad thing.”

Jemma Leigh grinned. “That all depends on you, sugar.”

“I got your sugar,” Summer muttered as Jemma Leigh waved at a group of women. Every single one of them waved back. Was there anyone is this town she didn’t know? Then again, Jemma Leigh’s mother was the former mayor of Holland Springs, so it was probably her job to know who people were.

“I’ll be coming by tomorrow evening to get you ready. I’m thinking pearls and—”

“You don’t have to fuss over me like you do,” Summer said, thinking of all the time Jemma Leigh had spent away from her family to help her. All the times she and Jemma Leigh would talk and laugh… Okay, so Jemma Leigh did most of the talking and laughing, but, for once, Summer felt like she was part of a group, even if their group was only a duo.

“It’s fun, and you’re such a good listener, though I wish you
would
talk more, but like sister like sister, I guess,” Jemma Leigh sighed.

“You and Rose are really good friends?” Was she a substitute for Rose? Summer didn’t want to be a substitute for anyone. It was bad enough she had convinced Gabriel to marry her, when he should marry for love and to someone who deserved a man like him.

“Well, I wouldn’t call us
really
good friends. The only person Rose opens up to is Alexander, but since he’s her husband, I can’t be put out by that. You probably won’t believe me, but when I was growing up, I used to envy you Holland sisters.”

Summer’s mouth dropped open, even as she kept a firm grip on her coffee cup. She absolutely couldn’t believe that. “Envy us?”

Jemma Leigh waved a hand in the air. “Three sisters, always hanging out with each other, always leaning on each other… I’m an only child, and I was in awe. The three of you were like your own little clique, and gorgeous to boot. I wanted to be a part of that.” She gave Summer a shy smile. “Sorry it took me so long to try to be your friend.”

Would the people of Holland Springs ever quit surprising her? Besides, Summer had grown fond of Jemma Leigh. She acted like an older sister, looking after her like she did, and always waiting with her for Gabriel to pick her up. It was like she actually cared about Summer’s feelings.

Summer tentatively reach out her hand and covered Jemma Leigh’s. The woman’s eyes rounded a little, and Summer could have sworn that tears glistened in them. From now on, she would be a true friend to Jemma Leigh, instead of merely putting up with her, or at least telling herself that she was putting up with her.

“Better late than never, right?” Summer said with a smile.

Jemma Leigh smiled right back at her. “Darn right.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE NEXT EVENING, Gabriel brought her to his house, like he had promised, but he didn’t take her inside. Instead, he led her to the back, to where his view of the Pamlico Sound was best.

Water lapped at the edges of the small beach, fireflies danced in the yard, and the heady scent of gardenias swirled around her. Stars were starting to twinkle in the sky.