Where She Belongs (13 page)

"Then
this last week will go by so fast and I will be back in your arms
before you know it. I will get this done for Dad, and he swears he's
passing things on to Gabe so I won't have any further obligation."

"Do
you see much of Gabe?"

She
hesitated. Her stomach dropped to her feet. "Well, yeah, he's
showing me the ropes." Truth, mostly. Omission.

"He's
not, you know, being a jerk or anything?"

Depends
on your point of view. She held her breath a moment. "No, no.
He's been very supportive. I know you don't like him."

"I
don't trust the way he looks at you."

Probably
with good reason.

"I
know he's a family friend, but he looks at you like more than a
brother. And he's so much older than you. It's totally
inappropriate."

"Oh
please, I think that's your filter. Gabe is like my brother." If
she repeated that, she'd start to believe it. God, she never asked to
be caught in this little love triangle. She had to be clear with Gabe
next time she saw him that she was marrying Trenton.

She
yawned into the phone.

"All
right."

"Thank
you. Trenton, have you ever kissed another woman, you know, early in
our relationship?"

"Why
are you asking?"

"Oh
a friend, a friend here, she's started dating this guy, but she wound
up kissing her ex-boyfriend. She's not sure she's over the ex, and I
told her she wasn't married to anyone, so it wasn't a big deal. I
worried I've given her bad advice." She crossed her fingers on
her left hand as she said it.

He
blew out a breath. "We've been together for four years, right?"

"Four
and a half."

"Don't
fly back and stab me in my sleep. There was a holiday party at my
parent's house, you were sick so I went alone. You remember I used to
date Micaden Stainforth?"

Oh
yes, Micaden had gone to the same school as she and Trenton, and
because she was a friend of the von Brooke's, she often found herself
in the same circles. Micaden and her little group tried to make
Shanna's life hell for the first six months she dated Trenton. "Yes,"
she said tightly.

"We
kissed and I seriously considered, for a week or two, getting back
together with her."

"You
did?"

"Yes.
Micaden and I were sort of chosen for each other as kids. I know
that's not really done, but everyone expected it in our families. And
the differences with you and my family. I saw her for a couple of
weeks."

The
idea of Trenton marrying someone else didn't upset her as much as she
thought it would. Of the whole conversation, her lack of upset was
the most disturbing.

"Are
you mad, baby?"

"No.
I asked for honesty and I got it. It was two years ago. And honestly,
I'm not upset at all."

He
let out a sigh. "Good."

Yeah
good. She should be jealous, shouldn't she?

"I'm
feeling tired Trenton, I should get to bed. As should you. It's even
later for you."

"Alright,
that's a good idea. Goodnight Shanna."

"Night,
Trenton." She hung up the phone and stared at the computer
screen. Her response, or lack thereof, confused her. In the end, she
decided to text one of her girlfriends,. She wasn't really close to
any one female friend in Toronto, so she picked Carmen almost at
random. There wouldn't be a response tonight, of course. It was early
morning in Toronto.

She
shut down the computer and went to bed.

*
* *

Gabe
knocked on the door of Bryce and Rita's home. Normally he would have
wandered in, but he didn't know how Shanna would take the gesture. So
he waited politely at the door, a bottle of white wine in his hand, a
black velvet box in his pocket and a spring in his step.

Shanna
opened the door and her face contorted to surprise then annoyance. So
much for a truce. "I'm sorry, we are having a private family
dinner."

"Well
move on over, sweetheart. You said you thought of me as family, now
you are surprised that I'm here."

She
stepped out and closed the door behind her. She faced him and crossed
her arms over her chest. "I thought I might have a day without
you."

"I
guess not. Since one could not get sick of me, you must be annoyed
that I’m forcing you to think about your feelings for your
boyfriend."

"No,
it doesn't take much to tire of the one-man Gabriel show."

He
ignored her jab. "I never asked... why did I owe you a coffee?
Was I keeping you up late the other night somehow?"

She
snorted. "Your annoying way of always being around, pushing
people. Your bad jokes, and the confusing way you look at me."

He
stuffed his hands in his pocket to keep from touching her. "How
do I look at you? How do I confuse you?"

Shanna
stared at the ground, her toe digging at a rock stuck in the dirt.
Finally, she spun around. "Never mind. Let's go in."

He
grabbed her chin with his hand and force her to look at him. "I
know I'm making your life difficult. That I'm asking you to rethink
everything you thought was true. Trenton is not the man for you."

"And
what? You are?" She flailed her arms and knocked his away.

He
dropped his arms and looked at her for a long second. "Yes."
He knew they were meant to be with the depths of his being.

“
Why,
Gabe? Why would you think that? You didn’t want me five years
ago. And I have not forgotten how much it hurt me.”

“
At
least I know you have strong feelings for me.” She glared at
him, not appreciating his small joke. He stroked her cheek with his
finger, but she batted him away again. “I did want you back
then, but I was terrified of you. I knew I loved you, but I thought
you were only feeling infatuation, and I didn’t want to be hurt
when you decided to go off with someone your own age.”

“
And
now that you can’t have me, you want me. Is it a forbidden
fruit thing?” She turned in a circle and came back to stare at
him, hurt plain on her face.

“
No.
If I thought that you’d be happier with Trenton von
Snootypants, I’d let you go. I would. I’m still far too
old for you and I’m tied to this town. But if you marry
Trenton, you’ll be miserable. He’s using you.”

Gabe
realized he shouldn’t relay his suspicions before he had facts
to back it up. His investigator friend was still looking into
Trenton’s background. Gabe was hoping for something irrefutable
about his rival.

Shanna
lifted her hand to slap him, as the door opened. She dropped her hand
and glared at Gabe.

“
Shanna,”
Rita said, “why are you standing out here with Gabe? Let the
poor man inside.”

“
We
were having a chat, Rita,” Gabe said.

“
Sorry,
Ma. I needed to clear the air with Gabe. We’ll come in now.”

He
took her elbow and steered her toward the house. When Rita turned
away, Shanna elbowed him and he let a soft “oof.” He bent
his mouth and spoke low enough so only she could hear. “I’m
sorry I said that. I know you think the best of everyone.”

“
Except
you,” she replied. “There is nothing good for me to
believe.”

He
realized she was lashing out from hurt. “You may not believe
it, but I do love you.” He had to tell her eventually. It was
as good a time as any.

In
a blink, they were inside the house and Bryce was standing. Gabe let
go of Shanna. “Sit down, Bry. Don’t strain yourself on my
account.”

Shanna
still gaped at him.

“
Shanna,
can you pour Gabe a whiskey? Gabe, there’s pop there as well.
Or would you rather wine? Rita and Shanna are having wine. I’m
not allowed to have anything that tastes good from now on.”

“
With
Rita’s cooking skills, she’ll be able to make those
low-sodium meals taste like heaven,” Gabe said. “I’ll
have a glass of wine with the women. I can get it.”

“
No,
no let me,” Shanna said, obviously grateful to have a reason to
leave the room. She hurried to the kitchen.

“
So,
how are things going between you two?”

“
She’s
stubborn, Bryce. Understandably. I’m asking her to give up all
the dreams she’s had the last five years so she can come here
and live with an old man.”

“
You
are hardly old.”

"Twelve
years is quite a difference."

“
Oh,
posh. You love her, she loves you.”

“
I’m
not so sure she loves me anymore.”

Rita
and Shanna returned. Rita held a tray of veggies and dip, and she set
it on the coffee table. “How are you, Rita?” Gabe said,
standing and kissing her cheek. When he sat again, Shanna glared at
him.

“
I’m
wonderful. All three of my favorite people are here. What more could
I want? Oh, let me take your coat. Shanna, honestly, have you
forgotten how to host a guest?”

“
I
know where to hang my coat. I kept it because I have something in my
pocket.”

“
What’s
that?” Rita asked.

“
A
gift for Shanna. I bought it for her as a late graduation present but
I never found the right moment. I found it earlier in the week.”
He pulled it out of his pocket and held out the black box to her.

Rita
and Bryce made sounds of wonder. Shanna frowned and snatched it from
his hand.

“
Shanna,”
Rita admonished.

“
She’s
grumpy with me. I was teasing her outside and she didn’t take
it well. I should have kept quiet.”

“
Shanna’s
loved you since she was a girl.”

“
Mom!”
Shanna protested. She shook her head and popped open the box.

Gabe
had been staring at the contents for several days. He’d been
visiting with his mom a couple of years ago, and they wandered into a
jewelry store. While they browsed, he spotted the set. The box he'd
brought tonight had a long chain holding a gold teardrop pendant with
a solitary diamond in the middle. He couldn’t recall the karat
of the diamond any longer, it didn’t matter. For some reason,
he knew he wanted Shanna to have it. But for the next nearly two
years, he’d never found an occasion to give it to her. It was
too intimate for a graduation present. After that, Trenton was always
by her side, glaring at Gabe.

Rita
sidled up to her daughter and angled her head so she could see it.
“Gabe, it’s lovely.”

Shanna
swallowed and met his eyes. “It is,” she said in a
whisper. “I don’t know―”

He
shook his head and crossed to her. He took the box from her hands and
removed the necklace from its trappings. “Let’s see how
it looks on you,” he said, his heart in his throat.

“
I
was going to say that I don’t know what to say.” She
turned her back to him. He wrapped it around her, fastening it, then
letting it drop.

Shanna
adjusted it around her neck and turned back. “You look
beautiful.”

She
touched it. “I thought it might be heavy, but it’s light.
Is it real?”

“
Real
diamond. I hope it says in the box something about the diamond, I’ve
forgotten what they told me. I bought it when I went to visit my mom
sometime ago.”

Gabe
recalled that they were not the only ones in the room. Rita and Bryce
were watching the exchange. Shanna must have recalled as well,
because her face flushed and she stepped back. “Thank you so
much,” she said, touching it again.

Rita’s
voice broke in. “Let me see, darling.” Shanna turned.
“Oh, that’s the most lovely thing I’ve seen. Bryce,
Dad isn’t much of a jewelry buyer.”

“
There’s
too many choices and I dunno what you’d like most,” Bryce
mumbled.

They
laughed and Gabe returned to his spot on the love seat. Rita perched
on the chair arm beside her husband, and Shanna was left to choose
between sitting beside Gabe and the sofa across the room. She sat
beside Gabe, still playing with the pendant.