The Earl's Snow-Kissed Proposal

‘Yes, that’s exactly what I told her. To consider it an alliance, a merger.’

A longer pause, and Etta couldn’t help but hear the agitated squawk that emerged from Cora’s end.

Then Gabe shrugged. ‘I told it how I saw it. Kaitlin is cut out to be a princess. But I figure I’m not the authority on marriage—you’re the one who has walked that walk to the altar.’

More talk and then he raised a hand in a gesture of affectionate exasperation.

‘Spare me the lecture on love. Talk to Kaitlin.’

He disconnected with a shake of his head and Etta couldn’t help but grin.

‘You’re close to your sisters.’

The observation sent a thread of sadness through her veins as a sudden image of Rosa strobed through her brain. The adoptive sister she hadn’t seen for seventeen years.

Gabe shook his head. ‘Not really. They were only two when I went to boarding school, so we never got close. And now we’re adults we have pretty much gone our separate ways.’

‘Why don’t you do something about that? You’re lucky to have siblings. Plus it’s clear they care about you.’

His blue eyes held hers with an arrested look that bordered on startled. ‘It is...?’

‘Yes—it is. I don’t mean to pry, but it sounds like Kaitlin isn’t OK and that she came home to see you and ask your advice. And you do care about her—one of the reasons you stepped in with April was to help Kaitlin.’

‘One of the reasons.’ Gabe’s voice was hard. ‘Don’t read something that isn’t there. I stepped in with April to protect my own interests. Helping Kaitlin was a bonus.’

Why was he so resistant to the idea that he was close to his sisters? ‘So you wouldn’t have helped her if it hadn’t benefited you too?’

‘I didn’t say that. I’m just telling it as it is. We aren’t a close, touchy-feely family.’

‘You say that like it would be a bad thing if you were. I don’t get that at all.’

Because she would love to somehow turn the clock back and be part of Rosa’s life, and it made her mad that Gabe was bypassing something so important. The man was lucky enough to have family on tap and he didn’t seem to care.

‘It works for me.’ Gabe looked at her, his eyes still angry. ‘You said you were an only child “for years”. So presumably you now have a sibling?’

For a moment she was tempted to deny it. Not acceptable. Bad enough that she wasn’t part of her sister’s life—to deny her existence would be wrong. Even if her parents didn’t count her as being Rosa’s sister. After all she didn’t share the same bloodline—hadn’t been in Rosa’s life since Rosa was three.

‘Yes. A sister. We’ve lost touch.’

‘Then why not get back in touch?’

‘It’s complicated.’

And now she was regretting the whole conversation—Gabe’s relationship with his sisters was none of her business. But now she’d made it her business and she’d opened up a conversational bear pit.

‘Complicated how?’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘Yes, it does. You’ve given me a hard time about my lack of brotherly support and now it turns out you’ve lost touch with your sister.’

Hmm... It seemed she’d touched a nerve, but Gabe had a point. What to do now?

Etta squared her shoulders—she would give him the facts. Or at least some of them.

‘My parents gave me an ultimatum when I was pregnant. Them or the baby. I couldn’t give my baby up and I haven’t seen them since. Rosa was three at the time.’

The scene was still etched on her memory banks, however many times she’d tried to erase it.