Gabriel's Promise (Gabriel's Inferno 4)

He carried the baby and the diaper bag, while keeping careful watch as Julianne limped slowly from the examination room to the waiting room.

And he didn’t speak the entire ride home.

Chapter Forty

Julia woke up. Her ankle ached and so did her heart.

Her visit to the emergency room had been a revelation. Her ankle wasn’t broken, but she was suffering a side effect from the epidural that might never go away. And Gabriel had been angry with her. So angry, he wouldn’t even scold her. He drove her to the house, helped her and the baby through the front door, and then sat in the car making phone calls.

When he entered the house, he’d taken a long shower and disappeared into his study. Now he was joining her.

He placed his glasses and cell phone on the nightstand, as was his habit, and pulled back the blankets. Seeing she was awake, he stopped.

A few seconds later, he slipped between the sheets and rolled onto his back, closing his eyes. The distance between them seemed insurmountable.

She adjusted her injured ankle atop the cushion it was resting on and closed her eyes. She was reminded of that night so long ago when she’d sneaked into Gabriel’s room after she’d been attacked by him. Gabriel had been kind to her then. He’d been understanding.

A strong arm lifted and pulled her toward a warm, naked chest.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she whispered.

“We’re even, Julianne. I should have told you about the strange car that was watching our house.”

“I don’t think it was Simon. He isn’t going to waste his time hanging around Selinsgrove on Thanksgiving. And he’s very vain about his car. There’s no way he’d drive a Nissan.”

“Your uncle Jack is looking into it. I threw a rock and broke the rear window of the car. That should make it easier to find.”

Julia lifted her head from the pillow. “You broke the window?”

“Yes.” Gabriel sounded a little too pleased with himself. “I played baseball in high school. Did you know that?”

“No.”

“Julianne, you can’t hide health problems from me, especially now. We have Clare to consider.” Gabriel’s voice was quiet and eerily calm.

“I was hoping it would go away.”

“You let it go almost three months without telling anyone,” he chided her. “Never do that to me again.”

“I won’t.”

Gabriel touched her hair. “We need you. I need you.”

A tear welled in her eye and fell to her cheek. “I need you, too. No more running out into the woods by yourself.”

“I can concede that. But I want you to tell me, in detail, about any and all health-related issues you have at present or have had recently.”

Julia half smiled at his professorial tone. “Yes, Dr. Emerson.”

He growled.

“I mean, Professor Emerson.”

“Go on.”

“I’m in good health with the exception of the numbness in my leg and now this sprained ankle. Which hurts like a mother.”

“I’ll get you something for the pain.” He threw back the bedclothes.