Gabriel's Rapture (Gabriel's Inferno 2)

Gabriel was so deep in prayer that he didn’t notice his family squeeze past him to retake their seats, or Julia’s warm hand snake through the crook at his elbow, pressing herself soothingly to his side. And he didn’t notice the moment in the service, just before the benediction, when his father broke down into silent, shoulder-shaking tears, and Rachel placed her arm around him, leaning her blond head to his shoulder.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a family, thought Julia, as she watched Rachel and Scott hug their father. Where love and forgiveness replace tears and suffering.

Chapter 11

After lunch, Rachel marshaled her family into helping her prepare the large turkey dinner. Julia spoke briefly to Tom on the phone, exacting his promise that he would arrive around three o’clock in order to participate in the gift exchange, then she and Rachel parked themselves in the kitchen to peel apples for a pair of pies.

Rachel had cheated and bought the pastry, but had removed it from its Pillsbury packaging and placed it in between layers of plastic wrap in the refrigerator so no one would know.

“Hey, pretty girls.” Scott entered the kitchen, wearing an overly large grin, and began rummaging in the fridge.

“What has you so happy?” asked his sister, peeling an apple.

“The Christmas season.” He chuckled as Rachel stuck her tongue out at him.

“I hear you met someone,” prompted Julia.

Scott began assembling a plate of leftovers, ignoring her comment.

Rachel was about to reprove her brother for his bad manners when the telephone rang. She answered it, disappearing into the dining room when she discovered it was her future mother-in-law.

Scott turned around immediately and gave Julia an apologetic look. “Her name is Tammy. I’m not ready for everyone to give her the third degree.”

“I understand.” Julia gave him a small smile and returned to the apple she was peeling.

“She has a kid,” he blurted. He leaned his large body back against the counter, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Julia put her paring knife down. “Oh.”

“He’s three months old. They live with her parents. She couldn’t come without him because she’s breastfeeding.” Scott’s voice was low, just above a whisper, and his eyes kept traveling to the doorway that led to the living room.

“When you introduce her to your family, you should bring him too. They’ll welcome both of them.”

“I’m not so sure.” Scott looked very uncomfortable.

“They’ll be happy to have a baby around. Rachel and I will fight over him.”

“What would you think if your son came home with a girlfriend who was a single mother? And the baby belonged to another guy?”

“Your parents adopted Gabriel. I don’t think your dad would object.” Julia exhaled slowly, giving Scott a searching look. “Unless your girlfriend is married.”

“What? No! Her ex-boyfriend left her when she was pregnant. We’ve been friends for a while.” He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling on it so it almost stood straight on end. “I’m worried my Dad will think it’s weird for me to be dating a woman with a newborn.”

Julia pointed in the direction of the manger scene that was displayed under the Christmas tree in the next room.

“Joseph and Mary had a similar story.”

Scott looked at her as if she’d sprouted a second head.

Then he chuckled, turning back to his sandwich. “That’s a good point, Jules. I’ll have to remember that.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, the family gathered around the Christmas tree to open gifts. The Clarks were a generous family, and there were lots of presents, some serious, some in jest. Julia and her father each received their fair share.

When everyone was admiring their gifts and drinking egg nog, Rachel plunked the last present on Gabriel’s lap. “This arrived for you this morning.”

“Who is it from?” He eyed it in confusion.

“I don’t know.”

Gabriel gave Julia a hopeful look, but she shook her head.

Eager to uncover the mystery, he began to rip off the wrapping paper. He slid his fingers in between the cover of the white box and its bottom, separating the two, lifted the lid of the box carefully, and peeled back the layers of white tissue paper.

Before anyone could see what he’d uncovered, he shoved the box aside, springing to his feet. Without a word, he strode quickly to the back door, slamming it behind him.

“What was it?” Scott’s voice broke the silence.

Aaron, who witnessed what had just transpired from the hallway, entered the room. “I bet it’s from his ex. I’d lay money on it.”

Julia stumbled to the kitchen and across the back porch, following her lover’s retreating form.

“Gabriel? Gabriel! Wait.”

Large, fat snowflakes fell like feathers from the sky, blanketing the grass and trees in cold whiteness. She shivered.

“Gabriel!”

He disappeared into the woods without a backward glance.

She hastened her pace. If she lost sight of him she’d have to return to the house. She wouldn’t risk being lost in the woods again without a coat. Or a map.

She began to panic, remembering her recurrent nightmare about being trapped in the woods, alone. “Gabriel! Slow down.”

Pushing her way into the trees, she traveled a few feet before she saw him, pausing in front of a tall pine.

“Go back to the house.” The arctic tone of his voice matched the falling snow.

“I’m not leaving you.”

She walked a few more steps. At the sound of her approach, he turned around. He was clad in a suit and tie, wearing expensive Italian shoes that were now ruined.

One of her high heels caught on a branch, and she pitched forward, breaking her fall by clinging to the trunk of a tree.

Gabriel was at her side in an instant. “Go back to the house before you get hurt.”

“No.”

Her hair was long and curling over her shoulders, arms now crossed in front of her chest because of the cold. A light dusting of white covered her head and her plum dress.

She looked like a snow angel—a figure one might find in a fairy tale or a snow globe, the dancing flakes hovering around her like friends. He was reminded of the time he surprised her in his library carrel and a ream of paper had been tossed into the air, falling all around her.

“Beautiful.” He was momentarily distracted by the sight of her. The warmth of his mouth caused his words to form clouds in the air between them.

She held out her pink and naked hand. “Come back with me.”

“She’s never going to let me go.”

“Who?”

“Paulina.”

“She needs to start a new life. She needs your help.”

“Help?” He glared at her. “You want me to help her? After she got on her knees and tried to take my pants down?”

“What?”

He clenched his teeth, cursing his own stupidity. “Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“It was a desperate attempt by a desperate woman.”

“Did you say no?”

“Of course! What do you take me for?” His eyes flamed a dangerous blue.

“Were you surprised?”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “No.”

Julia closed her hands so tightly her nails dug into her palms. “Why?”

Gabriel glanced at the trees behind her, unwilling to answer her question.

“Why weren’t you surprised?” she repeated, her voice growing louder.

“Because this is what she does.”

“Does or did?”

“What’s the difference?” he snapped.

Julia’s eyes narrowed. “If I have to explain it to you, then we are more damaged than I thought.”

He didn’t want to answer her. His recalcitrance was telegraphed by his eyes, his face, even his body.

She gave him a piercing stare.

Gabriel’s eyes flickered over her shoulder, into the distance, almost as if he were looking for an escape. Then he looked at her again.

“She’d show up on occasion and we’d…” His voice trailed off.

Julia felt ill. She screwed her eyes shut. “When I asked if Paulina was your mistress, you said no.”

“She was never my mistress.”

Julia’s eyes flew open. “Don’t play word games with me! Especially about your f**k buddies.”

He ground his teeth together. “That’s beneath you, Julianne.”

She laughed without amusement. “Oh, yes. It’s beneath me to tell the truth. But you can lie through your teeth!”

“I never lied to you about Paulina.”

“Yes, you did. No wonder you were so angry when I called her your f**k buddy in the Dante seminar. I was right.” Julia gave him a shattered look. “Were you with her in your bed? In the bed we slept in together?”

Gabriel lowered his eyes.

She began to back away from him. “I am so angry with you right now, I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That isn’t good enough,” she called, walking away from him. “When was the last time you slept with her?”

He followed her quickly, reaching out to grasp her arm.