“Look at what?” All I could see was people.
He lifted his head above the crowd and pointed. “The Trevi Fountain.”
I followed his hand and looked up. It was the wildest thing I’d ever seen. We were in a tiny square but on one wall was a huge building that seemed to have a marble Triton bursting out of it in his chariot, bringing the crashing waves of the sea with him. “It’s . . . wonderful,” I said.
Gabriel grinned and then his face turned stern. “Keep close. I’m going to get us to the front.”
He moved into the crowd with the confidence of a man who knew he would get to wherever he was headed. It must be why he was such a great lawyer.
Sure enough, we got to the front and it seemed even more majestic, more imposing from up close. “Can you see the horses?” I asked Bethany, pointing at the marble statues of the sea horses riding through the water. “It’s like they freeze-framed an invasion,” I said as I stared up at the onslaught of marble.
“Yes, it’s very baroque.”
“You hold tight to Daddy while I get some euros out.” I rummaged in my purse and pulled out some change. “Here. You have to throw over your right shoulder,” I said, tapping her gently to indicate the correct side. “Turn around.” I handed her a coin in her right hand. “Throw it back over your shoulder and make a wish.”
She did exactly what I’d said. “I wished for really good ice cream,” she said, and I laughed.
“I hope that one comes true for all of us,” Gabriel said.
“Now you,” I said, pressing a coin into Gabriel’s hand.
He rolled his eyes but turned around and threw the coin over his right shoulder just the same.
“What did you wish, Daddy?”
His gaze flitted between his daughter and me. “I wished to stay as happy as I am right now.”
My stomach flipped and I reached for him, wiping the raindrops from his wet cheek.
“What about you?” he said, as he took Bethany’s hand.
I turned around and tossed my coin over my shoulder.
“What did you wish?” Bethany asked.
“I cheated,” I confessed. “I made two wishes in one. I want great ice cream and to stay this happy.”
Gabriel held my gaze. When I’d left Oregon, I’d expected to come to London, start my job as a trainee executive, and have the time of my life. I had no idea that the time of my life would be had hanging out with the best man I’d ever met and his daughter. Unexpected as this was, nothing could have made me happier than I was right now.
Eighteen
Gabriel
I couldn’t remember when I’d had a better day. And now the skies had cleared and the view through the balcony doors was breathtaking. Autumn was putting Bethany to bed. She was sleeping in a rollaway in my room and Autumn had the second bedroom in the suite.
Autumn appeared in the doorway in her pajamas. “What did you do?” Her face broke into a grin as she took in the laid table.
I shrugged. “I made a few calls.” Room service had delivered dinner, champagne, and flowers, and set it all out on the dining table that overlooked the floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the city.
“I feel underdressed.”
“I would argue the opposite,” I said, pulling her toward me as I reached under her top, smoothing my hands around her waist.
“I had the best day,” she said. “Rome is so much more than I expected. So . . .”
“Italian?” I offered and she laughed.
“So beautiful and over-the-top extravagant. It just feels full of life.”
“Sounds a bit like you.” I dropped a lingering kiss on her lips.
“You think I’m extravagant?” she asked.
“I think you’re full of life.” I kissed her again. “You breathe life into me.”
Her hands slid around my neck. “I’m not sure your friends would believe how romantic you are.” She stood on tiptoes and we kissed, our mouths meeting and tongues colliding, the lights of the city behind us. Everything just felt completely right. Completely perfect.
She pulled back and put her head on my chest as we looked out at the view.
“Speaking of my friends,” I said. “We need to agree what we do if one of them asks straight out if there’s anything going on between us.” I shifted and started to pour out two glasses of champagne, my arm around Autumn while I did.
She shifted away slightly. “Did someone say something?”
“I thought Dexter was going to the other night, but he just talked about me being an overprotective employer. We need to be prepared.”
“Okay,” she said, frowning.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t.”
I passed her a glass of champagne. “Cheers to your first trip to Rome.”
She clinked her glass to mine. “I’m so bummed you have to work this week.”