“I didn’t know.” It’d been a very long time since he was in a public library. “My mother used to take me to the library when I was very young. I remember they had reading time where all the kids sat around in a circle and they read a story to us. I think that’s when I got the acting bug. I’d listen to the librarian use different voices for the various characters and it struck a chord in me.”
Gabrielle’s smile returned and lit up the room. “As a librarian, that’s the best thing I could hear. I love when we are able to make a difference in someone’s life, big or small.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you’d like me to do a fund-raiser for your library.”
She shook her head. “Not at all. The library is what is close to my heart. You need to find what’s closest to yours.”
He took a second to think of what charity he’d most like to help and the answer immediately came to him.
“You’ve thought of something. What is it?” She stared at him expectantly.
“Breast-cancer research. If I were going to have a fund-raiser, that’s what I would want it to be for.”
“Why?” she asked, curiosity ringing from her gaze.
He shook his head. He wasn’t going to get in to this. Not with her. Not with anyone. It was too painful and still too fresh in his mind.
After a few moments, Gabrielle asked, “Will you at least consider the idea?”
It would be more efficient and less hassle to just write a hefty check, which he did every year in memory of his mother. But Gabrielle seemed to have her heart set on this. Perhaps if he didn’t readily dismiss the idea, with time she’d forget about it.
“I’ll think about it.” When a smile reappeared on her face, he said, “But don’t get your hopes up.”
She attempted to subdue her smile, but there was still a remnant of it lighting up her eyes as she placed some papers on his desk. Those eyes were captivating. They were gray, or was it green? Honestly, they seemed to change color. And they had gold specks in them. They were simply stunning, just like Gabrielle.
And then as he realized he was staring, Deacon turned away. “I’ll get these back to you by morning.”
He gazed out the window at the cloudless sky until he heard the clicking of her heels as she walked away. It was then he realized he’d forgotten to tell her something.
He turned around but she was out of sight. He was going to tell her not to enter this part of the house again—that it was out of bounds. But something told him she would have just ignored him anyway.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE NEXT MORNING Deacon couldn’t concentrate.
He should be working, if he was ever to get his fledgling company firmly ensconced in the movie business. He’d made a lot of inroads so far. The legal documents were all signed and filed with the appropriate agencies. Financial business accounts were opened. Sunsprite Productions was at last ready to do business.
In front of him sat a stack of proposed movie scripts to read. However, every time he sat down, his mind would venture back to Gabrielle. Why had he agreed to keep the door unlocked? To give her access to his space?
He’d avoided the library like the plague and, so far, she hadn’t returned to his office. The way she’d looked at him—well, it was different than others. She hadn’t shuddered. And she hadn’t turned away. If anything, she’d been curious. In fact, she’d even stepped closer to him. What was he to make of that?
No one who’d come to see him in the hospital, people who were supposed to be his friends, had been able to look him in the eye. Most had hovered at the doorway, unwilling to come any closer. But not Gabrielle. She was different. And his curiosity about her kept mounting.
He had to wonder why her aunt had found it necessary to use her last breath to tell him to take care of her niece. He had to be missing something. Gabrielle Dupré was quite capable of taking care of herself.
She hit things straight on and treaded where others feared to go. And she was smart, as she’d demonstrated by coming up with that idea to improve his public image—though he doubted it would work. He needed to tell Gabrielle that he wasn’t going to take her up on the offer; he just hadn’t gotten around to telling her yet. It wasn’t like he had to worry about letting her down. Gabrielle was no damsel in distress. She was sharp and would always land on her feet. Deacon wondered if her father knew how lucky he was to have her by his side.
He halted his train of thought. Listing all of her positive qualities was doing him no favors. No matter how much she intrigued him, nothing could ever come of it.
Because there was a look in her eyes, one that was undeniable. She looked at him with anger. She blamed him for her aunt’s death. And for all he knew, she might be right.
Feeling the walls closing in around him, Deacon made his way down to the rose garden. It was the one place where he found some solace. With the gentle scent of the roses that reminded him of his mother and the sea breeze that conjured up memories of sailing, his muscles relaxed. It was here that the pulsing pain in his temples eased.
He moved about the garden. His doctor and physical therapist had told him to make sure to get plenty of movement as that would help heal the injury to his leg caused by the crash. He wasn’t about to venture outside the estate gates. He knew the press would soon catch up to him. And then the probing questions would begin.
And so he spent time here in the spacious rose garden. He hadn’t spared any expense creating this retreat. The garden ran almost to the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. Wanting a wide-open feel, he’d declined building a wall around the garden. He used to think that this garden was a little piece of heaven on earth.
Deacon took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. Out here he could momentarily forget the guilt that dogged him. Out here, he could pretend there wasn’t the most amazing yet unobtainable woman working for him. For just a few precious moments, his problems didn’t feel so overwhelming.