She pulled herself into a half-sitting position in bed, leaning against the headboard and pillows. “You knew I was going to interview people affected by the curse. I can handle myself. I promise.”
“I’m not sure I can handle you,” he muttered.
She smiled, knowing he’d given in. He might not like her choices, but his tone indicated he wasn’t going to fight them.
More relaxed, she eased back down into the bed. “I think you can handle me just fine.”
More important, he obviously still wanted to.
“How’s Holly?” she asked.
“Fine. I kept her busy planning her birthday party. Since her school friends are in New York, it’ll mostly be family, but she seems happy with it.”
“When is her mother coming back?”
“Two weeks.”
Gabrielle nodd
ed. She understood how important this summer with his daughter was for Derek. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. I’m pretty happy myself, considering things were so different this time last year.”
“Tell Holly I haven’t forgotten about our shopping trip.”
“Even if you had, she wouldn’t hesitate to remind you,” he said, chuckling.
Unable to control herself, Gabrielle let out a yawn. Her eyes were growing heavier with each passing minute.
“You should go get some sleep,” he said.
“No. I’m fine.” She wasn’t ready to let go of him just yet.
“Call me when you get to town tomorrow, okay?”
“’Kay,” she said sleepily.
“And remember if you have any problems, call my cousin Mike. You have the number I gave you?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Gabby?”
“Hmm?”
“Remember when we used to talk like this back in high school?”
She smiled at the memory. “We’d argue over who was more tired. Neither of us wanted to hang up first.”
She always used to fall asleep thinking that she loved him but couldn’t ever say so. He feared the word as much as the men in his family feared the curse. But she hadn’t had to say it. In her heart, she believed Derek had known she loved him back then.
Just as she loved him now….
GABRIELLE AWOKE WITH A start as the first rays of sunlight flowed through her bedroom window. She stretched and rolled over, her hip hitting a hard object.
She reached down to move…the telephone.
She’d fallen asleep while still on the phone with Derek last night, just as she’d done so often in the past. Smiling, she climbed out of bed, showered, put on her makeup and was getting dressed when her cell phone rang.