COUNTERPOINT
An original romantic serialFrom Alina Adams the author of "When a Man Loves a Woman" (DELL 4/00), "Annie's Wild Ride" (AVON 8/98), "Inside Figure Skating" (METROBOOKS 11/00 & 9/99), "Thieves at Heart" (AVON 12/95) and "The Fictitious Marquis" (AVON 6/95)
Available weekly by e-mail from http://www.AlinaAdams.com
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Dedicated to Helping Children All Over the World
CHAPTER 16
He didn't realize she was Robin's wife, until after Gabriel volunteered to drive Nicole home. She refused at first, insisting she was fine, she didn't need a doctor, she didn't need to file a police report, she just needed to be left alone. But, once Gabriel got her to admit that she didn't have a car and she didn't have the money for a taxi and, all right, she didn't really feel up to taking the bus, Nicole broke and agreed to let him give her a lift. She fell asleep in the car, and Gabriel let her rest, watching her out the corner of his eye. Nicole was, without a doubt, the loveliest creature he'd ever seen, a classic beauty not because of the layers of make-up applied to her face, but in spite of it. It was all he could do not to give into temptation, reach out his arm, and brush her cheek with his fingers, just to check if she was real.
She stirred when he pulled up to her motel, eyes snapping open in fear as she momentarily struggled to remember where she was, and what had just happened, and who the hell Gabriel was.
"It's okay," he reassured. "You're safe."
She nodded slowly, her eyes dazed as if drugged. "Thank-you. I think I can -- I can make it from here."
"Let me be the judge of that." He helped her out of the car, steadying Nicole and letting her clutch his arm as he escorted her to the elevator. Nicole's face had blanched white, and she swayed as she walked. He let her into the motel-room, astonished by the sight of a small child sitting on one of the beds, watching TV and chewing on a chocolate wafer from a half-empty package.
She stared at Gabriel with a minimum of curiosity, and barely accorded Nicole a second glance before turning back to the wafers. Her mother returned the favor by ignoring Eve completely. She sank down on the free bed, dropping her head into her hands, and letting out a pained groan.
Gabriel squatted to her eye-level. "Does your head hurt? Can you focus your eyes?"
She nodded. "I'm fine. Really. You can go now. All I need is a bath and some sleep, and -- "
"A bath can wait." He helped her lie down, despite Nicole's feeble protests, "Sleep, however, is a wonderful idea."
"You can't stay," Nicole insisted, even as she hunted for the strength to keep her eyes open. "My husband, Robin, if he finds out I had a strange man up here, you don't understand, you could ruin everything for me.... Please, you can't stay."
Gabriel covered Nicole with the spread. She fell asleep.
Nicole woke up because of a sound so unfamiliar, it burrowed through to her subconscious. Despite the pounding in her head, she forced her eyes open so that she could confirm for herself what she thought she was hearing. Her daughter. Laughing. Nicole blinked several times before recognizing Eve, wearing an oversized apron wrapped twice around her skinny body, and -- oh, no -- Dr. Gabriel Scott, both up to their elbows in flour, pouring an egg-concoction into a frying pan balanced atop the hot-plate on their counter.
"Good-morning," Gabriel looked up, playfully blowing a dab of flour from Eve's nose while she giggled. "We thought we'd prepare supper while you rested."
"Gabriel made omelets," Eve announced. "With sugar."
Nicole sat up, she rubbed her eyes with both hands, and stared at Gabriel suspiciously. "Why are you still here, Dr. Scott?"
"I wanted to check on you when you woke up. And I didn't want to leave Eve unsupervised." She thought she heard censure in his voice about how she'd left Eve alone earlier.
"Well, that's... nice. But, you have to go. Now."
"Right. Your husband...."
"He's trying to divorce me." It was the first time Nicole had allowed herself to speak those words out loud. She wasn't sure why she'd chosen a total stranger to confess to. Then she remembered. She didn't have any friends. "If he finds out you were here, he'll have grounds. You understand, don't you?"
"Sure." Gabriel reached for his jacket, heading for the door. He told Eve, "I'll see you tomorrow at noon, kiddo."
Nicole raised her arm, as if asking a question in a classroom. "Excuse me? What?"
Nonplused, he explained, "I promised your daughter a visit to the mechanical museum at the beach. You're welcome to come along."
She shook her head. "Didn't you hear what I said?"
Gabriel crossed his arms. "Uh-ha. You're afraid your husband will divorce you if he finds out a man, me, was in your room. But, I didn't realize a museum trip chaperoned by your five-year-old was grounds for divorce. Eve tells me you've been here for weeks, and you've barely left this room. San Francisco is a superb city. You should both be out there enjoying it."