Finding Isadora (47 page)

He turned as if he sensed my presence, and his face lit. “Isadora.” He came forward, extending his hand, a wicked gleam in his eye. “How good of you to come.” He put a slight emphasis on the word “come.”

“
Gabriel.” I took his hand, a hand that had explored the most intimate secrets of my body. “How good of you to have me.”

He almost laughed, but managed to hold it back. Then, from behind me, I heard Grace
’s voice. “Isadora! You did come.”

My
gaze held Gabriel’s as I said, “Yes, Grace, I did.”

Gabriel made a choking sound, and I rescued him by turning my back on him and going to hug my mother.
“I got your message, just didn’t have a chance to call you back.”

“
Too bad. We were in your neighborhood and it would have been easy to pick you up.”

“
In my neighborhood?” Thank heavens they hadn’t decided to drop by.

“
Giving a new volunteer a lift.” She swung around. “Here they are now.”

Jimmy Lee backed through the entrance from the hall, pulling a wheelchair after him. When he and the chair and its occupant were inside, I cried,
“Henry!” It was Henry Melnick, Spooky the cat’s human.

I went over to shake his hand. Two handshakes in the space of a few minutes, and I couldn
’t help but compare Henry’s frail grip with Gabriel’s strength and vitality. What a horrible disease AIDS was. “It’s great to see you. But are you sure you’re up to it?”

He winked.
“What’s the worst that happens? It kills me?”

I
’d had a taste of his humor before, so knew enough to grin.

Gabriel came over.
“Another newcomer.” He held out his hand. “Gabriel DeLuca.”

“
Henry Melnick.”

I watched as they shook, knowing Gabriel would be holding back, letting Henry meet him on equal masculine ground.

“You two know each other?” Gabriel, asked, looking from Henry to me.

It was Henry who answered.
“Doc Izzie recruited me. My cat’s one of her patients.”

“
I told Henry about the case you’re working on, and he said he’d like to help out.”

“
A prospective plaintiff?” Gabriel asked him.

Henry shook his head and gave that wink of his.
“Not unless you’re faster than most lawyers at getting cases into court.”

Gabriel digested that, then said quietly,
“AIDS?”

It was a pretty safe guess, given Henry
’s physical state and the lesions on his face, but Henry had told me most people just assumed, then avoided the subject. And avoided him. It pissed him off no end. I hoped Gabriel’s frankness didn’t do the same.

But Henry gave him an approving nod.
“Yup. The drugs aren’t working any more.”

“
I’m sorry.” Gabriel rested a hand on Henry’s shoulder for a moment. “We’ll be glad to have your help.”

“
And I’ll be glad to give it. Beats sitting on my bony ass feeling sorry for myself.”

“
Sure as hell does,” Gabriel agreed. Then he turned to me. “Thanks for signing up another recruit, Isadora.”

A group of newcomers claimed Gabriel
’s attention, and Henry and I made our way across the room. People welcomed us warmly, including several long-time friends of my parents, who didn’t seem surprised to see me there.

I glanced around the room,
my gaze touching the shabby couch, the beautifully crafted thunderbird blanket box, the guitar. When Gabriel played for me, what music would he choose?

More people trickled in, then he clapped his hands together.
“Let’s get started. Find yourself a place to sit, if you can.”

I helped Henry maneuver his chair into a corner and settled on
a pillow at his feet. Not far away, Jimmy Lee had claimed a kitchen chair and Grace too sat on a pillow on the floor, serene in the lotus position.

Gabriel straddled his desk chair, his forearms resting on the back of it.
“Someone want to take notes? There’s paper and pen on my desk.”

An earnest-looking young woman
waved her hand eagerly and flashed him an admiring smile. “I will, Gabe. My netbook’s in my bag.”

“
Thanks, Constance.” When he smiled back, she blushed and fumbled to extract her small computer.

I imagine
d this happened everywhere he went. Adoring female acolytes. The thought didn’t make me exactly comfortable. But then his gaze drifted my way and he dropped a quick wink before glancing away again, and I realized it was absurd to feel jealous. Yes, he might have a flock of admirers, but I was the woman he loved, even if he wasn’t ready to admit it.

As the discussion got underway, I watched him, fascinated. This was a different Gabriel than the man who
’d held the audience spellbound at the fundraiser. Then, he’d deliberately commanded attention. Now, he as adroitly played the role of the facilitator. He gathered ideas, made sure everyone had their say and was treated with respect, then neatly pulled together the threads and presented suggestions.

He was brilliant. And he was mine.

I tried not to let our eyes meet and I could tell he was doing the same, but every once in a while it happened and I felt as if everyone else in the room faded away.

“
Gabriel?”

He jerked his head toward the man who
’d spoken. “Sorry, Ravi, what did you say?”

“
You’re kind of distracted this afternoon.”

“
Haven’t been getting much sleep lately.” His eyes flicked to mine.

It was so brief no-one could have noticed. At least that
’s what I thought until I glanced in Grace’s direction and found her staring at me. Her wide eyes assessed my face, then studied Gabriel, then came back to me. She raised her eyebrows in a question.

I blushed. There was no way I could stop myself.

She grabbed Jimmy Lee’s arm, yanked his head down, and whispered in his ear. He glanced my way, shook his head, appeared to argue with Grace.

I turned away from both of them. It wasn
’t that I minded them knowing, it was just so embarrassing to be caught out this way.

About ten minutes later, Gabriel said,
“Okay, enough for now. Let’s take a refreshment break, then we’ll tackle the media campaign.”

I rose, muscles aching—partly due to sitting on the floor but mostly thanks to hours of love-making.
“What can I bring you?” I asked Henry.

“
It’s okay. I need some exercise.” He flexed his hands over the wheelchair grips and pushed himself across the room. I watched him go, knowing one day he’d need an automated chair. With the cuts in funding, would he ever be able to get it?

A firm hand grasped my arm and Grace tugged me into the corner he
’d deserted. “You and Gabriel?” she asked softly. “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“
Last night. I, uh, haven’t had time to call you.”

She gave a wicked chuckle.
“I can well believe Gabriel’s given you better things to do than phone your mother.”

“
We figured Richard should know first.”

Jimmy Lee joined us, a bottle of beer in one hand and two glasses of juice in the other. Handing us the juice, he said,
“Grace has this notion in her head about you and Gabe.”

“
She’s right,” I confirmed.

My mother shook her head.
“I’d noticed the tension between you, and wondered. But you persuaded me it was just awkwardness with a future in-law.”

“
You and Gabe?” Jimmy Lee still looked confused.

“
Yes,” I told him. To Grace, I said, “He and I were in denial, trying to pretend the feelings didn’t exist, or that we could control them.”

“
Huh,” my dad said.

Unable to resist, I asked,
“So what do you two think?”

“
He’s a fine man,” Grace said, “as well as a hottie.”

“
Hottie,” Jimmy Lee muttered, rolling his eyes. Then he frowned. “Isn’t he a little old for you?”

“
You’re being ageist? I can’t believe it.”

His eyes widened. It was rare anyone caught Jimmy Lee Wheeler making any stereotypical or prejudicial comment.
“Sorry. Yeah, Grace is right, he’s a good guy.”

My mother put her arm around my waist and hugged me.
“If he makes you happy, that’s great. But, Isadora, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“
Gabriel won’t hurt me.”

“
Not intentionally. But hon, what about all your plans for marriage and children, owning your own home? That doesn’t sound like Gabriel.”

No, it didn
’t. A shiver of uncertainty trickled its chilly way down my spine. “Give us time, Grace. We’ve only just gotten together.”

“
Fair enough. But Isadora, this time don’t ignore the issues, okay? Like you did with Richard?”

Slowly I shook my head.
“I won’t.” Funny how with Gabriel and I, things such as being vegetarian and bonding with animals wouldn’t be a problem. No, our issues had to be the truly major ones…

“
You’re telling Richard soon?” Grace asked.

“
Gabriel’s talking to him tomorrow. I offered to, but he insisted. I’m worried how Richard will react. He’ll be so hurt, and when he’s hurt he gets cold and angry. He and Gabriel were just starting to grow closer…” I sighed.

“
Be patient with Richard. You love the man, so I know he has many good qualities. If he’s reasonable, and if you and Gabriel matter to him, he’ll find a way of dealing with it.”

Jimmy Lee
strode purposefully over to Gabriel. “Oh-oh,” I said. “What do you think he’s going to say?”

“
Something clumsy but well-intentioned,” Grace said ruefully, and we exchanged fond, knowing smiles. “If that was Richard,” she said, “rather than Gabriel, you’d rush over to protect him.”

“
Gabriel can look after himself.”

We watched as the two men went off in a corner of their own and engaged in an animated discussion.
“Two uncut diamonds,” Grace said, reaching for my hand.

Yes, my lover, like my father, had his rough edges.
“What’s the fun in perfection? There’d be no challenge.”

“
True. So don’t go trying to polish up all his facets.”

Jimmy Lee, shorter by two or three inches than Gabriel, was getting in his face. Gabriel dragged his fingers through his hair and shook his head vigorously.

“No risk of that,” I said, wondering what on earth the men were saying. “Gabriel would never let me tame him too much. It’s his fears and blind spots I’m working on. Like his relationship with Richard.”

“
Brave woman. Good for you.”

“
And you’re right. We’ll make it work out with Richard. This time, Gabriel won’t give up. Nor will I.”

Jimmy Lee and Gabriel
shook hands firmly, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“
You’re good for each other,” Grace said. “I could never really see you and Richard as a couple, but you and Gabriel—yes, that’s a good match.”

Gabriel turned in our direction and sent me a smile that was all heat and intensity, and made me burn for him.

“And then there’s that spark,” Grace said dryly. “Can’t believe I was so dense that I didn’t pick up on it before. It’s always been there between you two, hasn’t it?”

“
And always will be,” I said confidently. Then, because I was still a little scared, my eyes sought hers, for reassurance.

She nodded.
“I think you’re right. Because it’s a spark that’s based not just on pheromones. That kind burns out quickly. It seems to me you two have a lot more than that going for you.”

She was still holding my hand, and I squeezed it.
“I love you, Grace.”

She squeezed back, so hard it was painful.
“I love you too, Isadora. My little girl’s all grown up and I’m proud, but sad as well.”

T
ears glistened in her eyes, and suddenly they were in mine, too. I hugged her again. “I’m not so grown up I don’t still need you.”

We gazed at each other through moist, loving eyes.

“You’ve turned out just the way Jimmy Lee and I wanted when we chose the name Isadora,” she told me.

“
I have? But Grace, she was such a free spirit. And I’m so conventional.”

My mother chuckled.
“Yeah, like getting involved with Gabriel DeLuca is the conventional choice.” She pulled back, studied me carefully, then nodded. “What we hoped was that you’d be your own woman and follow what your heart told you was right. And that’s just what you’re doing.”