Nothing Short of a Miracle (2 page)

Gabriella clamped her mouth tight, not wanting to say something to make matters worse. Was this the man she loved? The one she had hoped to marry and had wanted to father her own children some day? She had to get to the bottom of his extreme behavior and find out what had him in such a frosty mood.

“Charles, what is wrong? Why are you acting this way? Is it Nina that has you so upset?”

“Do I have to spell it out?” he asked, his hands shaking at his sides. “I’m sorry.” His voice softened to a whisper. “I can see I must explain. Our relationship does not include children, I thought you knew that. It wasn’t easy growing up in a household full of sisters and brothers all vying for our parents’ attention. The noise. The chaos. The competition was fierce. I had to prove myself every step of the way and still do. If I can’t prove to my father that I’ve got what it takes, then I’ve failed. I don’t get to be CEO of the company. And, damn it, I’ve worked too hard to get this far.”

Gabriella swallowed, took a deep breath and quietly counted to ten. She had no idea his background had been so traumatic. Sure, she knew he was driven, but hadn’t realized why. As for knowing he didn’t want children, they hadn’t gotten around to discussing it.

Her insides churned.

“Are you telling me you don’t want to continue our relationship as long as I have Nina?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure you can see my point.” His chin jutted out, his eyes pleaded with her to understand.

A slap in the face would have been much more welcome at this point. He was giving her an ultimatum—a deathblow. Pain ran deep. Hurt, humiliated, regret churned inside. Her stomach blanched.

How could one small child make such a big difference in a person?

“You’re honestly asking me to choose between this small baby and you?”

He shrugged his shoulders and continued to look into her eyes waiting for an answer.

“It’s your choice,” he said, his tone even, unemotional.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Charles, I have no choice when it comes to Nina. You must understand that. There is no decision to be made.”

Was he really asking her to choose? Was the fact that she’d had Nina for almost a month the reason why he’d been so distant lately? She’d been so involved with caring for Nina, worried about how she was going to cope, as well as getting through the semester with term papers and exams. No wonder she’d missed all the signs. If she’d been more aware, she never would have considered asking him for a loan.

“Apparently, your love for me is not strong enough to withstand one small infant. No, Charles. You made the decision for me. I take back the request of a loan. I wouldn’t ask you for money now if you were dripping in it. Oh, I forgot. You
are
rolling in it, aren’t you? ‘Old Bostonian’ money isn’t it?”

“You’re breaking up with me!” he asked, in disbelief, his eyebrows rising clear up into his hairline, obviously anticipating a different response.

Gabriella couldn’t believe he was affronted. Well, darn it, she didn’t need time to think about it. There was no way she would give Nina up to strangers. She’d figure something out.

“Yes, I am,” she said.

She didn’t wait for a reply. She picked Nina up and headed for the door, slipped into her boots, and made her way to the car not caring whether or not the door shut behind her.

So much for a happily ever after with Charles.

Gabriella turned down Third Street, tears pooling in her eyes. She blinked to clear her vision and slammed on the brakes for a streetlight that had just turned red. The small Saturn jerked to a stop just short of hitting a family crossing the pedestrian walkway. Her head hit the back headrest. Her heart raced. Good Lord, she’d come close to wiping out an entire family. Thankfully the pavement had been cleared and salted and the car had stopped without skidding.

She turned to check on Nina. Thank God her niece was still sound asleep and unaware of the near catastrophe. Shaking, Gabriella gripped the steering wheel and looked out the windshield where the wipers were still swishing back and forth. The family made it across the intersection to safety, ignorant of their near dilemma. Gabriella let out the breath she’d been holding. Instead of those visions of sugar plums, the macabre scene of her sister and brother-in-law’s mangled car wrapped around a tree and her sister laying in the hospital bed dying swirled around in her head. She gulped back the sadness and sent up a prayer that things would work out somehow. Heaven only knew she didn’t need anything else to go wrong right now. What she needed was nothing short of a miracle.

Crunch!

Gabriella’s car jolted forward. Once again her head swung forward then slammed back against the headrest. She held her breath, stunned.

“Isn’t anyone up there listening?”
What if I’d been killed like Karen and Tom? Who would take care of Nina? What if Nina had been injured?

“Dear, Lord. Let Nina be okay.”

She wiped at her tears that had a mind of their own as they trailed down her cheeks. Once again she leaned over the back seat to make sure Nina was safe. Her niece’s pudgy cheeks were smooth and rosy, her lower lip snug against the top lip fluttered, then settled with a soft sigh. Gabriella took another deep, steadying breath. More tears sprang to her eyes.

Gabriella scanned the intersection. Aside from the vehicle that had just rear-ended her, the street was quiet, empty. Light snowflakes drifted down in lazy swirls. Gabriella turned the motor off, unfastened her seatbelt, and stepped from the car. Her legs buckled. A pair of strong arms caught her before she hit the pavement.

Gabriella looked up to find a pair of dazzling ice-blue eyes glaring down at her. His touch sent a warm jolt up her arm. She looked down to where firm, very strong, well-manicured hands gripped her coat sleeve. She shuddered. She gulped in the cold winter air, let it out slowly, and stepped back against the car for support. She looked up at him—he was standing much too close. His rugged good looks had her body temperature rising despite the cold winter air. She must have hit her head on the steering wheel harder than she realized if she was this affected by a complete stranger.

Oh, my God, did she just hear bells ringing in the distance? Or were they in her head?

She blinked and shook her head. Puffs of wispy snowflakes floated down around them as if they were standing in a snow globe. Gabriella craned her neck back to get a better look at the stranger. And met those dazzling periwinkle blue eyes. A tuft of dark curly hair stuck out from beneath his hunter-green baseball cap. His compressed lips hinted at dimples. Dazed, she felt suspended in time.

“What do you think you’re doing slamming on your brakes like that?” he demanded, shaking her out of her disconcerting thoughts.

The enchanting cocoon of the moment dissolved in an instant. His tone reminded her of Charles.

“God, lady, you could have gotten hurt if I hadn’t been paying attention.”

He let go of her arm and whirled around toward the rear of her car. Her knees gave out. She leaned back against the car for support wishing he was the one holding her steady. What was it with him? One moment he supported her, and the next he practically threw her aside.

Her gloves still on the passenger seat, Gabriella tucked her hands inside her coat pockets. The man slid his tall frame in between their vehicles to assess the damage.

“My, God.” he moaned, and clapped his hand to his forehead. “
Look
.” he said, pointing to the front fender of his silver Mustang.

Gabriella, her knees cooperating at last, walked to where he stood and checked out the alleged damaged to his car. She didn’t see a thing.

“
A dent.
Lady, I just paid good money to refurbish this baby and now look what you’ve done. If you weren’t so irresponsible, this never would have happened.”

“Me?” she squeaked, her back straight, her eyes wide. “No way. You slammed into me. And there is no dent, so don’t you go turning the tables and blame me for your reckless driving.”

She swiveled around to check out her own bumper and froze. “Holy crap. Look what you’ve done to
my
car. I’m the one with a dented back end.”

Gabriella approached him and pointed her finger at his chest. Never one to strike another person, the strongest urge to do just that bubbled up inside. She held back, took a deep breath. Then let him have it.

“I have a real baby in the back of my car. The damage to
my baby
could have been a lot worse than that imaginary dent on
your
bucket of tin.” Anger surged through her at his offended expression. “You crashed into
me
. Not the other way ’round. I was the responsible one. I obeyed the rules of the road. I stopped for a red light. I am in the right. Not you.”

She let out an exasperated sigh and continued to poke her finger at his chest. “You, sir, were following too close, weren’t paying attention, and rammed into me. The least you could do is
ask
if I’m hurt or if the baby is okay.”

He abruptly turned and opened the back door where Nina was strapped into her car seat.

“Stop!” Gabriella screamed. “What do you think you’re doing? Don’t you touch my baby. You’re a stranger for God’s sake. Get back.”

Gabriella flew at him, pushed him aside with a strength she didn’t know she possessed. He bumped his head on the doorframe. His hat tilted sideways. Good. He deserved having some sense knocked into his head. His stunned expression would be comical if the situation wasn’t so serious. She hoped he ended up with a knot the size of Texas on his handsome head.

Gabriella’s chest rose and fell to the rapid beat of her heart beneath her coat now flapping in the cold winter wind. What a crappy day. She didn’t need any more problems dumped in her lap. And didn’t need this man taking liberties when it came to Nina.

She leaned in to check on her niece. And it hit her like a ton of bricks. She’d referred to Nina as
her
baby.

Oh, my God.
It’s true. Nina is mine
,
now. Good Lord. I’m a mother.

Gabriella had a sudden urge to lift Nina out of the car and cuddle her up against her chest.
Is this what motherhood feels like? Warm? Protective?
The sensation was totally unfamiliar, yet extraordinarily satisfying—it was like nothing Gabriella had ever before experienced. She was high with happiness. She’d had Nina for several weeks and as much as she’d cared for and loved the infant, this was the first time she’d truly wanted to keep Nina as her own despite any trials she had to go through—for as long as it took.

“Look, lady,” he said, interrupting her contemplations, “I just wanted to make sure the baby was okay.”

He rubbed his head. She didn’t feel a bit sorry for his pain.

“What kind of a mother do you think I am? Of course I made sure she was okay before I got out of the car.
Now. Move. Away. From. My. Baby.
”

He didn’t go far, but it was far enough. Gabriella slipped back in front of him and leaned in to check on Nina-who was now awake, and puckered up ready to cry.

“There, there, sweetie. You’re okay now,” she whispered in Nina’s ear, giving her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. The baby’s lower lip trembled then turned into a smile. Gabriella patted her cheek, tucked the blanket up around her neck, then as quiet as possible shut the door to keep out the cold.

A gust of wind blew Gabriella’s hair across her face. She brushed it behind her ears, then thrust her cold hands back in her pockets. She shivered, tugged her coat tighter. A glance at the tall, good-looking man found him still rubbing his head.

She skirted around him and his car, careful not to touch his gleaming Mustang for fear he might accuse her of scratching his baby’s new paint job. Ignoring him, she slid into the driver’s seat and before she could shut the door, strong fingers gripped her wrist preventing her from closing it.

“Here,” he placed a handful of bills in her palm. “This should cover any damage or inconvenience you’ve suffered. No need to get the police or insurance people involved. From the look of your vehicle, I’d say you don’t carry collision any longer, anyway.”

“What…?” Gabriella stuttered, looking down, her hand now full of twenty-dollar bills. Her stomach churned. If she wasn’t in such desperate need of money she’d throw it back at him. The nerve of him insinuating her car was a total wreck. Her Saturn was a perfectly good car. When it ran. It hadn’t let her down yet.

Should they exchange names, licenses, and insurance information? She did a quick look around the area and sure enough—no witnesses. Darn it. She looked back down at the money in her hand.
Crap. She’d just been bought off.

The tall stranger walked back to his car.

“Stop. I need your name and license number.”

“What for? You plan on calling me for a date?”

Gabriella’s jaw dropped. The jerk had the audacity to smile. And wiggle his eyebrows up and down in a sexually suggestive manner.
Sheesh.
The smile alone made his eyes sparkle through the drifting snowflakes. But she wasn’t in the mood to be taken in by his easy banter. Or his money.

“A date? Get real.”

“You did ask me for my phone number. I assumed you were interested.”

When she didn’t answer he continued. “Look, there’s no need to turn this in to the insurance company. No one was hurt. I’ve more than compensated you for your minor dent, while I, on the other hand, am going to have to pay more than twice as much to fix my vehicle.”

“So you assumed you could simply turn this around and make light of it, and I’d change my mind?”

He got in his car. The Mustang’s engine turned over first time out. Go figure. For a split second she contemplated reporting him for hit and run. Gabriella couldn’t believe he was about to walk away from her without the exchange of the usual necessary formalities.