Page 69 of Enchanting the CEO

We walked to the front door and knocked several times, but no one answered.

"I'm hearing laughter. Is it possible they're outside somewhere?" I said, taking a step back.

Gabe nodded. "You're right. They're in the back. That's why they aren't hearing us. Let's go around the house."

As we walked, I kept admiring the construction. It truly was a thing of beauty. I liked the garden too; it was simple, with some sort of shrub around the perimeter.

Once we stepped into the backyard, I saw Nick, Leo, and Maddox. There was also a woman. Next to me, Gabe tensed, and I stared at him questioningly.

Maddox noticed us and practically jumped up from his chair. "Gabe, hi. Did you knock? I didn't hear it. Did you tell me you were coming?"

Gabe cleared his throat. "No, I just decided to this morning because I wanted to get those weights I loaned you."

"Hi! Nice to see you all again," I said.

He looked from me to Gabe but didn't say anything. Nick, Leo, and the older woman at the table rose too. "Diane, Gabe, this is my mother, Helen." Helen's eyes were fixed on Gabe.

"How do you do, Helen?" Gabe said, stretching his hand. "It's good to meet you. I forgot you were in the city this weekend."

"Nice to meet you, Gabe. I've always heard a lot about you from my boys."

"Diane and I aren't going to stay too long. We don't want to keep you."

"I'll bring your weights," Maddox said before disappearing into the house.

“Can’t believe you two are using home training equipment when I own gyms,” Nick said. Even though his tone was teasing, there was no mistaking the underlying tension.

Gabe shrugged. “I like to blow off steam at home too.”

"Do you want a coffee, or something to eat? I baked some cupcakes," Helen offered.

"No, we're good," Gabe said. "But thank you."

"Sit down, then. Maddox isn’t the most organized, so who knows how long it’ll take him to find what you loaned him.”

Gabe chuckled as we sat down, but it wasn’t as naturally lighthearted as usual. An uncomfortable silence settled around the table.

"So, Helen, where do you live?" I asked.

"In Montana," she replied, "though I lived in Maine for many years."

Was it my imagination, or did Gabe stiffen even more at the mention of Maine? I knew their history, so presumably that was where his father raised his secret family. The whole situation was hard to grasp. It seemed so unreal.

"What are your plans this weekend?" I asked her. I wasn't sure what to do except make light chitchat. Clearly, everyone at the table was uncomfortable, but she was making an effort, and so was I.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," Helen said. Got it, she didn't want to go into detail. “The boys set up a few places for me to visit.” She smiled at her sons, and I could see their family connection was solid.

"All right. Found it," Maddox said, coming out of the house.

I swear I felt everyone at the table relax.

Gabe immediately rose to his feet, and I did the same. "Thanks, man. We'll be on our way."

Maddox glanced at Gabe, then fixed me with his gaze. "Great. Have a fantastic day, you two."

Gabe and I walked back the same way we came. Once we reached the car, I asked, "Do you want to talk? Things seemed off back there."

"You picked up on that, huh?"

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