Page 46 of Centurion

Anna bumped her hip into Gabby’s. “Is there chemistry?”

Gabby’s face flamed, but she nodded. “Yeah, there is.”

“I know his mother. She’s very driven. Her older boys work for her. I didn’t even know she had two younger sons.”

Gabby smiled. “Brandon is his little brother. They’re close.” Gabby reached for another potato. “How do you know if someone istheone?”

Anna stopped peeling and closed her eyes. “I’d say if you can’t imagine your life without them, they’re the one. Your dad and I had our ups and downs when we first got to know each other. But always in the back of my mind, I was comparing others to him. I wondered what he was doing and if he was safe. He filled some of the dark places inside me.” Anna laughed. “Who am I fooling? He filledallthose spaces. He became my light.”

Gabby sighed. “Con and I haven’t gotten that far. But I’d like to see if we could.”

“Why couldn’t you?” Anna asked with a frown.

“Because of who we are. I’m assuming Dad will have restrictions or requirements.”

“We talked about that yesterday. The only restriction is that before you tell him anything about who Dad is, you let us know, and he signs an NDA. Guardian has thoroughly vetted Conner, but the NDA is absolutely necessary to protect not only you but the rest of the family.”

Gabby put the last potato into the pot. “So, I can tell him my real first name?”

“Sure. He’s figured out who your dad is in the organization. He obviously knows what you do.” Anna wiped her hands, moved the pot over to the stove, and set a flame under it. “It’s about time you had an adult relationship.”

Gabby snorted. “I’ve had relationships.”

Anna mimicked her snort and said, “You’ve had sex.”

Gabby gasped, “Mom!”

“What? Do you think your father and I don’t have sex?”

Gabby put her hands over her ears and shook her head. “I’m not listening to this.”

Anna laughed and pulled the pot roast out of one of the three ovens. “Right, because you came by way of immaculate conception … not.”

Gabby dropped her hands. “Can we not talk about you and Dad and sex at the same time?” Gabby shivered. “No … parents should never scar their children that way.”

Anna laughed and put the roast on a platter to rest. “Fish the carrots and onions out of that pan, please.” Anna made a roux and stirred it into the drippings. Then she switched topics. “How’s the design business going?”

“Not too good.” Gabby leaned back against the counter. “Today, I helped Con, doing the routine stuff, so he could do the important things. It was rather satisfying.”

“More satisfying than creating a gown?”

Gabby chuckled. “No, but let’s face it, Mom. I’m never going to be an international success. The only reason the house in Paris allowed me to show my gowns under their name was because of people you knew.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But I enjoy it, and because of you and Dad, I’ve been able to indulge my curiosity and try to make a go of it. But Guardian is what I love. Taking bastards down, or for that matter out, is what I’m passionate about. A fellow Shadow once told me I wasn’t like them. I hesitate to take a shot until I’m absolutely sure.” She looked at her mom. “What if I hesitate and someone from Guardian gets hurt?”

Anna added some beef stock to the roux and stirred the gravy as it thickened. “I think you should talk to your father about that. You don’t want to know what I think.”

“Yes, I do.” Gabby walked over to her. “You have the best advice.”

“Well, I think you could do anything you want. You’ve proven that to yourself. My question is do you need to be the one to pull the trigger? Does it have to be you at the end of the knife? When you go to sleep at night, is it in your heart and head that you, as a Shadow, is where you want to invest your time and your energy? Or would you be just as happy watching from a computer screen as others take down the bastards?”

“Mom, you just swore.” Gabby chuckled softly.

“Oh, sweetheart, my swear vault is full of words. The word bastard doesn’t even rate a lifted eyebrow.”

Gabby stood beside her as she stirred the gravy. “It doesn’t need to be me.” Gabby looked up at her. “And that scares me. Where do I fit in now? Charley knows exactly what she’s doing. The twins have always known where they’re going in life. I feel like I’m drifting on the waves.”

Anna turned off the burner and put the wooden spoon on the spoonrest. She put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.“Baby, sometimes, it takes a while for a person to find their way in life. I had a job I enjoyed, but I wasn’t fulfilled. I’ve ridden those waves. Sooner or later, you’ll find your anchor. Maybe Con is that for you, and, honey, maybe he’s not, but you won’t know unless you go for it.”

Gabby nodded. “And Dad wouldn’t mind if I worked with Con or somewhere within Guardian, not as a Shadow, instead of being a fashion designer?”

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