Page 99 of The Unseen
Quinn considered waking him but changed her mind. She’d let him sleep a little longer while she saw to Emma’s present. She got out of bed, pulled on her warm dressing gown, and quietly made her way downstairs and into the mudroom. The puppy was wide awake. It yapped eagerly and wagged its tail, hoping for a treat. “There you are,” Quinn said as she set a bowl of dog food in front of it and made sure it had enough water. “Enjoy. I’m sure Grandma Phoebe will have a lovely treat for you after Christmas dinner, but for now, this will have to do.”
She petted the dog affectionately as it began to eat. “I’ll be back for you later,” she promised.
Quinn closed the door behind her and padded into the front room, where a beautiful Christmas tree stood in pride of place. This was a bittersweet Christmas in so many ways. It was her first as a wife and mother, the first without Graeme, and the last in this house. It was also the first time Quinn felt a gaping hole where her sister should be. She’d shared her concerns about Jo’s well-being with Gabe, but like Rhys, he’d dismissed them and attributed her anxiety to her desperate desire to finally meet Jo. She didn’t persist. Having a blazing row with Gabe on Christmas Eve wouldaccomplish little, and given his track record, he was probably right in his belief that Jo would come back after the New Year and contact Quinn.
Quinn smiled brightly as Emma came skipping down the stairs, with Gabe behind her, Alex in his arms. The baby was wide awake, his round blue eyes peering around with great interest, especially when he saw the shiny baubles on the tree. Quinn reached out and Gabe handed him over, his gaze meeting hers over Emma’s head.
“Where are my presents?” Emma demanded.
“Under the tree. Don’t you want to wait for Grandma Phoebe?” Gabe asked.
“I’m here. I wouldn’t dare keep my granddaughter waiting,” Phoebe said as she appeared at the top of the stairs in her paisley dressing gown.
Emma raced toward the tree and began to rummage through the pile of gifts, looking for the packages with her name on them. She ripped into them, oohing over a bedroom set for her American Girl doll, sent by Seth, flipping through the lovely picture books from Phoebe, and smiling gleefully at the children’s laptop Quinn and Gabe bought to help with her reading and sums. She’d also be able to play games and listen to music. Of course, being only five, she assumed the gifts were from Father Christmas.
“Do you like your presents?” Gabe asked innocently.
“Yes, thank you.” Emma dutifully kissed each of them in turn. “They are wonderful.” Quinn tried to hide her smile as she heard the quiver of disappointment in Emma’s voice. “Grandma Phoebe, maybe you can read me a story later?”
“Of course, darling, but I think you might be busy later.”
“With what?” Emma asked, her shoulders drooping in dejection.
“With this.” Gabe had melted away and reappeared, holding the sweet little spaniel in his arms. Its dark eyes glowed with curiosity, and it let out a woof of joy when it saw the tree.
Emma’s mouth dropped open as her eyes filled with tears of happiness. “Is he for me?” she whispered.
“Yes, he is. He’s two months old, but he doesn’t have a proper name yet. We thought you’d like to name him,” Gabe said as he set the puppy on the floor. It made a dash toward the tree, barking happily at the strips of torn wrapping paper. Buster growled and bared his teeth, but Phoebe instantly distracted him by calling out, “Buster, walkies.”
Buster ran toward the door, eager to get outside. Phoebe opened the front door and let him out to do his business. He’d run around for a while and come back when he got hungry.
“Oh, he’s gorgeous, Dad. And Mum,” Emma added, realizing she’d left out Quinn. “I love him.” She was already on her knees, trying to scoop up the overexcited puppy. “Come here, Rufus.”
“Rufus?” Quinn and Gabe asked in unison.
“Yes. What’s wrong with Rufus?” Emma demanded.
“Absolutely nothing,” Gabe replied. “Rufus Russell it is. I have something for you too,” he said softly to Quinn, his eyes glowing. “Come back upstairs.”
“Gabe, this is hardly the time.”
“Just come up.” Gabe chuckled as he sprinted up the stairs.
“I’ll get breakfast started,” Phoebe said to Quinn’s retreating back.
Gabe was sitting on the bed when Quinn came into the bedroom. He was smiling happily, a small, beautifully wrapped box in his hands. Quinn set Alex down on the bed and accepted the package, ready to love whatever Gabe got her. She didn’t reallyneed any jewelry, but men always thought it was the best gift, and she wasn’t about to argue. Quinn tore off the festive paper and took off the lid. Inside was a shiny new key.
“What does this open?” she asked, turning the key over in her hands.
“Our house.”
“You bought a house? Without consulting me?” Quinn gasped.
“I didn’t need to consult you,” Gabe replied smugly. “You told me you loved it.”
“Did I?”
“We walked past this house, and you stopped and said that you’d love to live in a house just like that one. You said it was perfect.”
