Page 78 of A Table for Two
It was all Serenity could do not to break down. Hearing her friend crying broke her heart. She held on and murmured that Brianna would be okay, but she didn’t know who she was trying to convince more. At length, she eased back and noticed Reggie off to the side. She embraced him, too.
“Thanks for being here, Serenity.”
“You know I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Terri came back after about fifteen minutes, but she didn’t have any news. She sat next to Serenity. “I can stay with you, if you want.”
“No. You need to go home to your husband and try to get a few of those minutes in,” she added with a small smile.
“All right, but call me if you need me to come back.”
“I will. I promise.” She watched Terri disappear around the corner with her phone to her ear, then resumed the wait. She hoped it was nothing more serious than a slight concussion and a few bruises. Serenity wanted to ask what happened, but the family was so distraught at the moment, she didn’t dare. It took another hour before the doctor came out. Along with a broken arm and bruises, Brianna had a concussion. She had awakened briefly, and he considered that a good sign. They were keeping her in the hospital, and the family could visit once Brianna was moved to a room.
By the time they were allowed to visit, another two hours had passed and the sun had begun to set. Serenity had planned to get the update from Pam once she’d seen her daughter, but Pam insisted Serenity accompany them to the room. At the first sight of Brianna lying so still in the big bed, the tears she’d held back all day finally broke free. Serenity swiped at them and fought to keep her composure. When Pam gestured her forward, Serenity ran a careful hand over the little girl’s face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “You’re going to be okay, sweetie. You have to get well for our tea party.” The last words were choked out by her tears. She faced Pam and Reggie. “I’m going to go so you can spend time with her. Please let me know if anything changes or if you need me to come back.”
Pam nodded.
Serenity hugged them both and gave their hands a squeeze of encouragement, then slipped out quietly. She successfully made it to the bathroom before breaking down completely. When she emerged several minutes later, Gabriel was leaning on the opposite wall. He didn’t say anything, just opened his arms. Without thinking, she flew into them and buried her face in his chest. The tears started again, and he held her. She needed this. No other man, outside of her father, had made her feel safe and comforted.
“How is she?” Gabriel asked.
“Still not awake, and it’s pretty serious. She has a broken arm, bruises, and a concussion.” The tears welled in her eyes again.
“She’s going to come through this.” He kissed her temple. “Come on, baby. Let me take you home.”
She wiped her face with the tissue she’d gotten from the bathroom. “How did you know I was here?”
“Jon and I met up for a run, and I was there when Terri called. I told her to tell Dana and Natasha that I’d pick you up so they wouldn’t worry.”
Serenity stared up at his concerned features in wonder and lost her heart completely. How could she not love this caring man?
***
Gabriel parked in his driveway and led Serenity into his house. He could have just as easily walked her over to hers, but for some reason, he wanted her close. Brianna meant a lot to her, and this couldn’t be easy. He’d only met the bubbly little girl once and had been taken in by her sweet smile, so he could imagine what Serenity was going through right now.
He sat in the oversize recliner and pulled her onto his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder and released a deep sigh. Her stomach growled softly. “When was the last time you ate?”
“This morning. We had just started lunch when I got the call.”
It was nearly eight, and she had to be starving. “I’ll fix you something. Is there anything in particular you want?”
Serenity sat up. “Not really. I don’t have an appetite at the moment.”
“I know, but you can’t take care of anyone else unless you take care of yourself.” Gabriel caressed her face and kissed her softly. “I made shrimp and pasta in a white wine and butter sauce for dinner. How about a little of that?”
“Okay.”
He eased her off his lap and onto the chair, then stood and headed for the kitchen. Taking down a plate, he dished up a small portion of the pasta and heated it in the microwave. When it was done, Gabriel put it, along with a glass of wine for each of them, on a tray and carried it to her.
His heart constricted at the sight of her curled up in the chair. Suddenly, Brent’s words came rushing back:You said you didn’t know whether the relationship had the potential for more, but everything you’ve done with her points to exactly that.The knowledge that his friend was right slammed into him and weakened his knees. Gabriel hadn’t hesitated to volunteer to pick Serenity up from the hospital—more like he’d insisted on it. Those weren’t the actions of a man involved in a fling. Neither was cooking for her or going out of his way to find tickets to a concert because she mentioned liking an artist. In fact, every single thing he’d done indicated that this was more.Shewas more. And the voice that had been whispering in his head for the past couple of weeks that extending his time would be a good thing kept getting louder.
As if sensing his presence, Serenity sat up and smiled at him. “That smells good.”
He placed the tray over her lap and picked up his glass. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, thank you.” She took a sip of the wine. “I know we’re supposed to have our movie night, but…”
“We’ll do it another time.” He’d been looking forward to snuggling up with her while they watched the movie and enjoyed some snacks, but he understood.
