Page 82 of Hold

“Benji has.” He grinned. She wanted to hit him. “Anyway,” he went on. “What about you? You fell after two.”

She felt herself blushing. “I didn’t ‘fall.’ You sat next to me. And I was drunk.”

“Not that drunk, pet.”

She wasn’t going down this road again. She cut the engine and reached for her bag, which had fallen on the floor on the passenger side. When she straightened, Gabe was leaning in the window, his head right by hers.

He smelled the same, damn him. She almost wanted to freeze the moment so she could analyze how the smell of his musky cologne would affect her. Close to him, she saw his five o’clock shadow and the heavier cast to his jaw that he hadn’t had last year. But she didn’t look up as far as his eyes. She was afraid they might undo her.

“I’m here to stay, T,” he said, and she watched his lips move. He had made her feel visible with those lips, once. And then, invisible.

“Gabe,” she said, which wasn’t what she’d planned to say.

His mouth, which was all she could see, smiled. “I love you, and you’ll remember pretty soon that you love me, too. You’re nothing without me.”

And he took the last inch he needed and kissed her, a quick but firm pressure on her lips that even in that short time claimed her, and then he backed out of the car window and was watching the school bus arrive as if nothing had happened.

Benji was thrilled to see him. “That’s my da!” he yelled to the camp counselor and pulled Gabe over to introduce him.

“Mr.… Donaghy?” the counselor asked, looking at the form Thea silently handed her.

Thea, still reeling from Gabe’s kiss, tried to look as though presenting two men to the counselor in a month was normal.

“That’s right.” Gabe shook the counselor’s hand, as if he were just another father and did this all the time, rather than a man who hadn’t seen his son in two years. “Pleased to meet you.”

His ready smile and those Cillian Murphy eyes charmed the girl as quickly as they’d charmed Thea. “You too,” she said. “Benji’s a great kid.”

Gabe’s chest swelled. Like he’d had anything to do with Benji being a good kid. “Thanks; we think so too.”

Goddamn you. That’smykid.Mykudos.You don’t get to be proud of him. Not yet.

But what would she possibly say to the counselor?Don’t trust this man? He’ll promise you one thing and deliver another? I can’t even trust him to be here again next week?Benji’s face shone with pride, and Thea couldn’t betray that.

She kissed Benji and got in her car while the bus disgorged more children and they were met by various parents and babysitters. Some parents she knew came over to the strange man standing with Benji, and Gabe contentedly introduced himself in the same way.

Thea seethed.

Benji was entirely taken up with his father, his face turned up to him and only him, talking a mile a minute while Gabe opened the back door of his car where a booster seat sat.Dammit. He actually thought of that.They drove away, the bus left, and Thea sat on. Suddenly, she felt superfluous, useless. As if all her work thus far had been done only so she could deposit Benji into Gabe’s arms and walk away.

♦

From across the road, his fists still clenched, Liam watched the bus pull away and Gabe help Benji into his seat.He’d better have a booster in there. That kid isn’t big enough to get in without one.

Liam had no business here. But he disliked and distrusted Gabriel so much, he’d shown up, dropping Jake at home first. He’d forgotten Thea would have to be here too.

He’d seen Gabe lean down in Thea’s window. Seen their chitchat. Seen him lean in farther. There could only be one reason he’d done that. Liam clenched his fists so hard, he broke open a wound on his knuckle he’d gotten at work that day. Thea and Gabe and the beloved child they shared had driven away long before Liam could move.

Chapter 24

Jake must have finally broken his radio silence with his cousins. Cat’s voice seemed to shimmer red in front of Thea when she answered her call the next day.

“So, Thea. What’s up?”

Thea sighed. “I have a feeling you know what’s up.”

“Me? Why should I know anything that happens in my family’s lives?”

“All right, all right.” Thea looked at the clock. “I’ll pick up Benji and Jake and come see you tonight. Okay?”

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