Page 69 of Gabriel's Angel

His hands had tightened on her shoulders, and all amusement had been wiped from his face. “You’re telling me that Marion called the Eagletons?”

“You just said you’d heard us, so—”

“I hadn’t heard that much.” Deliberately he relaxed his hands, then took a step back. “Why didn’t you explain this to me before so that we could have told her to go to hell?”

“I didn’t think that you—” She stopped and stared at him. “Would you have?”

“Damn it, Laura, what more do I have to do to convince you that I’m committed totally to you and Michael?”

“But she said—”

“What difference does it make what she said? It’s what I say, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” She folded her hands but didn’t lower her gaze. It was what he said. And not once had he ever said he loved her. “I didn’t want to interfere when it came to your work.”

“And I won’t tolerate Marion interfering in my life. I’ll handle it.”

“How?”

Exasperated, he tugged his hand through his hair. “One minute you talk of my work as though I had an obligation to mankind to share it, and the next you act as though I’d have to go begging to find another gallery.”

“I didn’t mean... You’ll take your paintings out of Marion’s gallery?”

“Good God,” he muttered, and took another turn around the room. “Obviously we need to talk—or maybe talking’s not what’s called for.” He took a step toward her, then swore when the phone rang. “Stay here.” With that he turned on his heel and strode out.

Laura let out a long breath. He’d said something about dragging her to the floor and letting loose. That was what had been in his eyes a moment before. And what would that have proved?

She moved to the crib to hand a fretful Michael his favorite rabbit. It would only have proved that he wanted and needed her. She had no doubts about that. Why shouldn’t she be surprised that he would cut himself off from Marion for her? But not for her, really, Laura thought as she leaned over to nuzzle the baby. For himself. Marion had made the mistake of interfering.

Reasons didn’t matter, she told herself. Results did. A great deal had been accomplished here this afternoon. He’d finally trusted her with his feelings about his brother. She’d been able to say the right things to convince him to show his work, and Marion was out of their lives.

“That should be enough for one day,” she murmured to Michael. But there was still an ache in her heart.

She wouldn’t think about the Eagletons.

“He needs us, Michael.” That, too, should have been enough. Perhaps they were a replacement for someone he had loved and lost, but he had already given the baby unconditional love. He had given her a promise of his fidelity. That was more than she’d ever had, more than she had come to believe she would ever have. And yet it wasn’t enough.

“Laura.”

She turned, annoyed because she was feeling weepy and dejected. “What is it?”

“That was Quartermain on the phone.” He saw the fear come first, then saw it vanish to be replaced by determination. “It’s over,” he told her before she could ask. “The Eagletons’ attorney contacted him a few minutes ago.”

“Over?” She could only whisper. The strength she’d built up, layer by layer, began to slip.

“They’ve pulled back. There’ll be no custody suit. Not now, not ever. They don’t want anything to do with the baby.”

“Oh, God.” She covered her face with her hands. The tears came, but she wasn’t ashamed of them, not even when Gabe gathered her close. “Is he sure? If they change their minds—”

“He’s sure. Listen to me.” He drew her back, just a little. He wasn’t entirely certain how she would feel about the rest. “They’re going to file papers claiming that Tony wasn’t Michael’s biological father. They want him cut off legally from any future claim to the Eagleton estate.”

“But she doesn’t believe that.”

“She wants to believe that.”

She closed her eyes while relief and regret poured through her. “I would have tried to be fair, to let them see Michael. At least I want to believe I would have tried.”

“He’ll lose his heritage.”

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