Page 34 of Gabriel's Angel

“There, he looked right at me.” With emeralds glowing on her skin, Amanda grinned foolishly and cooed. “Looked right at your gran, didn’t you?”

“He looked at me.” Cliff leaned closer to chuck the baby under the chin.

“Nonsense. Why should he want to look at you? Do something useful, Cliff, like opening the champagne.” She clucked and cooed at the baby while Laura stood twisting her hands. “I hope you don’t object to the wine. I didn’t ask if you were nursing.”

“Yes, I am, but I don’t think a sip would hurt either of us.”

Approving a second time, Amanda started for the couch. Laura took an instinctive step forward, then made herself stop. This wasn’t Lorraine Eagleton, and she wasn’t the same woman who had once cowered. But as hard as she tried to dispel the image, she saw herself standing just outside the family circle.

“I’d get glasses,” she said lamely, “but I don’t know where they are.”

Saying nothing, Gabe went to a cabinet and drew out four champagne flutes.

Cliff took Laura’s arm. “Why don’t you sit down, dear? You must be tired after traveling.”

“You sound like Gabe.” Laura found herself smiling as she eased into a chair.

Glasses were passed. Amanda lifted hers. “We’ll drink to— For goodness’ sake, I don’t know the child’s name.”

“It’s Michael,” Laura offered. She saw the grief flash into Amanda’s eyes before she closed them. When she opened them again, they were wet and brilliant.

“To Michael,” she murmured, and after a sip she leaned down to kiss the baby’s cheek. Looking up, she smiled at Gabe. “Your father and I have something in the car for the baby. Would you get it?”

Though they didn’t touch, and the glance lasted only a moment, Laura saw something pass between them. “I’ll just be a minute.”

“We won’t eat her, for heaven’s sake,” Amanda muttered as her son left the room.

With a laugh, Cliff rubbed her shoulder. There was something familiar about the gesture. It was Gabe’s, Laura realized. The same casual intimacy.

“Have you been to San Francisco before?” he asked Laura, snapping her back to the present.

“No, I— No. I’d like to offer you something, but I don’t know what we have.” Or even where the kitchen is, she thought miserably.

“Don’t worry about it.” Cliff draped his arm comfortably over the back of the chair. “We don’t deserve anything after barging in on your first day home.”

“Families don’t barge,” Amanda put in.

“Ours does.” Grinning, he leaned over and chucked the baby under the chin again. “Smiled at me.”

“Grimaced, you mean.” With a laugh of her own, Amanda kissed her husband’s cheek. “Granddad.”

“I take it the cradle’s for Michael and the roses are for me.” Gabe strode in, carrying a dark pine cradle heaped with frilly sheets and topped with a spray of pink roses.

“Oh, the flowers. I completely forgot. And no, they’re certainly not for you, but for Laura.” Amanda handed the baby to her husband and rose. Though she moved to rise, Laura saw Cliff tuck the baby easily in the crook of his arm. “We’ll need some water for these,” Amanda decided. “No, no, I’ll get it myself.”

No one argued with her as she marched out of the room, carrying the flowers.

“It’s very lovely,” Laura began, bending from the chair to run a finger along the smooth wood of the cradle. “We were just talking about the baby needing a bed of his own.”

“The Bradley bed,” Cliff stated. “Fix those sheets, Gabe, and let’s see how he takes to it.”

“This cradle’s a family tradition.” Obediently Gabe lifted out the extra sheets and smoothed on white linen. “My great-grandfather built it, and all the Bradley children have had their turn rocking in it.” He took the baby from his father. “Let’s see how you fit, old man.”

Laura watched Gabe set the baby down and give the cradle a gentle push. Something seemed to break inside her. “Gabe, I can’t.”

Crouched at her feet beside the cradle, he looked up. There was a dare in his eyes, a challenge, and, she was certain, a buried anger. “Can’t what?”

“It isn’t right, it isn’t fair.” She drew the baby from the cradle into her arms. “They have to know.” She might have fled right then and there, but Amanda came back into the room holding a crystal vase filled with roses. Sensing tension, and intrigued by it, she continued in.

---