“Good.”
She tilted her head and watched the soft breeze ruffle his dark hair. Suddenly she was greedy. She wanted to know everything she could about this man before she set him free.
“What are your dreams, Damien? You never told me.”
He took a sip from his can of cola and swallowed the liquid, then his lips curved in a wry smile. “What every man wants. To be rich, successful and have any woman he desires.”
She grimaced. It was typical of him not to share his dreams with her, yet he expected her to tell him everything. “I’m serious.”
His smile disappeared. “Seriously, then. I’m rich. I’m successful. And I’ve got the woman I desire.”
Her heart turned all aquiver. “Oh.”
His eyes assessed hers. “Is that all you’ve got to say?”
“Three out of three ain’t bad,” she joked, but felt far from laughing. A man like Damien would never truly admit to actually feeling something for a woman, other than lust. And that was just as well. She wanted no complications. He would survive without her as he always had done, and that would make it easier for her to walk away when the time came.
At the reminder of her departure, she dropped her remaining pizza in the box and jumped to her feet. “We’d better be going. I want to see my father before he falls asleep.”
“Whoa!” Damien stood up and moved in close, frowning. “You still don’t believe you’re enough for me, do you?”
Her gaze darted away, then back. “Of course I do,” she said, but even to her own ears she sounded less than convincing. Not that it mattered. Actually, it worked out better. If Damien thought she was upset over this, he wouldn’t suspect she was upset over her upcoming departure.
A dark shadow crossed his features, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, some squealing children and a dog ran past them, kicking up the sand.
Thankful for the interruption, Gabrielle broke away from him and began collecting their things. After a moment he helped, too, but she was grateful he said nothing further on the way to her parents’ house. For once, his running true to form like this…keeping his thoughts to himself…was working in her favor.
Yet just how she was going to achieve leaving him she wasn’t sure. If she left without warning like last time, she’d have to leave all her belongings here. She wouldn’t be able to pick up the threads of her old life. She’d been fooling herself to think that. Damien would be on her doorstep this time for sure. Pride would insist his wife come back to him.
But how could she start afresh somewhere and not tell her parents if she were to cut all ties? Could she really do that to them? If she only had herself to worry about, perhaps. But it was all so complicated. God, why had she ever agreed to come back here in the first place? She should have refused. It would have saved a great deal of heartache in the long run.
Fifteen minutes later she had to put her thoughts aside as she and Damien entered her old home. The front door had been left unlocked for them, and now they found her father lying in bed in the main bedroom, her mother reading one of the latest novels to him.
“What’s this, Russell?” Damien said in a joking tone. “You getting soft in your old age?”
Russell chuckled. “It seems so.”
Caroline closed the book and put it on the bedside table. “He tells me his days of reading the Financial Review are over.”
Damien’s glance sharpened. “So you’re retiring?”
“Yes, son, I am. I want to enjoy the more important things in my life.” His eyes encompassed Caroline and Gabrielle. “That’s all that matters to me now.”
Gabrielle’s heart thudded. So many times she’d longed to hear such words, but now they only caused her more anguish and despair.
All at once her mother smiled a nice bright smile that went nowhere. “So, darling. When are you two going to have that proper ceremony? I’ll need to put it in my calendar. I’m not sure where I’ll be then but—”
Russell’s eyes sharpened. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Caroline glanced at him, then away. “Um, I said I’m not sure where—”
“I heard what you said,” he growled. “I’m just not sure why you said it. You’re not going anywhere. At least not without me.”
She flushed but held herself stiffly. “Russell, I came back because you had a stroke. Now that you’re getting better you don’t need me anymore.”
“Wrong. I need you more than ever, Caroline,” he said brusquely.
A tremor touched her mother’s lips. “Russell, I—”
“Do you love me?”
Caroline’s chin lifted as she met his gaze head on. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I love you,” he said, the rough edge of emotion in her father’s voice. “More than ever.”
Her mother looked hesitant. “You do?”
“Of course I do.” His gaze swept over them all, an arrogant tilt to his head that reminded her of Damien. “And I don’t care who knows it.”
Caroline bit her lip. “But…I didn’t think you cared anymore. You’ve been acting so…polite at times.”
“Only because I wanted to recover fully before convincing you to stay with me. As it is—” he looked down at himself on the bed, then up again “—I’m still not well enough, but I want you to stay with me anyway.”
Caroline’s eyes lit with hope. “You do?”
“Yes,” he said on a broken whisper, holding out his hand toward her.
“Oh, Russell.” She went into his arms.
Gabrielle’s despair lessened at their avowal of love. Her parents would be okay without her. They loved each other after all. Love would get them through it.
As it would her.
Something pulled her tear-filled gaze away from her parents to the window. Damien stood, looking at her, his gaze penetrating and oddly watchful.
“Well, well, Russell,” a male voice interrupted from the doorway behind them. “This is quite a development.”
Gabrielle spun around and found Keiran standing there with a smile that oozed false charm. The torment of his presence sent sudden desolation sweeping over her.
“Keiran,” Russell said, sounding pleased. “Come in. Come in. I’ve got some news. I intend to renew my vows to Caroline just as soon as it can be arranged.”