Be My Baby (10 page)

‘Justin! How are you, you old devil?'

Justin's smile was warm, just about. ‘Good. Good. And how are you, David? I haven't seen you much since…'

‘The divorce?'

Justin looked flustered. ‘I suppose it must be…'

‘Hattie invited us.' He nodded towards the cool blonde on his arm. ‘I hope I haven't spoiled the surprise.'

‘No, no. I'm surprised. That's for sure.'

David clapped Justin on the shoulder. ‘Super, that's the spirit. You and I were such good chums once upon a time. It seems a shame to let a little family mishap get in the way of that.'

Luke was very pleased that Gaby's big brother didn't look too convinced. Still, he was polite enough not to say anything. David grinned and looked round the foyer. ‘And what about your little sister? Is she here?'

‘I'm not sure if she's arrived yet, but she's supposed to be coming. You know Mum, rallying the troops and all that.'

David's answering laugh was brash and hollow.

‘Is she bringing anyone?'

Justin shrugged. ‘Not sure.'

The smirk that passed between David and his partner at this point made Luke feel sick. This had to be Gaby's ex. He was just the kind of low-life pond scum he'd expected. And Gaby was going to have to put up with this kind of stuff all night. He knew in his gut that David didn't have the decency to stay well clear. He was the type who liked to gloat.

At least Justin looked uncomfortable. ‘Listen, David, I've got to get on. I'll see you later, okay.'

Justin made his way up the stairs and David turned to the blonde and whispered in her ear. She sniggered. Luke suddenly found himself standing up poker-straight, back no longer in contact with the wall. His hand was balled into a fist and he knew he was just itching to use it on someone.

But, just at that moment, Heather rounded the corner. She sloped up to him while he was still staring at the slick-haired lout who used to be married to Gaby. David became aware that someone was looking at him and turned, a quizzical look on his face.

Luke glared some more, then held out a hand to his daughter. ‘Come on, Heather. We've got things to do.'

 

Gaby took a deep breath and fixed a pair of simple diamond studs into her ears. There. Done. Decorated like the Christmas turkey.

It had been quite a while since she'd had to get dressed up in her gladrags and, since she'd lost about thirty pounds, none of her pre-divorce, classic-cut little black dresses would do. So she'd splurged.

Her dress was a dark raspberry colour and the most fantastic thing she'd ever worn. To hell with propriety and shift dresses! This one was a show-stopper. The neckline was daring, but not too indecent, and she still had enough curves left after the weight loss to give it the wow factor.

Her hips could do with being a little smaller, but in this dress it didn't seem to matter. The cut was so good that all it did was emphasise her waist as the gently flaring fabric fell to her ankles. This was the kind of dress she'd always wanted to wear when she'd been out to big business affairs with David, but she'd always felt too frumpy to pull off.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was swept up into a neat chignon, a few carefully teased tendrils escaping to frame her face.

This was for David. Not to impress him, but to say,
Ha! Stuff you! I can make it on my own.
And the fact that she looked ten times better today than she had done during their marriage was a testament to the fact she was right.

And everyone would see she was better off without him and they'd stop whispering and giving her pitying looks and just let her be.

That was why she was here, really. She wasn't looking forward to being aware of David and Superwoman out of the corner of her eye all evening, flaunting their togetherness. She didn't want to be reminded that her love life was pretty pathetic in comparison.

David would love to rub it in if he knew she'd fallen helplessly for someone she couldn't have. He was competitive about everything, even about who could recover the fastest after the divorce. The fact he'd had a head start with Cara while they had still been married wouldn't matter. He would see her on her own and he would judge.

She was just going to have to convince him otherwise—give the performance of her life. Be vivacious. Be elegant. Be charming and witty.

In other words, be somebody else.

Chop chop, Gaby. You've got an ex-husband to silence, once and for all.

She slipped her strappy high heels on and checked her watch. Seven fifty-nine.

Show time.

 

Luke ran a hand over his newly shaved chin. Was he making a really big mistake turning up here like this? It had all seemed such a perfect plan when he had been sitting with the in-laws, sipping tea from cups and saucers and ignoring the awkward silence. Now he wasn't so sure.

She might think he was intruding or something.

Simon, his ex-colleague and good friend, had looked flabbergasted when he'd turned up on his doorstep and begged the loan of a dinner jacket and bow tie, but he'd handed them over anyway. A true mate.

He tugged at the collar of his shirt. He'd always hated getting trussed up like this, but tonight he wasn't doing what
he
wanted. He was doing what Gaby needed. Ever since her slimy ex-husband had exchanged looks with his new woman in the hotel lobby, he'd known she needed someone to be with her tonight. A friend.

And even if he wanted to be more than just a friend, he would put that aside. She'd helped him in more ways than he could count and it was time to start repaying the debt.

Eight o'clock. He was right on the dot. Nothing more to do than walk up the stairs into the foyer and find her. And hope she didn't laugh in his face or look uncomfortable that he'd come. He took the stairs two at a time and walked into the hotel with more confidence than he felt.

The small lobby was busy already, full of guests milling around, looking for the cloakroom or greeting each other. Luke scanned the crowd, but he couldn't see Gaby anywhere. He spotted her brother at the bottom of the stairs, being hotly pursued by a tense-looking pregnant woman he presumed was his wife.

His gaze followed the staircase round and up to the landing, but there was no sign of her there either. Wait. His eye was caught by just the right shade of caramel lights in warm brown hair, but it wasn't her. The woman in question had her back to him and she held herself in a completely different way. Gaby always seemed so relaxed when she moved, but this woman stood tall and straight with an almost regal air. The motion of her hand as she smoothed her hair was too neat and precise to be Gaby.

What about the hotel bar? He checked. Still no joy.

He let out a breath that did nothing to dissipate the tension in his shoulders and wondered what to do next. How long should he wait here? Surely someone would tag him as a gatecrasher before long and he'd be out on his ear.

Once again, his eyes were drawn to the stairs. The woman he'd spotted a few moments ago was descending, one graceful hand sweeping the banister and the other lifting the skirt of her deep red dress out of the way of her feet.

His eyes followed the smooth-skinned arms upwards to her face and his heart did a double kick.

It was Gaby.

He blinked and looked again. Then his mouth dropped open.

This was his nanny as he'd never seen her before. She was wearing make-up, for a start, and not just that stuff she used to protect her lips from the blustery river air. The dark eyeshadow, or mascara, or whatever it was, made her eyes look huge and she wore a deep berry lipstick to match her dress. No sign of a half-mast hairdo here. Everything was pinned and sprayed and, well…tidy.

He wanted to call out to her but, all of a sudden, he had no idea what to say. It was as if he were looking at her for the first time, and he felt stupidly shy, almost as if he didn't know her any more.

She smiled at her brother, who'd been cornered by his wife, as she reached the bottom step, then walked over to kiss each of them on the cheek.

He couldn't get over it. She looked so poised and just plain stunning that he stood glued to the spot as she moved through the mass of people, greeting all with an even smile. Nobody would have guessed she'd been dreading this.

She was almost at the entrance of the function room before he remembered he was supposed to be following her.

He ducked and dived through the crowd, but she was always just that little bit too far away to call without attracting too much attention. Finally, she paused in the doorway to look around the room and he got his chance.

H
IS
tongue seemed incapable of movement. What was he doing here?

Gaby didn't need him. She was the picture of serenity and confidence. All his noble thoughts of rescuing her seeped away. But then, if he acknowledged the truth to himself, he'd have to admit that his reason for coming tonight was more than a little selfish.

He just hadn't been able to stand the thought of being away from her for almost a day. Rushing in as her knight in shining armour was just a thin excuse to be with her. Away from the Old Boathouse—away from labels like
employer
and
employee—
they could just be Luke and Gaby. Man and woman. The temptation to grab hold of that opportunity had been too great.

Gaby started to work her way through the guests. This time he didn't follow, he just watched. She paused to greet relatives and family friends as she moved through the throng of people, but he could see where she was headed. He recognised the dark, slicked-back hair of her ex-husband at the far side of the room and his fingers flexed and curled in an involuntary reaction.

She was so brave. Not many women in her position would have the guts to face down their ex in such a public place. If only he were a little closer, so he could enjoy her victory. He shuffled further into the room. Gaby stopped to chat to a crowd of men surrounding her brother. They were so tall and broad, he guessed they were rugby players. From this position he could scarcely see past them.

He stopped edging forward. Gaby only came up to his shoulder, normally. Even in heels she wouldn't be able to see past the wall of muscled men in front of her. She had no idea she was heading straight for her ex. His heart lurched in sympathy. At least David hadn't spotted her yet, either.

At that moment, one of the rugby players, who was probably recounting some hard-fought pitch battle, ducked and lunged to one side. Gaby must have got a glimpse of what was waiting for her if she carried on her path because, just for a second, she faltered. And then, almost seamlessly, she veered away from David and his new love, their backs still towards her, and headed for the little bar in the corner of the room.

It was only a slight hesitation—no one else had seen it—but it gave him courage. She needed him more than he'd thought. He made his way through the crowd and was only ten feet from her, when he saw she had company. The ex was closing in. He must have spotted her after all. But instead of the smug smile Luke had expected, he seemed a little taken aback.

David stood close behind her as she leant on the bar, and breathed her name.

‘Gaby?'

She stopped trying to attract the bartender's attention and went very still. Luke could see her profile from where he stood. She took in a little breath, then arranged her face into a polite smile before she turned to face her ex-husband.

‘David.'

‘You look…'

She raised an eyebrow.

‘…well, fantastic.'

‘Thank you.' Her smile didn't change, or grow even a little. Luke knew it was a fake one, designed to throw David off the scent, so he wouldn't realise how uncomfortable she felt.

The rat leaned in to kiss her cheek. Luke had to stop himself launching forward. Every muscle in his body tensed as David's lips lingered just a little too long and he brushed his hand down the top of her bare arm.

He didn't want Gaby. That was plain from the remarks Luke had overheard in the lobby earlier that evening. But David seemed to think that Gaby still wanted him and he was using the knowledge to keep her off balance, at a disadvantage. Of course, he could be attempting to have his cake and eat it too. Either way, he was a rat.

‘How's Cara?' Gaby asked.

The rat's smile flicked as he pulled away from her. Luke felt a sense of triumph. Good for her. She was reminding him what was what. And David didn't like it one bit. He was a smart guy and he'd seen she wasn't about to fall into a heap at his feet.

‘Fantastic as always. You know Cara.'

‘Not really, David. If you remember, I didn't even know of her existence until you were packing your bags to move out. It hardly gave us time to bond, you know.'

Luke grinned. A couple of months ago, he'd have bet that Gaby would have shrunk back and said something bland in response to that remark. She seemed to be getting the hang of standing her ground these days. With him to practice on, it was hardly surprising.

David changed tack and pasted on a look of concern. ‘I wanted to come and speak to you, before word got round this evening, Gaby. I think you should know that…'

Gaby looked at him as if to say,
Now what?

David continued. ‘You should know that Cara and I are expecting a baby.'

The smile slid straight off Gaby's face, but David ploughed on. ‘As I said, I thought I should let you know quietly, just in case someone else dropped the bombshell.'

Slime, pure slime. He wasn't protecting Gaby; he was rubbing it in.

‘But…but you always said you didn't want children.'

David shrugged. ‘What can I say, Gabs? People change. Perhaps it's got something to do with meeting the right person.' He rubbed her arm again. Patronising jerk! ‘You'll find someone one day, just you see.'

The look of pure hopelessness on Gaby's face tore at Luke's heart.

David looked around the room. His smile said he already knew the answer to his question. ‘Are you here with anyone, Gabs?'

Gaby began to shake her head and Luke knew this was his moment. He closed the distance between them and curled a protective arm round Gaby's waist.

‘Yes, she is.'

If the situation had been any different, Luke would have howled with laughter at the look on the other man's face. Instead he thrust his spare hand out for a handshake.

‘Luke Armstrong. And you are?'

‘I'm…David Harvey. I'm Gaby's—'

‘Well, David. It was a pleasure to meet you, but I'm sure you understand we can't let a lady as delicious as this hide away in the corner. Come on, Gaby. It's time you let me have that dance you promised me.'

And with that, he whisked her away, leaving David with his mouth flapping.

 

Luke's arm around her waist was propelling her forward. He was marching so quickly that she had to trot to keep up.

‘Luke? What on earth are you doing here?'

He slowed and spun her ever so gently so that, without quite working out how she'd got there, she was in his arms and they were dancing. The jazz band Hattie had raved about played a mellow number and Luke drew her close so that one of her hands lay on his chest and her head rested against his jaw.

‘I thought you could do with a friend here tonight,' he whispered into her hair.

‘What about Heather?'

He spun her round and her stomach went giddy. How could the man with feet of iron dance so beautifully?

‘She's being spoiled rotten at Granny and Grandpa's.'

He was making his presence at her brother's party seem so reasonable. Sane even. How could he know she'd come to this blasted party to escape the barrage of feelings and sensations every time he was near? And how was she supposed to resist him when one of his hands was burning at the small of her back and the fingers of the other hand were tangled with hers? To top it off, the smell of clean shirt laced with spicy aftershave was making it really, really hard to think.

It seemed as if Luke could read her mind.

‘Don't worry. Just dance,' he said and pulled her closer.

She let out a breath and sank against him. She didn't care what his reasons were for coming here. All that mattered was that, right now, everything seemed perfect. All her life she'd been chasing after perfection and it had always been out of reach.

She was reminded of the bag of flour that had sat on the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard when she'd been married to David. One time she'd practically dislocated her shoulder reaching for it. Her fingertips had even brushed the paper wrapping. But, try as she might, she hadn't been able to wiggle it forward so her cramping fingers could grab it. And then David had walked in, reached over the top of her and handed it to her. It had been so easy for him.

No, perfection wasn't for mere mortals like her. It was reserved for those more clever and more beautiful. But someone had been careless. Someone had left a little piece of perfection lying around and she'd stumbled upon it. And now she had it in her grasp, she wasn't going to let it go until the clock chimed midnight, or the fairy godmother waved her wand, or whatever it was that happened when fairy tales turned to dust.

The song drew to a close and their feet stopped moving. It was too soon. She wanted to stretch the moment to make it last a little longer. Luke started to move away and she knew the magic had died.

‘I think you're safe now,' he said, looking round the room.

Of course. It was all part of the show to fool David and Cara, and anyone else who might come along to gawp or take pity.

She looked up at him and her stomach bottomed out. Wow! He was wearing a really nice suit. His hair was combed and even the stubble was gone. Her fingers lifted from where they rested on his chest and reached for the smooth skin of his cheek. It was only at the last second she remembered she really ought not to, and diverted her hand to an imaginary piece of fluff on his shoulder.

‘Thanks.' One corner of his mouth lifted.

Her stomach had deserted her and now her breathing was having second thoughts as well. This freshly scrubbed Luke was seriously yummy. Not that he hadn't been attractive before. It was just that, along with the stubble, all the crustiness seemed to have vanished, and she suspected she was getting a glimpse of what he must have been like before…everything.

Her fingertips made contact with the smooth skin of his face. How they'd got there after the diversionary tactics, she wasn't sure, but she couldn't stop herself. And suddenly he wasn't smiling any more, he was just looking at her and she was looking back at him, and everything had gone very, very still.

All except for the fingers still stroking his cheek.

He let out a sigh, closed his eyes and leaned into the palm of her hand. And then her eyes were shut too and their faces were so close there was only one possible thing to do next…

‘Gabrielle!'

Her eyes shot open and suddenly there was a clear foot between her and Luke.

‘Mum! How lovely to…I didn't see you there.'

Her mother gave Luke an appraising glance. ‘So I noticed.'

Luke stepped forward and offered his hand. ‘Good evening, Mrs Michaels. Luke Armstrong. I believe we met earlier.'

I believe we met earlier?
Who said that? Not the Luke she knew, that was for certain. Perhaps she'd been wrong. Perhaps there was still magic in the air tonight after all.

Her mother looked wary, but it would be rude not to shake hands, and if there was one thing Sylvia Michaels prided herself on, it was her manners. But both women watched in astonishment as, instead of shaking her hand, Luke raised it to his lips and kissed it gently. Was her mother blushing?

‘Well, it's nice to see you again too, Mr Armstrong.'

‘Please call me Luke.'

Her mother forgot entirely to do her queen bee act and gave him a really genuine smile. Gaby almost gasped out loud.

‘And you must call me Sylvia.'

Luke let go of her hand and his returned to Gaby's waist. Something that didn't go unnoticed by her mother.

‘What do you do, Luke?' It was an innocent enough question on the surface. Luke had no idea he was on the slippery slope to a full KGB style interrogation.

‘I'm a doctor.'

‘A
doctor?
Well, that's wonderful.' The look she gave Gaby showed she was clearly both impressed and amazed at her daughter's ability to turn up with a suitable man. ‘And how did you two meet? Was it—'

‘Well, Sylvia, I think the band is starting up again. I'm sure you'll excuse us. We can have our chat later.'

Her mother actually smiled. ‘Of course. I'll look forward to talking with you again.'

You bet she would! In a darkened room with a bare light bulb and guards at the door.

Luke had swung Gaby back into his arms and they were moving again. She looked back at her mother over Luke's shoulder. Mum gave her a knowing, don't-mess-it-up-with-this-one look, and then Luke turned her again and her mother vanished.

‘So that's what they teach you at medical school these days, is it? Mind control.'

He laughed. ‘It's just a game, Gaby. I was pre-warned and she was taken by surprise. We had the advantage'

‘We?'

‘We make a good team, don't we? I presume getting your mother off your back was on your wish-list for this evening?'