Gabrielle. "Gabrielle, darling. I think you need to introduce your man to me."
"He isn't my man, Mom."
The woman looked him over. "Nonsense. I saw how you were standing just now." She was looking him in the eye, her faded green eyes challenging him.
This woman was smart. People smart. There wasn't going to be much room to get around her. Seth held out his hand. "Seth O'Connor, ma'am."
"Elizabeth Sherborne, Mr. O'Connor. You can call me Elizabeth. Everyone does and I actually prefer it to Mrs. Sherborne."
"Elizabeth."
"So...you're the one," she said, studying his face.
"I helped get your daughter out of the river yesterday," Seth agreed.
She smiled. "Yes, there's that, too," she responded. She glanced at her watch. "Lunch is in about three minutes, Mr. O'Connor."
"Seth."
"Seth. My husband has requested that you sit next to him for the meal, which means you will both have to sit up there at that end." She waved toward the far end of the long table, and smiled. " That will cause a fuss before the meal is served, I am sure."
Chapter Six
Gabrielle thought the meal would never end. Seth had said he could hold his own, but she had never suspected he could prop her up at the same time. It was almost unnerving the way he could read her mind and sense when she was feeling whipped or cowed by the bloody barbs.
She had been fending for herself for decades but lately, she had been getting so tired of it all and retiring, defeated, to lick her wounds. In the last few years, it had simply become easier to submit and let the family use her as target practice. She was a world class screw up after all, so why not? Gabi-hell strikes again.
But every time they had lined up on her today, Seth had stepped in front of her, or picked her up, dusted her off and pushed her back in front of the fray with her mental boxing gloves back on.
Now they were at the brandy and coffee stage, though, she was truly running out of energy. It had been a long while since she had gone head-on with the family, mano é mano like this. She would walk away from the table today with her dignity intact, thanks to Seth. Normally she either crept away from family dinners, a slug-like being with a destroyed ego, or she stalked away before the event was done, her fury pouring from every vent, ready to crack heads and break precious objects.
Family dinners lasted for hours and it was already getting dark when she and Seth got to their feet and walked slowly to the entryway once more.
Seth looked out through the doors. "It's snowing again," he said.
He looked so good in his suit. She wanted to open the jacket and snuggle up against him, inside the jacket and just...inhale him.
"That'll make it a slow trip home," she said stiffly.
The waiter brought his long overcoat and helped him into it.
"I know the road between here and home backward and upside-down," Seth said. "I'll be fine."
The coat made his shoulders look extra wide, extra strong. There were so many things Gabrielle wanted to say to him. He'd spent all afternoon propping up her courage...why couldn't she find the strength now to give some of that back to him? Damn it, he was about to step out the door and maybe never come back!
She reached for his sleeve. "You said you would explain, later."
He glanced around the entrance area, looking for observers. "We might be better off—" He looked over her shoulder. "Darlene," he said more loudly.
Gabrielle let go of his sleeve and turned to face her father's assistant. The blonde smiled pleasantly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to catch you before you left. There's heavy snowfall reports for the area and Cameron would prefer that you didn't risk driving in such conditions. We've arranged a cabin for you for the night, with our compliments." She held out a keycard. "It's the MacKenzie King cabin, at the end of path. They're all marked very clearly."
Seth looked at the keycard for a moment, then slowly reached out to take it. "Tell Cameron he's
"He isn't my man, Mom."
The woman looked him over. "Nonsense. I saw how you were standing just now." She was looking him in the eye, her faded green eyes challenging him.
This woman was smart. People smart. There wasn't going to be much room to get around her. Seth held out his hand. "Seth O'Connor, ma'am."
"Elizabeth Sherborne, Mr. O'Connor. You can call me Elizabeth. Everyone does and I actually prefer it to Mrs. Sherborne."
"Elizabeth."
"So...you're the one," she said, studying his face.
"I helped get your daughter out of the river yesterday," Seth agreed.
She smiled. "Yes, there's that, too," she responded. She glanced at her watch. "Lunch is in about three minutes, Mr. O'Connor."
"Seth."
"Seth. My husband has requested that you sit next to him for the meal, which means you will both have to sit up there at that end." She waved toward the far end of the long table, and smiled. " That will cause a fuss before the meal is served, I am sure."
Chapter Six
Gabrielle thought the meal would never end. Seth had said he could hold his own, but she had never suspected he could prop her up at the same time. It was almost unnerving the way he could read her mind and sense when she was feeling whipped or cowed by the bloody barbs.
She had been fending for herself for decades but lately, she had been getting so tired of it all and retiring, defeated, to lick her wounds. In the last few years, it had simply become easier to submit and let the family use her as target practice. She was a world class screw up after all, so why not? Gabi-hell strikes again.
But every time they had lined up on her today, Seth had stepped in front of her, or picked her up, dusted her off and pushed her back in front of the fray with her mental boxing gloves back on.
Now they were at the brandy and coffee stage, though, she was truly running out of energy. It had been a long while since she had gone head-on with the family, mano é mano like this. She would walk away from the table today with her dignity intact, thanks to Seth. Normally she either crept away from family dinners, a slug-like being with a destroyed ego, or she stalked away before the event was done, her fury pouring from every vent, ready to crack heads and break precious objects.
Family dinners lasted for hours and it was already getting dark when she and Seth got to their feet and walked slowly to the entryway once more.
Seth looked out through the doors. "It's snowing again," he said.
He looked so good in his suit. She wanted to open the jacket and snuggle up against him, inside the jacket and just...inhale him.
"That'll make it a slow trip home," she said stiffly.
The waiter brought his long overcoat and helped him into it.
"I know the road between here and home backward and upside-down," Seth said. "I'll be fine."
The coat made his shoulders look extra wide, extra strong. There were so many things Gabrielle wanted to say to him. He'd spent all afternoon propping up her courage...why couldn't she find the strength now to give some of that back to him? Damn it, he was about to step out the door and maybe never come back!
She reached for his sleeve. "You said you would explain, later."
He glanced around the entrance area, looking for observers. "We might be better off—" He looked over her shoulder. "Darlene," he said more loudly.
Gabrielle let go of his sleeve and turned to face her father's assistant. The blonde smiled pleasantly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to catch you before you left. There's heavy snowfall reports for the area and Cameron would prefer that you didn't risk driving in such conditions. We've arranged a cabin for you for the night, with our compliments." She held out a keycard. "It's the MacKenzie King cabin, at the end of path. They're all marked very clearly."
Seth looked at the keycard for a moment, then slowly reached out to take it. "Tell Cameron he's
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