Nathan's Vow (17 page)

"It's not so much the press
conference I'm worried about.  It's the aftermath."

Nathan wondered what the aftermath
would be.  This morning in the bedroom...  He wasn't sure why his gratitude had
upset her.  And he wasn't sure why her question about his motives had angered
him.  Everything about this situation with Gillian was complicated.  Even now,
watching Jake's hand on her shoulder, Nathan wished it were his hand there.  He
couldn't be jealous of Jake Donovan.  The private investigator was no predatory
wolf.

One night when Nathan feared he'd
never find his daughters, he and Jake had gone to a club for a few drinks. 
Jake had listened to Nathan, Nathan had listened to Jake.  The P.I. worked more
hours than Nathan used to and avoided getting involved with women with a
vengeance.  Yet, at this moment, Jake was looking at Gillian with gentle eyes. 
Nathan couldn't help but wonder if she brought out the best in everyone she met.

At one o'clock precisely, Jake
commandeered the microphone, announcing that he would explain what transpired
the night before.  Afterward he, Amy's father, and Gillian would be open to
questions from the reporters.  A communal gasp escaped the crowd when Jake
explained he'd called Gillian in on the case because she was a reputable
psychic.  No sooner had he finished his statement when the press zeroed in on
Gillian.

"How long have you worked with
P.I.'s?"

"What was your first
case?"

"When did you realize you had
some magic power?"

The questions bombarded Gillian,
and Nathan was ready to chase the whole entourage out of his house when she
held up her hand for silence.  In a soft but firm voice, she told them how
she'd been struck by lightning and how she'd first used her gift at age
sixteen.

Nathan listened intently.  When
they'd prepared her statement, she hadn't included this.

"I hid my ability until then. 
My best friend didn't come home one night.  As soon as I held her scarf, I
pictured a scene.  Nancy had been in an accident.  She'd hit a deer darting
across the road and bumped her head on the steering wheel.  I could picture the
exact location where the police could find her."

Nathan wondered why Gillian had
never told him about that first experience.  Then he realized he'd never asked.

After fifteen minutes of questions,
a few of which were directed to Amy's father and Jake, the rest to Gillian,
Nathan went to the sofa where the three were seated and took the mike from
Gillian.  "That's it, folks.  You have plenty."

With a last flurry of questions and
complaints, the reporters acquiesced to Nathan's order.  Jake shepherded
Gillian and Amy's father out to the patio as he and Nathan had discussed before
the press conference.

Nathan had closed the door on the
last camera technician when Dana asked from the stairs, "Can we go
swimming when we get up from our nap?"

He had to smile.  So much for the
press making an impression on his daughter.  "Sure."  He tickled
Maddie's stomach, and the toddler giggled as he carried her up the stairs.

After he settled the girls for
their rest time, he slid open the door to the patio and saw Amy's father
shaking Jake's hand.  Then the man turned to Gillian.  "I can't begin to
express how grateful me and my wife are to you.  You saved Amy's life."

"I was glad to be able to
help."

"If you ever, ever need
anything, just give us a call.  Jake might not have mentioned it, but I run a
travel agency.  If you want to go anywhere, you call me and I'll get you the
best tickets I can.  Agreed?"

She took the hand he extended and
shook it.  "Agreed."

Nathan understood the man's
gratitude because he felt the same way.  If it weren't for Gillian...  He
approached the group.  "The coast is clear.  Everyone left."

Gillian glanced at her watch.  "I
have to go, too.  I told Harriet I'd be there at four.  Until I stop at my
apartment and change..."  She headed for the living room.

"Gillian?"  Nathan's
voice stopped her.  "When do you get off work?"

"Nine."

"I'll call you."

"That's not necessary."

"I'll call you," he
insisted again.

She looked as if she might protest,
then she didn't.  She said softly, "I'll talk to you later."

Nathan had the feeling she was
running away from him.  He wanted to pull her back, but he didn't know how.

#

He called her at nine-fifteen. 
When she didn't answer at home, he called her cell. Nothing but voice mail
there, too. He dialed both again at nine-thirty and then at ten.  At
ten-thirty, he was ready to call Jake and the police.  But at eleven she
answered, fatigue evident in her voice.

He tried to keep his anxiety from
showing.  "Are you all right?"

"I quit my job."

"Why?"

"I lost my freedom again.  And
it's worse here than back in Deep River.  At least there, they're used to what
I do."

"Gillian, what happened?"

"The reporters did their
homework.  On the evening news they not only told the city what happened with
Amy, they told everyone where I worked.  The scene at your house last night was
mild.  I had people lined up out the door to get manicures and hopefully a free
psychic reading.  Oh, Nathan, this is what I wanted to escape!"

He could hear the frustration and
anger in her voice and he thought he discerned a hint of panic.  "Is that
why you're home so late?"

"No.  I stopped taking
customers at nine, but I had a few people on my tail.  Maybe they were
reporters.  I don't know.  So I drove until I lost them.  Thank goodness I have
an unlisted number.  For all I know, they could be sitting outside my door. 
Jake got my number for you.  I'm sure others can get it, too."

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck
and sank into the swivel chair at his desk.  "I ran off a few reporters
after you left.  They haven't returned, probably because they know you're back
at your apartment.  All it takes is one nose at the right place, and they all
follow.  I feel responsible.  If I hadn't pushed the press conference--"

She didn't let him finish. 
"It's not your fault.  Finding Amy was news."  There was no
accusation in her tone, just the frustration of having to cope with all of it.

"Come stay here a few days
until the hullabaloo dies down."

"No.  I'll be fine.  I just
have to decide what I'm going to do next."

Disappointment filled him.  Not
only did he want to protect her, but he liked the idea of having her around. 
"You really quit your job?"

"I had no choice."

He knew she was desperately tired
and needed to sleep.  "Call me if you need me."

Gillian didn't respond, and he
suddenly wondered if she'd call Jake first.  That was absurd.  Wasn't it?

#

The next day, Nathan tried to call
Gillian at least ten times, and each time her line was busy.  What the hell was
going on?  He'd decided to drive over there with Maddie and Dana after supper
when his doorbell rang.  Leaving the girls in the kitchen, twirling spaghetti,
he answered it.

Gillian stood on his porch,
overnight case in hand.  "I decided to accept your invitation if it's
still open."

"Of course, it is."  He
took the bag from her hand and tugged her inside.

Her expression was anxious and
tentative.  "I didn't know where else to go.  Cable news picked up the
story.  The phone rang off the hook all day.  Writers wanting interviews. 
Would you believe someone wants to do a book, maybe a movie?  What is it about Los Angeles?  In Deep River I was simply an oddity.  Here, everything has exploded."

He'd never seen Gillian frazzled,
but she looked close to it now.  Dropping the bag, he took her in his arms and
held her.  "You can stay here as long as you need to."

Rigid in his hold, she protested,
"But they might get your phone number."

"We'll let the machine take
all the calls.  And if anyone sets foot on the property who shouldn't, I'll
hire guards to run them off."

"Nathan, I don't want to
disrupt your life and Dana's and Maddie's."

Gazing into her eyes, he tried to
reassure her.  "You know the girls will be delighted you're here.  This
will die down, Gillian.  You just have to let it run its course."

Finally going limp, she laid her
head on his shoulder and mumbled into his chest, "I hope you're
right."

So was he.

#

With the answering machine monitoring
calls, Gillian found relief from the chaos.  Now and then an odd reporter
showed up, but for the most part the furor had died down.  She could
concentrate on simply hiding out and enjoying her time with Nathan and Dana and
Maddie.  She had never really taken care of anyone but herself.  Her
relationship with Brian had been more of a dating courtship, and she now
realized they hadn't been very close.  Not in the way she and Nathan were.

It seemed natural for her to get up
in the morning, go downstairs and start breakfast.  She was learning Nathan's
and Maddie's and Dana's likes and dislikes.  Maddie was a picky eater.  No
syrup on her French toast.  Butter on one slice.  Dana soaked her toast with
syrup and could eat two slices.  And Nathan.  He used apple butter, no syrup
and ate at least four.

They'd fallen into a routine. 
After breakfast, Nathan worked in his office for a while.  Gillian spent time
with the girls, teaching them crafts or taking them shopping, or to the park. 
She would prepare lunch, then as the girls rested, Nathan would spend another
hour or so in his office.  In the late afternoon the four of them would swim,
cook supper, and afterward go for a drive or take a walk.  On the Fourth of
July they'd watched fireworks burst into glory over the ocean.

In some ways it was like a vacation
for Gillian.  She hadn't taken one since she'd graduated from college.  But in
others...

After Dana and Maddie went to bed,
she and Nathan would play Scrabble or cards.  They competed, laughed, and Gillian
fell deeper in love.  Nathan's kisses were restrained, yet potent
none-the-less, and Gillian couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the
girls weren't in the house.

On the fifth evening, she and
Nathan sat on the patio while Dana and Maddie played in the yard.  Abruptly, he
folded the newspaper he'd been reading and laid it on the flagstone beside
him.  "Are you going to get another job?"

His question brought Gillian back
to reality with a jolt.  She'd known the serenity of the past few days couldn't
last.  "I have to decide whether or not I'm going to stay in Los Angeles.  I spoke to my mother last night and she told me one of her friends would
like to buy into the craft shop.  I could sell my interest.  But I don't know
if I'm ready to do that."

"I might have a temporary
solution if you're not ready to sell out and need more time to decide.  If
Leona lets me keep the girls for the summer, I'd like you to stay and take care
of them."

Her heart seemed to sink to her
toes.  She tried to read the expression on Nathan's face, glimpse some emotion
in his eyes.  But she couldn't.  "You want me to be your
housekeeper?"

He frowned.  "No, of course
not.  I'd have my usual cleaning lady come in.  You'd do what you've been doing
this week.  Play with Dana and Maddie, teach them, make them breakfast and
lunch--"

"You want a nanny."

"I want you."

But as what?
her heart
cried.  As a lover, a housemate, a babysitter?  She loved Nathan with all her
heart.  She wanted to spend days with Dana and Maddie and time with him.  But
not as a paid employee!  Dreams of his love, and a future, and nights in his
arms grabbed at her heart.  She didn't want to be his employee.  She wanted to
be his wife!

The doorbell rang.  Nathan swore
and said, "I'll be right back.  Think about it." 

She'd hardly had time to absorb the
extent of her love for Nathan when he returned to the patio, Leona beside him. 
His ex-wife was saying, "So I decided to take an earlier flight out and
here I am."  When she saw Gillian on the patio, she stopped.  "Hello,
again.  Nathan didn't tell me he had a guest."

Gillian stood.  All week she'd felt
comfortable at Nathan's house.  Now she didn't.  "Nathan has let me stay
here a few days as an escape.  I'm sure he'll tell you all about it.  If you'll
excuse me, I have a few calls to make.  I'll say good night to Dana and Maddie
and head up to my room."

Before either Nathan or Leona could
respond, Gillian slipped off the lawn chair, gave each child a hug, then went
inside.  She didn't intend to watch Leona and Nathan interact.  She didn't
intend to feel like a fifth wheel.

#

With a glance at Gillian's closed
bedroom door, Nathan let Leona put the girls to bed.  Afterward, he walked her
to the front door.  "They're glad you're back."

"But they're happy here with
you, too."

"Did you hope they wouldn't
be?"

Leona blushed and murmured,
"It's hard for me to let go."

"You're their mother.  Nothing
will change that."

"They like Gillian."

Dana and Maddie had told Leona
about their day at Disneyland, the picnic with Linc, the past few days playing
and shopping with Gillian.  "She likes them."

When he didn't say more and the
silence stretched awkwardly, Leona said, "I've decided to let the girls
stay with you for the summer.  If that's what you still want."

Relief swept over him, and the
tension that had coiled inside him since Leona had taken the girls finally
dissipated.  "I do.  And I guess you should know I've asked Gillian to
take care of them for the summer if I have them.  Do you have any
objections?"  They might as well get this hashed out now to avoid
complications later.

Leona was quiet for a moment. 
"No.  I watched Gillian with them in France.  She's very capable."