I’ll Be There (25 page)

“Zach! It's good to see you looking like your old self again!” William's voice boomed from the next room.

Gabriella walked toward the living room and stopped to watch the scene unfolding before her. She wasn't sure how much William knew about her and Zach, and she kind of wanted to get a handle on it before calling attention to herself.

“It's good to see you, Uncle William. I didn't think you were flying in too,” Zach said with a genuine smile on his face.

“Well, we weren't quite sure if we were going to make it. Lucas and Emma's little girl's birthday was yesterday and we didn't want to miss her party. But we were able to get a flight out this morning and decided to take it. Your aunt here wanted to see for herself that you were doing better.”

Monica walked over and hugged Zach. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. “You have no idea how much I've been worried about you,” she said, kissing him hard on the cheek before pulling back and staring at him. She was all of five feet four compared to his six-foot frame, and yet at that moment it seemed the other way around.

“You were our first nephew. You were the first baby I ever held. I watched you take your first steps. You're as much a son to me as my own three boys. When you're hurt, we're hurt.” She pulled his face in close. “Don't ever scare me like that again.”

And then she hugged him again and Zach wrapped her in his embrace and simply held on.

Silence filled the room for a long moment before Ryder broke the spell. “Geez, Aunt Monica, way to make the rest of us feel special.” Everyone laughed.

“Oh hush, Ryder,” she said playfully before returning her attention to Zach. “I had just found out I was pregnant with Mackenzie when Zach was born. I knew nothing about babies or being a mom and you, my sweet Zachary, were a complete wonder to me and your uncle. You still are.” She squeezed him again. “I'm thrilled to see you looking so happy. Nothing is more important to me than you being happy and settled. I never cared about your adventures. I want you safe and healthy.”

“So, just to be clear…you're
still
saying Zach's the favorite,” Ryder deadpanned, and everyone laughed and then began talking all at once.

Zach released his aunt after kissing her on the cheek and went to stand by Gabriella. His arm easily found its way around her waist to keep her close. They both groaned a little when William spotted them and made his way over.

“It's good to see the two of you finally got it together,” he said when he stood before them. “I was beginning to think I'd really have to send Gabriella to San Diego with Christian!”

Zach looked at his uncle with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Before William could answer, James sauntered over. “Zach, Zach, Zach,” he said with a knowing smirk. “You weren't paying much attention to the activities of our dear uncle here before your accident, were you?”

Zach looked at his brother, then his uncle and Gabriella before he finally admitted he had no idea what James was talking about.

“Seems Uncle William has fashioned himself as some sort of matchmaker. He thinks he's responsible for Lucas, Jason, and Mac finding wives, and when that wasn't enough, he went on to take credit for Ryder and Casey,
and
me and Selena. It was only a matter of time before he honed in on you and Gabriella.”

“Oh, and don't forget about me and Summer,” Ethan said, joining the group.

“So…wait a minute. Are you trying to say you're taking responsibility for me and Gabriella getting together?” Zach asked with a chuckle.

“Guilty as charged!” William said, giving Zach a friendly pat on the back. “Oh, I knew the two of you were already well on your way, but you just needed a little…nudge. It's what I do. I don't claim to fully find the right person for you young men, but I do pay attention to the women around you and get
you
to start paying attention. It's really quite simple.”

“He's taking credit again, isn't he?” Ryder asked as he sauntered over.

Zach and Gabriella stood there and chuckled at all of the good-natured ribbing going on between William and his nephews. Actually, Gabriella's was more of a nervous chuckle because she was afraid Zach was going to get upset by the things being said. She knew how much he hated family interference in any capacity, and there was a good chance he'd be offended by William stating that he had orchestrated anything between them.

“Don't get me wrong,” William was saying, “I may not have been as hands-on as I was with my boys, but you were all still challenging!”

“Well, I, for one, am thankful,” Zach said as he raised his glass. “And I'd like to propose a toast to my uncle.” He looked at his brothers and Ethan and everyone else in the room until they all had a glass in their hand. “Thank you for giving us all the nudges we needed.”

“Hear, hear!” was the chant throughout the room, and Gabriella noticed tears shining in William's eyes. Unable to help herself, she stepped forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The rest of the day was spent celebrating—primarily the engagement of Summer and Ethan, but Zach was clearly the star of the day. Gabriella was amazed at the transformation. In all the years she'd known Zach, she didn't think she'd ever seen him look so happy or so relaxed. He was laughing and joking with his brothers, and it filled her with pride to know she had a little something to do with it.

But she also was a little more skilled at noticing when something was wrong. It wasn't anything major, but after a couple of hours she did notice that he was sitting more, and every once in a while, she'd see his smile slip slightly. He wasn't exerting himself in any capacity, but this was a lot more activity and interaction than he'd had in a while. The thing she feared most was that he was in pain—and feeling discouraged that something as minor as a family get-together could cause him pain—and he'd use it as an excuse to hide away again for a while.

Excusing herself from her conversation with Summer and Casey, Gabriella walked over and sat beside him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing. Zach looked at her and she knew he could tell she was concerned for him. Gratitude shone in his eyes.

“Hey, look who's finally awake,” Selena said with her baby in her arms. “I promised you a snuggle once he was awake.” She placed the baby in Gabriella's arms and then stood back and smiled. “If you wouldn't mind holding him while I get a bottle ready, I'd really appreciate it.”

Gabriella looked down at the tiny baby in her arms and felt oddly emotional. “That's fine,” she whispered softly, her eyes never leaving the infant's face. Her finger skimmed the soft skin of his cheek as she looked at him with wonder. So small. So precious. Her heart squeezed hard and it startled her a bit.

“That's a good look on you, Gabs,” Zach whispered in her ear.

She couldn't look at him. Not now. He'd see too much. It would be so easy to get caught up in the moment and start planning a scene like this of her own—with a baby and Zach.

Having a family had never been part of her plan. Gabriella learned a long time ago that marriage and children were not always all they were cracked up to be. She was from the ultimate dysfunctional family, and the thought of turning out like them was terrifying. But sitting here right now, surrounded by the Montgomerys while holding this precious baby in her arms, her plan started to crumble.

“You okay?” he asked quietly, as if sensing her sudden unease.

She nodded. “Mmm-hmm.” Taking a steadying breath, she said, “He's just so small. It's hard to believe something this tiny and fragile is the same person who was crying so fiercely a little while ago.”

Zach chuckled. “Yeah, James mentioned he's got some set of lungs. I told him it served him right. James was a brat as a kid and I'm hoping this little guy gives him just as much hell—if not more—for everything he put all of us through.”

Just then Selena reappeared. “Hey! Why do I have to suffer along with that too?” she asked with a chuckle.

“Goes with the territory,” Zach said, still laughing. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Selena said, pulling up a chair beside them and testing the bottle before handing it to Gabriella. “Would you like to feed him?”

Gabriella's eyes went wide. “Me?” she squeaked. “Really? Won't he…won't he be upset if his mom isn't the one doing it?”

Selena laughed softly. “Are you kidding? He's comfortable there in your arms and you're about to feed him. Right now, you're his new best friend.”

Gingerly, Gabriella took the bottle from Selena's hand and offered it to the baby. She gasped with surprise when he immediately latched on and began to drink. “Oh! He's doing it! He's really letting me feed him!” Her words were said softly enough, but the excitement was palpable.

Selena squeezed Gabriella's arm reassuringly. “If you'll excuse me for a minute, I think I'm going to snag a few more of those mini quiches before they're all gone. Can I get you guys anything?”

“We're good,” Zach answered for them, placing an arm around Gabriella's shoulders.

Neither of them noticed the knowing smiles around the room that were directed at them. Neither of them had eyes for anyone but each other and the baby in Gabriella's arms. And they certainly didn't notice when William walked by his brother Robert—strutting like a peacock—as he murmured a cheeky, “I told you so.”

Zach Montgomery was not known for his patience. But if there was one thing everyone kept telling him throughout this whole experience, it was to be patient. So for the last few weeks, he had been the most patient man he could be. There should be a damn award for him. Gabriella still hadn't given him an answer about moving in with him, but was he going to mention it? No. Was he going to push the way he wanted to? No. Was he slowly losing his mind?

Hell yes.

She still slept at her place at least twice a week, and for Zach, that was two nights too many. He was trying very hard to respect her boundaries, but it really would make her life easier to just have everything at his place. For a woman who was all about efficiency, she certainly wasn't being very efficient about how they were living and working.

He liked the setup they had at home and he felt comfortable without prying eyes watching him. Plus, he knew now that physical exertion wasn't the only enemy. He had been trying so hard to present the look of a totally healed man on their outing to Summer and Ethan's party that he had tensed up more than he should have and paid the price for it for days afterward.

Lesson learned.

Today was the first day he was returning to the office. He and Alex had been working on getting to a point where Zach was confident that he would be able to relax enough at work that he wouldn't cause himself discomfort, even with an audience. Still, he hated not having a guarantee.

Gabriella sat in the car beside him. If she had picked up on any hint of the things racing through his mind, she wasn't letting on. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something had changed Gabriella that day at Summer's house. Maybe it was the fact that they'd finally outed themselves to his family, or maybe she was just overwhelmed by his family in general. The Montgomerys were a fairly rowdy and intimidating bunch, but by now he would have thought she'd be used to it.

Or maybe it was James and Selena's son, Jamie. Zach could still hear the wonder in Gabriella's voice as she'd fed the baby his bottle, and see the serene look on her face as she'd held him. He hadn't realized before then that he had no idea if she was a “kid” kind of person; in all the years they'd known each other, the subject had never come up. But something about her reaction to Jamie told Zach the wonder she'd had was a new feeling for her.

It was just one of several things he wanted discuss with her. Maybe she knew it, too, because lately, every time he wanted to have a serious personal conversation, she distracted him with sex. Not that he was complaining. Not really. The woman had a way of bringing him to his knees with just a look. She'd blown his mind and completely exhausted him more times than he cared to admit.

But Zach needed answers and he needed them soon. He was tired of living in limbo. He'd finally figured out what he wanted in life, and he didn't want to waste any more time. It was all fine and good that he was learning to be more patient than he used to be, but if his close scrape with death had taught him anything, it was that time was precious. He was ready to have what his brothers had—love, marriage, wives, children. None of those things had mattered to him before, but now Zach was anxious to start a life with Gabriella.

If only she'd sit still and stop being sexy long enough for him to talk to her about it. He snorted with mock disgust—primarily at himself for being so weak.

“Are you okay?” she asked, turning to face him.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You just sort of sounded like you were annoyed at something.”

Here was his opening. It was a potential segue into the conversation he wanted to have, but he didn't want to start it on an annoyed note. Plus, now was not the time. They were just about to pull into the corporate parking lot and he needed to focus on getting through the door and past all of the welcome-back greetings without getting tense.

Dammit.

Rotten timing.

“I'm fine. Really.” He parked the car and took a minute to take a deep breath and get his head in the right place. Finally, he reached over and took one of Gabriella's hands in his. “Ready?”

Her smile was positively dazzling. “Absolutely,” she said. “How about you? This is a big day.”

Zach nodded. “Just promise you'll be ready to turn some people away so we can actually get some work done.”

Playfully, she pulled her hand from his and reached for the door handle. “I've been doing it for years. It'll be a piece of cake.”

* * *

By five o'clock, Gabriella's head was pounding. The day seemed to have gone on forever. As much as she loved the fact that just about every employee at Montgomerys had stopped by to welcome Zach back, she was a little tired of smiling and answering the same questions about how it felt to have him back.

“You look like you could use a drink,” Summer said as she walked toward Gabriella's desk.

“I think I need a bottle of aspirin more. And maybe a massage.”

“Ooo…that does sound good. Think we can sneak out of here and arrange it? I can totally get Ethan to take Zach home.”

It was tempting. “I don't know. We drove in together—his car. You'd have to drive me home.” And then it hit her. This would be the perfect excuse to have a night at her own place. Gabriella wasn't stupid. She knew Zach was waiting on her answer about moving in together, but she just couldn't find the time alone to really think it through.

It wasn't that she didn't love Zach—she did—but they had spent so many years at odds with one another that she was afraid to trust this…honeymoon phase they were currently in. It was important for them to get back to a normal routine, to see how they'd function as a couple at this stage. Now that Zach had taken the first step and come back to the office, they were on their way. Of course, if she mentioned it to him, he'd probably argue with her how it didn't matter where they worked. He'd tell her if she really wanted to live with him, it shouldn't matter where they were working from. Maybe he was right. Maybe it shouldn't matter. But the fact was, it did.

“I can totally drive you home,” Summer said, interrupting Gabriella's wayward thoughts.

“Do you think you can convince Ethan to take Zach out for a celebratory drink so it doesn't look quite so much like…?”

“Like you need some time away from him?” Summer asked with a smirk. “There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's completely normal.”

Gabriella smiled with relief. “I feel kind of guilty. This was a big day for him and I should want to be with him and celebrate.”

Summer waved her off. “Nah. He should want to celebrate and talk shop with Ethan. It's the final piece of the puzzle. Now they can make plans for the future of the company—hopefully ones to include me and Ethan getting some time off to head back to North Carolina for more than two days to look at our house and plan the wedding.”

“Now we definitely have to go out. I've been so wrapped up in your brother that I've completely forgotten there's a wedding to plan! I want to hear all about it!”

Summer dashed off toward Ethan's office, and five minutes later he strode across the reception area and saluted Gabriella with a big smile on his face. “Go have fun. I've got this,” he said, and knocked on Zach's door and went inside.

There was no way she was just going to slink out the door without saying good-bye, so Gabriella took a few minutes to straighten up her desk. Summer sashayed back over with a huge smile on her face.

“I called the spa and we have appointments in thirty minutes.” She looked over toward Zach's office. “Has Ethan come out yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Hmm… Let's go in and say our good-byes together. Less of a chance for Zach to throw any guilt your way.”

Gabriella grabbed her purse and chuckled. “You are a scary woman sometimes, Summer.”

Big blue eyes and a dazzling smile at the ready, Summer looked over her shoulder. “Trust me, I've learned from the masters.” She opened Zach's door immediately after knocking and walked over to Ethan and wrapped her arms around him. “Gabs and I are going out for a little girl time. Massages and then maybe some sushi.” She kissed him soundly on the lips. “I'll call you when I'm on my way home.”

Zach sat at his desk and eyed his sister and Ethan for a moment before his gaze darted over to Gabriella. “Massages?”

She nodded. “After the day we've had, I think I need it.”

He smiled and stood, walking around his desk to her. “Well then, go enjoy yourself. Summer's gonna bring you back to my place, right?”

“Actually, it's easier for me to stay at my place tonight. It's closer for her. Can you pick me up in the morning on the way here? My car is at your place.”

“You know there's a solution to that,” he whispered in her ear, and the feel of his warm breath gave her chills.

She knew exactly what he was getting at, but she was definitely not in the right frame of mind to get into it right now. Plus, they had massages to get to. She kissed him on the lips. “I'll see you in the morning.”

Summer grabbed her hand and tugged her along. “Let's go, girlie! Our spa time awaits!”

* * *

“Okay, now that I've got you like putty, why don't you tell me about how things are going with you and my brother?” They were at their favorite sushi bar after getting hour-long massages when Summer decided to get to the good stuff.

“He wants us to move in together.”

“Okay,” Summer said as if waiting for something more.

“What?”

She sighed. “Gabs, you're practically living together already. Why haven't you sold your condo? It's a total drag spending time in two different places and having your stuff scattered in between. Blech! I hated that part of my relationship.”

“Um, I hate to remind you of this, but you never really dealt with it. You had about two minutes of living separate from Ethan before he literally hijacked your moving truck, kidnapped you from the airport, and moved you in with him, so save it.”

“Okay, okay. Let's just say…blech, I hate even the
thought
of doing that. There. Is that better?”

“You're so cute when you're sarcastic,” Gabriella said as she reached for some salmon. And then she sighed. “So…okay. Okay.” Another sigh. “I'm scared.”

Summer looked at her blandly. “You're going to have to do better than that. You're not afraid of anything.”

“Says you.”

“Look, it's always scary taking a relationship to the next level,” Summer said comfortingly. “I was nervous about moving in with Ethan, and I've known him my whole life. We went from ignoring each other to being all over each other to ignoring each other again to living together in a matter of weeks. It was like a roller-coaster ride I couldn't get off. But once we settled in…oh, Gabs. It's just the best. I can't stand it when he has to travel and he's not sleeping beside me.”

“I know what you're saying. Going back to my place and having a night to myself is okay, but…I really do miss Zach when I'm there.”

“Then why do it?”

“Because we are together all the time. All. The. Time. There's no break. There's no escape. It's not healthy for a relationship of any kind. When we were working from home it was like we almost never had to leave. We were shut off from the rest of the world. While Zach was more than happy to have it that way, the walls were starting to close in on me. I can't live like that.”

“Yeah, but it was a temporary thing. Now that he's driving and working in the office again, it's going to be better. It won't be just the two of you.” She gently placed her hand on top of Gabriella's. “You guys have been dancing around one another for so long, and now things are finally going your way. It's only natural that some things change as you move forward. Do you
want
to live with him?”

“I think so,” she said, but the hesitation was there.

“Okay,” Summer began diplomatically. “Do you want to continue your relationship with him?”

“Of course I do! But continuing the relationship should not be contingent on whether or not I move in with him.”

“Of course it shouldn't, but it's a subject that's going to keep coming up whether you like it or not. Think about it from a practical angle; you're paying rent for a closet. That's what your apartment is at this point. Your stuff is there but you're primarily with him.”

“But that was because of his homebound recovery. I had no choice but to be at his place. Now that we're back at the office, we can take a step back and have our separate spaces for a little while.”

Summer leaned back in her seat. “It's your family, isn't it? You don't have any idea what it's like to be in a normal, healthy relationship because you've never seen one.”

Gabriella moved on to a California roll. Pointing her chopsticks at Summer, she said, “I hate when you're in my head.”

“Well, you've done it to me enough times, so deal with it,” she replied with a smile. “Gabs, I'm serious here. Don't think about your family. Break the cycle. Zach's always been around good, healthy relationships. Our parents, our aunts and uncles…they're all success stories. He'll be right there with you and…I'm not just saying this because he's my brother, but…he's totally worth it. You really should give this a chance.”

“What if…what if things don't work out? Then I'm homeless, probably out of a job, and have the whole Montgomery family after me… It's a big risk to take.”

“If you're concerned about your job hinging on whether or not you're sleeping with him, there's a solution to that too. Find another job. You can't tell me you want to be Zach's assistant for the rest of your life.”

Gabriella shrugged but didn't meet Summer's gaze.