Naked Hope (38 page)

He glanced down, frowning. “What’s this?”

Laughter bubbled up once again. “Look. Text message,” she managed.

Gavin’s eyebrows furrowed and then arched as his mouth widened with amusement. “You have an email from Delta confirming your flight to Pembrokeshire leaving tomorrow.”

She nodded, pleased to have the upper hand for once.

“You were
coming
to me.” He crowed. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

She waited, no idea where he was headed.

His eyes crinkled and his body relaxed as he swaggered around the room. “My story just got a whole lot better. Not only did the wench pester me with text messages, she followed me halfway around the world.”

“Technically, Wales is not halfway around the world from here,” Jill pointed out in a calm tone.

Gavin shrugged, grinning like a boy. “Makes for a good story.”

She crooked her finger.

He threw himself onto the sofa, catching her up in his arms and taking her with him.

“All I have to tell people is that you were waiting on the other side of my door with a very bad line about my shoes. They’ll know whom to believe,” she said, as she brushed the faultless cut away from his brow.

“Enough.” He gave her backside a playful pat. “Let’s get down to business. About that flight you’re taking. The first thing we’ll do is upgrade you to first class.”

“You say that like there’s a second thing.”

“Well, I either better get over there ahead of you, or get on the same plane. Because I’m sure not letting you go there without me. Do you have any idea what Welsh men are like?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Well, if they’re anything like your Uncle Raleigh

and what do you mean, you’re not
letting
me?” Her body stilled. She flattened her palms against his chest and pushed away.

His hands tangled in her hair. “Don’t argue with me, love. You’re not getting away from me again.”

Jill bit her lip. “Wait, we’re forgetting something.”

“What?”

“Olivia.”

He frowned. “What about Olivia?”

“She shouldn’t be without you, Gavin.”

“Liv is fine,” he said, capturing her hands.

Jill shook her head. “No, Gavin. You can’t leave her alone right now.”

He gazed down at her. “Don’t do this, Jillian. Don’t make this into a problem.”

“But

” She struggled to sit up.

Gavin cut her off. “You haven’t seen her in four weeks. You can’t know whether she can handle being without me.”

“No, and I’ll grant you that there’s a possibility that

”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Have we learned nothing?”

“Well, I was granting the possibility that

”

He kissed her again. “Nothing?”

“But she

”

“The truth is, Liv’s a little tired of me, if you can believe that.” He grinned. “But when I go home and explain that you and I are going away for ten days

”

Jill’s eyes widened. “Ten days?”

“—because you’re on winter break for the next month—ten days will go by in a flash—and that her grandmere and grandpop will be with her every moment. If she’s not okay with our taking some time away, you have my word that I’ll drop the entire thing—for now.”

“Yes, but you don’t know

” Jill snapped her mouth shut so hard, her teeth hurt.

He circled an arm around her and placed a finger on her lips. “Thank you. And for the record, I know my daughter.”

****

Late that night, Gavin called. “She was gleeful.” His voice resonated through the phone.

Jill emptied tea leaves into the trash and rinsed her cup. “She wasn’t.”

“She was. I’m feeling a little rejected.”

“Gleeful?”

“Could we focus on me for a moment? What will you do to console me?”

Jill hung up the phone, chuckling and went into the bedroom to pack, knowing sleep would be elusive.

Just after midnight, she sent Gavin a text.

Are you asleep?

No. Can’t sleep.

Me either. Can’t wait for tomorrow.

Airport @ 9 AM. Don’t be late.

****

Jill awoke with a start, horrified to see the clock blinking eight-thirty-two. She’d slept through her alarm. She flew around tossing a few personal articles into her make-up case, stuffed it into her carry-on, and ran a quick brush through her hair. Thank goodness, she’d done most of her packing the night before. She called for a cab.

“Sorry, Miss,” the dispatcher told her. “We’re running long today. It’ll be at least a forty-minute wait but if you can get to a taxi stand you might have better luck.”

The nearest taxi stand was about three blocks away. Panicked, she burst out the door straight into the arms of Baines.

“Baines.”

“Good morning, Dr. Cole. If you’ll be good enough to come with me, please.”

Thank God
. Baines would find a way to get her there in time.

But Baines drove in the opposite direction of the airport, his accent tightly clipped. “The maestro’s been trying to reach you since before five this morning.”

“Is something wrong?” Jill groaned, remembering that she’d put her phone on vibrate for the gala and had never turned the ring tone back on.

“That is for him to say. You’ll find caramel rolls and a decaf double tall, non-fat, extra-dry
cappuccino
with an extra shot of non-fat in the warmer.”

“He’s not at the airport waiting?”

“Our destination is Shadow Hills.”

Never an easy one to read, she could have sworn she detected a hint of twinkle in the butler’s eyes. Jill dug out her phone and called Gavin. “You have some explaining to do. Why am I on my way to Shadow Hills instead of the airport?”

“
I
have some explaining to do? Why aren’t you at the airport?
You
would’ve missed the flight.” His voice vibrated with exuberance. “Now, I have to warn you. At first, you’re not going to like any of this.”

“Like what?”

“Never mind what. Just know you won’t like it at first. So, I want you to promise me that no matter what, you’ll trust me and not interrupt until I’m done showing you my surprise.”

A niggle of worry gnawed the pit of her stomach. She eyed the back of Baines’ head but as usual, the man appeared relentlessly remote. She’d get nothing out of him. “You have a surprise for me?” The question eased out smoothly enough. Likely he wouldn’t notice just how much she hoped whatever he was up to wouldn’t upset the new and rather tenuous balance they’d worked so hard to achieve.

“Oh, baby, do I ever. And, after my surprise, there are one or two things I want to talk over with you.”

“Is your surprise better than a trip to the U.K.? Because if not, I have one or two things to talk over with you, too.”

He laughed. “You talk pretty tough for someone who would have missed our flight.”

“How do you know? You’re an hour away in Shadow Hills.” Her gaze locked with Baines’ and narrowed.

“True, but I’ve had Baines camped outside your door since six-thirty this morning. I told him to let you sleep in, since we weren’t going to the airport. But if we had been, I would’ve had Baines pound on your door or break it down, if necessary

”

“You
are
a brute.” She couldn’t help the smile spreading her lips.

“I thought I was all ‘piratey’.”

She chuckled.

“Your favorite coffee, caramel rolls, a swanky ride—yes, I am the very definition of brutish. But seriously, I’ve been up since three—hurry up and get here.”

“Which explains your lack of coherence. Experts will tell you seven-to-nine hours of sleep are essential to meet

”

“And I’ve known since three that we weren’t getting on that flight.”

“

your basal sleep need for optimal performance

”

“And since you weren’t answering your phone

”

“

and maintain a coherent state

”

“

the only option left to me was to send Baines.”

“Who’s apparently been sworn to silence. I barely got a ‘good morning’ out of him.” She winked at Baines in the rear view mirror.

Gavin swung her out of the Bentley almost before they’d come to a complete stop and half-dragged her through the front door and down the hall. They stopped just outside the closed door of the music hall. He studied her intently. “Remember. You promised.”

Mesmerized by the fire in his eyes and the energy of his spirit, she agreed. “I’ll remember.”

“You’ll want to object,” he warned.

“Are you trying to talk me out of this,” she asked, wondering if she had been unwise to make such an uninformed promise.

“Just tell me one more time that you will see this through.”

“I promise I will see this through.”

He smiled and bent to brush her lips. “That's good enough for me.”

Gavin threw open the door and called out, “Liv, sweetheart, look who's here.”

Olivia's head jerked up and her face creased into smiles. “Dr. Jill.” She jumped off the piano bench and ran over to give Jill a hug.

Conflicting emotions warred for Jill’s attention.
What was Olivia doing at the piano? Oh, how good it felt to see the little girl happy and openly affectionate
. Jill couldn’t help it. She gave in to the warmth of Olivia’s eager hug.

“Okay, darling, it's time. Do what you've been doing. You understand?”

Olivia nodded and returned to the baby grand.

Oh no
. Jill’s heart lurched and her stomach knotted. No matter what she’d promised Gavin, from an emotional standpoint she didn’t know if she could sit through another one of Olivia's musical disasters. As a scientist, she couldn’t imagine what he hoped to show her. She had to stop this. At some point he had to understand that to put Olivia through repeated disasters of this nature was synonymous with abuse. She half rose, certain she needed to stop what surely would happen next, before everything became so badly derailed there would be no setting things right. But seeing the way Gavin looked at Olivia stopped her in her tracks.

Something was different. She shook her head, wincing. Could it be different this time? Was there even the slightest possibility?

But the sound was the same broken tapping. The child's erratic movements sent notes clashing into other notes. Jill’s heart grew heavy. She lifted tortured eyes to Gavin, expecting to see the same emotion reflected in his.

Instead he nodded and said, “I know, I know, that's what I've been thinking for so many months now. But keep listening.”

Jill forced herself to continue listening to Olivia’s hesitant staccato-like tapping, pushing against the rational part of her brain that drummed in her head,
stop this nonsense. Stop it now before irreparable damage is done
. And yet, the look on Gavin’s face spoke directly to her heart.

Gavin sat on the arm of Jill’s chair, his hand resting on her back. “Okay,” he whispered, “here it comes.”

Jill listened harder, straining to pick up a melody, a repeated rhythm, anything that resembled music.
Do something. Stop this torturous process. Do it now
, her brain urged. She leaned forward.

Gavin caught her back and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. I didn’t catch on for nearly two years, and I,” he said, rising and sweeping a low bow in her direction, “am a musical virtuoso.” He flashed her a brilliant smile and moved to his concert grand, opposite Olivia. “Keep going, sweetheart.”

Gavin's hands touched the keyboard of his piano and picked up Olivia's rhythm, or lack of it, Jill couldn't tell which. Her brain pummeled her with the mantra,
stop them now before it’s too late. This endless pursuit of his—you must stop it before it ruins the child and brings their entire world down around them, again. And this time—what will be left for them? Nothing. Stop the madness.
And yet, she remained immobile, able only to watch the disaster slowly unfold.

His fingers paused. He let Olivia take the lead, adding chords, filling in runs.

Suddenly, Jill understood. Her throat filled with unexpressed joy. Her eyes stung with tears that would never be shed. There was no need. Father and daughter were playing together. The music swelled until she could no longer hear Olivia's tentative staccato. Instead, Gavin's confident key strokes built what had once been a discordant tapping into a transcendent lament.

Gavin played with his eyes closed. Occasionally, he dropped out, and then picked up the melody again. Finally, Olivia dropped out, and Gavin brought the piece to a keyboard-tripping crescendo. When the last note had faded, father and daughter jumped off their piano benches. They rushed to each other, kissing and hugging. Gavin reached out an arm. “Jillian,” he managed hoarsely, “Come.”

When at last they pulled apart, Gavin asked, “Do you know what that was?”

Jill nodded, unable to believe what she’d just witnessed. “The
last movement of your concerto

an elégie.” Her voice broke and she fought to add, “I don’t understand it. There is no scientific basis for it but the two of you found a way to complete your concerto together.”

Jill, Gavin, and Olivia walked arm-in-arm down the hall and called for Edith, Lawrence, and Baines. When all were gathered in the music hall, Olivia and Gavin repeated their performance. Afterward, they tucked a sleepy Olivia, who’d been up all night, into bed.

Gavin tossed Jill a coat. “Put this on.”

“But this isn't mine,” she pointed out.

“Must you always argue? Just put it on. There's a freezing wind out there.

“Where are we going?” So much had happened in such a short time that she wanted to let it soak in.

“I'll leave you behind,” he threatened.

She stamped her foot. “Gavin Fairfield, there is a time and place for being piratey and this isn’t it. Tell me right now where we're going.”

Gavin scooped her up. “This is why God made man physically stronger.”

His tone was what might have been an irritatingly confident manner—if she didn’t love him so much. If she wasn’t absolutely crazy head-over-heels wild about him. “But—”