Not So Snow White (25 page)

Tess shot her a similar grin in response. She knew exactly how Gabrielle felt. "Yeah. It's pretty intoxicating." She walked to the foot of the bed and nudged Gaby's foot with her leg. "Just make sure you pace yourself. Get some rest tonight."

"Are you going to see anyone famous tonight?"

It was funny. Gaby could be worldly
ingénue
one second, starstruck teenager the next. Tess found herself hoping Gaby was able to hold
on to that fleeting time in her
life longer than Tess had. "I don't know," she replied. That was the truth. She'd been invited by the network she'd done the commentating for to a shindig schmoozing some of the tournament and commercial sponsors. She couldn't have planned that one better if she'd dreamed it up herself, but she had no idea who else would be in attendance.

"Will you tell me all about
it tomorrow over
breakfast?"

"You've got a very big match tomorrow, if you haven't forgotten."

For the first time, Tess spied a bit of nerves in the way Gaby darted her gaze immediately to her feet. "I haven't, trust me."

Tess sat on the edge of the bed. "We'll have plenty of time in the morning to go over strategy. You just do your normal match-day routine. I'll be there every step. I promise."

Gaby sat up and impulsively hugged Tess. "Thank you," she whispered fiercely. "I would never have made it this far without you."

Tess gently dislodged herself from the teenager's quite powerful grip. Both because she didn't want to crush the dress she was wearing, and because she was suddenly worried about just what role she truly was playing here. Yes, in addition to the boost it had given her other mission here in London, she had been enjoying her time with Gaby, and she had come to care very much about her, but she wasn't going to be a permanent fixture in the teenager's life. She couldn't have Gaby getting too emotionally attached in return, or worse, thinking she needed Tess to win matches. She took Gaby by the shoulders and stared her directly in the face. "You earned every single point out there. Any help I've given you is merely nudging the talent you already have."

"Isn't that what a good coach is supposed to do?"

"Gaby."

He
r
lips quirked a little. "A girl can dream, right?" She laughed. "This is all a dream, isn't it?" She lay back on the bed again. "Maybe Aurora really is a fairy godmother." The smile spread across her face.

"Don't let her hear you say that—it will go straight to her head, which is big enough, thank you," She got up and walked to the door. "Go charm the socks off of Chrissy, then get plenty of rest tonight. We'll talk about all of it in the morning."

"Okay. Oh, one more thing, can you do me a huge favor and go out through the west entrance when you leave?"

Tess turned back. "Why would I do that?"

Gaby's grin was impish. "Because Max is out on the west patio making some calls. He'll think you look hot, too."

Tess just laughed and shook her head.

"You know," Gaby called out as she left the room, "maybe Aurora or Vivian could give you what you wish for!"

Clearly, Gaby had some deluded idea that what Tess wanted or needed was a guy. Preferably, her older brother.

As Tess left the west wing, she carefully skirted around the patio, staying out of sight, but managed to spy Max sitting out there, the sun setting behind him, head bent over a notebook as he talked quite animatedly on his cell and scribbled something down. Hopefully the name of Gaby's next coach. Still, the setting sun made for an arresting shot, she found herself thinking. He was intense. It all but vibrated off of him at times. And it did draw her, in some inexplicable way she was doing her damnedest to ignore.

No, if Aurora and Vivian really had special godmother powers, she wouldn't waste her wish on romance. She'd get them to figure out how to solve her financial crisis. In lieu of that impossible miracle, it was best she get out there and make it happen herself.

In another week tops, Max and Gaby would move on to the next tournament. And she would return home to Florida. She really didn't want to think about why that made her sad. All she needed to think about was how she didn't intend to go home empty-handed.

Chapter
1
9

"
G
abrielle, what a surprise, my dear. What brings you down here so late?
"
Aurora closed her book and quickly slid her glasses off. It was a small bow to vanity, she supposed, and at her age, a rather silly one, but she'd never liked the look of glasses on a woman. And she couldn't see herself fussing with contacts, either. So she kept up the pretense of good vision when she could. And thanked her close friends for allowing her the illusion. "Shouldn't you be resting
for tomorrow?
"

The lanky teenager strolled across the parlor and slid into the chair across from Aurora, both of which angled toward the fireplace in Sir Robin's private library, As opposed to the general library found on the first floor, this one was tucked away in his private wing of the residence. Aurora had discovered it on one of her daily walks—Vivian would say she'd been snooping, but a woman her age had to k
eep her health up, did she not?
And what with the typical English rainy afternoons, she'd simply found it easier to do her walking indoors.

"I couldn't sleep," Gaby said. "Too wired, I guess."

"Nervous, dear? You know, I think you have a marvelous opportunity tomorrow."

Gaby lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "I'm as prepared as I can be. I think. I don't know
…"
She sighed a little. "I wanted to
do
well when I came here, but between my experience in Paris and then not doing very well in the warm-up, I wasn't really sure if I'd even be here more than a
day
or two. I halfexpected to be home by now, getting
r
eady
for the hard-court season."

"And look what you've done with yourself," Aurora said proudly. She hadn't quite bargained on just how involved she'd ended up being with the Fontaines and Tess, but she wouldn't trade a moment of it. It had been one of her more entertaining adventures in London in ages. And the excitement wasn't over yet.

Gaby's eyes lit up a little. "I know." The corners of her mouth curved. "I can hardly believe it." She sat up, leaned forward. "Now that I'm in the round of sixteen, I really want to make it to the quarterfinals."

"Why settle for stopping there?
"

Gaby laughed nervously and twisted her hands together in her lap. "If I let myself think too far ahead, I get scared. Not scared of losing, so much as scared of wa
nting it so badly…
and then losing. I mean, I know I've already done better than I should, given my experience and ranking—"

"Which will shoot up quite nicely after this fortnight," Aurora reminded her.

Gaby bounced a little in her seat. "I know." But her fingers were still locked together in a death grip. "It's just
…
I've gotten a chance to know what it feels like to win, and
…"
The one-
shoulder shrug again, the impudent, excited grin. "I like it."

Aurora laughed. "Why of course you do, dear. It's a good bet
you have a few grand-slam trophies in your future. But you've a long career ahead of you. Pacing is everything, darling,"

Gaby slumped back again, let out a long breath. "I know, I know. Everyone keeps telling me." She stared into the fire.

Aurora watched her, wondered what was really on her mind. She had no doubt it was partly the excitement of the tournament that had driven her out of bed to wander the hallways
…
but she suspected there was more to it than that. So she bided her time, And after a few, long minutes, her patience was rewarded.

"Tess looked really great tonight, didn't she?" Gaby said, flicking at the tasseled silk fringe that lined the arm cover of the chair. "Do you know what party she was invited to? I checked her room, she's still not back yet."

"I believe it was something sponsored by one of the networks covering the event."

Gaby's brows furrowed in thought. "She's been invited into the commentating booth a couple times now."

"Yes, she has." Aurora was beginning to see where this was going. "I think she brings a little pizzazz to that particular venue."

Gaby didn't say anything for a moment, then blurted, "Don't you think she and Max look good together?"

Now that one took Aurora a little bit by surprise. She suspected Gaby was concerned about losing Tess after this week, but she had no idea those kind of thoughts were going on in the teenager's mind. "In what way do you mean? You do realize the magazines and papers are just having a little fun with them. It's nothing."

"That's what they say," Gaby said, a hint of impatience creeping into her tone. "But anyone who knows anything can see they like each other."

Aurora took a considering look at Gaby. She might appear to be a typical, self-absorbed teenager, but apparently she was paying attention to something other than her own world. "They bicker constantly," Aurora responded, curious to see what kind of foundation Gaby had for her observation. Could it be her womanly intuition was as precociously developed as her athletic skills?

"I know they do," she said, "but I think with them it's almost a kind of flirting."

Aurora wanted to believe that, too, but still wasn't quite certain it wasn't wishful thinking on her part, If they would just settle down long enough to see that their differences were actually what would make them so strong and good for each other, who knew what could happen? She'd thought getting them in closer quarters would allow nature to simply take its course, but Wexley House was a veritable ocean of space and she'd yet to see any of her carefully laid plans come to fruition.

So much so she'd called Vivian and bribed her into coming to one of Gaby's matches under the pretense of watching her play, but mostly to see what her more finely tuned romance radar had to say. A total mistake, as it had turned out. First, she should have known Vivian wouldn't be able to pass up the chance to wear something totally outlandish and inappropriate. But to make matters worse, rather than use her radar to help Aurora determine the romance potential between Max and Tess
…
Vivian had used it for her own personal detection devices.

Aurora supposed she should have known better than to unleash Vivi on the unsuspecting and often stuffy, upper-class Wimbledon members. She was still trying to block images of Vivian flirting outrageously with a gentleman there representing one of the banks sponsoring the Championships—a man
easily half
her
age
—by
asking
him if he'd
like
to pick one of
her
strawberries, for goodness sake! Aurora stifled a renewed shudder at the memory.

"Don't you think they'd make a good couple, Aurora?" Gaby asked, drawing her from her thoughts.

Something about the way Gaby asked had Aurora reconsidering the teenager's altruistic intentions. "I don't know, dear. I haven't given it much thought." A complete falsehood, of course, but it wouldn't do to raise the girl's hopes. Especially when Aurora wasn't certain exactly what Gabrielle was hoping for. Or why.

Gaby slouched farther down in the chair and let her long legs stretch out in front of her. The way she repeatedly tapped her toes together belied her otherwise relaxed pose. Something was niggling at her. "I guess I was just thinking that, you know,
with me almost being eighteen…
"

Aurora dipped her chin to keep Gaby from seeing her smile. Only a sixteen-and-a-half-year-old would think she was "almost eighteen." Oh,
to be young and foolish again…
She caught herself.
As
opposed to what
,
Aurora, being old and foolish?

"Max needs to get more of a life. I mean, he's with me on tour and that won't change even as I get older, so I was thinking, you know, what kind of life can he have and all? And then there's Tess, who's retired and can tr
avel and do whatever she wants…"

The light began to dawn. "Such as coaching, you mean?"

Gaby looked over at Aurora, and there was such yearning in her young face it made Aurora's heart squeeze a little. "She's so good at it. I mean, she's hardly doing that much with me, but I totally get what she's asking me to do. It's like we think the same, we see the court the same. And my game is already so improved. And that's not all. She's smart about everything about
the tour, too. She's helped me a ton with doing interviews and showing me how to work the press."

So earnest, so determined, Aurora thought. "I know she has." Much to Max's distress. "So, maybe you're thinking that if Tess and Max were romantically involved, she'd stick around as your coach?"

Now she ducked her chin ever so slightly. "You think I'm being horribly selfish, I know," She glanced up through impossibly thick lashes Aurora would have killed for at any age. "But wouldn't it be a win-win for everybody?"

Aurora let out a gentle laugh. "I suppose so. But you can't really force these things on people." No one knew that better than she did.

Gaby exhaled on a long sigh and let her feet fall to their si
des, limp. "I know. It's just…
well, I mean, I'd love to have Tess coaching me. Because, duh, who wouldn't? But I was also kind of thinking, hoping sort of, that if they'd get a life with each other, maybe I could have one, too."

Ah
ha.
So the plot thickened further. "Meaning what, dear?"

Try as she might have, Gaby was unable to squash the bloom of pink that blossomed on her cheeks. And when she looked up again, there was a sparkle in her eyes that Aurora hadn't seen before, but well recognized. It was the juvenile version of the same sort of spark Aurora had been hoping to see in Max's and Tess's eyes. Instead, the closest she'd come to seeing that kind of twinkle was with Vivi yesterday. Right before she'd asked a perfect stranger to pluck her fruit.

"Nothing, really," she said.

A complete falsehood, Aurora knew, but didn't call her on it. "Did you want to get out and see more of London? Perhaps we can talk to Max about staying on a few days after the tournament. Get some serious shopping in, see a show."

"I've been getting out and about a little, but thank you," she said politely. She looked like she was going to say more, then thought better of it and fell silent.

Aurora nudged a little. "What is it you do want, then
?
"

Gaby paused, then looked at her. "Freedom."

"You can't really be thinking you should tackle the city alone and unchaperoned?"

She scuffed her toes into the oriental rug. "I wouldn't be completely alone." Her voice was so soft Aurora barely heard her.

"So," Aurora said, treading carefully, "can I take it someone has caught your fancy?"

A hot blush stained Gaby's cheeks, and quite prettily, Aurora thought,
Oh
,
Max, poor boy, you are in for some trouble now.

"Is he another player?"

After a few moments, Gaby nodded, then covered her face with her hands and drummed her heels on the floor.

"That good, hmm?"

When she took her hands down, the smile creasing her lovely young face was big and broad and so delightful, Aurora spent a moment wondering if maybe she
shouldn't be getting her own…
uh, fruit plucked, more often these days. Ah, the magical powers of young love.

"He's nineteen. From Belgium. He's in the top fifty and drives his own Porsche." She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "And he has the most amazing accent."

Aurora sighed a little, even as all her internal warning bells began to clang. She'd have to decide what to do about this, whether to tell Max. Or perhaps Tess. Someone had to keep an even closer eye on the young girl. She was positively glowing, swimming in an ocean of hormones, all virtually screaming for attention. And Aurora was quite certain it wouldn't take much persuasion from the young Belgian to distract Gabrielle from her real mission here in London.

Which begged the question
…
"So, how did you meet—I'm sorry, what is his name?"

"Ranee." Another little swoon. "I met him coming out of the press room after the second round. We've only spoken a few times, but Aurora, he is just so heavenly. And I know he's interested. He asked me to go for a ride sometime!"

Oh, Aurora just bet he had. Dear, dear, this was a bit of a dilemma.

"But Max is always hovering and I can hardly get two feet away without him tugging the leash." Her eyes widened. "Maybe you could talk to him? I've thought about asking Tess to help me, but she's not around much, other than for training sessions and the matches."

Aurora wasn't sure Tess wouldn't have helped her out, either. Although she did seem rather intent on keeping Gaby focused on the tournament. Still
…
Max would have had a complete meltdown if that came to pass. It was better all around that Gaby had come to her this evening. And yet, as she looked at Gaby's big, beseeching eyes, she found herself wondering just how she'd gotten herself into this predicament?