Page 56 of Things We Do for Love and Science
“But don’t you use gloves when clipping the roses?”
“Sure, but not on my arms.” He chuckled.
“Gabriel, you need to get special gloves that go up to your elbows.” She drew her brows together. “Those thorns can cause sepsis if you’re unlucky.”
“Oh, I never realized. But I’m finished with the roses for now, you’ll be glad to hear. Thankfully the masonry of the pavilion is intact. All it needs now is a coat of paint.” A grin spread across his features. “Before you start worrying—the paint is lead free.”
She cuffed his shoulder. “If you weren’t so careless, I wouldn’t have to be concerned for your safety.”
“Right now, I’m concerned about our nutrition.” He took her hand. “Let’s go, I’m starving.”
She entwined her fingers with his. “Come to think of it, so am I.”
~ * ~
The roofing contractor’slorry left the driveway, and Gabriel waved them off. Today was a good day. The new slate roof was on, keeping Renwood Hall safe from the elements for decades to come.
“Thank goodness that’s done.” Liam came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah.” Gabriel turned to the older man. “Now all we have to do is prepare twenty-six rooms for rewiring, and the less said about the plumbing, the better.”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. First, we’ll concentrate on covering the furniture before hammering the channels into the walls for the new wires. Keep the chin up, Gabe, the Hall will be in ship shape for future generations before you know it.”
“Which reminds me...” Gabriel had been meaning to broach the subject of his and Delia’s unconventional plan for a while but hadn’t been able to find the right moment, probably because there was none. Blurting it out in one go seemed to be the only way.
“Yes?” Liam looked at him quizzically.
“There’s one thing I’ve been meaning to tell you and Mary. You know, I’ve wanted to be a father, even before Vanessa and I split, and Delia wants to be a mother. So, we decided to have a child together and co-parent as friends.”
“Asfriends?” Liam’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yes.”
“Aren’t the two of you together?” Liam scratched his temple. “You sure had me fooled with her constantly over here and you always at her place.”
Gabriel chuckled. “We’re trying for a baby. It kind of helps that we...”
“Don’t be cheeky with me now, Gabriel.” Liam gave him a playful cuff on the shoulder. “I’ve to wonder sometimes what you young ones are at. A man and a woman get on so well, they even want to raise a child together and yet romance is out of the question? And Brady-Greene thinks you’re married to her when you’re not even going out?”
“Delia doesn’t believe in marriage, and she initially wanted to use a sperm bank.” Gabriel’s teeth scraped over his lower lip. “I offered to become the sperm donor because I’m sick of waiting until all my ducks are in a row. I want to become a father while I’m young enough to run through the park after my child, to kick a football around, to teach the little one to ride a bike. It’s the perfect solution.”
“Yeah, right, until you fall for her,” the caretaker put in.
“I won’t.” Jem and Liam were as bad as each other. Gabriel had enough self-control to handle the situation, even if both of them presumed that he didn’t.
“Famous last words.” Liam’s expression sobered. “I’m worried for you, Gabe. There’s playing with matches, and there’s playing with a flamethrower. That’s what you are doing, young man.”
Gabriel suppressed an irritated reply. Liam was only being kind. But no amount of concerned advice would persuade Gabriel to change the path he was on. If there was a risk, so be it. He’d taken more risks in the last couple of months than in all the years before.
