“I could use a few pointers. I’ll give you credit in the footnotes.”
His hands slid to her backside. “I’d be honored to appear in one of your footnotes.”
She hesitated for a moment. “You don’t think the paper is terrible? That I’ll make a fool of myself?”
“No. Once I got over my knee-jerk reaction and paid closer attention to your argument, I realized that Professor Marinelli is right. Your paper is good.”
“Thank you.” Julia pressed her cheek against his chest. “It’s hard for me to be a student in the same field as you. I always feel as if I’m trying to catch up.”
Gabriel’s fingers tangled in her hair.
“I can work harder at being more supportive. We aren’t in competition. In fact, I’d like to co-author an article with you, someday.”
Julia lifted her head. “Really?”
“I think it would be good for us to create something together, out of our shared love of Dante. And I’m proud of you for having the courage of your convictions. When you defend your paper at Oxford, I’ll be sitting in the front row thinking, ‘That’s my girl.’”
“It’s a dream come true, to hear you say that.”
“Then I’ll keep saying it.”
Chapter Five
The Emersons’ relatives wisely refrained from commenting on how relaxed and happy they appeared when they finally exited their bedroom, just before lunch.
Gabriel’s brother, Scott, arrived that afternoon with his wife, Tammy, and their son, Quinn. Everyone, including Julia’s father, Tom, and his girlfriend, Diane, sat down to an early dinner.
Diane Stewart was an attractive African American woman, with flawless skin, large dark eyes, and shoulder-length curls. At forty, she was almost ten years younger than her boyfriend. She’d known him a long time, having lived in Selinsgrove her entire life.
As dessert was supposed to be served, Diane happened upon the Emersons dancing in the kitchen. Gabriel had wired the house with a central sound system, and the strains of soft Latin jazz filled the air.
The newlyweds were wrapped around one another, swaying softly to the music. Gabriel whispered something in Julia’s ear. She seemed embarrassed and turned away, but he chuckled and pulled her close, kissing her.
Diane backed away, intending to return to the living room, but the aging hardwood creaked beneath her feet. The Emersons stopped abruptly and turned to face her.
She grinned.
“Somethin’s cookin’. And it ain’t the apple pie.”
Gabriel laughed, a loud and happy sound, while Julia smiled and rested her forehead against him.
Diane nodded approvingly. “You took so long to make coffee, I thought you’d forgotten how.”
Gabriel ran his fingers through his hair, which was mussed because of his wife’s earlier explorations. “Darling?” He looked down at her.
“The coffee is ready and the pie is cooling. It won’t take a minute.” Julia reluctantly stepped away from her husband, who surreptitiously patted her backside.
At that moment, Rachel and Tammy joined them. Tammy was the newest member of the family, having married Gabriel’s younger brother Scott a month previous. At five feet eleven inches, she was tall and curvaceous, with long strawberry blond hair and pale blue eyes.
“What’s the holdup?” Rachel looked suspiciously at her brother, as if he were the sole cause of the delay.
“We were just making coffee.” Julia hid her embarrassment by pouring the beverage into a series of mugs.
“I bet you were.” Tammy winked slyly.
“I don’t think it was coffee they were making. Mm-hmm.” Diane wagged a finger in their direction.
“Right. I’ll leave you ladies to it.” Gabriel kissed Julia chastely before escaping to the living room.
Rachel examined the apple pies on the center island, testing their temperature with her finger. “Grab a knife, Jules. Let’s sample these pies.”
“Now you’re talking.” Diane declined Julia’s offer of coffee and parked herself on one of the kitchen stools.
“So what was cooking out here? And please tell me you didn’t use the counters.” Rachel eyed the granite upgrades that Gabriel had insisted on purchasing.
“Too cold.”
Julia clapped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late.
The women burst into peals of laughter and began to tease her unmercifully.
“Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” Diane fanned herself with a paper napkin. “I’m going to start calling this the house of love.”
“My parents were like that.” Rachel looked around the room. “Not on the counters that I know of. But they were very affectionate. It must be something about the kitchen.”
Julia didn’t disagree. There was something warm and comforting about the space and the house itself. She and Gabriel had trouble keeping their hands off each other, except while she was working on her paper.
“So has my big brother made up for yesterday?” Rachel looked at Julia.
She blushed a little. “Yes.”
“Good. I need to have a talk with him, though. He’s supposed to buy flowers after a fight. Or diamonds.”
Julia looked at her engagement ring, which featured a large center stone surrounded by smaller diamonds. “He’s given me enough.”
“That’s a good-looking ring, honey.” Diane turned to Tammy, her eyes focusing on her left hand. “And so is yours. How’s married life?”
Tammy watched the halogen lights catch the facets of her engagement ring. “I never thought it would happen.”
“Why not?” asked Rachel, her mouth half full.
Tammy’s eyes darted toward the doorway. “Shouldn’t we serve dessert?”
Rachel swallowed. “The men have working legs. If they want pie, they can come and get it.”
Tammy chuckled and picked up her coffee, cradling the mug in both hands.
“Before I started dating Scott, I lived with someone. He was my boyfriend in law school. We talked about getting married, buying a house, the whole white-picket-fence thing. Then I got pregnant.”
Julia shifted uncomfortably on the bar stool, her eyes on the floor.
Tammy gave her friends a wistful look. “Scott told me that he was a surprise, but his parents were happy about it. I wish I’d had the chance to meet Grace. She sounds like a wonderful woman.”
“She was,” said Rachel. “Gabriel wasn’t planned either. My parents took him in after his mother died and later adopted him. It isn’t the planning that matters. It’s what happens after.”