“What I’m proposing is that we try to get you pregnant as quickly as possible.”

“And if I don’t conceive?” Andrea challenged. Gabe’s cold-blooded approach to something this sacred angered her.

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

He was too shrewd an entrepreneur not to leave himself a loophole. Oh, Gabe—you’re so transparent. He might just as well have pushed her off a cliff. A heart could only take so much….

What happens when you suddenly discover your happy twosome is about to be turned into a…family?

Do you panic?

Do you laugh?

Do you cry?

Or…do you get married?

The answer is all of the above—and plenty more!

Share the laughter and the tears as these unsuspecting couples are plunged into parenthood! Whether it’s a baby on the way or the creation of a brand-new instant family, these men and women have no choice but to be

When parenthood takes you by surprise!

Look out for more books in this miniseries—coming soon in Harlequin Romance®!

The Baby Proposal
Rebecca Winters

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ONE

“OY GEVEH!” Saul Karsh muttered before lighting the end of his cigar, the kind for which the Club Macanudo on the upper east side of Manhattan was famous. “You’re mishega!”

“Actually, I’ve never been more sane,” Gabe Corbin countered. He should have sold his company two years earlier. “Aside from Sam Poon who’s already acting CEO, you’re the first person I’ve told in case you want to buy me out. That gives you five days before I approach anyone else.”

“What’s the hurry? You’re only thirty-six!”

“In my case that’s already too old.”

When Saul could see that Gabe wasn’t about to enlighten him, he took a few more puffs on his cigar before he spoke. “If you’re selling a billion-dollar company that’s been operating in the black for years and is growing every day, then your reason must be personal.” A hint of alarm entered his eyes. “You’re not dying are you?”

“Of a disease? No.” Gabe finished off the rest of his drink. “Send your people around tomorrow if you want to see the books. Phil Rosen’s my chief accountant. He’ll show you everything.

“Try to make a decision before Monday. By then I’ll be gone and you’ll be dealing with Sam.”

Saul, the CEO of Karsh Technologies Inc., dealt in twenty-first century computers used for medical research and the Space program. The acquisition of Corbin’s Business PC’s would give him another playing field altogether, one he’d wanted for quite a while if Gabe’s source was right.

Saul was tough and aggressive, but Gabe knew of his reputation for fair business ethics. Of the five American entrepreneurs in the country who could buy Gabe out, he trusted Saul to be good to the employees and keep the company going in the right direction.

They stared at each other. Finally Saul muttered, “Stan Abrams and his team will be there at nine to take a look.”

Those were the words Gabe had been waiting to hear. “Excellent.” He put two twenty-dollar bills on the table and stood up. “It’s nice seeing you again, Saul.” He shook the older man’s hand. “I hope we’ll be doing business together.”

“Gabe? I have a son who isn’t much younger than you. If he were contemplating anything this enormous, I’d be worried. Are you absolutely positive you know what you’re doing?”

The man’s concern went a long way to prove to Gabe that Saul had been the right man to approach. “I know what I’m doing.”

He left a bemused Saul sitting there puffing on his cigar. After exiting the bar, he climbed into the waiting limo.

“Benny? Take me back to the office.”

“Yes, sir.”

Now that Gabe had a probable buyer, there was work to be done. He rang Phil and Sam on his cell phone and asked them to come back to the office as soon as they’d finished dinner. In all probability they’d be working until midnight.

The process of divesting himself of the international business Gabe had built over the last fourteen years was a complicated one. But with Saul’s people coming in the morning, Gabe could see light at the end of the tunnel, thank God.

As Gabe stood in the lobby waiting for an elevator to take him to the floor of his office, Bret Weyland, his North American sales manager, emerged from another one. For once Andrea Bauer wasn’t with him. That was a surprise considering Bret had intimated he and Gabe’s attractive chief software engineer, had been living together for the last three or four months.

Gabe could rarely find Andrea alone because Bret was always right there exhibiting a proprietorial interest in her that bordered on the possessive. It was a miracle Bret got any work done, or Andrea for that matter. But amazingly enough they did. Gabe had no room to complain.

He nodded to Bret. “Where’s your other half tonight?”

“Cooking dinner at our apartment.”

A vision of the two of them together behind closed doors doing anything and everything besides eating food disturbed him a great deal more than it should have. He wasn’t walking away from his company any too soon.

“Lucky you.” Gabe stepped on the elevator.

Bret flashed him a quick smile. “You’re right about that,” he said as the doors closed.

It was a good thing their conversation had been cut short. Gabe had come within a hair’s breadth of wiping that smug expression off the younger man’s face.

At 9:30 a.m. Andrea hurried through the office to her boss’s suite. His secretary looked up when she saw her. “Hi, Andrea. What can I do for you?”

“Is Mr. Corbin here?”

“Yes. He was already in when I arrived.”

“Good. I need to talk to him right away.”

“Just a minute and I’ll see if he’s free now.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

After the appointment with her gynecologist yesterday afternoon, Andrea knew what she had to do. There was no sense putting off the inevitable any longer.

“He says to go right in.”

“Thanks, Karen.”

She rushed into his private office. “Please forgive me for barging in like this when I know how full your schedule is.”

His penetrating gaze swept over her. “Since when did you ever need to apologize for talking to me? You look upset, Andrea. Sit down and tell me what’s wrong.”

He talked to her in such a confiding tone, she did his bidding. “I saw my doctor yesterday and it looks like my endometriosis is coming back so I—”

“What did you say you have?”

“Endometriosis.” Andrea disliked revealing something so personal about herself, but there was no way to avoid it now “It’s a disease that seems to be the plague of the modern woman. Something to do with stress.”

Her boss sat forward in his swivel chair eyeing her soberly. “Is this the reason you’ve had to take three personal leaves since coming to work for me?”

He’d been keeping track? How embarrassing! Yet he was being so kind, she found herself blurting the details.

“Yes. I’ve had six laparoscopies to be exact, the first one when I was in high school and the second in college. The third happened after I’d gone to work for Stover Electronics. That was before I interviewed for the position with your company.”

She wouldn’t have wished the emotional and physical pain of her disease on her worst enemy.

“I’m sorry, Andrea. I had no idea.” His intelligent eyes shone with compassion. “What’s the cure?”

“A hysterectomy. I’ve decided to have one as soon as possible. That’s why I’m here. To arrange for the time off.”

“You’re only twenty-eight!” he exclaimed without addressing the main issue. “That’s too young.” He sounded as if he truly cared and Andrea found herself struggling not to break down in tears.

“Not in my condition. It happens to women during the childbearing years. I’ve been battling it since I was seventeen, but enough’s enough. The doctor says I should plan on a six-week recovery period before coming back to work. I realize that’s a long time to be gone, but I know Darrell won’t let you down. He’s a wizard.”

Her boss grimaced. “There’s nothing else to be done before you’re robbed of the chance to ever carry a child?”

“Yes,” she murmured reluctantly. “Get pregnant right away before it grows back again worse than before, but that isn’t a possibility.”

“Why not?” he demanded.

She had to admit it shocked her he kept firing questions of such a personal nature when all she was asking for was the time off to undergo the surgery.

Six months ago Andrea’s degree in computer engineering, plus her work record at Stover’s, had landed her a job at Corbin PC’s. In the last four months she’d been serving as chief engineer of software which meant working part of every day with Gabe.

Even so, theirs had remained a professional relationship in the sense that he never pried into her personal life, and she knew next to nothing about his.

But she shouldn’t have forgotten the driving force of his personality, or his native curiosity about life. Both traits had propelled him to heights even those in the world of high finance marveled over.

“This must be so difficult for you. Can you have children?” He prodded.

She shuddered.

Infertile. The dreaded word.

Being unable to conceive was another fear of hers. Maybe something was so wrong with her female reproductive system, her eggs weren’t good. Unfortunately she would never have a chance to find out now.

“I have no idea,” she answered at last. “I’ve never been married.”

“But that hasn’t precluded you from living with a man. I understand you and Bret have been liv—”

“The office gossip is wrong!” She cut him off.

What a fool she’d been to date Bret Weyland in the first place. As head of Corbin’s North American sales, he spent a lot of time working with Gabe, too. That was the only reason she’d gone out with him, to prove to herself Gabe didn’t mean anything to her. Unfortunately everything had backfired and she’d hurt Bret in the process.

“That’s odd,” Gabe’s deep voice came back. “Bret intimated just the opposite when we saw each other in the lobby last night.”

Andrea let out an angry gasp. “Then he lied. I broke up with him over a month ago!”

“He’s one of my top people. Why would he fabricate something like that?” her boss persisted.

She tossed her head back, causing her honey-blond hair to brush her shoulders. “Why does anyone when they’re in pain? Look—if you must know, I’ve never slept with a man, let alone lived with one.”

His pewter-gray eyes narrowed in disbelief. The lashes fringing them were as black as his curly hair. With such a proud nose, and jaws that needed shaving often, there had to be a generous portion of Southern European blood flowing through his veins.

“I don’t know why that’s such a surprise,” she remarked when he didn’t say anything. “There are lots of women who want a wedding ring on their finger first. However the joke’s on me. I saved myself for marriage to my own detriment.”

She heard the slight tremor in her voice and shot to her feet, mortified he might have detected it. Now was the time to say what needed to be said and get out of there before she broke down sobbing.

“My doctor has an opening in his surgery schedule next week. I’ll work with Darrell today and tomorrow so he’s prepared to take over. In six weeks you’ll find he’s the perfect person to replace me.”

Gabe’s laserlike gaze might as well have pinned her to a wall. “What’s this all about, Andrea?”

It’s about you.

“I once told you that my parents run a gift shop in Scarsdale. They’ve always wanted me to work in the family business. I told them I would when the time was right. Now that they’re getting older and tire more easily, I can see that day has come.”

“Like hell it has,” he bit out with uncharacteristic violence though he never raised his voice. “You came in here asking for sick leave and ended up telling me you’re going to quit. I’ll fire Bret before I let that happen.”

“No—you mustn’t do that!” Her blue eyes implored him. “The truth is, I turned him down when he asked me to move in with him. I’m not in love with him. He’s only been trying to save face in front of you and everyone else.”

A strange look realigned the expression of Gabe’s striking features, one she couldn’t read. He sat back in the chair, eyeing her with disturbing scrutiny. “I didn’t realize.”

“You can’t hold that against him.”

“I won’t.”

“Thank you,” she whispered in relief.

“You’re welcome. I have to say your concern for him is admirable. Too bad more people don’t have your decency.”

Her head lowered. “Don’t make me out to be a saint. I should have known better than to get involved with a colleague. It’s a plan for disaster.”

Andrea was so in love with Gabe, she hadn’t been aware of Bret’s deepest feelings. Not until a lot of damage had been done. But no other man could compete with the one seated in front of her. His brilliant intellect and sheer male appeal made it impossible for her to see anyone else.

Though she’d been vehement in her denial, Bret had figured out she was in love with her boss and had accused her of it. Still, she had no idea his jealousy had driven him to tell Gabe something that wasn’t true.

The whole situation had become untenable.

She took a calming breath and said, “Since I’ll be recuperating at my parents’ home, it will be the perfect time for me to resign. Darrell can consult with me over the phone during my recovery period. Your company won’t feel a ripple.”

“Have you considered your other option?”

His question tried her patience. “If you’re talking in vitro fertilization from an unknown sperm donor, that holds no appeal whatsoever. I want the father around to help me raise our baby. A child deserves both parents.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip. “If having the surgery right away is what you really want, I can’t stop you of course.”

The doctor had given her six months at the most, then she would have to undergo the surgery. But by then she would be in unbearable physical pain. The decision whether to do it sooner than later was an excruciating one. However if she had the operation now, she would be in better shape to go into the hospital and handle the impending ordeal.

Still, Andrea was devastated her boss didn’t put up more of a fight to keep her with the company longer. “I—I’m glad you understand.”

“Are you free of pain right now?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll fly to Paris this morning instead of next week as previously scheduled. I’d like Emile and his team to work with my expert software engineer before you’re no longer available,” he explained while she wrestled with her tortured thoughts.

Paris? Maybe that plan had been written in on Gabe’s calendar, but this was the first Andrea had heard of it.

Since her promotion she’d been to Rio and Singapore on business with him, but never to Europe, the place she’d always wanted to go for a honeymoon. It was another pipe dream, just like the one where she gave birth to Gabe’s child.

“We’ll be staying through the weekend,” he added. “How soon can you be ready to leave for the airport?”

Her last trip with him… She couldn’t bear to think about it.

“I’ll need a half hour to pack.” Today was Thursday, which meant she would require four days worth of outfits. Knowing how Gabe operated, he would keep the team working through to Sunday afternoon when it was time to fly home.

“Benny will drive you to your apartment and wait for you. I’ll see you at the plane. Don’t forget your passport.” He picked up the receiver and told his driver to meet her in front of the building.

Andrea left his office feeling like someone who’d been knocked unconscious and was starting to come to, yet everything remained fuzzy. She hurried past his private secretary Karen to her own office for her briefcase.

Corbin PC’s corporate headquarters took up the twenty-ninth and thirtieth floors of the Saxbee building in downtown Manhattan. While she waited for an elevator to take her to the lobby, she said hi to a couple of the girls who’d just reported for work.

After a few minutes another elevator arrived going down. When the doors opened, Bret emerged in shirt-sleeves, carrying a file. The sales office was on the floor above.

“Andrea—”

“Hello, Bret.” She entered the elevator, hoping he wouldn’t join her. Thankfully he only stood there staring at her with wounded eyes until the doors closed.

That image of him stayed with her all the way out of the building to the waiting limo. It convinced her she was doing the right thing for herself and Bret by resigning. Gabe would never be able to replace him with anyone who could do a better job.

As for Andrea, her operation and recovery would take her out of Gabe’s orbit for good. It was something that needed to happen for her own preservation, but his memory would haunt her forever.

Seven hours later a limo from Gabe’s Parisian based company whisked them from De Gaulle airport to a suburb called Champigny. Soon Andrea found herself being escorted off the little rope and pully-operated raft on the swirling waters of the Marne River. Gabe explained they were staying on an island.

Somehow she’d assumed he would take her to a world-famous hotel like the Ritz, a favorite place for sheiks and millionaires. To her surprise and secret delight, he’d brought her to an isolated section of old-world charm.

The ambience, a combination of leafy trees and lush June foliage lining the riverbanks where there were a few fishermen in their berets, had transported her to another world so far removed from New York she could scarcely take it in.

The scene before her reminded her of a certain Renoir painting she loved. It depicted a group of local field hands in work clothes, gathered around a table enjoying a bottle of wine at the end of a long day. The concierge of the Vieux Pecheur Hotel could have been one of them.

He smiled when they entered the quaint little foyer. Andrea didn’t think the two-story building contained more than half a dozen rooms for guests.

“Bonsoir, Madame, Monsieur.”

“Bonsoir.” Gabe set their suitcases on the floor. “Je m’appelle Gabriel Corbin. Vous m’avez reservé deux chambres, n’est-ce pas?”

“Oui oui. Remplissez l’affiche, s’il vous plaît.”

Andrea blinked as Gabe started to register. She didn’t know he could speak fluent French. He sounded like a native. If his parents were French, that would explain his dark, attractive features.

As soon as keys exchanged hands, Gabe picked up their cases and they climbed the tiny circular staircase to the next floor. He stopped at the first door on the left and opened it.

Andrea let out a soft gasp of delight.

Inside were two twin beds with green coverlets, a nineteenth-century armoire and dresser, plus a window that looked out on the quiet street. Checked gingham curtains in green and white adorned the frame. With a tiny fleur-de-lis print wallpaper on the walls and ceiling, the room was perfectly charming.

No phone. No TV.

This was the real France. A slice of life. That’s what her college art teacher would have said about this incredible place.

“I adore it!”

“I thought you might,” he drawled. “The bathroom’s at the end of the hall. Everyone has to share.” When she looked around at him, his lips were twitching. He was such a handsome man, her body quickened.

“My room’s the next one on the right. I’ll meet you in the foyer in ten minutes and we’ll take a walk before dinner. I need to stretch my legs and imagine you do, too.”

“Will Emile and the others be joining us later?”

“Not tonight.” So saying, he left her to her own devices and shut the door.

That seemed odd, but maybe he was too tired to deal with employees and be social. As for Andrea, she was so excited to be in Paris, she was glad to put off work until tomorrow.

The first thing she did was run to the window and stick her head out to survey her kingdom above the foyer. The late afternoon light was fading into evening. As far as she could tell, of the few people who were passing by, none of them were tourists.

An older teen drew up on a bike with a few baguettes in the basket. He whistled before calling out something to her in his native tongue. Andrea couldn’t help smiling before she turned from the window and headed for the bathroom where she could freshen up.

The old-fashioned lock didn’t look like it could keep anyone out, but she honestly didn’t care. This was the kind of adventure you dreamed about, but rarely experienced.

She examined her cream linen skirt which was somewhat wrinkled after their flight. Luckily the mango-colored cotton top never creased.

After rummaging in her purse, she combed her hair and applied some coral lipstick. Thank goodness she’d chosen to wear her comfortable Italian leather sandals. She’d be able to walk around without problem.

Andrea had just reached the foyer when a male voice in a heavy French accent said, “I was hoping the beautiful American woman would come down soon.”

The guy she’d seen moments ago had put his bike behind the front desk. Up close he looked like he might be twenty, twenty-one. His Gallic features resembled the male concierge who’d checked them in earlier.

There was no sign of Gabe.

“I’ll have to tell my girlfriends to stay here when they come to Paris if they want some fun,” she teased.

He grinned. “You’re not sleeping in the same room with your friend. That means you might go out with me tonight? I could show you a very good time. My name is Pierre.”

She chuckled. “That’s a tempting offer, Pierre, but I’m here on business.”

His hooded eyes dwelt on her face. “You work for him, or does he work for you?”

Pierre would be shocked if he knew who Gabe was.

“He’s my boss.”

“What is wrong with him?”

“Excuse me?”

“He brings you to Paris and doesn’t share your bed? That I cannot understand.”

“No one asked you to,” a low, chilling voice broke in on them. Gabe had descended the staircase without her being aware of it. He’d changed into a black silk shirt and gray trousers.

She’d never seen him dressed in anything but a suit. The transformation brought out a potent masculinity that took her breath. But his chiseled features revealed an aggression directed at the younger man.

“He didn’t mean any harm,” Andrea whispered. “Let’s go.”

She could feel the rigidity of his body before he put his hand on the back of her waist and ushered her out of the hotel. The heat of his touch seemed to burn through her top.

When they’d walked past the adjoining patisserie he said, “I’m sorry you were subjected to that. I won’t leave you alone again.”

Andrea turned to him. “I’ve met boys like him before.”

Gabe’s jaw hardened. “He’s no boy, Andrea, and he’s on the make for any willing female.”

“So are a lot of guys his age.”

His eyes studied her features. “I suppose after the way you defended Bret, I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” She smiled as she said it. “I’m sure he feeds the same line to all women young or old who stay at the hotel. An extenuation of his job. Keep the customers happy.”

One dark eyebrow quirked. “Did it make you happy?”

“Well—yes, in a way. It’s a fun memory to take home with me.”

After a long silence he said, “I’ll have to remember that.”

His dark mood had passed.

For half an hour they made desultory conversation while they walked beneath the cathedral of trees. The soft, warm summer air played havoc with her senses and seemed to be affecting him, too. Andrea took care not to brush against him. The slightest contact of his leg or arm sent a live current of electricity through her body.

She should have been relieved when Gabe broke the spell by stopping to speak to one of the fishermen around a bend in the river. The older man didn’t seem to be having any luck, but whatever her boss said brought a light to his eye.

From his tackle basket he drew out another type of lure and put it on the end of his line. Then he began casting. Before long he had a fight on his hands. After he’d reeled in a nice-size fish, he grinned and patted Gabe on the shoulder.

“What kind is it?”

“Carp.”

“I’ve never tasted it.”

“Smoked carp is out of this world.”

“You’re full of surprises,” Andrea said as they started to circle back. “Were you born here in France to know what kind of bait would catch it?”

He darted her a curious glance. “No, I’m a native of St. Pierre et Miquelon.”

She frowned. “Is that in Belgium or Switzerland?”

“Neither. It’s a French territorial collectivity off the coast of Newfoundland.”

The mention of the Canadian province rang a bell.

“That’s right!” She stopped walking. “I remember my junior high geography teacher telling us about some islands being the only French possessions remaining in North America. A big fishing industry. As I recall, she said Al Capone used to hide out there during prohibition.”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “You have a keen memory and know more about it than ninety-nine percent of the world. I’m impressed.”

“I’m flabbergasted. I’ve never met anyone who came from there. Your English is so perfect, I had no idea.”

“My mother’s an American. I hold dual citizenship.”

“Is your family still there?” She wanted to know anything and everything about him.

A shadow entered his eyes, but it was fleeting. “Yes.”

“So how come you left?”

“I had a yen to explore the world.”

“And look what happened!” she blurted with a smile. “But your fishing roots still have a hold on you.”

He nodded. “I serve on the French Fisheries Board. As a result, I’m aware of problems on the Marne after last year’s champagne harvest.”

Andrea was totally intrigued. “What happened?”

They began walking again.

“The heavy September rains washed pomace and excess grapes into the river. There’s been a massive cleanup effort to get rid of the dead fish lining the banks. I’m glad to see the old man was able to catch something.”

So his chat with the fisherman was no idle conversation.

“What’s your specific job on this board?” By now she had so many questions to ask, she couldn’t fire them off fast enough.

“To help settle maritime boundary disputes between France and Canada’s fishing territories.”

Good heavens. That would be a full-time job in and of itself. Only a man of his extraordinary abilities could take that on and run a billion-dollar corporation in the process.

“Is your island’s fishing industry in trouble?”

He stared hard at her. “If you really want to know, I’ll answer your questions while we eat dinner.”

As if he did it every day, he slid his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward an adorable sidewalk café a few doors up from the hotel. It was the kind of place just for lovers, with bistro chairs and small round tables covered in red and white checked cloths.

A few couples were dancing to an old French love song played by a roving accordionist. As soon as Gabe seated her, a waiter appeared with two glasses of white wine. Another waiter brought some freshly baked bread still warm from the oven.

“They only serve one entrée here so there’s no menu,” Gabe explained when they were alone. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted their fried moules.”

Andrea decided she hadn’t lived until she’d entered this land of enchantment with Gabe. She feared she was in the middle of a fantastic dream and was going to wake up at any second.

CHAPTER TWO

WHILE they sipped their wine and ate the mouthwatering bread, Andrea cast Gabe furtive glances.

The flicker of candlelight revealed the amazing color of his eyes. She’d always thought them a solid gray, but tonight the outer rim of his irises gleamed silver. With his head of swirling black hair and a five o’clock shadow covering the lower half of his face, he was the most sensational looking man she’d ever seen.

“Bon appetit,” the waiter said after placing side dishes of French fries and a hot platter heaped with mussels in front of them.

Gabe’s eyes met hers. “They’ve been cooked in a sauce of white wine, garlic and cream. Try one and you’ll understand.”

The fragrance tickled her nose. After she took her first bite, she couldn’t stop.

“My grandmother used to cook moules this way. My brothers and I would have contests to see who could eat the most.”

Andrea chuckled, wishing she could have been witness to such a sight. “I can see why. I’ve never tasted anything so delicious.”

The confidences coming bit by bit were starting to fill in the gaps that explained the man behind the corporate mask. When Andrea was finally full she put down her fork. “So, when did your grandmother pass away?”

He finished off his wine. “Two years ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Maybe he didn’t like all her questions, but she was hungry for answers only he could give. “Do you have a big family?”

“I’m the second of four brothers, two of whom are twins.”

Twins—

“How lucky for you. I’m an only child.”

“They’re all married. At last count I have seven nieces and nephews. There’s my father Giles, of course; my grandfather Jacques, two aunts with husbands, children and grandchildren.”

No mention of his mom…

“Everyone lives in the same neighborhood in St. Pierre and derives their livelihood from the sea. The first Corbin we know of came from Brittany and was fishing those waters when Jacques Cartier stopped there on his return to France in the mid-fifteen hundreds.”

Fascinating. “What about your mother’s side of the family?”

“I have a lot of relatives in Chicago.”

“How on earth did your parents meet?”

“Mother was coming home from a trip to Europe when her plane had to be diverted to Halifax. She and my father were both stranded at the airport for the better part of a week due to a ferocious Atlantic storm. One thing led to another and he took her home to meet the family. They married, had children. She divorced my father when I was eighteen.”

The unexpected revelation pierced her heart. His parents’ breakup would have done terrible things to his emotions, yet he’d channeled that hurt and anger to build an empire. If he hadn’t gone down that path, Corbin PC’s might not have been, Andrea might not have ever met him. The thought made her ill.

“We survived, Andrea. Though my mother has never discussed the divorce, she and I have remained close. We see each other often. She works for a travel agency and flies to St. Pierre to visit my brothers every month.”

It was just as well one of the waiters chose that moment to clear their dishes. Andrea wanted to get to know Gabe better. She could see the pain in Gabe’s eyes as he talked about his past.

Another waiter followed with two plates of melon chunks. The dessert looked simple enough until she tasted it. “Oh—I don’t believe anything could be this divine.”

Gabe’s eyes were smiling. “It’s the champagne glaze.”

Between his nearness and the effect of the wine after all the delicious food they’d eaten, she was dangerously close to floating.

“You were going to tell me about the problems your island is facing.”

“Later,” he murmured. “Right now I want to dance with you.”

Her heartbeat accelerated to a galloping pitch as he grasped her hand and drew her into his arms.

She’d heard “La Vie en Rose” many times in her life, but she’d never danced to the live music of an authentic French accordion player before. Gabe’s hard muscled body seemed to meld with hers. She buried her face in his shoulder.

“Are you having a good time, Andrea?”

The question made her a little crazy. She was in heaven, but she couldn’t tell him that. “Thanks to you I’m having an unforgettable experience.”

“Then look at me.”

She clung to him even tighter. “I’m afraid to.”

“Why?”

“Because I smell of garlic.”

His body began to shake with silent laughter. “We both do, so there’s no problem.”

She finally raised her head, but the slight motion caused her to feel dizzy. “I—I wish I had some gum.”

“I’d rather taste the champagne on your lips.” In the next breath his tempting male mouth closed over hers in a warm kiss that seemed so natural, she opened hers involuntarily.

While they moved around the dance floor, their kiss slowly deepened and became a part of the total magic of the night. One song turned into another, one kiss grew into another. Andrea had no idea how long they communed in that halcyon state.

Gabe had begun kissing her cheeks and neck and hair, and she was making little moaning sounds while she let him. She’d forgotten they had an audience until they’d stopped dancing.

A wave of heat engulfed her at her loss of control. Breaking away from him, she walked past other diners to their table on unsteady legs to get her purse. She hadn’t drunk that much wine and couldn’t blame the alcohol for her reckless behavior. It was Gabe who’d turned her into some kind of sybarite.

Without waiting for him, she left the café and headed for the hotel. Pierre’s father stood behind the front desk, thank goodness. He nodded to her. She flashed him a smile and kept walking.

Gabe caught up to her on the staircase. When she sensed him behind her, she ran up the last few steps.

“What’s the hurry?” By this time they were both standing outside her door. She was breathless.

“I got a little carried away on the dance floor and figure it’s past my bedtime.”

His low chuckle resonated to her bones. “I should have brought you to Paris long before now. It’s wonderful watching someone else react to it for the first time.”

“You made it wonderful by bringing me here, Gabe. I’ll never forget it.” Her voice was trembling again. “Good night.” She put her key into the lock and opened the door.

“Andrea?”

Her heart thudded in her chest. “Yes?”

“Thank you for giving me a memory. I’ll come by for you at eight-thirty in the morning. We’ll raid that pastry shop next door before we do anything else. Sleep well,” he whispered before walking off.

There was no possibility of that now. He’d made the night too magical for her.

Grabbing her toiletries, she hurried down the hall to get ready for bed. But she knew she would stay awake most of the night reliving every thrilling moment with him.

A creature of habit, Andrea woke up at six-thirty though her body craved more sleep. Gabe wouldn’t come knocking for another two hours.

Unwilling to lie there in fresh anticipation of seeing him without being able to do anything about it, she dressed for work in a matching cotton blouse and skirt in a khaki color. When she’d done her hair and makeup, she packed her bag and carried it downstairs.

This time she encountered a woman at the front desk who was probably Pierre’s mother. The older woman greeted her.

“Bonjour,” Andrea responded in kind.

“Monsieur Corbin is next door eating breakfast.” Gabe was already up? “You are welcome to leave your suitcase with me while you join him.”

“Thank you.”

After the woman came around to take it from her, Andrea walked outside to an overcast sky filled with the most amazing cloud formations. She discovered tables and chairs set up in front of the patisserie. Gabe sat at one of them dunking a croissant in his coffee before eating it while he read the Figaro.

In thigh molding jeans, a burgundy T-shirt and sneakers, he gave off a sexual male aura that made her heart leap. But it was hardly the attire she expected him to wear to work.

Since her talk with him yesterday morning, nothing had gone the way she’d thought. There was no possibility of second-guessing him. It was one of the many aspects about him that increased his desirability.

As she approached, he looked up from the newspaper. His glance was swift but thorough, otherwise she wouldn’t be feeling this sudden weakness. He got to his feet in one lithe movement and helped her to sit down.

“I can never sleep in, either,” he murmured before removing his hand from her arm. Her skin continued to feel his imprint even after he’d taken his place once more.

“It’s just as well. I’m sure Emile wants to get started as soon as possible. If we hurry and settle down to business, he won’t have to keep his team working through the whole weekend.”

Gabe poured her a cup of hot coffee from the carafe without commenting. Apparently he’d been expecting her at some point. Unlike him, she was as predictable as the sun rising every morning. After last night she feared her attraction to him was transparent.

The woman who ran the shop brought out a plate of golden croissants.

“Try one,” he said. “They’re filled with spinach and feta cheese.”

She trusted him to know what was good and took a bite. He was right. It was a gourmet’s delight. But she had a fluttery sensation in the pit of her stomach that robbed her of an appetite. She reached for the coffee instead.

Gabe appeared so calm, it convinced her he’d forgotten what had gone on between them last night. “It feels like it might rain.”

“But it won’t,” he said, eyeing her over the brim of his cup.

“How soon is Emile expecting us?”

“He isn’t.”

She almost choked on her coffee. “I don’t understand.”

“Then I’ll clarify things for you.” He put down his cup and leaned forward, staring at her through veiled eyes. “I brought you to Paris for one reason only.”

She didn’t know Gabe like this. “If you’re talking about seducing me, you had your chance last night—” she joked because she didn’t have the slightest clue what was going on in his mind, let alone where this conversation was headed.

To her shock he didn’t laugh or even smile.

“You’re way off base, Ms. Bauer.” He hadn’t called her by her last name since the first day she’d interviewed with him.

Heat rose in her cheeks. “You think I don’t know that?” Talk about twisting the knife till blood gushed.

“I’ve never proposed marriage to a woman before, and thought this the ideal place.”

Marriage—

The cup slipped from her hands, spilling some of the coffee on her blouse.

“S-sorry I’m so clumsy,” she stammered as she dabbed at the stain with a napkin. “I must have misunderstood what you just said.”

“You mean about my asking you to be my wife?” His hand covered hers, stilling it.

“You’re joking of course—”

“I never joke.”

She knew that.

His was a serious nature, even brooding. The man worked harder than anyone she knew, and expected the same from the people around him. She doubted he had a frivolous bone in that tall, powerful body she found undeniably appealing.

Sometimes she glimpsed a mystifying streak of melancholy that tore at her heartstrings. After their conversation last night, she thought she understood part of the reason for it.

“You don’t marry someone when you’re not in love,” Andrea whispered, struggling to find her voice.

“We like each other.” He inserted the irrefutable fact in the same way he made a polarizing comment at a board meeting, inevitably silencing everyone. “All you have to do is remember last night to know it’s true.”

Last night…

She hadn’t been able to think about anything else. It had haunted her dreams and made her so restless she’d wanted to steal to his room and beg him to make love to her.

“Who’s to say ‘like’ isn’t preferable to love that can twist and torture the soul.” Gabe’s rhetorical question was proof his parents’ divorce had crippled him emotionally, just as she’d thought.

“Admit we have an excellent working relationship, Andrea. We know each other better than anyone else. I don’t recall us ever having a serious disagreement. There’s no doubt we’re sexually compatible.” The thumb caressing her palm was sending little darts of awareness through her system.

“You’re crazy!” As if she’d just been stung, she pulled her hand away. Beyond pain, she said, “I’ve worked with you long enough to know Gabe Corbin never does anything without it being part of a grand design.”

He sat back. “That’s true.”

She eyed him frankly. “What’s the real reason you’ve picked on me to enter into a loveless marriage?”

After subjecting her to an intimate appraisal he said, “I’m not about to allow you to throw away your chance to give birth to your own child if I can help it. We’ll make it our top priority.”

They were back to a discussion of her female problem. “You want to give me a baby—” she mocked.

“Barring unforeseen circumstances, yes, I’d like to give you a child. I want us to marry so that you can have our baby.”

She sprang to her feet and put her fists on the edge of the table. “What’s going on?” she demanded. “And don’t tell me you want to do this for me out of the kindness of your heart! What’s in it for you?” By now her curvaceous five-foot-five body was leaning toward him.

Lines darkened his features making him look all of his thirty-six years. “A way to atone for my sins,” he answered in a gravelly voice.

It never failed that when Andrea asked him a pointed question, he always came back with an unexpected answer that confounded her. This one reached a spot deep in her soul and she quietly sat down. “What sins?”

“When I left St. Pierre for college, Jeanne-Marie, one of the girls from the island, came to my apartment in New York.”

Andrea knew there had to be a Jeanne-Marie-whatever-her-last name-was somewhere in his past.

“She claimed she hadn’t wanted me to leave home and was hoping I would marry her.”

If anyone understood what it was like to love Gabe, Andrea did. The heartbroken girl would have been in agony to watch him walk out of her life.

“That was a ludicrous announcement on her part since Jeanne-Marie and I had no past together. She knew there could never be a future.

“The truth is, we slept together one time. I’m not proud of the fact that I had a one-night stand, but I did and marriage was the last thing on my mind where she or any woman was concerned.

“I told her to go back to St. Pierre. Later on I received a call from my father that she was going to marry my brother Yves.”

The picture was getting clearer. When Jeanne-Marie couldn’t have Gabe, she chose the next best thing.

“It pained me to realize I’d been with a woman my brother loved enough to marry. He deserved to know the truth about Jeanne-Marie and me before things went any further, so I made plans to fly back to the island to talk to him. But my father told me something that changed my life.”

Andrea had a premonition where this was leading. Her eyes closed tightly and she sat back down in her chair.

“He said she’d just suffered a miscarriage. Though everyone thought it was Yves’s baby, he knew differently, meaning I was the father. My father suggested that for Yves’s happiness, it might be wise if I never came back.”

“Gabe—” Gut wrenching pain tore through her. “Do you mean to tell me you’ve never been home since?”

Emotion darkened his eyes until she couldn’t see any silver. “I flew in the day my grandmother was buried, but waited till night to visit her grave. Grand-père was there alone. We talked until first light, then I left the island.”

She shook her head, aghast to think of his being estranged from his family all these years. “Why didn’t Jeanne-Marie tell you she was pregnant when she came to see you?” her voice trembled.

“The night we were together I took precautions which let her know I didn’t want there to be any consequences. She was probably afraid to tell me she’d gotten pregnant.”

“But it was your baby!” Andrea said emotionally. “You had a right to know.”

He folded his powerful arms. “I agree. However at eighteen who’s thinking clearly?”

“You were, otherwise you wouldn’t have left home to follow your dreams.”

“I got out of there because I couldn’t stand to see the pain in my father’s eyes after he and mother divorced.”

Andrea believed him, but whether he realized it at the time or not, she knew other forces had been at work prompting him to fulfill his destiny.

“I’m so sorry, Gabe.” She wished there were a better word besides sorry to convey her feelings. “I— I still don’t understand how marrying me would help you atone for your sins.”

He sucked in his breath, “You haven’t lived with my guilt. Jeanne-Marie needed me and I rejected her.”

“You wouldn’t have, if she’d been truthful with you!”

A wintry smile came and went. “Thank you for defending me, but it doesn’t relieve me of blame. I slept with her when I didn’t love her.”

“She sought you out because she was willing, Gabe. That makes her share equally in the blame.”

“Maybe,” he conceded, “but if I’d married her, she might not have had the miscarriage.”

Her heart ached for him. “You’re beating yourself up for something you were helpless to rectify without knowing all the facts.”

He shook his dark head. “None of that matters now. Our baby didn’t survive, and there’s been no way for me to make restitution. When you came to me yesterday morning, I sensed your desperation and realized there was something I could do for you before it’s too late.”

She averted her eyes.

“Knowing what was at stake, I admired your honesty in not using Bret who was obviously ready and willing to make you his wife, something I wasn’t prepared to do for Jeanne-Marie…” His voice trailed. “I believe we could make a marriage work, Andrea. We have no secrets, only the hope of getting you pregnant.”

Andrea looked up at him again. His eyes shone with an intensity she’d never seen before. If she didn’t miss her guess, he wanted a baby to replace the one his father had told him he’d lost.

Her stomach clenched because she was holding back a lie of her own by not revealing that she was in love with him. But how could she open up to him? He wasn’t asking for her love any more than he’d asked for Jeanne-Marie’s…

“I’m far from perfect, Gabe.”

He shrugged his broad shoulders, drawing her attention to the movement of rock-hard muscles beneath his T-shirt. “Our relationship would be built on honesty, not perfection.

“What I’m proposing is that we get married immediately and try to get you pregnant as quickly as possible.”

“And if I don’t conceive?” she challenged. His cold-blooded approach to something as sacred as marriage angered her.

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

“You mean divorce.”

After a pause, “Only if it’s what we both want.”

He was too shrewd an entrepreneur not to leave himself a loophole. Oh Gabe—you’re so transparent. He might just as well have pushed her off a cliff. A heart could only take so much.

“There is one condition. For fathering our baby and bestowing my worldly goods on the two of you for the rest of our lives, you would have to agree to it.”

She knew there had to be a condition! In fact she’d been waiting for the other shoe to fall.

If she were to marry him and they divorced, naturally he wouldn’t be ecstatic about parting with half of those worldly goods which included a billion dollars or more.

Andrea couldn’t comprehend that amount of money any more than she could comprehend the damage done to him by his parents and Jeanne-Marie.

“Beyond a healthy respect for the way you’ve made your money by the sweat of your brow, I would never want to have your wealth. The responsibility would be…frightening.”

“I’m well aware of that,” came the surprising rejoinder. “When you’re in my position of having lived hand-to-mouth before making a fortune, you acquire a sixth sense about people. I’ve learned to choose my associates carefully.”

He subjected her to an intense regard. “If you had been a gold-digger, you would never have made it through our first interview.”

A shiver ran down her spine. She imagined many women, ambitious and otherwise, had tried without success to pierce his impregnable armor. How could they know a scarred soul lived inside such a successful man?

“Don’t you want to know what my condition is?”

She shivered.

When Bret had started dating her, he’d told her there was a ruthless side to Gabe’s nature. Otherwise he wouldn’t have become a billionaire by the time he was thirty-six.

Andrea had laughed off the comment because she’d never witnessed that trait in Gabe. Though he’d always been somewhat aloof, everyone in the company admired him. He treated his employees fairly and cared about them. The man commanded the highest respect from people worldwide.

But she’d seen multiple sides of him since coming to Paris and felt no urge to laugh. In fact she was in a state of absolute panic because she could feel herself caving even though she knew he wasn’t capable of loving her or any woman.

“Gabe—”

“I’m going home to St. Pierre.”

She blinked. “You mean you want to take me with you for a visit?”

“No. It’ll be for good. Yves and Jeanne-Marie now have two teenage children, I’m no longer a threat to their marriage. I miss the sea…and home.”

“But your company—”

“I’m selling it and funneling the money into a perpetual fund for the welfare of the island which has been in economic crisis for years.”

He was giving away his billion dollars? Just like that? “When did you make this decision?”

“A long time ago. Since my family wouldn’t let me help them financially, I had to find another way to do it. The point is, I always intended to go back, and have stayed in touch with my grandfather.

“However since my grandmother’s death, he has been depressed. To make matters worse, his friend from childhood, Gorka Zubeldia, who lived next door passed away recently. His widow Karmele is planning to move to the Pyrenees any day now to join their son.”

“So you weren’t the only son to leave the island.”

He flashed her another penetrating glance. “No. When Grand-père told me that news, I had my realtor buy the Zubeldia’s house for me without Grand-père’s knowledge. It has possibilities.”

“Possibilities? In other words, it will need a lot of work.”

His lips twitched. The sight was so rare, it was hard not to stare. “Until it’s vacant, we’ll stay with Grand-père. I’m hoping my return will raise his spirits and help him to enjoy the years he has left. The Corbins are known for their longevity. He’s only eighty-one.”

She studied Gabe for a long moment. He seemed to have planned everything down to the last detail. It was all going so fast. “He has no idea you’re coming, does he.”

“No. But the day I left St. Pierre, my grandparents told me their door would always be open. That has never changed over the years. The house holds many choice memories for me.

“Nevertheless it’s an isolated world, Andrea, and in some ways very harsh. Naturally I’m going to keep enough money in trust for you and our child so that if anything happened to me, you would be taken care of.

“But I’m speaking of the total picture, of the fog and the interminable ice and cold of winter. Few outsiders can make it in such an insular society of people who tend to stick to their own and draw their livelihood from the sea.

“But it’s my home. If I had a child, that’s where I would want to raise it. No son or daughter of mine is going to grow up any differently than I did.”

What an extraordinary man he was.

“Except for my father and grandfather, the family doesn’t know the real reason I never came home again. They believe I’m a traitor who left the island because hard times hit economically.

“Because of their resentment of me abandoning the life I was born to—an action they consider to be a sin—the family will crucify you by their unwillingness to get to know you. They might never accept you. I’m telling you all this so there won’t be any surprises in case you decide to marry me.

“I’d like your answer by tonight,” he murmured. “In the meantime we’ll tour Paris to your heart’s content.”

She doubted any woman had ever received such a bizarre marriage proposal.

What a choice— Never see him again, or live with him under almost untenable, if not impossible, circumstances. You’re damned whether you accept or not, Andrea.

“You’ve given me so much to think about, I’m afraid any sightseeing would be wasted on me.” She pushed herself away from the table and stood up. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to fly back to New York today.”

“So be it. I’ll send for a limo and alert my pilot you’re on your way to the airport now.”

She bit her lip. “You’re not coming, too?”

“No. I have business at the fisheries board and will fly home later on a company plane.” He cocked his head. “Don’t take too long making up your mind. It would be a crime to delay, if you only have five months to conceive.

“Though I only slept with Jeanne-Marie one time, there’s no guarantee I could make you pregnant that fast, but I’m prepared to try.”

Such brutal honesty was hard to take. Andrea would have welcomed even one tiny white lie such as, “I’ve had my eye on you for a long time, but knew you were involved with Bret.”

He poured himself another cup of coffee. “When I’m back in New York I’ll call you for your answer. Have a safe flight, Andrea.”

“You, too,” she whispered before walking back to the hotel alone.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur as a limo pulled up in front of the hotel and swept her away to the airport. Evidently yesterday’s romantic raft ride across the river was all part of the atmosphere he’d orchestrated to prove she wasn’t physically indifferent to him. Her enthusiastic response to him on the dance floor had probably shocked him.

Six hours later she stepped off his private jet where she discovered his driver waiting for her. “Welcome back, Ms. Bauer.”

“Good morning, Benny.”

“Mr. Corbin said you haven’t had much sleep after such a short trip. He told me to take you straight to your apartment.”

Nothing escaped Gabe’s notice. “I have to admit I’m tired. Thank you for coming to get me.”

“It’s a pleasure.” He helped her in the back of the limo before they drove into Manhattan.

There weren’t many clouds overhead. It didn’t look anything like the sky above Champigny. She couldn’t smell the perfume in the air. The atmosphere was all wrong.

Everything was wrong because Gabe wasn’t with her…

When she entertained the thought of never seeing him again, an emptiness stole through her too terrible to contemplate.

“Here we are, Ms. Bauer,” Benny said twenty minutes later. He’d come around to open her door. She’d been so buried in thought, she hadn’t realized they were back in front of her apartment.

Andrea climbed out and thanked him for the ride.

He handed her the suitcase. “I’m always glad to be of service.”

She waved him off and hurried inside.

One of the first things she did after entering her small fourth floor apartment was go to the kitchen and listen to the messages on her answering machine.

There were several calls from her mom wondering if she’d be coming home for the weekend. Sue, a friend in the same apartment building, wanted to go to lunch. The next voice was Bret’s.

“It was hard seeing you at the elevator without being able to talk. I’m missing you like crazy, Andrea. Forgive me for accusing you of being in love with the boss. You said you weren’t, but I wouldn’t listen. Maybe it’s because I sensed his interest in you from the beginning.”

She shook her head. Bret was so wrong where Gabe was concerned.

“I’ll admit I’ve been jealous as hell. Gabe Corbin is an impossible act for the normal man to compete with. Can we start over again? If I promise not—”

Andrea deleted all the messages, too torn up over the decision she was grappling with to deal with anything else. She’d heard of people who said they’d reached a turning point in their life that had altered it forever. It never occurred to her she would be one of those people.

While she stood there trying to sort out her chaotic emotions, her cell phone rang. She reached in her purse for it.

The caller ID indicated an out of area call. It was probably her mom. She clicked on. “Hello?”

“I’m glad you arrived safely, Andrea.”

Gabe— She clung to the edge of the counter for support.

“You’ve had seven hours to consider my proposal. I’d like your answer now.”

Now?

The phone fell to the floor. She rushed to retrieve it. Her hand pressed against her heart where it pounded so hard, it hurt. She hadn’t expected to hear from him until tonight. “A-are you still in Paris?” she spluttered.

She felt his hesitation before he said, “I’m at the airport. If you’ve decided to marry me, we have plans to make. Otherwise I’m going to fly to St. Pierre now.”

The breath froze in her lungs. “H-how long will you be there?”

“For good. I thought you understood that.”

“But—”

“It sounds like you’ve made your decision,” he interrupted without missing a beat. “Andrea, I thought my proposition would make you happy, that it would give you one last chance at getting pregnant. But I understand your decision—and I hope your surgery is successful and you’ll be pain-free.

“Don’t worry about anything at the office. I’ll phone Sam Poon and let him decide how to reorganize your department. You can pick up your severance paycheck from Karen.”

“Wait—!” she cried out in panic.

“If you’re uncertain about quitting, so much the better for the company, Andrea. Take your six weeks to recover. By then you may feel diff—”

“No—” This time it was she who cut him off.

“No, what?”

The blood pounded in her ears. “You’ve misunderstood me. I—I want to try to have a baby.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Gabe sounded quietly pleased, just like he did when he’d sewn up another market on the international scene. “I’ll meet you at the county clerk’s office at three. Benny will be by for you at two-thirty. See you then, Andrea.”

He clicked off before she could say goodbye.

Dear God… What had she done? She could hear her mother’s voice asking her the same question.

The more she thought about it, the more Andrea feared calling her parents. Gabe wasn’t in love with her. Better for them not to know anything yet.

There was every possibility she wouldn’t be making that three o’clock deadline downtown Gabe had set…

CHAPTER THREE

BAUER’S Eidelweiss Chalet formed part of a strip mall in Scarsdale that might as well have been one of those wonderful little shops nestled in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest.

Gabe entered the virtual fairyland just as a cuckoo went off twelve times announcing the noon hour. Every conceivable kind of hand-painted wood nutcracker and doll house covered the display tables. On one side of the shop were Christmas ornaments, music boxes, smokers, steins and cowbells. The other side sold Bavarian clothing.

He glimpsed Andrea’s dark-blond father dressed in traditional lederhosen up on a ladder. The tall, fit man with a short beard and moustache was setting up a crèche pyramid. Her mother had to be the attractive brunette woman behind the counter dressed in a Bavarian blue dirndl.

Andrea’s parents looked to be in their mid-fifties. Both appeared to be the picture of perfect health, which made fiction out of Andrea’s insistence that they were getting old and needed her help.

She’d inherited traits from both of them, particularly her mother who had those same bluebell colored eyes and a healthy bloom on her cheeks. The well-endowed Bauer women wore little makeup. They didn’t need to with such flawless skin.

He waited until their only customer left the store, then he approached the counter. “Renate Bauer?”

“Yes?” She eyed him as if she were trying to remember if she’d seen him before.

“I’m Gabe Corbin, Andrea’s employer.”

The second she recognized his name, a look of anxiety replaced her friendly smile. Her complexion paled.

“Karl!” she cried to her husband. “Come quick! Mr. Corbin’s here. Something must have happened to our dau—”

“Andrea’s fine!” Gabe rushed to assure her before any more damage was done. By now her husband had joined them. “I’m sorry if our first meeting has led you to believe I’m the bearer of bad news. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Relief slowly chased away their alarmed expressions.

“Andrea and I just returned from Paris. While we were there, I asked her to be my wife and she accepted. I would have come to you first to ask for her hand, but circumstances made it impossible.”

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