Secret Son, Convenient Wife(55)

Their son had walked.

Gemma couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt to see Nathan take his first steps, and how perfect that Tate had been there to share the special event with her. Not even that invasive article about her being pregnant could dull her excitement.

Their son had walked.

Then, after breakfast, Tate said he was going out but wouldn’t be long. It dampened her spirits a little. He’d been quiet while they’d eaten. At times she’d seen tension etched around his mouth, yet she had the feeling it wasn’t directed at her.

On his return, he appeared more relaxed, but he still had a hard look on his face. He was angry at someone. Her parents? Surely Tate would tell her if it was something to do with them.

Or could this be about Drake Fulton? Her heart lifted. As far as she knew, no one else had done anything to cause Tate anger. Oh, she did so hope that Tate was finally seeing Drake’s true colors.

“Gran’s decided she wants to hold an impromptu party tonight,” Tate told her now, as she and Nathan sat on the sunroom floor building a tower with wooden blocks.

“Tonight?”

He got down on his haunches, ruffled his son’s hair and added a block to the tower. “I think she’s feeling bereft that my grandfather isn’t around to share the award, and this is her way of keeping busy. She and Bree have been on the phone all morning inviting people.”#p#分页标题#e#

Gemma remembered how nice Bree had been to her last night. Would it continue? “It’s short notice, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but it’s only for family and close friends. Whoever can make it, really.”

Her heart gripped with an insidious fear. She couldn’t bring herself to mention Drake. And then she remembered something. “People will be curious…about me, I mean. They’ll be speculating that I’m pregnant.”

“We can’t stop them, but I’ll be there with you anyway.”

His reassurance meant a lot to her.

“Peggy’s agreed to babysit again.” He got to his feet. “I’ll be in the study for a while. I promised Gran I’d make a couple of calls for her.”

He left them to their tower.

At the party that evening at Helen’s house, Gemma took a quick look around as they entered the large entryway, grateful not to see any sight of Drake. She was amazed at the number of guests. “Family and close friends, I believe you said,” she teased Tate. It was standing room only.

His firm lips quirked with wry humor. “Gran’s been around a lot of years. She’s made many close friends.”

“There’s got to be at least sixty people here.”

“Eighty, actually,” Helen said, coming to welcome them with a kiss on the cheek for both of them. Gemma couldn’t help but be relieved she was still in the older woman’s favor. She wasn’t sure the awards dinner hadn’t been a dream.

Or a nightmare, where Drake was concerned.

And then the nightmare arrived.

“How’s my favorite grandmother?” Drake said, bestowing a kiss on Helen’s lined cheek.

Helen tutted. “If your grandmother was here she’d have something to say about that, young man.”

He chuckled, then nodded at Tate, before his gaze slid to Gemma, his practiced smile fading with concern. “I hope you’re feeling better now, Gemma. You could have hurt yourself fainting like that last night.”

Gemma felt the slightest stiffening in Tate’s body and knew he wasn’t comfortable with Drake. But surprisingly, she felt Tate’s hand squeeze her waist, as if he was trying to bolster her spirits. It gave her the courage to put on a fake smile. “Thankfully, Tate was there for me.”

There was a flash of something vicious deep in Drake’s eyes, before he turned to Helen with an easy smile. After that, he was all false charm with the other woman and buddy-buddy with Tate, then Darlene and Jonathan joined them, followed by Bree. Tate’s sister was friendly to Gemma before she took off again, and eventually Drake moved to another group of people.

A while later, Tate mentioned wanting to talk to a business acquaintance across the room, and Helen waved him off, saying she would look after Gemma. Gemma nodded at him that she would be fine, but she was warmed by his concern about leaving her alone.

After a while, Helen put her hand on Gemma’s arm and drew her aside. “Darling, I wonder if you could do me a big favor?”

“Of course, Helen.”

“I’m expecting a friend of Nathaniel’s to call me at eight. Dougal’s old and he’s in a home, and if I don’t answer the phone he won’t call back. Do you think you could go to the study and wait for his call, then come and get me? I don’t want to leave my guests just yet.”