Once Upon a Proposal by Allison Leigh Page B

best welfare of his children in mind.”
    Then she looked back at him, and there were flags of color in her cheeks. “Which is one of the reasons why I think he’s going to be a wonderful husband.” She smiled at him before turning on her heel and sweeping past Stephanie through the French doors.
    He watched her sail across the terrace. She looked so purposeful that it was hardly even noticeable that she was holding up the side of her dress in her hand to keep the torn hem from dragging behind her.
    He didn’t know if he was more stunned by Bobbie’s in-your-face announcement of their intentions, or in awe.
    â€œDon’t tell me you’re planning to actually marry that girl.” Stephanie recovered more quickly than he, and her tone was more acidic than ever. “She’s not even in your class…such as it is.”
    Gabe rounded on her. “What is your problem, Steph? I’m used to you flinging everything I do around in the mud, but you usually keep that nastiness reserved just for me. I wonder how your husband would feel knowing you insulted a woman that Harrison Hunt considers almost family?”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    â€œBobbie Fairchild.” He knew that Stephanie wouldn’t give a fig that Bobbie was very dear to Fiona, because Stephanie didn’t care in the least about Fiona. But he knew what Stephanie did care about.
    The same thing she’d always cared about.
    Her husband and his high-paying career as one of HuntCom’s legal eagles.
    â€œShe knows Harrison Hunt very well,” he finished.
    His ex-wife paled and he knew the dart had finally hit home.
    She glanced outside, probably spotting Bobbie’s distincthead of curls among the guests as easily as he did. “That…girl…knows Mr. Hunt?”
    Gabe smiled coldly. “More than knows him. Family friends. She even calls him Uncle Harry.”
    â€œEthan doesn’t answer to Mr. Hunt. He works for Grayson Hunt.” Her chin had lifted, but there was still a wariness in her voice that—if he were a forgiving sort—would have made him feel some regret over having put there.
    Only he wasn’t the forgiving sort.
    â€œBut they’re all one big happy family, aren’t they? Isn’t that one of the things Ethan’s talked about? How the Hunts keep the power to themselves? An international company the size of HuntCom…and it’s all privately held by Harrison Hunt and his family.”
    â€œFine,” she snapped. “I’ll…apologize to her.”
    â€œI thought you might. Nothing can ever get in the way of dear Ethan’s career. Where is he, by the way?”
    â€œStill in D.C. and he’s worked hard to get where he is.”
    That, actually, was something that Gabe didn’t dispute. Didn’t make him love the guy any, but there was no denying the man’s success. Or that he’d been generous with the results when it came to Lisette and Todd. They had the best of everything.
    But that, too, made Gabe’s fight that much steeper.
    â€œI still don’t believe you really intend to marry her.” Evidently, Steph couldn’t leave well enough alone. “You don’t even believe in marriage. You swore you’d never make that mistake again.”
    â€œYou know what they say about the wonders of the right woman.”
    Her glare would have done Medusa proud. “So when is the happy day?”
    â€œWe wanted to wait until after Fiona’s party and tell the kids before announcing it officially.” The lies came so easilyhe wondered if he was all that different than his brothers after all. Neither one of them took a truthful track if they could accomplish more with a lie. “We haven’t set a date yet. Bobbie’s never been married, and I want her to have the wedding of her dreams.”
    At that, his ex-wife finally looked away, and the compunction that Gabe