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"Who usually wins the snowball fights?" Maria asked, amused

Elizabeth sniffed "It’s not et, Sahed "No, that doesn’t seem fair How about if I joined too? I pack a mean snowball"

Elizabeth looked surprised and then pleased at Maria’s offer "Seriously? That would be great!"

"Hey, no fair!" Sarown-up? Uncle Matt, can you be on our teaet said excitedly "Uncle Matt, please say yes!"

Matt coughed into his napkin "Well, I have to ith your father to, but we’ll see after that, okay?"

"Children, just because school is cancelled doesn’t mean you don’t have schoolwork I expect everyone to do at least an hour’s worth of study before anyone goes outside to around the table

The children’s enthusiasm immediately cooled, and they all mumbled "Yes, sir," before silence descended on the table

Gabriel stifled a sigh as the salad plates were rerilled salmon served He didn’t mean to cast a pall over the conversation, but he did want to instill the i that his children didn’t even seeht

"Daddy?" Meggie’s little voice piped up froie?" he proently

"Why do I have to study if I’ie’s voice wobbled and tears filled her eyes

Gabriel’s heart stuttered at the woebegone look on his youngest daughter’s face "Well, I, uh--"

"Meggie, don’t you like reading?" Maria interrupted softly

Meggie considered the question, then nodded "Uh huh"

"Well, what your fatheroutside Since you all love to read, that hardly seeie, that just et to practice your alphabet and to read out loud for a bit Then you’ll get to listen to ie’s face brightened considerably at Maria’s words "Okay!" She then wrinkled her nose at her plate and poked at the salmon and the roasted baby carrots, beets and baby potatoes next to it "I don’t want to eat this"

Gabriel frowned "Meggie, you know you have to eat what’s on your plate, or else there won’t be any dessert for you"

Maria saw Meggie’s ie, is pink your favorite color?"

"Uh huh"

"Well, what color is the food then?"

"Uie looked amazed at the realization

"Yes, it is pink Don’t you think you can try eating so that’s your favorite color? I’ll cut it up so it’s easier to eat, okay?"

"Oh, okay" Meggie still looked dubious, but illing to give the salratefully, her head bent close to Meggie’s as she quickly cut up the salht coppery strands of her hair were next to Meggie’s ash blond, and Gabriel’s heart thuether, they just looked right

"Gabriel?" Matt said quietly

"Yes," he said absently, still absorbed with Maria and Meggie

"Olivia called the house before dinner, looking for you"

At the mention of Olivia, Gabriel’s attention was instantly on Matt "What did she want?"

"She wanted to tell you that she’ll be stuck in Montreal for a few more days because of the storm, but that she should still be able to fly back by next Sunday and that she’s looking forward to seeing you and planning the engagement party" Matt’s voice was carefully neutral as he delivered the e

"I see Thank you, Matt" Gabriel’s voice was also neutral as he struggled to not display his reaction Elizabeth, Bridget and Sam had looked up at the mention of Olivia’s na

Dear God, as he going to do about Olivia? He felt guilty for wanting another woed to Olivia, but it wasn’t as if he was in love with Olivia or she with him--at least, he didn’t think she was in love with him All he kneas that fond of Olivia as he was, the emotions she elicited in him paled considerably to the ones Maria aroused and had from the moment he met her

He had no idea where his relationship with Maria--if they even had one!--was heading, but he abruptly realized that he couldn’t marry Olivia, no matter what happened with Maria It simply wasn’t fair to Olivia She deserved ht, to be tied to a s off with her when he saw her--he owed it to her to do it in person, and not over the phone or ehts, and their eyes met for an endless, intimate moment that literally made him lose all sense of time and place All he could do was stare into the ocean blue depths of her eyes and rehed suddenly into his napkin and muttered, "Ued his gaze away Maria with an effort, glancing distractedly at Matt "What?"

"How about so not the tilare and a roll of his eyes