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“Friends are in short supply Yesterday, Christa told almost everyone about what happened in Toronto I was humiliated”
“I wish someone would shut her up Permanently”
“Gabriel tried They made a scene Then Professor Picton arrived and threatened to throw Christa out”
Paul whistled “I’e death ht of Julia’s face, which was lined with distress
“I don’t mean to be a jerk”
“You aren’t a jerk”
He continued tapping his foot under the table, an expression of discomfort
“I said sootThat’s the behavior of a jerk”
Julia’s eyes widened “You told me you couldn’t come because your dad was sick”
The tempo of his foot increased
“That’s true—my dad was sick But that wasn’t the reason I didn’t co” His eyes met hers “I couldn’t watch you marry him”
Paul took in her troubled expression and pulled his chair closer to the table
“I know you’reto mess with that But God help me, I couldn’t watch you marry him I’m sorry”
“Paul, I—”
He lifted a hand to silence her
“I’s But it’s hard for me to see you with hi around you—ru you to have a baby when you just started your progra to wake up and realize that he married an incredible woman and that he needs to care for her?”
“He does care for me He isn’t who you think he is”
Paul leveled his dark eyes at hers
“For your sake, I hope not”
“He volunteers at the Italian Home for Children He’s done hued”
“He isn’t much of a humanitarian if he can’t see that his wife needs time before she beco It’s hard to withhold so that it would nized it yourself I know he has his faults, but so do I He’d give me the world if he could fit it in his pocket, and he never, ever, letsunder the table
Chapter Fifteen
Paul’s paper ell received, if not a little short in Gabriel’s estirim satisfaction that both Paul and Julia appeared uneasy after their lunch, as if things hadn’t gone quite as they’d expected
If Gabriel wanted to quiz Julia for details, he hid it well He greeted her war Paul’s presentation
Soon, it was Julia’s turn Professor Patel, one of the conference organizers, introduced her, dubbing her a rising star at Harvard Gabriel’s grin widened as he saw Christa seethe