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“Wow, this place is impressive,” Gabby said, her gaze flitting over the fountain in the center of the parking area and the pristine gardens around the white stone house, which must be cared for by a gardener because Corinne didn’t have a green finger in her body.
“It is nice, isn’t it?” he said with satisfaction. He’d watched his mum be forced to make do with less than she deserved for years to ensure he and Kyle were well taken care of. It made him happy to see her so content with her new home and partner.
Charity’s car was already parked near the entrance, so Logan pulled up alongside it and got out. He intended to assist Gabby, but by the time he’d made it around to her, she’d already climbed out and shut the door.
“If you’d waited a few seconds, I’d have given you a hand,” he said.
She smirked. “I’m perfectly capable of standing up all by myself.”
“Still.” He wanted to make things easy for her. That wasn’t too much to ask, was it? “Are you ready?”
She pulled a face. “As I’ll ever be.”
“Come on.” He took her hand and rapped on the door, then pushed it open. Corinne never stood on ceremony. He kicked off his shoes and steadied Gabby when she leaned down to undo the fastening on her heels.
Corinne breezed into the foyer, bringing with her the scent of seawater and flowers. Her blonde hair, the same shade as Logan’s, was tied back and her blue-green eyes sparkled with delight. “Logan. Gabby. What a pleasure to see you.”
Gabby straightened and smiled. “You look lovely, Corinne. Thank you so much for having us.”
“It’s no problem at all.” Corinne beamed and glanced knowingly between them. She probably thought they’d come to tell her they were dating, as Faith had. Unless, of course, she’d already heard the news, but Logan didn’t think so.
“Good evening, Logan.” Lawrence appeared behind his mum. He rested a hand on her hip. “Dinner is ready. Charity and Kyle are at the table. Why don’t you head through while we bring the meals out.”
Corinne laid a hand on Gabby’s forearm. “We made fried rice with tofu for you. I hope that’s okay.”
Gabby smiled. “Sounds lovely, thank you.”
Logan hoped there was no egg in it too. That seemed to be the food that set her off most, from what she’d told him.
“This way.” He guided her down the hall and through to the dining room. There was a more casual dining area by the kitchen, but Corinne liked to use the formal dining room for full family dinners because it gave them more space and meant no one felt like they had to rush to do the cleanup.
“Exactly how rich is Lawrence?” Gabby murmured as they passed by a painting that must be worth five figures.
Logan shrugged. “I’ve never asked, but I guess the answer is rich enough. He always seems to have however much money he needs.”
Lawrence owned a renewable energy company and had his finger in the pie for a few other business ventures as well, but he’d taken a step back over the last year and hired Mikayla Talbot to run the day-to-day management of the company.
Logan and Gabby entered the dining room and sat opposite Charity and Kyle. The way Charity studiously avoided their gazes after a brief greeting told Logan she’d guessed the purpose of the dinner and didn’t want anyone to know she had any idea what was going on.
Corinne and Lawrence brought in the plates. They’d cooked a roast. Logan glanced at Gabby out of the corner of his eye and noticed her eyeballing the pork. Her nostrils flared, but she let out a slow breath and seemed to come right.
“Okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah.”
When they were all seated, and everyone had complimented the chef, an expectant hush fell. Logan bumped his leg against Gabby’s beneath the table and she leaned slightly closer in a silent display of support.
He drank half his glass of water and set his cutlery on the side of his plate. “Gabby and I have news.”
Kyle looked confused. Charity studied her meal as if it was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen. Lawrence arched an eyebrow. But Corinne… she leaned across the table, looking more excited than Logan had ever seen her.
“We’re having a baby.”
Corinne’s mouth fell open. Whatever she’d been expecting, it wasn’t that. Meanwhile, Kyle seemed to be choking on something. Charity thumped him on the back and murmured soothing words. Lawrence’s face remained impassive.
“I’m three months pregnant,” Gabby interjected. “Give or take.”
Corinne’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes gleamed with emotion. “Really? You are?”
