even a whimper out of him for several hours.
Gideon stopped as he noticed Becca and Lily deep in conversation. He had to clear his throat to get them to notice him.
“Ian.” Becca rose from her chair to meet him with a soft hug.
Gideon wrapped his arms around Becca and kissed her temple before opening his eyes to see an uneasy Lily stand.
“It’s good to see you’re healing. You’re eye looks so much better.” Becca pulled back to look at him fully.
“Yes. I can see more than just a blur. The doctors think once the swelling goes down, it will be good as new.” Gideon pressed his smile against her lips.
“I can help with that.” Becca brought her hand up beside Ian’s bad eye.
“Becca, I don’t think—” Lily took a step forward.
Becca cut her off with a soft, but firm glare. “It should be up to him.” She turned back to concentrate on the injured eye. “Would you like me to heal it for you?”
Gideon swallowed hard. Her touch had calmed him into a state of speechlessness. He agreed with a silent nod and then waited.
Becca smiled and placed her hand over his eye. She pulled from within herself and poured out the deep calm to heal his swollen flesh.
“That feels good.” Gideon sighed as his skin tingled with an odd intensity.
Help me, Ian whispered in a soft, almost frail voice.
“I am helping. Just give it another minute.” Becca laughed and shook her head, but Gideon jumped back out of her grasp. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Gideon blinked rapidly, his vision restored in his eye. “It was just getting a bit intense.” He smiled a little.
She heard me!
Gideon held back the growl he felt rising deep within him.
“It’s okay. It was a bit strange for me too.”
Gideon loved the smile Becca held in her eyes as she stared at him. He had almost forgotten Lily was in the room until he noticed her movement from the corner of his eye. He took Becca’s hand and brought her to his side to face Lily. “I’m not sure what to say at this point, Lily.” He hoped that would let him off the hook, and he wouldn’t have to delve into their past relationship.
“I don’t either, honestly,” Lily said.
“Your leaving . . .” Gideon wondered how to word it to seem hurt, but not broken. “It devastated me for a time. Then I found Becca, and even though we went looking for you, I felt my life finally click back into place.”
“Right, I understand.” Lily moved her hair behind her shoulder, trying to calm herself.
“And you have Ryan back, I hear. All is well then.” He smiled.
“Yes, I guess so.”
Lily darted her gaze toward the door and noticed Abe, Ryan, and Nathaniel as they entered. Becca’s breath caught in her throat, noting the pain on Abe’s face at the sight of her hand in another man’s.
“Abe.” Gideon gave a nod.
“Ian. Glad to see you up and about. This is Nathaniel Archer and Ryan Edwards,” Abe said before grabbing an apple and taking a large, satisfied bite.
“Ah, yes.” Gideon dug deep to bring forth his inner charmer. “Pleasure to meet you both, but I believe Becca and I have a bit of catching up to do. If you wouldn’t mind excusing us.” He took her hand and led her out of the kitchen while Abe placed the half-eaten apple on the counter.
“That’s your competition, huh?” Nathaniel asked honestly.
“Not funny, Archer,” Abe quipped in return. “He’s been back for two seconds and he’s already taking her over.”
“Abe, this is difficult for her. She’s still adjusting to so many changes at once. Just give her a bit of time,” Lily consoled him. “Besides, I didn’t even know you were back. Did you track down the third donor?”
Abe laughed a bit. “Yep, six feet under in Arlington National Cemetery.”
“Shit!” Lily slumped down in her chair.
“But . . .”
Her eyes jolted up to Abe’s. “But what?”
“His daughter is very much alive and willing to help.”
Lily rushed to Abe and grasped his arm. “So
Gideon stopped as he noticed Becca and Lily deep in conversation. He had to clear his throat to get them to notice him.
“Ian.” Becca rose from her chair to meet him with a soft hug.
Gideon wrapped his arms around Becca and kissed her temple before opening his eyes to see an uneasy Lily stand.
“It’s good to see you’re healing. You’re eye looks so much better.” Becca pulled back to look at him fully.
“Yes. I can see more than just a blur. The doctors think once the swelling goes down, it will be good as new.” Gideon pressed his smile against her lips.
“I can help with that.” Becca brought her hand up beside Ian’s bad eye.
“Becca, I don’t think—” Lily took a step forward.
Becca cut her off with a soft, but firm glare. “It should be up to him.” She turned back to concentrate on the injured eye. “Would you like me to heal it for you?”
Gideon swallowed hard. Her touch had calmed him into a state of speechlessness. He agreed with a silent nod and then waited.
Becca smiled and placed her hand over his eye. She pulled from within herself and poured out the deep calm to heal his swollen flesh.
“That feels good.” Gideon sighed as his skin tingled with an odd intensity.
Help me, Ian whispered in a soft, almost frail voice.
“I am helping. Just give it another minute.” Becca laughed and shook her head, but Gideon jumped back out of her grasp. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Gideon blinked rapidly, his vision restored in his eye. “It was just getting a bit intense.” He smiled a little.
She heard me!
Gideon held back the growl he felt rising deep within him.
“It’s okay. It was a bit strange for me too.”
Gideon loved the smile Becca held in her eyes as she stared at him. He had almost forgotten Lily was in the room until he noticed her movement from the corner of his eye. He took Becca’s hand and brought her to his side to face Lily. “I’m not sure what to say at this point, Lily.” He hoped that would let him off the hook, and he wouldn’t have to delve into their past relationship.
“I don’t either, honestly,” Lily said.
“Your leaving . . .” Gideon wondered how to word it to seem hurt, but not broken. “It devastated me for a time. Then I found Becca, and even though we went looking for you, I felt my life finally click back into place.”
“Right, I understand.” Lily moved her hair behind her shoulder, trying to calm herself.
“And you have Ryan back, I hear. All is well then.” He smiled.
“Yes, I guess so.”
Lily darted her gaze toward the door and noticed Abe, Ryan, and Nathaniel as they entered. Becca’s breath caught in her throat, noting the pain on Abe’s face at the sight of her hand in another man’s.
“Abe.” Gideon gave a nod.
“Ian. Glad to see you up and about. This is Nathaniel Archer and Ryan Edwards,” Abe said before grabbing an apple and taking a large, satisfied bite.
“Ah, yes.” Gideon dug deep to bring forth his inner charmer. “Pleasure to meet you both, but I believe Becca and I have a bit of catching up to do. If you wouldn’t mind excusing us.” He took her hand and led her out of the kitchen while Abe placed the half-eaten apple on the counter.
“That’s your competition, huh?” Nathaniel asked honestly.
“Not funny, Archer,” Abe quipped in return. “He’s been back for two seconds and he’s already taking her over.”
“Abe, this is difficult for her. She’s still adjusting to so many changes at once. Just give her a bit of time,” Lily consoled him. “Besides, I didn’t even know you were back. Did you track down the third donor?”
Abe laughed a bit. “Yep, six feet under in Arlington National Cemetery.”
“Shit!” Lily slumped down in her chair.
“But . . .”
Her eyes jolted up to Abe’s. “But what?”
“His daughter is very much alive and willing to help.”
Lily rushed to Abe and grasped his arm. “So
Similar Books
