Celestine’s mind went blank for a moment.
The man standing before her was a far cry from the poised, handsome gentleman she’d seen at the auction. Today, Gideon’s eyes were clouded, their gray depths shadowed with something heavy. His usually striking features seemed drawn and
weary.
The last time she saw him was also their first meeting.
As soon as she recognized him, Celestine found herself swept into a warm, solid embrace.
She could feel his cheek pressed into her shoulder, and the subtle tremor that ran through his body.
Celestine blinked, her voice gentle. “Mr. Prescott?”
But her words didn’t break his trance. Instead, he only tightened his hold, as if he wanted to pull her into himself–bone and flesh.
The thought startled her.
Soon, the embrace grew so tight she could hardly breathe, and she coughed softly.
Only then did Gideon seem to snap out of it. He released her abruptly, worry etched across his face as he looked her up and down. “Did I hurt you?”
Celestine, red–faced and breathless, could only wonder why he seemed so rattled.
She hadn’t found her voice yet when Gideon’s gaze dropped to her injured forearm.
“Does it hurt?” he asked, releasing her completely, almost afraid to touch her again. “I’m all right, Mr. Prescott,” Celestine murmured, lowering her eyes to avoid his searching look.
A teasing voice broke the tension. “Well, Miss Selwyn, you’re fine, gave our Gid here a heart attack.”
you nearly
Celestine looked toward the sound. A tall young man in a casual gray sweater–he had to be at least 6’3“-stood watching them, features refined and gentle, his presence easygoing. His gray–brown eyes were strikingly similar to Gideon’s.
He looked oddly familiar, but Celestine couldn’t quite place him.
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“And you are…?” she ventured.
The man cleared his throat, glancing at Gideon, clearly waiting for an introduction.
Gideon’s earlier anxiety vanished, replaced by his usual cool detachment. “He’s my mother’s brother.”
“Oh, come on, don’t make it sound so formal!” the man protested, pretending to adjust an imaginary tie as he stepped forward. “Hi, Miss Selwyn. I’m
Mack–Gideon’s uncle. Bet you didn’t know, did you? The day you had your accident, I was right there! This guy got to you before the ambulance did–carried you the whole way into the ER. There was another man with you, but Gid didn’t even look at him! And when the doctors were-”
Before Mack could finish, Gideon shot him a glare sharp enough to kill the rest of his sentence.
Mack simply smirked and fell silent.
Celestine stared, stunned.
The accident had happened so suddenly. If she remembered right, Vernon had posted on social media that he was flying out of state that day. The airport was over twenty miles from where her accident happened…
And Gideon got there before the ambulance?
It was hard to wrap her mind around.
Mack caught her disbelief and explained with a knowing smile, “To get here so fast, Gid had to retake his driver’s test–that’s how long it’d been. In the old days, he’d have ridden ten horses to death. Good thing you’re okay.”
His gaze flickered between the two of them, full of meaning.
“Enough, Mack. That’s quite enough,” Gideon said, tone edged with irritation.
Celestine jumped in to defuse the tension. “Mr. Prescott, don’t blar. Mr. Becker. I should be thanking both of you.”
Mack snorted lightly, but he was secretly pleased. Still, not wanting Gideon to lose his cool, he held back from saying more and handed Celestine the basket of fruit he’d brought.
“It’s a relief to see you’re all right. Get plenty of rest, and if you need anything, you know who to call–Gid will handle it.”
Celestine, struggling to balance the large fruit basket with one arm, offered an
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Chapter
embarrassed smile. “Thank you, Mr. Becker. That’s very kind.”
Gideon was quick to take the basket from her, shooting Mack a reprimanding look as he did.
