“That’s what I thought,” he said, turning his back like the conversation was over.
But Gideon wasn’t finished.
Not even close.
His fists stayed curled.
His mind on Arden.
Because if Evelyn had set her sights?
Colton would be circling.
And Gideon would burn the entire legacy to the ground before he let either of them touch her.
?
She hadn’t left his thoughts in days. Maybe longer.
It wasn’t her sharp tongue or the way she stood her ground. It was everything in between. The pause before a smile. The stillness before trust. The rare softness that surfaced when she thought no one was looking.
She moved through the world like someone waiting for it to shift beneath her feet.
And even in that tension, there was grace.
Quiet bravery he couldn’t stop seeing.
Every piece of trust she gave him felt earned. Real. A weight he didn’t take lightly.
Exhaling slowly, he pulled out his phone and typed:
Have dinner with me tonight?
He stared at the screen. Just a question.
Her reply came faster than he expected.
Arden: I’d like that. What time?
His jaw softened.
He could almost hear her voice in the words, measured, a little reserved, but not closed off.
It was trust. Uneven and new, but unmistakable.
A thread of openness where there used to be armor.
Pick you up at 7:30
Arden: I’ll be ready.
He set the phone down, exhaling slowly.
She was stitching herself into the spaces he hadn’t known were empty.
And for the first time in years, he didn’t feel the need to retreat.
CHAPTER 45
