“Good.”She gave my arm a squeeze.“Come on in.Gideon’s in the kitchen.”
Henry guided me inside, the house warm with soft light and the smell of garlic and rosemary.As we reached the kitchen, a tall, built man turned from the stove, his grin wide and unguarded.
“Good to see you, brother.”
“You too,” Henry said, clasping him in a hug that spoke of years of trust.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a friendship like this — simple, loyal, untainted.I’d had some good friends in high school.But then Victor entered my life and managed to isolate me from everything and everyone I once held dear.I didn’t understand what he was doing at the time.
My mother did.
She tried to warn me.
And Victor silenced her.
“Ariana,” Henry said, drawing me forward.“This is Gideon Saint.”
I frowned.“Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Probably because it is,” Henry said dryly.“He used to pretend to be a venture capitalist, so you probably heard his name in your old circles.”
“Pretend?”I asked, confused.
“It’s a long story,” Gideon said with a slight laugh.
“Are you still in that field?Orpretendingto be in that field?”I had a feeling whatever Henry meant by that had something to do with the reason he went by Gideon now instead of Samuel, as he’d mentioned was his name when they first met.
“Not anymore.”His gaze softened as he pulled Imogene against him and placed a hand on her stomach.“Figured it was time to focus on the only good investment I ever made.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips.The tender and unguarded gesture hit me right in the chest.
I didn’t realize until this moment how much I missed seeing love like that.Unhidden.Unashamed.Real.
And when I looked at Henry, at the faint smile tugging at his mouth and the warmth in his eyes, I felt a flicker of something fragile and dangerous bloom inside me.
For the first time in years, I didn’t force myself to smother it.
Instead, I allowed myself the one thing Victor tried to take from me.
I let myself hope.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Ariana
“This looks incredible,” I said, inhaling the mouthwatering aroma of garlic and butter as Gideon set down a plate containing a beautiful cut of filet mignon in front of me.
“Hope you enjoy it.I’ve been brushing up on my cooking skills these past few months.”He sat at the head of the table and reached for his wife’s hand, smoothing his thumb over her knuckles with an easy familiarity.“That way, Imogene can stay off her feet.”
“Iamturning food into a human,” she said dryly, rubbing her round belly.“And you’ve definitely gotten better in the kitchen.”
“You have, actually.It’s been…what?At least three months since you last gave me food poisoning,” Henry teased, taking a slow sip of his wine.
“That wasonetime,” Gideon argued, pointing his fork at Henry.“And I still contend it wasn’t my fault.I think the spinach had salmonella or something.”
“Right.”Henry rolled his eyes.“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”
“Boys…” Imogene sighed, but her tone carried more affection than annoyance.
