Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
For over a year, we kept our relationship secret and met up here on school breaks and summer vacations. It’s above one of the smaller tack rooms out near the retirement pastures and can’t be seen from the main house. It became a special place for us because the more time we spent together, the harder we fell for each other. It wasn’t all the time but it was enough that I can see Gabe in nearly every corner of this place.
Sylvie is at my small kitchen table that only seats two, finishing up her homework. I watch as her pencil flies across her math problems, her brow furrowed in concentration. I’m surprised she can focus because she’s been nearly beside herself with excitement that her uncle is coming over.
It nearly broke my heart when she said, “Gabe is proof the Mardraggons have good in them.”
She really needs to believe that. The betrayal of Lionel in attempting to kill her, and the further betrayal of Rosemund who has stuck by his side, rattled my niece something fierce. But Gabe loves her, has shown he will protect her, and this is evidence to Sylvie that the last connection she has to her mom is a trusted family member.
Personally, I wouldn’t trust him as far as I can throw him, but that’s not for me to say to Sylvie. At this point, no one wants to give her doubts and she needs security in the knowledge that we all love her. That includes Gabe.
The sound of a vehicle coming up the gravel lane approaches and Sylvie’s head pops up. “He’s here.”
Yes he is, and my heart thunders within my chest. There was a time when Gabe could just look at me and I’d feel faint from the thrill of it. Now my traitorous heartbeat has more to do with the confusing circumstances I find myself in, having to deal with a man I once cared a great deal for and then had more reason to hate him than any long-standing feud could deliver.
The reason it’s complicated is because even though we snipe at each other, I saw something in Gabe yesterday that I thought I’d never see again.
Care.
Lying in the dirt, the breath knocked out of me from my fall off Shadow, Gabe came into view and I saw genuine, deep-rooted fear etched on his beautiful face. Not just concern for another human being, but terror for my well-being, and it told me that while things ended very badly between us, Gabe still cares about me.
I’ve been trying to wrap my head around that fact all day and now I’m about to come face-to-face with the man who is plaguing my thoughts both day and night.
A wooden staircase leads up to my apartment door and we can hear Gabe running up it, most likely to avoid the steady fall of rain. Sylvie is there to greet him and I hate that he looks so damn good as he steps in after shaking off his umbrella.
I truly never gave Gabe Mardraggon much of a second look during childhood and our adolescent years. Our families would run into one another at various occasions, my brothers played football and baseball against him, and Shelbyville is so small, we’d sometimes have occasion to meet on the streets. It wasn’t until Gabe sat beside me that day in math class and offered to tutor me that I let myself see past the ingrained hate.
Allowed myself to appreciate how tall and muscular he was. The way his dark gold hair and molten amber eyes seemed brilliantly kissed by the sun and made him appear godlike. The way other women tried to catch his attention and other men tried to emulate him. Yes, he had gobs of money and dressed in the best clothes and drove the fanciest cars, but it was the way he listened to me that really had me looking at him differently. Our tutoring sessions were legit and he helped me tremendously, but we spent a lot of time talking about things other than math.
I got to know who I thought was the real Gabe Mardraggon and God help me, I was attracted to every inch of him. It wasn’t long before I cared so deeply for him, I couldn’t imagine a life without him by my side.
Even now, dressed in a polo shirt and dark jeans, he exudes wealth, confidence and sex appeal. His eyes briefly land on me but the stare is broken when Sylvie flings herself into his arms with enough force he stumbles back, a laugh rumbling from him.
I wince, hearing that sound. Unrestrained and joyful, deep and resonant, it fills the room with its warmth. It’s genuine and a potent reminder there’s a real man under the veneer of wealth and selfishness.