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Gideon gave Rosie a tiny quirk of his mouth, which was as close as he ever came to a smile around her. “Noah and Jorge are fascinated that he’s a French peacock named Henri,” he told her. “According to the docent, the bird actually came from France—a small town near Toulouse called Le Fousseret. I’m not sure I believe it, but the boys keep saying they want to learn French so that they can talk to him in his own language.” He recounted the information dryly, nearly without inflection…yet Rosie could hear his affection for the boys beneath his words.
“You’re so good with them,” she told him.
Gideon stiffened, the hint of a smile falling away. “They’re good kids, really easy.” He clearly refused to take any credit. And just as clearly, after speaking only a handful of sentences to her, he was looking for an escape route out of their short conversation.
It wasn’t just single women who gave Gideon a wide berth—everyone did. Even the Mavericks had simultaneously welcomed him into the fold and given him all the space he seemed to require.
Maybe it was the magic of the upcoming wedding weaving its spell around her. Maybe it was the warmth of the sun on her skin on this beautiful summer day. Maybe it was the peacock’s mating call.
Or maybe it was simply that nine months had been enough time for Rosie to see Gideon for who he really was. Sweet and adoring with his sister. Playful and caring with the boys. Respectful yet protective as he made sure Matt was good enough for Ari.
From the first moment Rosie had set eyes on Gideon last Thanksgiving at Matt’s house, he’d captivated her. He was so tall, at least six two, and she’d had to look up, up, up at him. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. Even her heart fluttered. His dark blond hair, as short as it was, looked soft enough to run her fingers through. She’d wanted to do it so badly that her hand almost rose on its own. He’d been wearing butt-hugging dress pants at Thanksgiving and a shirt that molded to every single muscle. She’d wanted to touch those magnificent muscles, test whether they were real. Then there was
all that bronzed skin from the years working outside as a carpenter, the matching set of tiny lines at the corners of his eyes from being in the sun all the time. He was seasoned to perfection.
Rosie never went gaga over men—she was immune. But from that very first day, Gideon had made her want things she hadn’t thought about in years.
It was his eyes she couldn’t forget, however. His gaze shuttered as if he were warning everyone off. Those eyes made her want to make him smile, to give him joy, to bring him happiness. And now, she couldn’t help but imagine. Couldn’t stop herself from dreaming.
Dreaming of Gideon with Jorge high on his broad shoulders, laughter on Jorge’s face.
Dreaming of her hand in Gideon’s, feeling his strength, his caring.
Dreaming of him lifting her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips across her knuckles.
Dreaming of love in his eyes and an unselfconscious smile on his mouth. For her.
It had been so long since she’d let a man into her life. Not since Jorge’s worthless father. She hadn’t thought she could ever do it again. And even if she could manage to conquer her own demons for Gideon, she wasn’t sure he would ever be able to fully drop his walls for her.
But she was absolutely positive about one thing: She was done tiptoeing around him. Done giving him a wider berth than she would give anyone else. Done worrying that she’d freak him out by treating him the way she treated her other friends.
From here on out, she was going to tease him and joke with him and laugh around him. The way she did with Ari and Chi and all the Mavericks. The same way she’d seen him tease and joke and laugh with the boys.
Never one to let the grass grow under her feet, she said, “Since you’re taking care of Noah while Matt and Ari are on their honeymoon, it would be great to get the boys together for a few playdates over the next two weeks. We could take them to the park or for a hike or a trip up to San Francisco. There are so many great ways for us to have fun together.”
Taken off guard, he backed up a full step and said, “All four of us, you mean?”
She half expected him to jiggle a finger in his ear as if he couldn’t possibly have heard her right. Refusing to take offense at his response, she nodded and said cheerfully, “Yup, all four of us.”
When he remained silent—likely trying to think up an unassailable excuse for why the playdates couldn’t happen—Rosie decided it was long past time to make yet another big change in their relationship. She’d never touched him before. Gideon’s keep away sign flashed such a bright neon that even Ari rarely hugged him. But Rosie refused to let nerves stop her from reaching out to put her hand on his arm.
Wow. The barest brush of her hand over his skin left her fingers tingling and set her heart racing.
But Gideon went rigid. And his face turned red.
“You know what a great time the boys have together,” she said. “And I’ve taken off the whole two weeks while Matt and Ari are in Iceland.” Before he had a chance to respond, she said, “I’ve got to run now. They’re waiting on me for the hair and makeup session.” She ran a hand through her dark curly hair. It badly needed taming. “They’ve got their work cut out for them,” she said with a smile. “Anyway, let me know when you’ve had a chance to look at your calendar. And can you also make sure the boys get into their tuxes in the groom’s tent? Then hand Jorge over to Susan? He’s going to sit with her for the ceremony.”
“Sure,” he said, always a man of few words.
She laid her fingers on his arm one last time, because really, who knew when she’d get another good excuse to touch him and feel those delicious tingles? “Thank you.” Then she jogged off to drop kisses on Jorge’s and Noah’s heads, the heat of Gideon’s gaze on her as warm as his skin had been beneath her fingertips.
Just before she turned away, she saw him put his hand right on the spot she’d touched. As if he could still feel her.
Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t quite as immune to her as he always seemed…
Chapter Two
Rosie Diaz was the world’s best mom—so sweet, so natural, so full of love. Gideon couldn’t help but compare her to his own. Nadine Jones had tried her best, but addiction aside, though he knew she’d loved him and Ari, she’d never been good at showing it.
