Page 33 of Gideon's Gratitude

“And you?”

“Longshoreman. I worked the docks in Vancouver.”

“That’s a brutal job.”

The words yanked me from the lull I’d settled into with Archer’s gentle questioning. How had I given away so much of myself in such a brief span of time? I never did that. Always held up a protective barrier between myself and other people. Except Leo. There’d never been a barrier there. Until two years ago.

“Yeah, physically demanding. But really good pay. I helped put Leo through medical school. Supported the two of us. His loans would be much higher, if not for me.”

“And yet he doesn’t appreciate you.”

“What?” I rubbed my forehead.

“He took the children away from you.”

“Yeah, I see what you’re saying.” I closed my eyes. “I did something wrong, and he can’t forgive me.”

“So you’ve said. But it sounds like he owes you.”

Anger flared, and I beat my chest. “There is noowing. We were equal partners. I loved him. I did all that for him. All he ever wanted was to be a doctor. I wanted him to get that dream. I barely finished high school. I was a big, powerful kid. A friend’s father offered to get me a union job at the docks. I’d have been a fool to turn down that offer. I started working the next week and worked solidly through to when we brought the kids home.”

“Then what was this unforgivable mistake?”

“Why areyouhiding in Mission City?”

Archer’s façade crumpled for just a moment as his eyes flashed pain.

Pain I recognized.

He recovered first. “I could ask you the same question. Where are Leo and the kids?”

“In a townhouse in Surrey. All we could afford. Leo’s hired a nanny to watch the kids because his work schedule is so crazy. He finally has enough money. I would’ve stayed home with them, given the chance.” Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. “And before you go thinking Leo’s a bad guy, he’s not. He has his reasons. I don’t even blame him. Much. Anymore.”

“Would you have done the same, had your situations been reversed?”

“They never would be. Leo’s not a weak man. He’s stronger than I’ll ever be.”

“Yet you worked at the docks.”

I waved him off. “I’m not talking physically. Although I’ll never be who I was there either. No, I mean he’s got a will of iron. He’d never give in. Never falter. He’s not capable of it.”

“Every person is capable of faltering, Gideon, even your precious Leo. We all have an Achilles’ heel. We all have something—or someone—who can bring us down.”

“What’s yours?” I narrowed my eyes. “Or should I be asking who?”

“There is no one.” He rubbed his knuckle against his nose. “And we were talking about you.”

Misdirection. Look here so you don’t see the truth.

Should I follow his lead, or push for the truth? None of my business, but curiosity burned in my chest.

“Something wrong with the food?”

Sarabeth’s furrowed brow shot guilt through me. I’d eaten a handful of fries and two bites of the burger. The delicious burger.

Archer’d barely put a dent in his food either.

“The food’s amazing. Just an intense conversation, you know?”Please believe me.

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