Page 83 of Gideon's Gratitude

I blinked again. “How did you get from friends to me…? Oh.”

“Right. That I consider you a friend. That I now consider Maddox and Adam to be friends. Or potential friends. But that I don’t look at them and wonder how their skin can be so impossibly soft. I don’t think that I want to burrow myself in their bodies and become part of them. I don’t wonder how I’ll be without them when I go back to Vancouver. I don’t calculate the least amount of time to be away because I want to get back here to them.”

“Oh.” I was so fucking inarticulate at this point.

“Are we clear? Am I making sense?” Archer held my gaze.

“Yeah, I hear you. I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be.” He winced. “Well, you be whatever you need to be. Just know that I want to spend time with you. To come back.”

“You’ll always be welcome.” As if those weren’t the most challenging words I’d ever had to push past a lump in my throat.

He nodded, and offered a smile. “This breakfast was superb. Hit the spot.”

“It must be cold.” Ourdiscussionhad gone on for some time.

“All good. I love pancakes. Don’t have them very often.”

“Melodie’s favorite.” Trevor enjoyed them as well, but not with the same enthusiasm as his sister.

Archer nodded. “Do you want me to start looking into your case?”

What…? Okay, that came out of left field.“You said you were busy…” Of course I wanted to ask, but I wasn’t going to.

“A few preliminary inquiries shouldn’t take too much time.” He was about to eat a slice of bacon when his phone pinged. He grimaced.

“You can get that. It’s totally okay.”

He nodded and pulled his phone from his back pocket. Moments later, he scowled.

“Trouble?” I didn’t want to pry, but I wanted to make it clear I’d listen.

He tucked the phone away. “I’ll have to go back to Vancouver.” He speared a piece of pancake, swirled it in syrup, but didn’t eat it. “I don’t want to go back.”

I winced inwardly at the slightly petulant tone. I didn’t want him to leave either, but I knew from firsthand experience that hiding away from problems didn’t actually solve them. I slid my hand over his. “Well, come back when you can. You’ll always be welcome.” I didn’t want to say goodbye. Things felt too tenuous to be letting go so soon, but I also couldn’t beg him to stay.

“Iwillbe back.”

I struggled but managed a smile. I squeezed our joined hands. “I know you will. Now, eat up. Can’t have you hungry on the drive home.”

Archer cringed. “I have to go back into Mission City to get my stuff from the hotel.”

“Won’t add more than a half hour to your trip. You’ll be back to Vancouver in no time.” Said with a lightheartedness I didn’t feel. Still, I could smile. Regardless of when the man returned, we’d always be neighbors.

We finished our meal in silence, and soon he stood.

He began to collect the dishes, but I laid a hand over his. “It’ll give me something to do when you’re gone.” I rose as well and our gazes locked.

The swiftness with which he rounded the corner of the table and drew me into his arms left me nearly breathless.

“I won’t be long. I’ll be back. I promise.”

“I believe you.”

The kiss held no preliminaries. It was full-on and no-holds-barred. It was hot and demanding. It was bittersweet, and yet held promise. The thing was more than I had the right to hope for, and yet was everything I ever wanted.

Finally, he pulled back. He pressed our brows together. “This isn’t the end.”

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