* * *
“I’m sorry it’s so early.” Gideon sat down in the kitchen chair. Connor was making coffee and he handed a cup to Gideon before pouring one for Kira.
“It’s fine,” Kira said. “How’s Tank? Preacher told me to go home last night once it was almost eleven and you still weren’t home. He said he would keep an eye on him.”
“He’s good. Ate breakfast this morning. Preacher slept at my place last night and is keeping an eye on him again this morning.”
Kira sipped at her coffee as Connor sat in the chair next to her. “Connor went to the bakery this morning to grab croissants and heard about Murray passing away. I’m sorry, Gideon. How is Wanda doing?”
“Her sister is driving in from New Cassel today, and she has some members of her church group staying with her.”
“Poor Wanda.” Kira reached for Connor’s good hand, twining their fingers together.
“Do you know where Grace is?” Gideon said. “I went to Addie’s place this morning but either she’s not there or she’s not answering the door. I tried texting and calling her cell but she’s not answering. She wouldn’t have gone to her parents’ place, would she?”
“God no,” Kira said.
“Is she here?”
“No,” Kira said. At Gideon’s look of skepticism, she rolled her eyes. “She’s not here, Gideon. I’m not hiding her upstairs.”
“Then where is she? I need to talk to her.”
“Is it to apologize for telling her it could only be sex between you two, and admit that you love her?”
Gideon’s face heated up. “Kira, that isn’t… I mean… Christ, I am not talking about my sex life with my baby sister. Ever.”
Kira rolled her eyes. “Are you planning on telling her you love her or not, Gideon?”
“Yes,” he said.
“She’s in New York with Harper and Addie. She didn’t want to chance running into you and she’s probably blocked your number on her cell phone. I would if I was her.”
“Shit,” he said. “Okay, when is she back?”
“She’s back on -”
Kira squeezed Connor’s hand and spoke over top of him. “We don’t know when she’s coming back. She said to me that she was thinking of moving there.”
Confusion crossed Connor’s face. “What? She called me at the clinic and said she would be -”
“Connor, honey,” Kira said loudly, “can you run upstairs and grab my sweater for me. I’m a bit chilly.”
“Sure.” Connor left the kitchen as Gideon stood and paced back and forth.
“She’s seriously thinking of moving to New York?”
“Why wouldn’t she? Her friggin house basically burned down, she’s had to throw away most of her stuff, and her parents don’t give a shit about her. Plus, the guy she’s been in love with forever said he only wanted her for sex. Why would she stay? There’s nothing keeping her here.”
“Her job,” he said a bit desperately. “She loves her job.”
“She can work as a hygienist in New York,” Kira said as Connor returned with a sweater.
“But she’s lived in Harmony Falls her entire life,” Gideon said. “She’ll hate New York.”
Kira shrugged. “I think she wants a fresh start and I can’t blame her. You screwed up big time with her, buddy.”
He raked his hand through his hair. “Are you seriously telling me she may never come back?”
“She did pack a lot of clothes,” Kira said. “I don’t think she left a single thing at Addie’s place. She said she might even move further away, like to California or something. I talked to her this morning and she said she was thinking of taking a trip to the west coast.”
“Fuck!” Gideon gripped the back of the kitchen chair. “What do I do?”
Unfamiliar panic was gripping his belly and paralyzing his lungs.
“You’re gonna have to go to New York and convince her that you love her and want her to stay,” Kira said.
“You’re right,” Gideon said. “If I start driving this afternoon, I can be -”
“Not a good idea,” Kira said. “If you drive, you won’t get there until tomorrow and I’m pretty sure she was googling cheap flights to California tomorrow. What happens if you get there and she’s gone? Are you going to drive all the way to California?”
“Text her,” Gideon said. “Text her and tell her I’m sorry and that I’m on my way and -”
“This is your mess to clean up,” Kira said. “I love you, but you have to be the one to fix this. You’re gonna have to fly out there this afternoon.”
Fresh new panic flooded through him. “I can’t fly, Kira. You know I can’t.”
“I know you think you can’t,” Kira said. “But I believe you can. Besides, think about how impressed Gracie will be when she finds out you faced one of your greatest fears to win her back. It’ll work in your favour, honey. It’s like the grandest of all grand gestures.”
“Grace doesn’t care about stuff like that,” Gideon said. “Does she?”
“Maybe?” Connor said. “I agree with Kira about the grand gesture thing. I mean, when I screwed up with your sister, my best friend had to ask her to forgive me because I was wallowing at home in self-pity and despair. Talk about pathetic. If I could change it, I’d totally do a grand gesture.”
Kira laughed and planted a kiss on him. “Honey, stop it. You were, like, two days out from major surgery, and you were in a lot of pain and sad and worried about your future. I loved that Lucas came over and pleaded on your behalf. It was weirdly kind of romantic.”
Connor grinned at her. “Thanks, honey.”
“Tank… he’s still recovering from surgery, and -”
“I’ll watch Tank while you’re gone. You know what you need to do, Gideon,” Kira said. “So just friggin do it already.”
Just the thought of getting onto a plane was making bile rise in his throat. “Kira, I don’t think I can.”
“Do you love Gracie?” Kira said.
“You know I do,” he rasped.
“Then you can do this, honey.” Kira reached out and took his hand. “I have faith in you.”
He studied his sister, at the love and belief in him that shone out from her like a beacon, and said, “I can do this.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Life blows.” Gracie collapsed next to Addie on the tiny loveseat in Harper’s tiny apartment.
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to agree with you on that.” Addie held up her wine glass and Grace clinked her beer bottle against it before they both took big swallows.
“No, love blows.” Harper was sitting in the armchair across from them, but the living room of her one-bedroom apartment was so small, that she could prop her feet up on the loveseat between them. “You guys have both had your ass kicked in the love department as of late.”
“Tell me about it.” Addison toyed with the friendship bracelets around her wrist.