Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
“I haven’t explored much around the apartments yet. I intended to, but I’ve been working extra hours for Brad. Brad Fitzpatrick is my boss. He’s a really good man, and he’s been trying to get his business off the ground.”
Rory took a deep breath and decided to take another leap of faith. She had no idea why she had such a strong compulsion to meet him after work when she didn’t date and was never attracted to any of the men who asked her out. Or why she would risk walking home alone with him. Or why she would ever agree to walk down a narrow pathway between buildings in the dark, which was the epitome of stupidity, but she was going to do it.
“You’re safe with me, Rory,” Gideon said. “Do you want to text your family or one of your friends and let them know who you’re with and what we’re doing? Take my picture and send it to them. If you don’t want to bother them this late, you can send it to your boss. You know he’s still up.”
Gideon was such a good man. Who offered to let their just-getting-to-know-each-other date do something like that? He knew she was nervous and he’d made the offer. “You really don’t mind?”
“I think it’s a smart idea.”
She did too. She took his photograph. He didn’t smile, but then she could see he wasn’t given to smiles. It didn’t matter. She thought he was hot as hell anyway. She group-texted her five friends that she was out with Gideon Carpenter, taking a shortcut from the bar to the Koi Garden, where they were going to be getting to know one another.
“Thank you, Gideon. I should have thought of that.” She had relied on herself for so long, she never considered letting anyone else know where she was or who she was with.
Gideon took her hand and stepped ahead of her onto the path between the two buildings. The moment his much larger hand enveloped hers, her heart went crazy, and she concentrated on slowing her heartbeat. She felt like a silly teenager. The moment her heart lurched so insanely, her breathing followed, getting out of control.
Rory did her best to block out everything around her and tried to get a natural rhythm going, breathing in and out. Please don’t wheeze. Please don’t wheeze.
Something had happened to Gideon. She knew he’d been injured, maybe a major car accident, but he had volunteered to walk her to the Koi Garden, and he was maintaining despite his injury. The last thing she wanted was for Gideon to see that she couldn’t walk two blocks without a problem. She detested that she would look weak next to him.
In her next breath, she was angry with herself for caring that it mattered to her. She didn’t have low self-esteem—at least not most of the time. She thought of herself as a confident woman until it came to her lung issues and sometimes her size, and only when she considered being around someone like Gideon. She was fit, but there was a voice in her head telling her she would never be good enough.
Gideon stopped in front of the double iron gates of the Koi Garden. “Rory, do you have an inhaler with you?”
She cursed inwardly and refused to look up at him as she fished in her jacket pocket for it. Naturally he would hear her struggling to breathe.
He waited for her to use it before he opened the gates. She went through before embarrassment had her turning around. She refused to be a coward. If he didn’t make an excuse to end their first meeting, neither would she.
“There’s a pavilion over here, so even if the wind comes up, we’ll be protected,” he said. “The chairs are comfortable. I have a blanket in my backpack for you to use so you won’t get cold.”
Gideon pulled out a chair and took the one opposite her. She noticed his chair was at an angle so he could see the entrance as well as both sides of the garden. It was only behind him that he didn’t have a good view of. He placed the blanket in front of her as well as two bottles of water.
“I have asthma,” Rory blurted. “It’s fairly severe. No running for me.”
“I’m impressed you work so fast at the bar the way you do. You must make an effort to stay fit despite having asthma.”
She heard the genuine admiration in his voice.
“I’ve always been lucky when it came to physical abilities. Good reflexes, that sort of thing, but I’ve got friends who have to work their asses off to stay in shape. I respect them because I know how difficult it is for them. We’re not all born with the same gifts or challenges.” Gideon spoke matter-of-factly as he casually reached for the water bottle in front of her and loosened the cap before opening his own. “How did you learn to duplicate the song of the female field sparrow so perfectly? That was truly amazing.”