Janelle came back into the room and pushed against Penny. “Stop it. Shut up. We’ll talk, but not here. I don’t trust anyone.”
“Not even me?” Penny shoved the wrappers back into the bag.
Janelle’s shoulders slumped down. “Of course I trust you. But the walls have ears. I don’t want to draw any more attention to Gideon or me.”
“The extra attention on you could get you more customers.”
“I told you. I’m not using Gideon or anyone else to get ahead.” Janelle took a deep breath and smoothed her hands down her body. “Now let’s get back to work.”
“Good. The sooner this day is over, the faster I can find out how big your quarterback really is.” Penny put her two index fingers up about a half a foot apart, then kept moving them away from each other to illustrate how big Gideon’s penis could be.
When Janelle didn’t respond, Penny’s eyes widened.
“Yes, cannot wait until we close up.” Penny swatted Janelle on her ass.
The hit reignited the tingling sensation she had in her clitoris. She still felt as though Gideon stood between her thighs, moving himself back and forth. Why had she let that man go?
She remembered. Pride. She’d been battered once. She couldn’t go through it again.
Janelle checked on her hibiscus. Still looked good. Hopefully, it would be good enough for the win.
“Nice. Is that for sale?”
The unfamiliar voice and inquiry forced Janelle to turn around. She saw the paparazzi guy, Jules, behind her.
“What are you doing here?” She tried keeping her voice low to not alert Penny.
Penny asking questions about Janelle’s date with Gideon had been bad enough. Janelle didn’t want her friend also finding out about this half-a-million-dollar offer standing in front of her.
“Here to buy flowers, of course.” He took a step closer to her. “And see if you’ve changed your mind on my offer.”
Even with the fight, Janelle would never betray Gideon. Jules’s cigar smoke wafted to her when he moved closer. She sputtered out a cough before answering him.
“Both this plant and I are not for sale.” She pointed to the main part of the store. “We have other lovely items that you can buy if you want.”
“Are these the same flowers Gideon Wells gave you when you all ran out?”
Janelle’s mouth hung open.
“I have spies everywhere, Ms. Gold.” He cleared his throat. “Tell you what. I’ll up the offer to a cool million. Hell, I paid that to get pictures of that football player getting his dick sucked by a tranny.”
A lot of what Jules said offended Janelle. He reminded her right away of how much a gentleman Gideon had been with her.
“The term you should use is transsexual or transvestite. I don’t allow crude language in this family establishment. If you only came for a story, you’re wasting your time. You need to leave.” She pointed to the door.
Jules shook his head and tsked. “You must have great big ones to let a million-dollar offer walk out the door.” He turned around to leave, stopped, and came back to her. “Tell you what. You get me the dirt on him getting put on the injured list, and that’ll be good enough for me.”
“He’s what?” Janelle hated to hear something that important about Gideon from a cretin, bottom-feeder like Jules.
“You hadn’t heard? ESPN just reported that Gideon Wells has been placed on the injured list, although he’s still on the roster. But come on. Everyone knows that you get injured, a team no longer has any use for you.”
This time Janelle moved closer to Jules. “But he just won a Super Bowl. He made VIP or something.”
Penny poked her head to the back room area. “MVP.”
Janelle glared at her intrusive friend.
Penny shrugged. “What? I was walking by and heard you.”
As soon as Penny walked away, Jules continued. “Super Bowl, MVP, none of that matters. Football, like your flower shop, is a business. If a plant you have produces no flowers and should, you would toss it or at least not sell it. If your quarterback can’t perform, time to put in someone else.”
Janelle tried keeping her shocked expression hidden, but she knew she could be read by Jules or anyone else who walked by and saw her. Gideon loved the game as much as he loved flowers. No wonder he didn’t want to talk about his injury. Now she felt like an intrusive fool.
“Offer still stands.” Jules walked out of the store.
With the two bombs he’d thrown at her—the increase in his payout and what Gideon’s injury would mean to his career—she had a lot to consider.
She grabbed her coat and backpack.
“Hey, where are you going?” Penny asked as she rang up a customer.
“Seeing a sick friend.”
* * * *
Gideon took a couple of deep breaths in his car to calm himself down. He didn’t need his mother seeing him upset at the recent turn of events. Today would be all about her.
Although he’d missed Elizabeth at her house, Gideon had managed to find her in a hospital room getting prepared to go into surgery. Gunnar and Eboni stood by her bed.
“I apologize for being late, Mom.” Gideon kissed his mother on her forehead. “Overslept.”
If that excuse worked for Janelle, it should work for him.
Janelle. What a strong woman. Other women who had come after him had settled for less. The cheerleader who’d tried to get in his bed hadn’t cared that Gideon didn’t know her name. Janelle wanted to know what made Gideon tick. She didn’t want to be some side piece, as a reporter had once called her. She wanted to matter.
Being away from her for an hour hurt him. His body ached. He wanted to touch her again, feel her soft skin and run his fingers through her curly hair.
When Gideon pulled back from his mother, she stared at him with suspicion in her eyes. Without warning, she blurted, “You had sex this morning.”
Gideon glanced at Gunnar and Eboni. Eboni bowed her head but he could see her shoulders shaking and the telltale sounds of giggling. Gunnar stood next to the love of his life with a big grin. It relieved Gideon that his brother and Eboni had managed to repair their damaged relationship and that they would be getting married soon. He glanced down at Eboni’s ring for a brief moment before turning back to Elizabeth.
“Mom, have you already been drugged?” Gideon smoothed his hand over his head.
Gunnar shook his head. “Dude, no use denying it. Trust me. The more you do, the more she’ll keep at it.”
“I can tell you’ve had sex. Was it with Janelle?” His mother sat up higher in her bed. “Do you really like her?”
“I don’t like this conversation. I can tell you that.” Gideon took a seat in the corner.
Gunnar laughed. “Admit it and she’ll drop it.”
Gideon shook his head. “No.” He looked at his mother. “Mom, weren’t you the one who told us it’s impolite to talk about our sex lives in public?”
“I did. But that rule doesn’t apply to your mother. So are you two a couple? Is she here with you?”
Gideon buried his face in his hands. “Jesus.”
“We’re going to leave you two alone for a bit. We’ll be back before they take you to the OR.” Gunnar kissed his mother’s cheek and gave Gideon a pat on his shoulder before leaving the room.
Gideon closed the door for an added layer of protection. “So how are you feeling?”
“I would feel better if I knew that you and Janelle had hit it off.”
He rolled his eyes. “You want to prove that you were right.”
“Of course, darling.” She smiled. “Mama is always right.”
Gideon couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, fine. We hit it off. Happy?”
She stared at him. Until then, he hadn’t noticed that his mother wore no makeup. She’d always prided herself on being done up, even first thing in the morning. She still looked beautiful.
Gideon started to open his mouth when Elizabeth cut him off.
“Don’t you dare say that you’re fine.” She held her hand out to him. “Come here.”
He stood and held his mother’s hand while standing next to her bed. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“Good. I should have told you this a long time ago. I’m ashamed I haven’t.” She squeezed his hand. “You can stop being the rock or the glue or whatever it is you think you need to be to keep us all together.”
He let a smile creep up his face slowly before he let out a laugh. “Stop kidding around.”
“Don’t lie to me, Gideon. I know all you boys too well. I recognized it as soon as I brought you home. Gunnar tested me in every way he could. Thane needed me. I’m not going to lie, son. There were days when all hell was breaking loose where I knew you would be okay.”
“Exactly. Aren’t I always okay?” He squeezed her hand the same way he did with Janelle to reassure her of his health.
Queen Elizabeth slipped her hand out of his. “You would rather make sure none of us worry about you and that you cripple yourself than tell the truth? Gideon, if you need surgery, have it.”
He shook his head and paced. “I have to take care of you. I have to look out for the store.”
“Stop it.” She crossed her arms over my chest. “This is my fault. I’ve made you feel like if you don’t twirl your finger in the air, the world will stop spinning. I am so sorry that for years I leaned on you for support. You have always been the levelheaded one. As the middle child, you have always been the mediator. You don’t have to do that anymore.”
“Yes, ma’am, I do. You’re about to have major surgery. Gunnar is still recovering from a gunshot wound. Thane isn’t here. Who is supposed to take care of you?”
When he didn’t hear his mother respond, he stopped and stared at her. Tears filled her eyes.
“Who’s going to take care of you?” She pulled a tissue sheet from a nearby box and wiped her eyes. “Please don’t feel like you have to be strong for me. And I know you love football, but don’t kill yourself to keep doing it. That’s the reason I pushed you and your brothers to get an education. At least you and Thane listened. Gunnar went off and did his own thing. Schedule the surgery.” She broke her stare from him to gaze up at the muted TV mounted in the corner of the room.
A news story flashed across the screen about Gideon being put on the injured list. He didn’t want his mother seeing that. He didn’t want her to worry.
He took a seat again and braced his elbows on his knees. “It’s funny that you’re saying this. You’re about to have surgery, one you didn’t want.”
“But one I need. You need this surgery. You need to not feel pain. And you need to be happy. Making sure everyone else is happy is not fulfilling you. I know it isn’t.” Her voice sounded strong.
“Janelle and I had a fight about this same thing.” He didn’t want to open up to anyone about this, about her, but he needed to confide in someone. “She said I must be lonely on my island. Then she said that although I want her, I didn’t need her. All of that is bullsh—uh, not true.”
“Do you understand why she would say that?” Elizabeth stroked Gideon’s head.
He thought about his mother’s words and what Janelle had said. “I have always been the one to make good decisions.”
“You still will. Think about all this and make a good choice. It sounds like you’ve finally found a woman who likes what you like and will not put up with your mess. You need that. You need someone to keep you grounded.” She patted his shoulder.
“Rooted.” He chuckled at his lame attempt at a florist joke.
“Hey, we can do rehab together. Won’t that be nice?”
He laughed. “Yeah, perfect. We’ll be on side-by-side treadmills.” He held her hand.
She hadn’t lost her warmth. She still felt like she could fight dragons and demons for him and look great at it.
“I’ve told this to Gunnar. I wanted to tell you in person. If something happens to me—”
Gideon let go of Elizabeth’s hand and started pacing again. “Come on. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Listen.”
He stopped moving.
“If something happens to me, I told Gunnar to make sure to keep the family together. He’s the oldest. He’s matured now. Now that Eboni is back in his life, they’ll make a great team. Listen to them.” She smiled like she wanted to convince him of this plan.
“So if he’s keeping the family together, what am I supposed to do?” For as long as he could remember, Gideon had kept the family solid. Without that function, he didn’t see where he fit.
“Son, be happy. If you’re happy, the rest will fall into place.”
He took a deep breath. A huge weight felt like it had flown off his shoulders. Had he really put that much pressure on himself to ensure everyone’s happiness? Christ, he had fucked it up during the Super Bowl.
He needed to talk to Dennis, but his friend’s betrayal still made him feel raw. He had to be calm to approach him. With his mother’s surgery, and the prospect of him having to go under the knife, he couldn’t have a conversation with Dennis with his current mindset. That didn’t mean he had to cut ties with everyone. He had to talk to Janelle. The idea of it had his heart pounding harder than ever.
“So, you never answered my question.” Elizabeth’s voice sounded strong yet playful.
It interrupted Gideon’s thoughts. “What’s that?”
“Did you and Janelle—”
“Mom!”
Elizabeth laughed. “You and Gunnar are so similar. Your lives would be so much easier if you admitted that I’m right.”
He patted his mother’s foot. “Fine. You’re right. But if you think I’m going to discuss my sex life with you at my age and in this place, you’re crazy.”
She sighed. “Won’t throw your own mother a bone. Will you at least tell me one thing?”
“What is that?”
“Are you happy with her?”
He thought about her. “She’s smart. She’s ambitious. We have great conversations. And she’s funny. Oh, did you know that she was my first kiss?”
Elizabeth blinked. “The little girl you sexually assaulted at the community center dance?”
“Come on. Don’t say it like that.”
“I can’t help it. When you kiss a woman without asking her first, that’s assault. Remember I punished you for that.” She wagged her finger at him.
“I remember. I couldn’t play football for a month, and I had to do my chores and Gunnar and Thane’s. So unfair.” He hitched up a smile. “But I would do it again, especially now that I know who she is.”
“Okay. You remember that when you two get married and have daughters of your own. You’ll get knucklehead boys like you trying to approach them. Then what will you do?” She tilted her head in that motherly way.
“Easy. My daughters won’t date until they’re fifty.” He nodded. “Besides, I think you’re putting the cart before the horse. Right now, Janelle doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“Are you sure she said she doesn’t want to talk to you, or did she ask you to do something?” She tapped her ear. “You have to listen. It’s not enough to hear that a woman is talking. You have to listen to what she says, understand?”
Before he could answer, Gunnar and Eboni returned to the room along with the doctor.
“Time for you to go. Say your good-byes to your family.” The surgeon turned to Gideon and Gunnar. “We’ll take good care of her.” He pointed to a nurse, who’d walked in after him. “Ella will call the reception desk for you all to give you an update. The surgery should last about three hours, if all goes well, which I’m sure it will.”
Eboni gave Elizabeth a hug first. She stood ba
ck and allowed Gunnar the next embrace. By the time Gideon held his mother, he couldn’t talk. What would happen if she didn’t make it? Where would they be as a family?
As though hearing his thoughts and picking up on his anxiety, Queen Elizabeth said, “I’ll be fine.”
He nodded as he pulled back from her. “We’ll be waiting in the family area for you, okay?”
Elizabeth nodded.
The orderlies walked into the room. “Oh, shit. Guns and Gideon Wells here in the hospital?”
“Hey, watch your language in front of the ladies.” Gideon kept his glare on the star-struck orderly. “That’s our mother. Treat her with respect.”
He nodded. “Got it.” He turned to Elizabeth. “Sorry, ma’am.”
Queen reclined on the bed as they wheeled her out of the room. Gideon walked out with her and to the elevator. Once she got inside, he waited outside the doors, staring at her until they closed.
“She’ll be okay. She’s strong.” Gunnar put his arm around Gideon’s shoulders.
“She better be. You would suck at making Thanksgiving dinner.” Gideon chuckled to lighten the mood.
Until his mother came out of surgery, Gideon would be on pins and needles. Gunnar at least had Eboni to keep him company. He took his phone out of his pocket and stared at Janelle’s phone number on the large screen. Later. He would call her once he found out something on his mother’s progress during the surgery. Afterward, maybe he could convince her to have dinner with him to discuss everything.
Chapter 16
Janelle took a chance and decided to go up to the hospital where Queen Elizabeth would be for her surgery. After ditching her responsibilities at her store, she’d driven around for an hour, trying to decide if talking to Gideon today would be wise. She hated the way they’d ended their romantic evening.
She headed to the information desk as soon as she walked through the hospital main doors.
“Excuse me,” she began to the woman behind the desk. “I’m looking for—” She stopped as soon as her cell phone rang.
Janelle checked to see if the call came from Penny, letting her know of problems at the store. The name that appeared on her screen stopped her heart for a moment. She moved away from the desk to a quieter area of the waiting room.
Forget Me Not Page 20
