Page 55 of Quinton's Quest

He pressed a kiss to Gideon’s temple, then held out his hands for the kids. They grasped and held tight as he guided them, Lucky trailing behind. He gave Gideon a final look before turning the corner.

“He’s protective of you.”

Gideon pivoted his gaze to mine. “Archer or Lucky?”

I chuckled. “Both.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Lucky saw me through some really rough times. As did Archer, I suppose.”

“Like trying to get custody of our kids back?”

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, for sure. I didn’t believe that was possible—but Archer held firm to his belief that he could succeed where my previous lawyer had failed spectacularly.”

“No small order. I was an asshole.”

“You were protective of our children. Do you want to sit down?” He gestured toward the more-formal living room. Archer and the kids were either in the family room at the back of the house or even in the playroom downstairs. He’d planned this house for elegant sophistication, but had pivoted when he secured the affection of both my husband and my children.

Ex-husband.

“For a few minutes.” I toed off my shoes and stepped onto the plush carpet. The walls were cream, and the furniture wasmostly dark brown with lighter accents. “It’s a nice home.” The men had given me a tour—ostensibly to show me where the kids’ things were and how they’d be well cared for.

“I still feel like I’m a visitor.” Gideon sat on the couch while I took the high-backed chair opposite him.

“Really? Archer doesn’t seem like someone to stand on ceremony—despite the, uh, sophistication of this house. From what I’ve seen—” I swallowed. “—he adores you. He loves the kids. He even accepts a dog who sheds black fur everywhere.” The kids often had a stray tuft attached to their clothes.

“You make it sound easy. I constantly worry about spills. About disasters. About him running out of patience with me, Lucky, or the kids.”

I sat a little straighter. “He has a temper?”

“Nope. Not at all. Even with his sister Cherish—who annoys the shit out of him sometimes—he’s always calm. He’s got such an even keel. Except—”

“Except.” Because I had to hear the end of that thought.

“He doesn’t do well if I’m having a bad day physically. And I do have bad days. Top that off with the financial strain—”

My jaw dropped.

“Oh no, that’s not what I mean. Just…my benefits got cut off when I moved in with Archer—which makes sense—but that means I can’t contribute to household expenses. Eventually, I want to find a job. Maybe something I can do from home. We both know that between my learning disability and my struggle with computers, that I’m not exactly employable. Plus the physical stuff.”

“Is Archer pushing you to work?”

Gideon forced out a laugh. “The opposite. He bought me a new SUV so I can take the kids everywhere and be safe. He gives me a generous allowance and has made it clear he doesn’t need—or ever want—an accounting of where the money goes.”

“Yet you spend almost none of it.” I knew him.

His brown eyes found mine. “You know me well.”

“Because of all the lean times we endured. You wouldn’t now just go around spending willy-nilly.”

He shook his head. “Archer ensures all the kids’ needs are met. The money is for me. Heck, he even put me on his health insurance so the extended benefits—things not covered by universal healthcare—are paid for.”

I cocked my head.

“Physiotherapy, massage therapy, all my medications—”

“What medications?” None of my business, but I felt like I needed to know.

“Nothing serious. Just a really good anti-inflammatory. I hope I won’t be on it forever but, for now, it’s making a real difference.”