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"How did you find me?"

Gideon reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter, stained, wrinkled, and sain over and over He slid the worn envelope across the table The postmark o years old She didn’t remember the address, but it was probably one she’d scratched off her list when she never heard back

"I move around a lot" He stared at the letter "Your letter finally caught up with o?" She was thankful for Matt’s war presence beside her "Why didn’t you call me?"

"I’m sorry, Ari"

Gideon watched her with those washed-out eyes They weren’t the eyes of the boy she reer than her memory, and still handsome But he was also…distant was the only word she could find for it Like a shadow

Instead of answering her question, he asked, "How did you two meet?"

"I hired Ari to take care of my son, Noah" Matt explained that she’d been his nanny without even the slightest hint of shaht their linked hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles "Your sister has grown into a wonderful wo her look for you"

She forced herself to push away the ache of knowing Gideon had waited a year to co? Where have you been?"

"I worked ain, then set his cup back on the table "Moving around a lot I did a stint up in Alaska for a while" He laughed softly but not happily "I’m a drifter"

"But you’re ho? Or will you beon?"

"I’ as if he needed the heat

"You’re welcome to stay with us," Matt said And it was clear to Ari that he ive any hint of whether he’d take Matt up on his offer--the dam Ari had tried to build around her questions finally burst

"Why? Tell me why you didn’t come if you’ve knohere I was for the past year?" Matt squeezed her hand, as she said, "I needed you, Gideon You’re my brother The only family I have left"

He drew in a deep breath, looked toward the ceiling, then finally back to Ari "I went into the one I couldn’t find either of you Then I heard Mom was dead When I still couldn’t find you, I knew I’d failed you completely" Tentatively, he reached across the table Ari i she felt the pain in his heart as he clasped it "When I got your letter, I just couldn’t face you You deserve better than a brother like htly she felt tears rising to her eyes She was holding on to both of the else mattered