Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“I can say now that I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. I was so convinced that Mathilda couldn’t love me that eventually she became convinced of it as well. And poof.” He waved his hands in the air like a magician. “She was gone forever. Out of my life. It was only in my later years that I realized the terrible mistake I’d made.”
Fernsby never made mistakes. But here he was, admitting to a grave error.
He turned his severe countenance upon her. “Don’t convince yourself that what you feel for Ransom and what he feels for you isn’t real. From where I’m sitting, it looks as if it might very well be the real thing.”
Ava’s insides curdled. Had she made a mistake all those years ago? Was she making the same mistake all over again?
Fernsby wasn’t about to let her off the hook. “You’ve got a second chance, my dear. Take it from me—those don’t come around often.” He wrapped his fingers around hers. Fernsby, the untouchable, was touching her for a rather prolonged period—three times in one sitting, in fact. His wise gray eyes bored into her, seeming to see all the way to her heart. “So don’t cock it up this time.”
Gabby’s soft giggle filled the air. Because Fernsby never talked like this. Cock it up? Oh no, that wasn’t Fernsby at all.
“Remember, love is a compromise because two hearts must meet in the middle to become one.”
Oh God. Ava finally saw that she was cocking it up. She’d cocked it up back then, probably just as much as Ransom had. When she believed he didn’t value her dreams, just like her parents had always ignored her achievements, she didn’t stay to talk. She didn’t try to compromise. She didn’t even let him explain what he really wanted from her or what his offer meant to him.
Instead, she’d cut and run.
She’d been telling herself that it was all because they couldn’t make love work, that there was something wrong with them. That if he’d truly loved her, he would never have pretty-womaned her. He would never have even come up with that terrible offer.
But the truth was that she had run because she was afraid he didn’t value her. She’d been afraid he’d say he didn’t love her, but that she’d make a damned good mistress.
Fernsby had opened her eyes. And Ransom had opened them for her, too, with all the caring, beautiful things he’d done over the last few days.
Her feelings were real. His feelings were real. Their love was real.
She’d cocked it up all those years ago because she couldn’t stay and listen to him. Because she was afraid to compromise.
But she’d be damned if she’d cock it up again.
* * *
With Gabrielle at his side, Fernsby watched Ava drive away in her chauffeured car, like Cinderella rushing off to the ball.
“Wow,” Gabrielle said, the thrill of wonder in her voice. “I can’t believe you actually did that, Fernsby.” And she held up her fist.
He eyed it, looking down his long nose, then splayed his fingers on his chest. “I am Fernsby, and I do not fist-bump.”
Gabrielle laughed. She had a beautiful laugh. And she laughed a lot. Especially at him. Just as his Mathilda had loved to laugh at him. He’d seen it as just another reason why she couldn’t really love him. But with his great maturity—great in more ways than one—he saw now that it had been the laughter of love.
He stuffed the memories down deep once more, having trotted them out only for Ava’s benefit. Because memories formed a rabbit hole, taking him down, down, down… to places he couldn’t climb out of.
As they walked to the car where Lord Rexford awaited them, Gabrielle skipped to keep up with his long strides. “But you did love my vegan wedding cake,” she pressed.
“I give credit where credit is due,” he drawled. Then he looked at her. “But please don’t let it go to your pretty head.”
She wagged a finger at him as he beeped the car lock. “Too late, Fernsby. It already has.”
Now that his job was done concerning the erstwhile Miss Ava Harrington and her beau, Ransom Yates, he considered Gabrielle with determined eyes. When she finally fell, that girl would fall hard. And, as always, he would be there to offer sage advice and a helping hand to finding her way to true love.
And then there were Troy and Clay. These Harringtons needed his help. Desperately.
He would make it work out for all of them. Helping his charges along the path to love was his mission. He’d only ever failed once. With Mathilda. He wouldn’t fail again.
After all, he was Fernsby.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ransom sat in his office, twiddling his thumbs and wasting away the early afternoon hours when there was so much to be done. His phone was ringing off the hook, but he’d ignored it. All he could think about were those scant minutes in Ava’s office. Thirty minutes against fifteen years without her. Thirty minutes of the best sex of his life.