Page 63 of Once Upon A Bear

Lady Dunham shook her head. “Not in as many words, but I felt the same way. You have to show her that she belongs and that you want her to be a part of this world, or she’s not going to believe you.”

Gideon nodded, his face grim.

“She just watched you dance with all those other women,” Beatrice warned. “She may not be very receptive.”

“She doesn’t need to be,” Gideon said grimly. “I won’t give up until she hears me.”

“Good man,” Beatrice said, patting him on the shoulder. “You know what she needs best. I can’t wait to hear how it goes.”

“Hopefully it goes well,” Gideon muttered as he made his way toward the door.

His mother intercepted him, having apparently finished her chat with the Duchess at the worst possible moment.

“Where do you think you’re going, dear?” she asked, a gleam in her eyes.

“I’m going to get Guinevere,” he said firmly.

He was going, whether she liked it or not.

His mother swept him into a hug. “I was hoping you’d say that,” she said. “Run along, my boy. Go show her that she can’t just run away without you chasing her and that none of those other girls mattered.”

Gideon stared back at her as she swept away. Did everyone else notice except him?

She was right—none of those other girls mattered to him. What mattered was how quickly he could find Guinevere.

He made his way through the courtyard and out the gate, taking a deep breath as he paused and looked around—not that there would be any trace of her. The ground was too dry for footprints, and without his bear senses, he wouldn’t be able to smell her.

But there were really only two places she would go.

As far as he knew, she would either be at the Cozy Cat Café, talking to whichever of her friends was there, or she would be home alone. And if he had to guess, he would guess the latter.

He hurried through the night, thankful that the moon was cold and bright, guiding his path as he made his way to find his love.

If she thought she could run away from him and he wouldn’t follow, she was wrong.

Because he loved her.

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

He probably should have grabbed a coat before he left. The night was growing cool as summer turned to fall. The Fall Festival would be happening soon, and suddenly he couldn’t imagine going to it without her.

Gideon stumbled over a branch on the ground.

He was distracting himself with thoughts of her. He needed to stop before he broke an ankle and was out here alone, without anyone knowing where he was.

So he pressed forward, avoiding thinking further as he passed his old den, no longer a place he belonged, because she was here.

He was nearly there.

She was just on the other side of the little hill.

He could hardly wait, because she was the love of his life, and he fully intended to make sure she knew just how much he loved her the second he saw her.

Chapter twenty-five

Guinevere

A knock sounded at the door.