The Gideon Affair

Then, the waitress from the diner where he met his dad’s friends blabbed on her Facebook page about a Gideon Shaw sighting. Any enterprising reporter would have no problem figuring out the whole story after that.

Shit.

“Jerry’s going to get that asshole out of the sky. Don’t ask how. He said give him about half an hour, maybe forty minutes, and the coast would be clear.”

Mark came bounding down the stairs asking for an explanation. He said Paige was watching from her window and wanted to know what the hell was going on.

Marsh pushed Edward aside with a stern frown and told him to go sit down and relax. That he’d handle everything. He could only hope that Jerry could rescue the day. Either that or Paige and he got married in the living room.

By the time the coast was clear and everyone had calmed down, there was no reason to delay any longer. After a last look in the mirror, she smiled broadly at her parents and hugged them both.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

“You’re radiant, honey. I guess marrying that man is a good thing, after all. He sure does love you and nothing makes your dad and me happier than seeing you so full of joy.”

The three of them walked arm in arm, her dad on one side and her mom on the other, making their way from her bedroom to the porch where Marsh was waiting for them.

“You got this, sir?” he asked her dad.

“Indeed I do, Marshall. Thanks for all your help today. We’re going to walk Paige down to the river now, okay?”

Laughing, he winked at her and said, “I’m all set. Meet you at the church.”

After he had left her, Dad turned and said, “I’ve never been prouder of you, Paige. Going out and chasing down your dream was about the bravest thing you could have done. And now look at you. Marrying your friend and joining our two families. This is a great day. Thank you, honey. Walking my only daughter down the aisle is one of those moments a dad dreams about from the moment a pink bundle of love is put in his arms for the first time.”

“Oh, Daddy.” She was trying really hard not to tear up. Her mother was the one to get them past the emotional moment.

“Let’s go, then. Time to go get us a son, Mark!” she crowed with genuine affection.

For Paige, nothing could have been better.

They’d been married under a rustic cross bar arch that his dad, brother, and new father-in-law had constructed on a patch of flat green surrounded by trees down by the river.

A twin to the crossbar gate at the head of the property, this one was draped with long swaths of gauzy lace, pulled aside, and tied to the support poles with enormous ribbons. A small wood centerpiece, constructed in his dad’s workshop, served as a sort of altar. With the river flowing by, the sun shining overhead, and the love of all present, Paige and he became husband and wife.

That was eighteen months ago, almost to the day.

Thinking about the wedding was one of Edward’s favorite daydreams. His go-to in quiet moments when he couldn’t resist the allure of revisiting what had been a day he’d remember with his last breaths.

When Marsh had come to take him down to the river, he’d had an attack of nerves that surprised them both. Not about getting married. He worried that he’d rushed Paige. Possibly even sandbagged her into marrying him. Anxiety over how they were marrying made it worse. Five people, them, and a justice. What if she had always dreamed of a big, lavish wedding? Was he robbing her of something? Something more than the career he’d started to obsess that he’d derailed her from.

Marsh had set him straight pretty quick. By the time he’d stood at the cross bar, waiting for the arrival of his bride, he was ready to take the biggest step of his life, overwhelmed with love for the people by his side.

His dad. There were no words—simply the best father and finest human being in the world. His mom. Sheesh. She’d been all lit up looking like a bride herself. She too was the absolute best, and he thanked his lucky stars for her. And Marshall. His bro. The one and only, the original. Having him there had rounded the circle, made him complete, and once Paige was his wife, that circle would expand and hopefully someday down the road, stretch even further with a couple of kids.

He’d had a couple of moments to take it all in. The scenery. The vibe. It was fucking perfect. The sun shining, the sound from the river. The wooden arch, hard and a little beat up softened by the soft filmy lace. A little like them, he’d thought.

And then she’d come down the path, stepping through the trees with her parents on either side and something tilted and wobbled, either him or the Earth. She was so beautiful it took his breath away.

Style challenged as he was, Edward had no idea how to describe her dress except to say it was pure Paige. Instead of a traditional white gown, she’d chosen a dusty pink so pale it was almost white dress that had a Boho-Gypsy flair, perfect for the occasion.

Her hair was half up, half down—he’d remembered thinking she looked very sexy—with flowers instead of a veil. She’d carried a large bouquet, a gift from her parents, that they’d learned later was made of the same flowers her mother carried when she married as well as some from Miriam. His new wife had lost it in spectacular fashion when her mom dropped that little nugget. Women. Go figure.

He’d also chosen wisely with his attire, proud that this one was all him. No one had stepped in to lend a hand, which was practically a first. The only outside help he got was a color cue from Mark so he could pick a tie color. Standing there in a smart dress shirt, slacks, vest, and tie, he knew he’d hit his mark when she smiled at his tie and he’d realized it coordinated perfectly with the flowers she carried.

The justice had been a pro, and though he wished that time would have slowed to allow him to extract every scintilla of memory and emotion possible from the actual marriage ceremony, it was one and done in less than twenty minutes.

They were officially and forevermore Mr. and Mrs. Ba

Afterward, they’d had a mind-blowing di

He’d followed through on his promise to spend their wedding night far from civilization, driving their aptly named ride away from the house where they could get their sexy times on in complete privacy.

That part had been … memorable. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that it was not erotic as fuck to get naked out in nature and make love under the open sky with the moon shining and stars twinkling overhead.

A lot had happened since that day. The Montana location shoot had been the best way to start their married life. It was a magic time. Although being nominated for any acting award was a surprise when his performance in the old-school cowboy movie earned him several coveted nominations, he wasn’t too terribly stu