"Why are you siding with my family on this? That''s not even a funny joke."


    She waspletely serious. The truth was, Gwh did have feelings for Hawthorne, maybe because he''d stayed by her side all night while shey unconscious in the hospital.


    Or maybe it was the way she always felt inexplicably safe whenever he was near -a feeling so different from what she''d felt when she epted Bill Crawford in


    the past.


    Every time Gwh saw Hawthorne, her heart would race. And there was another feeling she''d never really acknowledged: the memory of when she rescued Leonie, and Hawthorne appeared out of the rain, holding an umbre over them. As he lifted the umbre, his sharply defined face came into view beneath its edge, and for a moment, it seemed as if the falling rain slowed around him.


    At that moment, Gwh felt her breath catch in her chest. Other than her father, she''d never met a man so handsome, so mature andposed.


    Chris had inherited every bit of their father''s looks, but he was still too young-his actions and words didn''t measure up to what she imagined a real man should be.


    Gwh had met plenty of promising young men in Starfall City, but only Hawthorne had ever made her heart race like that. Still, his age and status made her suppress those feelings deep down.


    "I would never joke about something like this."


    Gwh was stunned.


    Hawthorne was serious? Since when had he started thinking of her that way?


    She was at a loss, but Hawthorne turned, his gaze openly meeting Victoria''s. "Mrs. Langford, do you remember an F1 ry race in Greenvale a few years back?"


    Victoria was momentarily taken aback. That had been her only trip to Greenvale after her divorce from McNeil.


    It was the first time she''d left behind the title of Mrs. Langford and returned to the racetrack as Vivian, greeted by a thunder of apuse and cheers.


    "I do."


    Of course, McNeil had chased her all the way to Greenvale. When she took the championship, a teenage boy hade up to her with a bouquet of flowers, iming to be her biggest fan and asking for her autograph.


    McNeil had lost his mind over it. The boy couldn''t have been more than sixteen, but McNeil had nearly


    started a fight right there, barely


    restrained by Lyndon and the others. Victoria could only imagine how that poor kid would have fared otherwise.


    "You must remember the boy who brought you those flowers, Mrs. Langford."


    Victoria looked at Hawthorne, and


    memories from years ago slowly ovepped, forming a vague silhouette. The only reason she even remembered such a small incident was because of McNeil''s absurd, jealous outburst.


    She''d been mortified. McNeil had even threatened the poor boy, saying he''d see to it his whole family disappeared.


    Everyone at the table was holding their breath, and Gwh could practically hear her own heart pounding.


    Recognition finally dawned on Victoria. "You were that boy?"


    Hawthorne smiled. "Not quite a boy anymore. My niece was a huge fan of yours, but she couldn''t make it to the race that day. She begged me to make sure those flowers got to you."


    Gwh let out a sigh of relief. When Leonie met her for the first time, she''d shouted that Gwh looked just like her idol and even named her mother right then. Gwh had pretended not to notice.


    Listening to Hawthorne and her mother now, she''d almost thought he''d brought


    the flowers to Victoria out of personal admiration years ago—


    But it turned out he''d just been doing a favor for Leonie.


    "Ha! What are the odds?"


    Thorpe burst outughing. "Fate, that''s what it is. Seems the universe had this all nned from the start."


    But then Thorpe''s brow furrowed.


    "So you gave flowers to Vicky... and your future father-inw didn''t do anything about it?"


    Thorpe knew his grandson all too


    whis


    well. After McNeil and Victoria split up, the man had lost his mind. When they were together, he''d barely show Victoria any affection, but after the divorce, he''d be her shadow-practically glued to her side, desperate to win her back.