Chapter 140
Chapter 140:
Though unwilling to admit she’d been too harsh, Loretta knew she’d crossed a line. She kept up her gruff act, but her stance had eased. “Fine. I won’t make her dry scallions. Happy now p>
Though Gabriela couldn’t make out their words, she caught the flicker of irritation clouding Loretta’s face and offered quietly, “Mr. Moss, my ankle’s feeling much better. I can help out p>
Loretta shot her a sharp glare, masking her embarrassment over the false accusation. “Why are you meddling? Just stick to knitting that scarf p>
Gabriela stared, momentarily at a loss.
Wesley closed the gap in a few swift strides, lowering his voice so only she could hear. “Is your ankle in pain? Can you move on it?” His eyes held hers, dark and unreadable, his tone deep and controlled.
“It aches a bit, but it should be fine tomorrow,” she replied quickly.
𝖯𝘋Fѕ о𝗇
“Make sure you rest it p>
His hand lifted as if to ruffle her hair, hesitated, then fell as he turned away.
The squabble over drying scallions ended under Wesley’s firm handling, yet Miriam still looked uneasy. She ushered Gabriela back toward the living room, then tugged Loretta into a quiet corner. Leaning close, she murmured, “Why didn’t you tell me you’d be dropping by p>
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Loretta said with a knowing lift of her chin. “And I need to see for myself what kind of woman has caught Wesley’s eye and become his girlfriend p>
“She’s not his girlfriend—nowhere close,” Miriam replied with a rueful sigh. “Last night, I even arranged for Gabriela to stay in Mr. Moss’s room p>
She quickly recounted the events of the previous evening, ending with a weary shake of her head. “He is over thirty, and he still doesn’t have a woman by his side. Do you have any idea what people are saying behind his back p>
“Spit it out,” Loretta pressed.
“They think he’s into men, not women,” Miriam said, lowering her voice to an even more hushed whisper. She cast a quick glance around before adding, “I never dared tell you before, afraid you’d be upset about it p>
“Don’t be silly,” Loretta countered, her expression hardening. “How could he not like women? These rumors are nothing but nonsense p>
No wonder Wesley hadn’t even glanced Fiona’s way when she tried to introduce them. The grandson she’d raised with such care attracted to men? That was unthinkable.
“Last night, he brought Gabriela home,” Miriam pressed on, “and for a moment I thought he’d finally found a woman he truly cared about. But when a lovely girl like her appeared in his room wearing a slip dress, he didn’t so much as reach for her, barely even looked at her. I called you here so we could figure out how to push things along between them. But instead, you showed up and played the villain p>
Loretta was left staring at Miriam in stunned silence.
“And now,” Miriam went on with a sigh, “Gabriela probably thinks less of him than before. At this rate, he’ll end up alone for the rest of his life p>
“That’s bullshit!” Loretta shot back, her worry flaring. “Wesley’s an exceptional man—what woman wouldn’t be drawn to him p>
In her mind, Wesley was flawless—the one who did the choosing, not the other way around. The idea of a woman not liking him was outrageous.
“But maybe… Wesley’s gay,” Miriam whispered.