Page 47 of Finding Gideon

I set the mug down. “Something happened last night.”

Both of them stilled.

“With Gideon,” I added.

Noah’s brow arched. “Your assistant?”

I nodded.

“And?” Christian prompted.

I exhaled. “We kissed.”

Silence stretched long enough for the puppy to stop chewing.

Noah tilted his head. “Do you mean… spur of the moment? Or something that felt like it mattered?”

“It mattered,” I said, the words coming out before I could second-guess them. “It wasn’t casual. It… landed. Like it hit some place I didn’t realize was waiting for it. And now I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Christian smiled. “Doc, you do know how to make life interesting.”

“I didn’t plan it,” I said. “Wasn’t looking for it. We were just talking, and then… he looked at me, and it was like he felt safe. Comfortable. And there was this pull I couldn’t ignore. I don’t even know who started it, or who ended it. But it felt right.”

“And now you’re spinning?” Christian asked.

“Not really. I’m just… I think I’m feeling off balance. In a way I haven’t been before.”

Noah’s voice softened. “You kissed someone who means something to you. That doesn’t require a label today.”

Christian nodded toward him. “Exactly. Nobody owns the idea of attraction. It doesn’t belong to one group.”

“It’s not the label I’m worried about,” I said. “But I’ve only ever been with women. Never questioned that part of myself. And now there’s this man who makes me feel… different. Not bad different. Just… something I want to understand. Maybe explore.”

Christian studied me for a moment. “That means you’re figuring yourself out as you go. And it’s okay to let it unfold without demanding every answer right now.”

Noah added, “From what you’ve said, Gideon’s a solid guy. Gentle with the animals. Calm in a crisis. Dogs don’t just tolerate him—they listen to him. That’s a superpower.”

“And he’s been there for you without expecting anything back,” Christian said. “So maybe your job isn’t to define what’s next. It’s to be honest—with him and with yourself—about where you are.”

I let that sit for a moment. “I don’t even know what this means for me yet.”

“Then that’s your starting point,” Noah said.

Stormy huffed, as if she agreed.

“You’ve got time,” Christian said. “Just don’t close the door before you’ve looked inside.”

“I’m not planning to,” I said, and it was the closest thing to certain I’d felt since last night.

I stood, brushing my palms against my thighs. “Thanks. I needed someone to remind me that I don’t have to know everything today.”

“We’re not pushing,” Noah said, smiling. “You’ve got time to figure it out.”

Christian’s brow arched. “Just don’t hurt him.”

Noah shot him a look. “Christian.”

“What? I’m serious. He’s still working out what this means for him. Go slow. But also…” His mouth twitched. “Don’t be an idiot.”