Page 103 of Gideon's Gratitude

“Your house?”

“Yes. My interior designer has been organizing and receiving deliveries all week. I’m eager to see the place.”

“Yeah, we can do that. We should take Lucky home first.”

“Why?” I was baffled.

“Because you’ll have nice stuff. I don’t want him to track mud through the house.”

Ah, fair enough.“Look, Gideon, I’ve taken your advice and made the place more welcoming to the family. I’ve even invited them for Christmas. That’s fourteen adults, seven children under the age oftwelve and, at best guess, at least two dogs. I’ve insisted they leave the cats at home.”

He rubbed his forehead. “That’s a lot of people.”

“They’re going to love you.”

He sputtered. “You want me there? In a family gathering?”

“Of course.” I chanced a glance as I turned onto our street. His complexion was wan in the pink neon streetlamp. “Maybe we should skip the visit to my house. It’s probably too much.”

“No, you’re dying to see it, and obviously I’m curious as well. So, let’s do this.” He rubbed his forehead again. “As for Christmas, let’s play it by ear…?”

“Sure. No worries.” I squeezed his thigh and drove us into the night.

I parked in my driveway, secured Lucky to his leash, and then led Gideon inside. I hadn’t had time to see it earlier, so this was a first for me as well.

The tour through the house was fantastic.

Orlando had outdone himself.

Instead of the modern, sophisticated palette I’d expected, the house was warmer. Less chrome and leather, more fabrics and glass. Gideon pointed out dozens of places where spills might take place, and I smiled and assured him we had cleaning supplies. And we did. The house was full of everything I could possibly want. The food would arrive on the twenty-third, and on the twenty-fourth, the caterers were bringing everything for the Christmas party. Good thing I had an extra fridge.

Gideon fussed over the cost of everything.

I was charmed. I spent a great deal of time pointing out the solar panels, the geothermal heating, and all the energy-saving devices. A true smart home. One I planned to spend a great deal of time in.

My companion didn’t know that. I had yet to share my long-term goals. I didn’t want to spook him. Didn’t want to put pressure on him. I was only beginning to understand my feelings for him.

As I cuddled him that night, my conversation with Justin and Rainbow played in my mind. Did I need to speak to someone? Professionally? About my cheating spouse and her betrayal of our marriage? Of my health scare and how I hadn’t taken warning signs seriously?

I didn’t have answers to those questions—which was the crux of the problem. Until I sorted my shit, I didn’t need to share with Gideon. I also wasn’t going to tell him I’d begun to make preliminary inquiries into his case. I’d had him sign an authorization, but had made it clear I might only have limited success—if any at all. I didn’t want to give him false hope.

But that wouldn’t stop me from doing my best.

Chapter Nineteen

Gideon

“I’ll admit I’ve never been here.” I glanced about the restaurant.

Stavros—of Stavros’s Restaurant—had seated us himself. A clearly jovial and jolly man, he was all smiles as he led us to a secluded booth in the back.

I eyed the padding and decided my back would likely be okay.

Archer grinned. “I’ve heard good things.”

I eyed him. “You’re hardly ever in town.”

“Rainbow mentioned it. Well, I asked her for recommendations, and she named several. She said the establishment that best straddled affordable with slightly upscale was Stavros’s.” He scanned the menu. “I would say she’s right. And I love Greek.”

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