Page 108 of Finding Gideon
I turned around in time to see Dennis in a miniature bow tie, all puffed-up pride and twitchy excitement, his tail sweeping side to side like a metronome gone rogue. Malcolm crouched beside him, one hand on the dog’s chest, the other adjusting the knot beneath his chin.
“He’s going to eat that,” I said, nodding toward the bow tie.
Malcolm glanced up. “He’s got to look distinguished for ten minutes. After that, he can chew it into oblivion.”
Dennis barked once—sharp and smug—then strutted away like he had a speech to deliver and a country to run.
I brought the mug to my lips, barely sipped. My stomach didn’t know whether to behave like it was the best day of my life or the start of a disaster. Nerves weren’t new. But this felt different. Tense and weightless all at once. A good kind of terrifying.
My reflection in the hallway mirror made me pause. Button-down shirt. Clean jeans. Clean-shaven jaw. No circles under myeyes for the first time in months. I barely recognized myself—but not in a bad way. Just... like someone mid-transformation. Becoming.
Six months. That thought came quiet but solid. Half a year since I drove into Foggy Basin with a duffel bag and a bleeding heart. Since I tried to pass through this town and somehow ended up building a life inside it.
The wind carried the sound of laughter from somewhere outside—probably the volunteers setting up early. I let it in. Let all of it in.
“Hey,” Malcolm called from the front door, already slipping his boots on. “Are you ready for this?”
“No,” I said. “But I want to be.”
By the time we stepped out, the yard had transformed.
Balloons bobbed on every fence post, tethered with mismatched string like someone had raided every drawer in town to make it happen. Folding chairs lined the grass in messy, hopeful rows, the kind no one ever sits in until they absolutely have to. A collapsible table near the barn sagged slightly under the weight of homemade pies, foil-covered casserole dishes, and a pitcher of something citrusy and cold.
Kids ran wild through it all, ducking under streamers, chasing each other with paper animals on sticks. One of them paused to pet Toast, whose family brought him back for the occasion and who—true to form—was letting himself be adored like royalty. A glittery sign hung around his neck:TODAY’S MASCOTin bubble letters.
Dennis had a neon-green bandana withSECURITYstamped across it in bold black print. He took it seriously, too—trotting the perimeter, occasionally barking at nothing, then circling back to Malcolm like he was reporting in.
Junie stood near the front, fidgeting with a ribbon and scissors, her sparkly dress catching the sun like a disco ball.
Christian and Noah, Theo and Ronan, and maybe half of the town chipped in to make this day special.
I stood still for a second, taking it in.
This little sanctuary. This little town.
A voice off to the side broke the spell.
“Well, damn. You two didn’t burn the place down after all.”
Malcolm turned, and before he could get a word out, Jess launched herself into his arms. The sound of his laugh—open and unguarded—made my chest tighten.
“You’re back,” he said, holding her at arm’s length for a better look.
“Just in time to rescue the clinic from your soft heart,” she teased, though there was affection in it. “How are you doing?”
“Better now,” he said, then glanced my way with a grin that lit him up. “Let me introduce you properly. Jess, this is my boyfriend, Gideon. Gideon, Jess.”
We shook hands, a little tentative at first. We’d only ever exchanged a few words during her calls to give Malcolm updates about her mom, but I’d heard enough about her to feel like I already knew her. Still, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered what her return would mean for me. For us.
“How’s your mom?” Malcolm asked.
Jess’s face softened. “She’s all clear. Sassier than ever. I’m glad I went, but God, I missed this place.”
“You’ve got a town full of people who’ll be glad you’re back,” Malcolm said.
She turned to me then, mischief dancing in her eyes. “And you. You stepped up more than anyone expected. No offense, but I thought you’d last maybe a week.”
“Me too,” I admitted, which earned me her laugh.
