But it isn’t just a vacation now, is it? It feels like so much more. It feels like forever.
I glance at a piece of driftwood on the dresser—something twisted and beautiful, shaped by time and water and patience. If anyone else had seen it floating in the water, they’d probably think it was trash. But Boone saw the beauty in it. Just as he sees the beauty in me.
"Awake?" Boone's voice is low, rough with sleep and something deeper.
"Barely." I stretch against him, enjoying the way his arm tightens around me. "Good morning to you too."
His lips brush my shoulder, then linger, pressing a kiss to the spot where my neck meets my collarbone. "Good morning."
I smile into the pillow, warmth spreading through me that has nothing to do with the summer air. "You always this talkative in the morning?"
"This is me talkative."
"Wow. I'm honored." I turn in his arms so I can see him—rumpled, sleepy, unfairly attractive even with bedhead and stubble. "Should I expect full sentences by noon?"
He grins, the expression transforming his face from merely handsome to devastating. "Don't push it."
I laugh, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep in my chest. When was the last time I laughed like that? Really laughed, completely unguarded.
His eyes soften as he watches me, like he's cataloging the moment. "That’s the best sound in the world.”
The simple honesty of it steals my breath. I clear my throat, suddenly aware of how easy it would be to fall completely into this—intohim. "So, hypothetically..."
"Hmm?"
"If a woman wanted to completely upend her life, start over, maybe build something new from the ground up..." I trail off, suddenly nervous. It's one thing to think it, another to say it out loud.
He blinks at me, his gray-blue eyes sharpening with interest. "Here?"
"Maybe near here. I mean, there's probably demand for what I do just about anywhere, right? Operations management. Marketing. Even if it's not outdoor gear, every business needs someone who can make the trains run on time."
His eyes search mine, and I can practically see him processing this information. "You serious?"
"I don't want to go back to that life." The words come out firmer than I expected, like saying them has made them more real. “I know now that I wasn’t happy.”
Boone's quiet for a long moment, thumb tracing abstract patterns on my hip. Then he says, "I've been thinking about starting a business. I could use your help with it."
I raise an eyebrow. "What is it?”
"Guided trips. Fishing. Hiking. Maybe boat rentals for people who want to explore the lake but don't know what they're doing." A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
My face spreads into a grin. “People like me, you mean?"
He chuckles. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I know these woods better than most. I don’t think I could do it on my own, but now…”
He runs his thumb over my hip, the touch sending sparks along my nerve endings.
"Now you've got someone who knows how to handle the logistics," I say, catching on to his train of thought. "And the branding. And the budgeting. And the customer service side of things.”
"Exactly." His smile widens. "Think you might be interested in something like that?”
My mind is already spinning with possibilities. “We may even be able to form a partnership with a company like Trekora. If they provided the equipment and such, our startup costs would be next to nothing and—”
He laughs—a deep laugh that I feel rumble through his chest. "Are you sure you’re ready to jump in with both feet? I know this is moving fast.”
He’s right. Itismoving fast. We just metyesterday,for goodness’ sake. I should take a breath to think it through.
He watches as I inhale, count to five in my mind, and exhale.
