I toyed with the hem of Caden’s T-shirt. “I don’t want to hurt them, but I think I need to start fresh.”
“They love you. They’ll understand.”
Warmth curled around me. Caden always knew just what I needed to hear. “Gonna have to figure out what to do with my life.”
I loved leading trips in the wilderness around Cedar Ridge. Losing that would be a blow.
Caden’s gaze shifted, and my eyes narrowed on him.
“What?”
He shrugged. “I might have an idea.”
“Spill.”
He grinned. “Always so impatient.”
I tweaked his nipple. “Stop toying with me.”
“Ow! Geez, you’re vicious,” Caden said, rubbing his chest.
“Could’ve gone for my knives instead.”
Caden chuckled. “Point taken.” He shifted on his feet. “What would you think about coming to work at The Peaks?”
My eyes flared. “Work for you?”
Caden had been leveled with more than his fair share of work now that Gabe was in prison, and his father had officially been ousted from the company. But he’d never brought up the idea of me coming to work for him before.
“Withme,” he clarified. “We could transform The Peaks into what it always should’ve been: a family place. One where people can reconnect with their loved ones and themselves. You’ve always been great at using nature to help people do that.”
Tears stung my eyes. It was the ultimate compliment. It was what I always hoped to bring people when I took them up on the mountain or out on the lake. I couldn’t imagine anything more special than doing that alongside Caden.
“Okay,” I whispered.
His brows flew up. “Okay?”
I laughed. “You don’t have to be quite so shocked.”
Caden wrapped his arms around me. “I just thought I’d have more of a fight on my hands.”
“I’ve gotta let you have your way now and then. It’ll keep you on your toes.”
He shook his head but grinned down at me. “Can’t imagine being happier than I am right now.”
I stretched up onto my tiptoes, brushing my lips against his. “What about when my family gets here any minute, and I turn your house into complete chaos?”
The fire restoration company had finally gone through my place, boxing up everything that wasn’t too badly damaged by the fire, and everyone was helping me officially move into Caden’s house today. It hadn’t been a total loss, but it would take some serious work before I could sell it.
Caden kissed the tip of my nose. “Worth it.”
Honking sounded, and Nash rolled down his window. “Stop kissing my sister in front of me.”
Maddie smacked his chest.
“Maybe we could get him a muzzle,” Caden muttered.
I couldn’t hold in my laugh as I reached up to finger the necklace Caden had returned to me after eleven years. The fact that he’d kept it with him for all that time was a greater gift than he’d ever know.
