Hands shaking, I called back. The job was even better than I imagined. I could work out of their office in Albany. I’d have theopportunity to travel to national parks across the country plus plenty of room for advancement. It was the chance of a lifetime, and she was handing it to me on a silver platter.
“What do you think, Miss Hart?” the woman asked. “We’re eager to fill the position and would love for you to start as soon as possible.”
My heart stopped beating. I bit back the “yes” on the tip of my tongue. I already had a job through the end of the summer. It’s not like I could just walk out.
“I’ve got a commitment through the end of August. I’m running a nature summer camp in Tennessee and can’t leave the kids without a counselor.”
“I understand. Would you be able to start right after Labor Day?”
“That would be great.” Excitement bloomed in my chest. I’d be able to finish camp and not leave Jace high and dry. Oh my god, Jace. I was so excited about the offer that I didn’t think it through all the way. It was the kind of job my parents would finally brag about, but for the first time, that wasn’t what I cared about most. “Actually, I’d like to take the weekend to think about it. Can I give you an answer on Monday?”
“Absolutely. I’ll go ahead and draw up the offer package so you can review it over the next couple of days. We’d love to have you join our staff. Have a good weekend.”
“Thanks. You too.” I’d barely hung up when Jace’s voice came from behind me.
“Hey. I wondered if I’d find you in here.” He swept through the doorway and closed it behind him. Then he rushed over, gathered me into his arms, and kissed me like we hadn’t seen each other in weeks.
My knees buckled, and he pulled me closer.
“You okay, Delaney? I’ve heard of guys sweeping women off their feet before but never thought that would be me.” His smile sliced through the fog in my head.
“I’m good. Better than good, actually.” That little flutter in my chest wasn’t just excitement, it was nerves. Because the words I should have said got tangled somewhere behind my ribcage. I needed to tell him about the job offer, but something held me back. He looked so happy. I’d never seen him with such a wide smile, and I didn’t want to ruin it.
“I just stopped by to make sure last night wasn’t a dream.” His arms slipped around my waist, and he slid his hands into the back pockets of my pants. “And to let you know that I’ve got a crew heading over to repair the bridge by your cabin this afternoon.”
“Thanks. I was wondering how I was going to get my car out this weekend.”
“The kids and I can come pick you up for dinner tomorrow night. Five o’clock okay? That gives us time for a round or two of yard dice before I fire up the grill.”
I reached up and adjusted the collar of his green park ranger shirt. “Sounds good, but I can drive myself over.”
“You sure?”
At my nod, he kissed me again, leaving me breathless and wanting so much more. “I’ll see you then.”
Before I could say a word about the job offer, he was out the door. It was probably for the best. We could talk about it tomorrow night after dinner. It wasn’t the kind of news to spring on a man at work. Especially not after spending all night long in his arms.
When I pulled into Jace’s driveway the next day, I grabbed my bag and tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. I’d been uphalf the night trying to figure out how to tell him about the job offer. One that would take me hundreds of miles away from Big Wood.
I knocked on the door and he opened it, standing there with a huge bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. “These are for you. Wren and Eli helped me pick them earlier.”
I looked over his shoulder to see the twins running up behind him. There wasn’t time to ask him what he’d told Eli and Wren about us. They stopped just shy of crashing into me and wrapped me into a hug.
“Here, let me take that before it lands on the floor.” Jace took the bag out of my hand.
“What did you bring for dessert?” Eli asked.
Wren tapped her brother on the nose. “It’s rude to ask.”
“It’s okay.” I put a hand on each of their shoulders and guided them down the hall to follow in Jace’s footsteps. “What do you think about making our own trough for dessert?”
“Banana splits?” Eli yelled.
Jace had set the flowers down and was unpacking the bag I’d brought. “Keep it down, son. If you let everyone in the neighborhood know we’re having banana splits for dessert, there won’t be any left for us.”
“Trust me, there’s plenty.” I laughed, loving being part of the easiness between him and his kids. It felt so good. So easy. Like I'd finally slipped into the space I’d been created to fill, which made it so much harder to think about what might come next.
“Miss Delaney, do you want to come see my sketchbooks?” Wren tugged at my hand.
