This morning, she sits at the table sorting through her camera gear while I make breakfast. The domesticity of the scene strikes me suddenly—her comfortable presence in my space, the easy rhythm we've developed, the way she hums under her breath when concentrating.
"What?" she asks, catching me staring.
I shake my head, unable to put into words the wonder I feel at how natural this all seems. How right.
"Nothing," I say, placing a plate in front of her. "Just thinking."
She narrows her eyes suspiciously, then reaches out to tug my beard gently. "Share with the class, mountain man."
Instead of answering, I lean down and kiss her, trying to communicate what I can't say aloud. When I pull back, she looks dazed, her lips slightly parted.
"Oh," she says, touching her lips that are now swollen. "That kind of thinking."
I run my thumb across her cheek, marveling at how perfectly she fits into my life—this woman who crashed into my solitude a week ago and somehow has made it feel like home.
5
EMMA
Iwatch the morning light dance across Wyatt's face as he flips pancakes at the stove. Nine days here, and I still can't get enough of just looking at him—the way his large, veiny hands move, how the corner of his mouth twitches up when he feels me watching.
"Something on your mind, baby?" he asks without turning around.
Heat rushes to my cheeks. Even after all we've shared, his ability to read me makes me feel simultaneously exposed and cherished.
"Actually, yes." I fidget with my coffee mug. "Can I ask you something that might be awkward and even judgmental but really not?"
Now he turns, spatula in hand, one eyebrow raised. "Since when do you hesitate to ask me anything?"
"It's about money." I dart my eyes to every single corner of the kitchen because I can't really look at him. "I mean, you live outhere, off-grid, but everything is so well-built and you have solar panels and good equipment and … I just realized I have no idea how you support yourself." I lift both palms and wave. "You know what, you really don't have to answer that. It's just me being curious."
To my surprise, he laughs. "You're worried I'm some kind of mountain bandit? Robbing hikers who wander into my territory?"
"No! No, of course not. I just?—"
"I'm teasing you." He slides a perfect stack of pancakes onto my plate, then sits across from me. "It's a fair question. The short answer is crypto."
I blink at him. "Crypto? Like Bitcoin?"
"Among others." He drizzles maple syrup over his stack. "I got in early, invested wisely, cashed out enough to build this place and live comfortably. The rest stays diversified and growing." His eyes meet mine, suddenly serious. "I have more money than I could spend in several lifetimes, Emma."
My fork freezes halfway to my mouth. "What? Seriously?"
"When I left corporate life, I made some smart moves. Now I check the markets maybe once a month, usually when I head to town for supplies." He shrugs as if discussing the weather. "I've got millions sitting in various accounts and investments. I could buy you the world's most expensive cameras and it wouldn't make a dent."
The pancake tastes like sawdust in my suddenly dry mouth. "Why are you telling me this?"
His eyes soften. "Because I saw the worry in your eyes when you asked. Because I want you to know that choosing me" —he pauses, his voice dropping lower— "if you were to choose me, it wouldn't mean struggling financially."
"I wasn't worried about?—"
"I know." He reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. "But I want to be clear. I can take care of you, Emma. In every way."
Something blooms in my chest—warm, expansive, terrifying in its intensity. The future suddenly seems filled with possibilities I hadn't dared imagine. It's not the money, no. It's the fact that he actually sees a life with me. That he doesn't think I'm just passing through.
"I don't need to be taken care of," I tell him, though my treacherous heart leaps at his words.
His thumb traces circles on my wrist. "I know that too. But I want to. If you'd let me, I'd like to take care of you every single day of my life."
