“I’m in,” she shoved her phone back in her pocket. “When can we leave?”
Chapter 28
It’s not running away if your boyfriend invited you
Alex
I joined a call with Oliver, Casey, Tabitha, Kirsty, and Lennon first thing Saturday morning, apologizing for making them work on a holiday weekend. I’d sent a text the evening before, letting them know I needed to take some time away and was going to work remotely from Wyoming on a part-time basis. Everyone had been very supportive, with Lennon simply responding with approximately twenty heart-eye emojis.
Admittedly, the call was more to assuage my guilt at possibly leaving them hanging right after Jordan’s firing and the FBI investigation than making sure everything was covered. I should have known better; my team was aces. Casey walked me through the current project pipeline twice, Tabitha listed every system she had in place to handle my usual workload, and everyone took turns convincing me that yes, really, they could manage without me checking in every few hours or even days.
“You’re sure you don’t need me to check in daily?” I asked, even though I knew the answer. Still, I wanted to verify every backup system twice.
“Alex,” Tabitha’s voice carried that patient-but-firm tone she’d perfected for managing my control tendencies, “we’ve got this. Go be with your cowboy and try to relax for once in your adult life.”
“Right. Okay. I’ll call you Tuesday unless there’s an emergency.”
“No emergencies,” Oliver chimed in. “Tabitha’s literally making us promise not to text you unless the building’s on fire.”
I spent the rest of Saturday double-checking work handovers and making sure I hadn’t missed anything critical. Enzo and Finncooked dinner and Dom suggested a couch movie night. It felt perfect after the nightmarish week I’d already been through.
Sunday morning, I packed; weeks of clothes folded and organized with just enough room left for the final necessities.
I shoved my phone in the pocket of my leggings before double-checking that I had all I needed out of my bathroom. I threw two more phone charging cables on top of everything just in case and zipped my bag closed.
“Ready?” Finn’s voice came from the doorway. I looked up to find him leaning against the frame, already dressed in his usual joggers and t-shirt. His duffel bag sat by his feet.
“As ready as I can get,” I shouldered my laptop bag and grabbed the handle of my wheeled suitcase. “Which is to say, I’ve planned for approximately seventeen different scenarios and I’m still worried I forgot something important.”
He stepped into the room and took my suitcase, his fingers brushing mine on the handle. “What’s the most important thing you definitely didn’t forget?”
“You,” I bit my lip to stop the grin, but it didn’t work.
Finn’s expression softened.
“Good answer,” he smiled, leaning down to kiss me. “Let’s go.”
He loaded our bags into the SUV Dom had driven him down in while I hugged Enzo tightly.
“Thank you,” I sniffed.
“Yeah, well the dummy wasn’t going to read your mind was he,” Enzo squeezed me. “I’m glad it worked out.”
I turned to Dom, throwing my arms around him next. “Thanks for driving him down.”
“Thanks for letting us crash here a couple more days before our flight leaves,” he chuckled.
Finn said his goodbyes to Dom and Enzo before opening the driver’s door for me and then climbing in the passenger’s side.
The drive north progressed in comfortable hours of sharedmusic and quiet conversation, my hands on the wheel for most of the mountain stretches while Finn navigated or dozed in the passenger seat. We traded playlist control back and forth, enjoying everything from classic rock and pop-punk to Taylor Swift and Green Day.
During the quiet stretches between music, Finn prepared me for the personalities I’d be meeting, the summer rhythms I’d be stepping into, the controlled chaos of tourist season and three generations living and working together on the same property. His mom would try to feed me constantly, probably, and Belle would want to talk art and animation nonstop, which genuinely sounded delightful. His grandma would have opinions about us that she’d share whether I wanted to hear them or not.
The landscape shifted as we climbed higher, pine forests giving way to broader valleys and familiar peaks. When we crested the pass and the valley opened up below us, I pulled over at the scenic overlook, needing a moment to take in the view that never got old.
“Wow,” I breathed, staring at the Tetons rising against the blue sky.
Finn smiled, watching my face instead of the view. “Welcome to Wyoming.”
