“Are you part polar bear?” Everly asks.
Her breath is warm on my neck as we both peer out the window.
“You tell me. I thought you had me pegged as a Viking.”
Her eyes twinkle.
The stirring in me turns to a sizzle. Everly ignited a fire inside. The sun finally rose in my life and brought with it this unpredictable, adventurous, confident woman whom I can’t get enough of. A woman who also happens to be my wife.
It can’t be helped. My lips lift into a lopsided smile that hasn’t seen the light of day in far too long.
“I like the looks of that.”
“I like the looks of you,” I whisper.
Are we flirting?
By the rosy glow of her cheeks and the heat in my veins, I’d say that yes, yes, we are indeed.
After landing, we take the ferry boat to Rock Harbor on the eastern end of the island so Everly can get the full experience of the pristine wilderness. After disembarking, I steep in the relative silence. A deep relaxation washes over me. The surrounding lake dampens my inner fire—and not the one Everly stoked. In addition to being beautiful, she’s adorable as she takes in our surroundings with wide, wonder-filled eyes.
“It’s beautiful here,” Everly says. “But, um, no cars?”
“Nothing with wheels other than a wheelchair or a wagon is allowed on the island.”
“That explains why the air smells so fresh.”
I know the island’s topography like the back of my hand and start walking toward the trail leading to the cabin.
Everly catches up. “What about our luggage, food, necessities, and that kind of thing? I spent the second half of the winter in the Upper Peninsula with my friend Heidi, so I’m not exactly a stranger to remote areas, but, um, I don’t know how to hunt or forage.”
My stride is long, and I’m a step ahead, but I can hardly contain my excitement at sharing this place with Everly. “I had a seaplane drop all of our stuff at the cabin.”
“Ah. So, at least we won’t be camping.”
“Not at all.”
“It just seems like we’re really far away from everything.”
“That’s the idea.”
“How about, um, I don’t know, modern conveniences, newspaper at the corner store, coffee from a cafe, chocolate cake at the bakery?”
“My birthday is in a couple of weeks and that sounds pretty good, but you don’t have to worry. If you want chocolate cake or caviar, just let me know.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I’ll stick to cookie dough.”
Standing over Everly, I shade her from the sun. Still, her eyes are bright as she looks up at me.
“I come here to regroup. After everything, I thought you might need to do the same,” I say.
During the twenty-minute walk to the cabin, the tension in my shoulders and jaw that I’ve carried since the incident with Todd dissolves with each step.
The sloped roof of the stone and rough timber multi-level “cabin” comes into view.
Everly stops short.
“Welcome home,” I say, sweeping my hand in the direction of what had once been a ramshackle hunting cabin that I transformed into a million-dollar lodge.
