“Oh,” Tessa breathed, momentarily forgetting everything else. “It’s beautiful.”
Matt released her hand as they reached the small wooden platform that served as a lookout point. A simple bench faced the valley, weathered by years of mountain seasons.
“I come up here sometimes after a busy shift,” Matt said, setting his backpack down. “Helps put things into perspective.”
Tessa moved to the railing, drinking in the view. From this height, she could see the whole town—the neat grid of streets, the town square where they’d visited the farmers’ market, and even the restaurant, its red roof distinctive among the buildings.
“I can see why,” she murmured. The vastness of the landscape made her own concerns seem smaller, somehow more manageable.
Matt joined her at the railing, standing close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. “Hungry?” he asked.
She nodded, and Matt unzipped the backpack and pulled out a checkered cloth, spreading it on the bench. He unpacked containers of food, the special from today’s menu, crusty bread, a small container of mixed berries, and two bottles of water.
“This is quite the picnic,” Tessa said, settling onto the bench.
Matt smiled as he handed her a plate. “Perks of being the chef.”
They ate in companionable silence for a while, the food somehow tasting even better in the open air with the spectacular view before them.
“So,” Matt said eventually, breaking the silence. “How are you finding Bear Creek? Beyond the restaurant, I mean.”
Tessa considered the question, feeling the weight of it. “It’s... not what I expected,” she admitted. “In a good way. Everyone’s been so welcoming. It feels...” she paused, searching for the right word. “Connected. Like everyone knows their place in the community.”
Matt nodded. “That’s what I love about it. Even when it drives me crazy sometimes—everyone knowing everyone else’sbusiness—there’s something comforting about belonging to a place so completely.”
Belonging.The word resonated in Tessa’s chest. How long had it been since she’d truly felt that? Most of her life, at least since her mom’s accident, she’d felt as if she lived on the periphery.
An observer of sorts. Watching other people live their lives while hers stayed stagnant. Not that they hadn’t had good times. Times she cherished.
Times that would never come again.
“Are you okay?” Matt whispered.
“Yes.” She gave him a crooked smile as she brushed a hand across her eyes. “I just got lost in the past.”
“So tell me about your future instead. What areyourplans, Tessa?” Matt asked.
She ducked her head to hide the blush in her cheeks at the first thought that came into her head.Kiss you.
Tessa stared out at the view and sighed; the vastness of the mountains made her feel small yet somehow significant at the same time.
“I’m not sure,” she finally said. “I’ve never really had the luxury of not knowing what the next day will bring. For so long, it was just... taking care of Mom, working to pay the bills. Thinking about any other future seemed…pointless.”
Matt slipped his arm around her shoulder and held her. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She sniffed and leaned into him. “It’s not your fault. It’s just going to take some time to recalibrate. To think about what I want for a change. My mom made me promise to think of myself first for a change. To follow my heart. And work on my art.”
“Your mom sounds like a wise woman,” Matt said.
“She was.” Tessa glanced at him, her gaze dropping to his lips almost of its own accord. The words “kiss him” reverberated in her mind with such clarity that she wondered if she’d spoken them aloud. Before she could second-guess herself, she leaned forward, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She paused, just a breath away from him, suddenly uncertain.
Matt’s hand slipped to the nape of her neck, his touch gentle but sure as he closed the distance between them. Their lips met, light at first, a question being asked and answered in the same moment. Then deeper, his mouth moving against hers with a tenderness that made her chest ache.
The kiss transformed into something more—his beard soft against her skin, his hand warm at her neck, the taste of him mingling with the sweetness of summer berries. Tessa melted into him, every nerve ending singing with awareness.
She pulled back suddenly, ducking her head as heat flooded her cheeks. “Sorry,” she whispered, not entirely sure what she was apologizing for.
