“Good.” A grin split his face. “Because that kiss sure felt like... a promise.”
He was right. It had felt like a promise to her too. It promised a future. A future with Jake.
“It was.”
“Was what? A promise?” Disbelief overshadowed the hope on Jake’s face.
“I had a... revelation yesterday.” She fiddled with her napkin as she spoke. “I’m kind of a control freak, and losing my dad and brother took things out of my control. But I realized yesterday, even though I’d lost control there was someone who hadn’t.” Emily’s throat grew thick as she remembered the peace she’d experienced in Joe’s office. “Joe helped me see that I needed to trust God. And I’ve come to realize, even though I can handle being alone... I don’t want to.” She leaned into him. “I don’t want to be alone, Jake.”
Jake sucked in a sharp breath as he wrapped his arm around her. “Does this mean you won’t shut me out again?”
She slid an arm around his neck. “It means I’m choosing to let you into my life. Into my heart. Being apart from you these past six weeks has made me realize how much I love you. It happened so fast and at a difficult time in my life, so I couldn’t trust my feelings. I was so afraid of making the same mistake I made with Trent.”
He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her face close to his. “I love you too, Em.” He lowered his lips to hers for a long, lingering kiss that left her mind muddled. Finally, when they parted, with his hand still cupping her head, he whispered, “How can something that feels so right be a mistake?”
“It’s not a mistake. I know that now. I’ve never felt like this before.” She stroked his cheek. “This feels so right. It feels like this is where I belong.”
“It’s exactly where you belong,” Jake rasped as he lowered his lips to hers again.
Emily leaned closer to Jake, encouraging him to deepen the kiss. The warmth permeating her body reacted to a sudden ice-cold dampness against her thigh.
Jake gasped and pulled back at the same moment she did.
They looked down to discover a water bottle with a loose cap had tipped over. Jake’s thigh was as wet as hers and the narrow expanse of blanket between them.
“Wow, that’s cold.” She laughed as she shifted away from Jake and the wet spot.
He shifted away as well. “I think I needed that.”
Their eyes met, and Emily caught her breath at the obvious desire in his gaze. He gave her a killer smile. It was obvious neither had wanted the kiss to end, but it was probably a good thing it had.
Jake cleared his throat and looked away. Picking up a grape, he popped it in his mouth before a smile stole across his lips again.
Emily couldn’t wait to get to know this amazing man better.
* * *
Avoidingthe damp spot on the blanket, Jake laid back and laced his fingers together behind his head. He sucked in a deep breath. The air near the river always smelled so fresh, so crisp. He studied the tree branches above him.
Are the leaves always this green?
The food had been cleared away and Jake was content to relax, with Emily. Ben and his mom were right, it wasn’t as hard to make time for a woman as he thought it would be. In fact, at this moment, he couldn’t think of a single thing more important than being with Emily.
He wanted to build a future with her, but there were still some hurdles to overcome, for both of them. Emily had said she loved him, but that didn’t mean she’d be willing to walk away from her life and move to the ranch, where one could often feel lonely and isolated.
Emily had a life and career in Spokane, one he could never ask her to give up. But if she wasn’t willing to accept him and the ranch as a package deal, was he willing to walk away from the Double Diamond? Would she ask that of him?
He loved Emily so much he was willing to do anything for her. He could leave the ranch in Zane’s capable hands so he could be with Emily. If he spent weekdays with her in Spokane, maybe she’d be willing to spend weekends here with him.
He’d probably go stir crazy after a few weeks, but a long-distance relationship held no appeal.
Emily laid down beside him, laying her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest.
Propping one arm farther behind his head, he wrapped the other arm around her. Peace swept over him. They’d find a way to make this work. They had to, because he couldn’t bear to lose her.
They lay quietly for some time, and if not for the hardness of the ground beneath him, Jake might have dozed off.
Emily shifted her head to look up at him. “What now?”
