I sigh. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m in love.”
“You’re ridiculous while being that,” I tell him.
Although, I don’t say it with all that much censure because it always makes me giddy when I hear him say it. I love this man and he loves me.
We have a lot of things to figure out, most importantly my job, but I have to believe we can do it.
My hope is that I’ll be able to continue to work for Anchor Light but stay in Ember Falls where I can be close to my clients, all three of them, since Hazel signed on with me yesterday to work with her on Prose & Perk.
Which is going to be my big push.
Plus, I’ve already told Killian, that once Brynlee returns back, I will no longer be his publicist, so, our relationship won’t be a conflict of interest—technically.
“What is your plan when you get back to New York?” he asks, letting me go and moving to lean against the dresser.
I sigh. “First, I’m going to meet with Brynlee and Thea and discuss working out of Ember Falls. Then, I’m going to talk to my roommate and see if she’s cool with me subletting my room, if she doesn’t just want to take it for herself, but that’s only if I can keep my job and move down here. Otherwise, we’re going to have to do long distance for a while.”
“What if I have another option?”
My eyes move to his. “What?”
“What if, no matter what, you come back to Ember Falls?”
“I’m not giving up my job.”
He lifts his hands. “I’m not asking you to. But I was thinking of using some of the land here for a new venture, and I think you’d be the right person to run it.”
I raise one brow. In all the time I’ve been here, he’s never mentioned wanting to do something with the land. “What’s that?”
“I want to open a camp. There’s a great spot in the back of the property. We could have a place where kids come, where they have time with the horses, and we can provide them with a sanctuary. We could set it up to be exactly like your old camp—and what you’ve dreamed of.”
I drop the shirt that I was folding, staring at him. “I don’t understand.”
He walks up to me, taking my hands in his. “I got an offer on the real estate business today. I’m going to take it.”
I blink. He mentioned that he was having meetings today, but I’ve been so busy with Hazel’s proposal that I didn’t ask and he didn’t mention it.
“Okay…what was the offer?”
“A lot. They want the entire thing. I’m going to sell all of my shares and whatever Nathaniel does isn’t my concern. I’m out of it and I’ll be able to invest all of that money back into the ranch.”
“That’s great!” I say, so happy for him. “I know this is where your heart is.”
He grins. “Yes, it is, but I want this to be where your heart is too.”
He’s so damn sweet. “You’re where my heart is,” I tell him.
“Then I want this ranch to be something for you too. I’m not asking you to give up your job. I want you to be able to work for Brynlee, but I just want this place to also have something for you—besides me.”
I don’t even know what to say. “You don’t have to do that.”
He brings his hand to my face, gently brushing my hair back. “In my entire life, I’ve never felt this way. You’re who I want, Tessa. I don’t just want to build my life here. I want to build our life. I heard the way you spoke about that camp, how you wanted to create something like that, to give back, and I want to create that with you. I won’t have the time to run a whole camp, Buck Wild, and this new freaking rodeo thing you’ve apparently implemented.”
I laugh. “It’s a lot. You’re not that savvy with the marketing.”
Killian ignores that jab. “I’m saying that, no matter what happens with Anchor Light, I want us to do something good with the money and provide something for kids who need it.”
