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“I’m sure you can guess. It was my dad’s doing. After all my failed attempts pursuing other career paths, I thought I’d start a few businesses. Each one failed in the end, whether it was selling wholesale on Amazon, opening up an ice cream restaurant, or putting up custom blinds. I found out that I knew exactly what not to do when running a business, so I started reaching out to people, giving free advice here and there about their businesses and finding relative success.

“Anyway, Dad told me about a friend of his in New York who owed him a favor. I was hired and ended up doing a fine enough job because the pressure wasn’t there to make my own business work. Dad saw this, then pushed me to follow the career because it was the first time I’d actually been okay at something he approved of. I didn’t really want to, but it was time I stopped embarrassing my family.”

“Embarrassing your family or your dad?” Matthew asked.

She thought for a minute. “I guess just my dad.”

Matthew laced his fingers together as he leaned them over the side of the wall. “Have you ever tried to embrace your failures, see them for what they are?”

“I know what they are. Evidence of my flaws.”

“No, they’re not,” he returned softly. “Failures are merely stepping-stones propelling you towards the person you’re meant to be. I’m sure you know that a person learns more from failing than by succeeding.”

“Yeah, but it’s a heck of a lot less painful to succeed.”

He cracked a smile. “I’ll give you that.” Then he peered down at her, his features softening. “You ought to give yourself a break, Winnie. Believe in yourself. My dad does. That’s why he gave you a second chance.” He leaned in closer to her, his shoulder and arm pressing against hers. “I believe in you, too.”

Winnie could hardly breathe, the warmth from his touch seeping through their jackets and swirling around her soul. He was leaning into her on purpose. He was lingering on purpose. Was that to drive home his words? Or did he touch her because he wanted to be close to her—because he felt the same stirring in his heart that she did?

She swallowed, unable to keep her eyes from his any longer. Slowly, she looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

“All you need is to believe in yourself now,” Matthew whispered, his eyes flicking between hers before ultimately settling on her lips.

Moments ticked by. Winnie’s heart sputtered like Minnie’s exhaust.

They were on a business trip.

A business trip.

They were coworkers.

Coworkers.

But the words echoed meaninglessly in her mind now, no longer holding any power over her—Unlike Matthew. The words he’d said to her, the help he’d given her that day, the way he’d made her feel alive for the first time since she was a teenager—all of it had rendered her incapable of withstanding his goodness. She’d never experienced that with anyone before. And she couldn’t keep herself from him any longer. She needed to experience his kiss. She needed him.

In the waning light of the sun, she waited until he finally leaned toward her. Her eyes closed, and she drew in what little breath she could as he inched closer. She could almost feel the soft tickle of his beard on her lips and the gentle breath from his nose on her cheek, as if they were already kissing. So why were they not?

Slowly, she opened an eye, then two.

The hesitation on Matthew’s brow was enough to yank her from the dream that might’ve been the best she’d ever had. She leaned back, snapping her gaze away and pulling their shoulders apart.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay,” she responded. As if he was the only one to blame.

“No, I…” Matthew hesitated, pulling out his phone. “I just remembered, I think the gates close at sundown.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Winnie blinked. “The gates? What do you mean?”

“The gates to the wall,” Matthew clarified. “I’m pretty sure they close before dusk.”

She pulled her eyes to the sun that had already set. “What, so we’re locked up here?”

He looked at her with hesitance in his gaze, and her heart sunk.

First, they didn’t kiss. Now, this?