Page 35 of Seduced By the Mountain Man

"Tomorrow," Jace and I said simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.

"Tomorrow?" I laughed. "I haven't even packed."

"Ruth has a cabin opening up for the rest of the season," Jace said. "I may have already put a hold on it. You know, just in case."

"Presumptuous much?"

"Hopeful," he corrected, his eyes warm. "Very, very hopeful."

***

Twenty-four hours later, I stood on the familiar dock at Hope Peak Lake, watching the sun begin its descent toward the mountains. My laptop and work materials were set up in Jace's cabin, my clothes hung in his closet, and for the first time in years, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged.

Jace emerged from the boathouse, having just finished securing the evening's kayak tour equipment. He'd changed into jeans and the blue flannel shirt I'd grown to love, his hair still damp from washing off the day's work.

"How did the client call go?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

"They loved the campaign concept. Apparently, working from 'a place of natural inspiration' is giving my creative work a new edge." I leaned back against his chest, feeling his laugh rumble through me. "Who knew that staring at mountains would make me better at marketing outdoor gear?"

"Shocking," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the spot below my ear that still made me shiver. "What gave them that idea?"

I turned in his arms, looping my hands around his neck. The evening light caught in his dark hair, bringing out those auburn highlights I'd grown to love. "I came here to forget about you," I said softly. "Instead, I got seduced by the mountain man all over again."

"This time let's make it for keeps," he promised, his voice rough with emotion as he tightened his arms around me.

"For keeps," I agreed, just before his lips found mine.

As he kissed me, soft and sweet and full of promise, the sun painted the lake in shades of gold and crimson. In the distance, a loon called across the water, its haunting song carrying on the evening breeze. The mountains stood sentinelaround us, ancient and enduring, witnesses to a love that had finally found its courage.

I'd spent my whole life following other people's expectations, choosing the safe path, the predictable outcome. But standing here in Jace's arms, with the Montana wilderness spread out before us and a future full of beautiful uncertainty ahead, I finally understood what Whitney had tried to tell me:

Sometimes the best things in life required taking a leap of faith.

It was time to fly.