Page 32

Chapter 32

Wyatt

T he next few weeks are a whirlwind. We formalize our process with a few more practice runs on Dad and his breakfast buddies, and I sell some of our old equipment so we can upgrade to a better camera. Noah launches a marketing campaign, and Mom lights up her gossip lines and tells everyone over sixty that she’s ever met. There is such a large immediate response that I'm exhausted from so many runs a day. We can barely keep up.

You’d think that with all this going on I wouldn’t have time to think about Moxie, but she’s like “Baby Shark” on my brain. I'm itching to tap out a text to check in, when like a magician's parlor trick, my phone chirps with an alert. My heart jumps as I yank my phone out of my pocket, but it’s Noah.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but you’ve got to get in here. The Denver Gazette called. They want to do a story on our cozy couch hikes.”

“That’s great! Are we calling them cozy couch hikes?” I ask.

“I’m trying to come up with a creative name. Take your La-Z-Boy down the river or get your Rocky Mountain high while in your boxers. I know, it’s not my thing. Just get in here. We need to figure out what to say.”

“The extra publicity is great, but we can’t keep up with what we’ve got. And it’s kind of tricky to film myself. We might need to bring on some help.”

“A month ago, I thought we’d be shutting our doors, but you’re right. Even just a few hours a week would help. I’ll make a job posting for it, but in the meantime, get your butt over here to charm these reporters.”

* * *

A few weeks later, I catch Noah smiling at the ultrasound he has clipped to the side of his monitor as we wait for the previous candidate to clear out. He’s looking a lot less stressed these days. Business is booming and Mindy, well into her second trimester, is feeling much better.

I’ve stopped by their house a few times to help him paint the nursery and put together a crib. The two of them together is a thing of beauty, and the guilt gnaws at me with every pang of jealousy. I haven’t been on a single date since breaking up with Moxie. Work has kept me so busy there’s been little time. Even if time allowed, all I want is her. I keep biding my time, hoping she’ll come back to me.

I look over the applications for the people we’ve interviewed so far. Noah, who usually runs the show with things like this, has been looking at his watch.

“I guess that last guy sounded like he might be okay. He seemed stiff, but it could work out. You said we have one more applicant today? I don’t have their paperwork.” We’ve been interviewing for two days, and Noah usually hands me everyone’s information at once.

“I didn’t print it out for this one. She applied yesterday,” he says. It’s an uncharacteristic lack of organization. He hasn’t been himself all day, but I don’t know why.

We’re hiring a much-needed cameraperson who will also be able to answer questions as needed, do all the activities, and fill in at the office or on trips when needed.

So far, no one has clicked. Noah and I get along so well, we want someone who’ll be able to jump in, work hard, and have fun.

“Can you print it now? I don’t know what to ask without seeing her job history.”

“One sec.” Noah fumbles around with the computer while I fidget in my seat.

The bell on the front door chimes as my mouth drops. Moxie freezes in the doorway. In the month-and-a-half we’ve been apart, I've had to rely on my memories of her, the selfies from our cooking class, and a five-by-seven photograph from our date with Hannah and Quincy. She’s as beautiful as ever, and my body aches to hold her. I’ve been waiting and hoping for this moment, and now that it’s here, it doesn’t feel real.

She lets out a breath, then seems to garner her courage and walks slowly to our table. Her hands are clenched. In fact, her whole body looks coiled to spring.

“Hey.” Her beautiful brown eyes dart between me and the floor. “This isn’t a proposal,” she blurts, then frowns, then curses. Smooth and romantic as ever. I curl my lips to bite back a laugh.

“I didn’t mean… that wasn’t… this isn’t going well,” she says.

I fold my arms. “Really? Seems like it’s going great to me.”

She sticks her tongue out at me. I’ll take that over seeing her walk away any day. Giving me a hard time is Moxie’s love language, and we’ve fallen back into it as if she never left.

“Don’t tell Hannah because I'll never hear the end of it, but in the parking lot I pulled out her dating binder and read the section on communication. One of the most important parts of good communication is setting realistic expectations or something, so I—” she runs out of air and takes a deep breath.

“Got it. No impending proposal, but we’re coming back to that dating binder.”

“Right.” She smiles at me, and her hands stop shaking. “Can I try that again?”

“Please,” Noah teases and I step on his toe under the table.

“I’ve missed you. A lot. And I’ve been thinking about my life. I haven’t made the best decisions, and I think I’m ready to start making changes.” Her voice shakes. I wish I could steady her, but I have a feeling she needs to get this out.

“I’m not ready for this to be more than dating yet. Anything beyond that feels too big for me to fit into my emotional stability shape sorter right now. Being with you scares the shit out of me.”

I grimace because I understand that, but it’s hard to hear that she’s afraid to see this through. She must clock my reaction because she waves a hand and hurries on.

“Lots of things have been scaring me lately, but I think I might have really fucked up when I walked away from you. I think you’re worth being brave for. I want to keep chasing new adventures with you. I want to show you that I’m serious about us even if I haven’t caught up to you yet. Even if it might take me a while.”

My chest swells with hope. I nod my head to make sure she knows I'm good with everything she’s saying. If she’s willing to give it a shot for real, I can be patient.

“I got a promotion at work. I’m going to try to let myself enjoy that, but when Hannah mentioned that you had this job posted, it seemed kind of… perfect? It would provide a few hours a week for adventure so I don’t feel too stagnant at the casino, and I’d get to spend that time with you without taking away from your focus on the business. What I'm trying to say is that I care about you. I'm sorry I was too scared to trust you. Can we try this again?” Moxie’s hands nervously move around as if she’s shuffling invisible cards.

I’m frozen in place while my brain tries to catch up.My eyes flick to Noah. The corners of his pursed lips twitch while he tries to keep his head down to his pile of papers. She’s the final applicant. Noah’s behavior today, combined with the lack of application, finally makes sense. I look back at this beautiful woman who has managed to take me completely by surprise, again. I’m torn between asking her for references and swooping her up in a kiss.

Moxie shifts her weight to her other foot and bites her lip. “Okay,” she says, her voice still a little wobbly. “I know that was an abnormal interview, but if you could say something, that’d be great because you’re freaking me out.”

“I’m not sure if I can take you back during a job interview. Surely that crosses some line in our code of conduct.” I smile as I stand up from the table. My eyes hold her smoldering ones. “What do you think, Noah?”

Noah clears his throat, scraping his chair across the floor as he rushes to the back of the store. “I don’t know, I will… go look for that. It might take me an hour or so to write the policy, so I’ll see you around.”

Moxie stands up, her lips parting as I close the distance between us. My hand caresses the side of her flushed face as I slowly move in for a kiss. “I’ve missed you so much. I wanted to give you space, but it’s been terrible without you.”

“I needed some time to sort things out. You have been such a delicious surprise. When Hannah came up with this drunken idea, I thought I would do it just to get her to stop crying, but then she introduced me to you. From the time you yanked me out of the river, I’ve wanted to be with you.”

“I’m so happy—”

“Wait, let me finish or I might never get this out. Fuck it, I’ve got to kiss you.” She wraps her arms around me, and finally I get the kiss I’ve been craving for weeks.

“Shit, I’m messing this all up.” She pulls back and straightens her shirt as her eyes soften. “I want to be with you. I want to go on dates, explore the mountains, and rip off your clothes. Hell, I’ll even do game nights with you. I don’t care what we’re doing as long as I can spend time with you. I’ve never wanted a relationship before, and I can’t promise that I can jump to the L word. But Wyatt, I need you back in my life.”

A wave of affection rolls over me, followed by the sheer disbelief that she’s here in front of me, wanting me back. It’s a dream come true. I’m at a loss for words as I trace the edges of her face with my thumb, reassuring myself I haven’t imagined this.

“What do you say, cowboy? Will you take me on an adventure?”

I hoist her up, and she wraps her legs around my waist. “Buckle up.”

The End