He kissed her again. And while Gemma should have been focused on the moment between them, all she could think about was where they could go from there. What was their future?
She backed away. “Come with me,” she said, taking yet another huge chance. But she realized that was a mistake when he shook his head.
“What? I can’t. I have work tomorrow.”
“It’s fine. Quit your job and move to Miami,” she told him with a laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m kidding.”
He laughed. “Good. Because you know I can’t do that.”
“But I thought you wanted to leave the distillery.”
“That was just frustration talking. I can’t just walk away.”
Gemma realized then that any future she’d thought she had with Tom was shakier than she thought. He wasn’t going to walk away from his family business. He wasn’t going to run off to Miami with her. “Okay,” she said, the blissful feeling of their moment fading. “Well, I’d better get to the airport.”
His eyes narrowed as he pulled open the back door for her and she got into the car. “Okay. Have a safe flight.”
“I’ll call you when I land,” she promised.
“Thanks.” He paused. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
When the car pulled away from the curb, Gemma turned her head to see him. Tom was still standing on the sidewalk, his eyes on the car, but the frown on his lips left her wondering. What type of future did she have with Tom? He’d talked about leaving Cain Rum and she didn’t want to admit that it had given her a small beat of hope, but as he said, he couldn’t just walk away.
She’d told the truth. She did love Tom, and she was glad she’d said it, but if he wasn’t her future, then what was the point in keeping it going? She would see him again tomorrow, and then she was going to tell her brothers that she and Tom were together. She hoped that she was making the right decision. How would they react? Was she risking everything—her family, her business—for a man who wouldn’t do the same for her?