Page 136 of Skylar

Aiden hadn’t thought they were necessary, but then he realized it would be easier to just pick up one of the walkie talkies to contact the other vehicle rather than having to place a call on their phones.

Cole had picked a hotel along the highway leading out of Vegas, so it didn’t take long to get onto the road they needed. They’d decided that Cole would lead and set the pace in the truck, and they’d follow in the car.

As they left Vegas behind, heading north, Skylar let out a long sigh. Aiden glanced over at her. “Everything okay?”

“Yep. It’s just weird to think I’m closing this chapter of my life so completely.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m not just leaving Vegas, where I’ve lived for the past few years, I’m also leaving behind the career I’ve had for almost a decade.”

“Did you work private jets that whole time?”

“No. I started out working on commercial flights.”

“Which did you like better?”

“I would say the private ones,” she said. “It was less stressful to only have to deal with a handful of people rather than a whole plane load of sometimes…ofttimes… cranky people.”

“Do you have any regrets about this change in your life?” He knew she was sacrificing a lot, so he figured she’d have some regrets about having to make these changes.

“No,” she said, without any hesitation. “It’s time. I’ve had the chance to see parts of the world I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’ve experienced independence living on my own, in a city where I didn’t know anyone. I’m not leaving here wishing I could do more.”

“I’m glad.”

She was quiet for a minute, then said, “I’m ready for what lays ahead now. I’m ready to make peace with the past and to look forward.”

Aiden’s heart lifted at the statement. “That’s a good outlook to have.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if that included a second chance for them. But he kept the question to himself. He’d told her that if she needed time, she could have as much as she needed.

Thankfully, his ability to be patient had grown over the past several years. He’d had to learn to be patient in dealing with people on the projects at work. And though she was an angel most of the time, there were moments when Willow tested the limits of his patience, forcing him to dig deep for more.

Still, being patient with Skylar was the hardest thing in the world. But he needed her to see that he was as good as his word.

“Have you had any responses to your applications?”

“Yes. One company called me to set up an interview for Wednesday.”

“An interior design place?”

“Yep. I haven’t applied to places that aren’t interior design related. I figured that I’ll save those to apply to if I’ve exhausted these places with no luck.”

“How about a place to stay?”

“I haven’t looked around too much. Until I know what my salary is going to be, I’m not sure what my budget is for rent.”

Aiden told her a bit about what he knew of the different areas in Coeur d’Alene as he followed Cole down the highway.

The landscape was quite different from the verdant surroundings of his Idaho home, yet the desert terrain near Vegas had its own charm. Distant mountains loomed, shrouded in a hazy glow under the intense sunlight.

He didn’t think he’d enjoy living in the stark, hot environment of Vegas, but apparently Skylar had liked it enough to remain there for several years.

Skylar shifted beside him, and when he glanced over at her, he saw that she’d angled herself to face him more fully. “Are you able to drive and have a conversation at the same time?”

Aiden gave a huff of laughter. “I thought we were already doing that.”

“Aseriousconversation.”

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