Page 98 of Never the Best

I heard a sniffle. It was Betsy. Her husband, Atticus Rhodes, handed her a napkin, and she wiped her eyes. “Pearl, that was brilliant. Thank you.”

Pearl grinned, her hand holding mine. “I’m so grateful for y’all’s support.” She then looked at me and winked, her mouth close to my ear. “You think we can find a quiet place to take care of that hard thing between your legs?”

Laughter rumbled in my chest. “Yeah, darlin’.”

She slipped her hand in mine, and we went to find a place to have a quickie because my life since Pearl returned to me was fucking baller.

CHAPTER 34

Pearl

“It’s someday,” I told Rhett proudly.

“Hmm?”

“Yeah, you said you wanted to go to Patagonia someday. Today issomeday.”

That’s how we ended up in Patagonia in late spring when the weather felt like it still had one foot in winter and the other thinkinghardabout summer. The air was crisp and cool, but the sun was warm enough to kiss the tops of the towering Andes mountains with golden light. The wide, untamed expanse of Torres del Paine National Park stretched out before us.

Rhett stood at the edge of the trail, hands on his hips, staring up at the jagged peaks of the Cordillera del Paine. The light wind tugged at his hair, and the blue of the sky reflected in his eyes as he turned to me, grinning like a kid who’d just been handed the keys to a candy shop.

“I can’t believe you brought me here.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Why not?” I asked, shrugging casually as I adjusted the straps on my daypack.

“Because I’ve been talking about this trip for years.” He took a deep breath as if sucking in the big, wide expanse. “And you just…you booked it? Just like that?”

I smirked, reaching into my pack to pull out a small travel guide I’d ordered on Amazon. I held it up like it was a mic drop. “It’s because I’m fabulous.”

For a moment, he looked at me, his eyes softening. He reached out, pulled me into his arms, and rested his forehead on mine.

“You certainly are, and I’m the luckiest motherfucker in the world to have you with me.” His voice was filled with so much emotion it made my chest ache.

“Good.” I leaned into him. “Because I’m not done being fabulous yet.”

We hiked all morning, the trail winding through fields of wildflowers and past shimmering glacial lakes that looked like they’d been painted in shades of turquoise and sapphire. Every turn seemed to reveal breathtaking nature—a waterfall cascading down moss-covered rocks, a herd of guanacos grazing in the distance, their caramel-colored coats blending into the rugged terrain.

By the time we reached Mirador Las Torres, I was out of breath, but it didn’t matter. The view was worth every single step.

The three granite towers that gave the park its name loomed in the distance, their peaks sharp and jagged against the bright blue sky. At their base, a glacial lagoon shimmered in hues of green and blue, the water so clear you could see the rocky bottom even from a distance. The wind whipped around us, carrying the scent of snow and earth, and the only sound was the soft rustle of the wind and the distant cry of a condor soaring overhead.

Rhett stopped at the edge of the overlook, his eyes wide as he took it all in. “Pearl,” he exclaimed reverently, “this isperfection.”

I smiled, dropping my pack onto the ground, and sat on a nearby rock to catch my breath. “Not bad for a last-minute trip, huh?”

“It’s unbelievable.You’reunbelievable.”

I shrugged, trying to play it cool, but the way he was looking at me made my heart flutter.

Rhett walked over, crouching down in front of me so we were at eye level. “You’re full of surprises, you know that?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Hang with me, kid; I’ll keep surprising you.”

“I can’t wait.”

Before I could respond, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, weathered leather pouch. My breath caught as he opened it, revealing a simple platinum band with a small, glimmering diamond embedded in the center.

“Rhett?”

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