Page 58 of The Wedding Twist

She allowed him to help her strip down to the leggings and sweater she was wearing under her hiking gear. He grabbed a thick blanket from the couch and pulled it around her shoulders. “What the hell are you doing coming all the way out here? In this weather? How did you even find the place?”

She sniffled a little. “I needed to see you,” she said. “I remember you telling me about the painted rock and the marked path.”

“You put yourself in a lot of danger,” Jack said, his heart melting with the thought that Celeste, who avoided the outdoors in even the best of conditions, had braved the elements to get to him. At the same time he felt furious with her for hiking on her own through unknown woods. “Never mind that now,” he said as her body convulsed again in shivers. “Come here.”

She allowed him to pull her into his arms, his hands rubbing her arms over the blanket to generate heat. He looked down to see her eyes closed against his chest and drank in the feeling of her. It took everything inside of him to pull himself away. “Your clothes are damp,” he said. “You’re never going to warm up.”

He left her standing beside the fireplace, then dug into his duffel bag and pulled out a crewneck sweatshirt and a pair of fleece-lined hiking pants that she’d be swimming in, but they had a drawstring waist. He passed her the clothes. “I’m going to go boil some water,” he said. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

“Thanks,” she said.

He returned with a mug of hot black tea to find her sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, Bodie lying on his back across her lap, happily accepting the tummy scratches Celeste was giving him.

“What an opportunist,” Jack said. He joined her on the floor and passed her the mug.

“He’s like a fur blanket,” said Celeste. She smiled, then nodded toward the table, where his unused place setting from breakfast was waiting to be used. “Cloth napkin? What’s happened to you?”

Jack grinned. He’d thrown the napkin into his duffel at the last minute. He’d come to like using it, and it was less wasteful than paper. “I could ask you the same,” he said. “I can’t believe you made that hike on your own. A few weeks from now, there’s a chance you could run into a grizzly on that trail. Did you tell anyone where you were going?”

“I left a note,” she said. “I didn’t want anyone trying to stop me. Or worse, trying to join me.” She took a sip of the tea. “I’ve had a lot of…attention recently.”

“What do you mean?”

“I guess you don’t follow Keystone Konnection.”

He tried to maintain a neutral expression but was certain she could detect a hint enough of amusement. “Well, that was some video,” Jack said. “Didn’t know you could dance like that.”

She shook her head. “I’m over the embarrassment. But Ava brought me out that night because I was incredibly upset about what happened between us. Because the truth is, Jack, that I’ve fallen for you. And all I wanted was for you to be happy for me and for us to talk about some way we could move forward, even though things might be a little messy. Because you and I—” Celeste paused, steadying her breath as the words tumbled out. “You and I might work really well together. But you just left, so I have no idea if you feel the same way.”

Jack was quiet. He watched her shoulders rise and fall under his old sweatshirt, then fixed his gaze on the forest outside of the window. He knew what he wanted to say; he just wanted to be sure it was the right thing.

Celeste broke the silence. “I didn’t take the job on Lagoon Island.”

He turned to face her. “But you were so excited about that job,” he said, his voice deep with concern. “They were rolling out the red carpet for you.”

“It’s an incredible place. And it was a good job…on paper. But to be honest, I was mostly excited about the certainty that the offer gave me. It wasn’t the job I was really into—I just wanted the sure thing. And…” She gulped, clearly trying to hold back tears. “I’m trying my best to believe what you told me—that I’ve got what it takes to survive whatever happens. I’ve decided to believe that everything’s going to work out with the lodge, which is where I belong. If it doesn’t, then I’ll find something else. But I don’t want to give up on what I really want before I know it’s a done deal.” She reached over and took Jack’s hand in hers. “That’s why I’m here. I hope you’re not done with me.”

Jack pulled Celeste closer, kissing the top of her head. “I was wrong to bolt like that,” he said. He kept her close against him, feeling the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, waiting for him to explain himself. “It was stupid of me. You have every right to pursue whatever goal you want. And I made it all about me and stuff I clearly never moved on for. The truth is I would have packed up and moved anywhere for you. I just didn’t know if that’s what you wanted.”

“It is.”

Jack took a long, steadying breath. Celeste had just said the exact words he’d been wanting to hear, and knowing that she felt that kind of devotion to him gave him a sense of reassurance he’d never felt before, like he was standing on the most solid ground. “Okay,” he said, his warm, firm grip on her hand tightening even further.

He looked up to find her eyes searching his. “So, you’re staying,” he said.

Celeste nodded. “I heard there’s a part two to this really great class I just took, and I thought I’d better give it a go.”

Jack couldn’t stop the wide smile spreading across his face. He leaned over and slid his arms around Celeste, pulling her slightly up and off the carpet so that her legs crossed over his lap. “Well, I don’t know. You didn’t technically complete part one. Are you ready for the challenge?” He leaned in and kissed the soft, sensitive skin on her neck.

“I’ve heard the teacher has very high standards,” she whispered.

“Oh, he does,” Jack said. “I don’t think I’m going to be teaching anymore, though,” he said. “Something else has come up since I last saw you.”

“That underwear-modeling gig came through?”

“Not yet. Still waiting for the right contract.”

“So, what is it?”

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