Page 96 of Capture the Moment
Coop shifted on the bench to face her directly. “What’s that?”
“I wish ... ”
He waited, but she couldn’t voice the words aloud.
“What do you wish?”
I wish I could be fearless, she thought.Bold and brave. What’s the worst that can happen if I put myself out there?She took in a deep breath and blurted out, “I wish you would accept the full-time Jenny Lake Ranger job and stay here.” There, she said it.
And in return, he said nothing.
This didn’t seem promising.
He just looked at her with those steady seawater-gray eyes of his, like they could see right through to her very core. And what would he see? Someone who wished she could rewind the last thirty seconds. Take back her bold and brave declaration. Slide back into her safe turtle shell.
And then, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Full disclosure.” A full smile emerged. “Before dinner tonight, I sent in my resignation to the principal.”
He did ...what? Any more happiness and Kate felt as if she might fly away like a helium balloon. She smiled, big and wide. So much for keeping her cool on.
“This week, well, it’s been an eye-opener for me. I think I’ve been needing a change for a while now. Meeting you has pretty much sealed the deal for me.”
In her head, she heard a sound very similar to the triumphant crescendo of a symphony’s grand finale. “So then ... it looks like we’ll both be here at Grand Teton National Park for the foreseeable future.”
“Kate,” he said, his tone softening as he reached one arm around her, “this might be the best day of your life so far...”
She turned to face him. In his gaze, she saw everything. Respect. Caring. Love.
“...but I think there are more best days to come.”
And with that promise hanging in the air, Coop leaned over to seal it with a kiss.And what a kiss. The kind of kiss that swept a girl away from the here and now, making time and space fade into the background. The kind of kiss that made tomorrow seem like a blank canvas, full of hope and endless opportunities.
A perfect note, Kate thought,to end on.
