Page 68 of Losing Sleep
Grey’s hands found my face, gently nudging me to look back at him. The parking lot was crowded, and people walked past us to the trail, but I ignored them, focusing on the man in front of me and the love I found in his eyes.
“I want to lose my heart to you too.”
Grey leaned forward, his lips finding mine, and I bit back a groan at the familiar sensation. Soft lips contrasted with the stubble from his chin as my lips worked to meet his, movement for movement. In that moment, I knew I could wander this entire world, but with Grey by my side, I would never be lost.
Epilogue
Three months later
“Where are we going?” I asked, tripping over a root in Grey’s determination to drag me up the mountain.
I’d been late meeting him at the trailhead, distracted by my yoga research. I’d started classes to get my teaching certification and was constantly getting sucked down research rabbit holes as I learned about different poses and their benefits.
“We’re going to miss it,” Grey muttered, continuing to pull me forward.
“Miss the mountain? I don’t think it’s going anywhere. Though we probably should have brought flashlights. It’s getting dark,” I said, noting how dusk was settling in. While I was doing better at handling my fears of driving at night, hiking in the dark did not appeal for a whole slew of different reasons.
Grey growled and pulled me along faster, making me laugh and gasp a little as we continued up the trail. While I had hiked more this summer than in years past, my lungs and calves were still getting used to the steep inclines and elevation changes that came with hiking in Utah.
“Maybe we could slow down,” I panted after a particularly steep stretch. My lungs burned, and a stitch in my side begged to be massaged.
“Just a little further.”
I did my best to keep up but fell behind, my muscles screaming for a slower pace.
Grey suddenly stopped, waiting for me to join him before gesturing to a rock outcropping that overlooked the valley.
“We’re here!”
I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. At this spot, the trail hugged the bend of the mountain, providing a wide-open view of Utah Valley below.
“It’s the valley.” I nodded, unsure what I was looking at and confused why we weren’t continuing to follow the trail. The trees below were just starting to change colors, hinting that summer was ending. I knew from past hiking experience that another mile up the trail, we’d find a waterfall. Why Grey felt this view of houses outranked a waterfall tonight, I had no idea.
Grey grabbed my hand and led me to the rock outcropping.
“Exactly. And that,” he pointed to a field a few miles away dotted with construction equipment, “is what I wanted to show you.”
“Okay…” I trailed off.
“I’m working that job site right now.”
“That’s good.” I nodded, trying to understand what the big deal was. Grey had worked on several sites since we’d started dating. He loved talking me through what he was doing and theresults of his work, and I loved knowing these jobs kept him close and gave him purpose.
“That’s where I’m going to build a house.”
I nodded again, still not following. Grey primarily worked home construction jobs. I had no idea what made this one special.
“I’d love your thoughts on the design. I’m thinking three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms at least. An open concept with a large kitchen, plenty of space for baking cookies. An office that could be turned into a yoga studio.”
“All of that sounds amazing. The future homeowner has excellent taste.”
Grey paused, a crooked grin stealing across his face before he reached for my hand. “I might be biased, but I think so.”
He turned me to face him, tipping my chin up to look at him.
“Audrey, that house isn’t just for anyone. It’s going to be mine. I finalized purchase of the plot today.”
My breath caught in my throat as his words registered. “Seriously?”
