Page 37 of Forbidden Love

Mom patted Dad’s hand, and they exchanged a look. “We want you to be happy. Whatever that looks like for you.”

* * *

The subject was lifted, and we didn’t discuss the possibility of that position for the rest of the night. But I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It was perfect for me, but would they offer it to someone else? The thought of it going outside the family when I was perfectly capable of doing it myself hurt. But then I hadn’t proven myself to be reliable. Maybe they needed convincing that I was the right person for the job. They hadn’t seen the events I’d led in Paris.

The dugout project was my chance to show them that I was competent and the perfect person for the event coordinator position. The problem was, did I want it?

On the way to my cabin, all I could think about was sitting on the back deck and watching the stars. I usually enjoyed it by myself, but tonight, I didn’t want to be alone. When I arrived, I scrolled through my contacts and hit Tyler’s name.

“Hey. How’d it go?”

I wasn’t ready to answer that question. “I’m sitting on the deck, looking at the stars.”

“Want some company?” he asked, his tone light.

I smiled. “You read my mind.”

“I can be there in fifteen.”

My heart rate picked up. “I don’t want to interrupt your evening.”

“I met with Mac at a bar and nursed a beer while watching the baseball game. Now, I’m sitting on my couch, flipping through channels. I’d much rather be stargazing with you.”

I smiled wider. “Then get over here.”

When he hung up, I set my phone aside and placed my feet on the coffee table in front of me. Telluride was gorgeous. I didn’t miss the smell and busyness of the city. Here, it was quiet. Serene. I could think.

With each minute that passed, my heart rate kicked up. I’d invited Tyler here with no expectations. I wanted company, but after what happened on the field, I wasn’t sure if being alone with him was a good idea. Did I want to take things further with Tyler?

My body was on board, but my head was all over the place. My heart was convinced he’d break it like the last guy, and I shouldn’t get involved.

When the knock sounded, I sighed. Bad idea or not, it was too late to rescind the invitation.

My stomach felt fluttery and excited in a way it hadn’t since I was a kid and anticipating Tyler Fletcher being in the lodge.

I opened the door, and he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. My heart flip-flopped in my chest at the gesture.

Tyler moved inside as I shut the door. “It must be nice to stay here.”

“Just wait until you see the view.” I grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and led the way to the back deck.

Tyler whistled as he braced his hands on the railing. “This is something else.”

The sky was clear tonight, and it felt like the stars were endless up here on top of the mountain. I set the bottles on the table. “I missed this when I lived abroad.”

“Will you want to do that again?” he asked, looking over at me.

“Maybe. I love traveling,” I said as I stood next to him.

“I can’t imagine ever leaving Telluride. I love it here. Even though I enjoyed college, I looked forward to coming home.”

Because Telluride felt like home for him. It never had for me, and I wondered why that was. Was home a place where your family was, or something else? “I was always itching to see what was beyond the mountains. I didn’t want to be tied to the lodge.”

How we looked at the world was the fundamental difference between us.

“Fear of missing out. Sounds like a sickness,” Tyler teased as he rested the back of his hand against my forehead as if he was checking for a fever.

My eyes fluttered closed at the contact, and I swayed slightly in his direction. His hand moved to my hip to steady me.

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