Page 92 of Double Booked

“I don’t know. We might have to repeat the process a few more times.”

She laughed, her breath tickling his shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said, nuzzling the top of her head.

“I’m so glad you booked this place for next year, too.” Then she lifted her head and gazed at him. “Would you have done that even if we weren’t together?"

“Probably not. The reason this place is so special is because of you.”

“A year is a long time from now.”

“We’re going to be together a lot before then. I promise.”

She smiled widely, and in her beautiful blue eyes, he saw everything she was feeling—love, trust, and happiness.

Sitting here, in this remote cabin without power, he’d never felt so contented. And it was all because of her. He couldn’t wait to see what the next year would bring them, and all the years after that.

Epilogue

One Year Later

Eden gazed at Bear Lake, and her memories from a year ago flooded back in.

“Remember what happened the first time we hiked here?” Cole asked, his hazel eyes sparkling.

“You mean when I fell on top of you?”

“Yeah.”

“I wasn’t an experienced hiker back then.” They’d done a lot of hiking this past year, and she’d grown to love it. Now she owned all the proper gear and had little trouble keeping up with him.

“I didn’t mind cushioning your fall,” he teased. “You’re welcome to fall on me anytime.”

They held hands as they strolled around the lake. They’d arrived at the cabin late last night and decided to save the more difficult hikes for later in the week.

“I’m sad that we’ll only be here for a week this time,” she said. This past year, she’d used her vacation time to visit him in Arizona and they’d gone to Florida in the spring.

“Have you given any more thought to working for yourself?” he asked.

The idea had become more appealing, and she was seriously considering it. “I talked to a friend of mine who left the company a few years ago. She’s doing great on her own, and she had a lot of good advice.”

“It would give you more time to work on your book,” he gently reminded her.

Recently, she’d completed the first draft of her romantic suspense novel. It still needed a lot of work, but she was proud of her accomplishment. Naturally, he’d been her biggest supporter, encouraging her every step of the way. Her family, and especially Hope, were equally excited about the prospect of her becoming a published author.

“When are you going to let me read it?” he ventured.

“When I’m done editing it.” She was both excited and nervous about letting someone read her work. Now she understood how every author must feel when they submitted their manuscript for review.

“I don’t even have to read it to know I’m going to love it,” he said.

“You’re biased because you love me.”

“I do love you, but I also know your work ethic. This is your passion project, and I know it’ll be good.” He squeezed her hand, and she smiled at him.

They’d walked halfway around the lake and were approaching the bench that they’d stopped at before. The day was a stunner with bright sunshine, a smattering of white puffy clouds, and a gentle breeze. It was early fall, and the temperature was a comfortable seventy degrees.

Cole paused as they neared the bench. There was a young couple sitting there, taking selfies and laughing. He cleared his throat to get their attention. “Would you like me to take a picture of the two of you?”