Her heart pounded. “I love you.” The words came out raw and breathless.
Adam froze.
“I thought I might die down here without ever saying it,” she whispered.
His expression shifted in a way that made her breath catch. “I love you too,” he said, the words rough and certain, like they’d been waiting too long to be spoken. “I should’ve told you days ago.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “This happened way too fast. You know that, right?”
He kissed her. “I know that we have all the time in the world to go slow. We’ll figure out our lives, our jobs, and everything else.”
“I know.” She looked up at him. “I’ll still travel for work. Just not as much. I have you to come home to now.”
He kissed her again. “Yeah. Home.”
EPILOGUE
The airport outside Mineral Lake had two gates, a vending machine that hummed louder than the planes, and a window that looked out over miles of open Montana sky.
Adam liked it.
It felt honest.
He leaned against the big window watching Bianca finish at the check-in counter. She spoke quickly, hands moving while she talked, that familiar spark of excitement lighting her whole face. She had that look when she was about to start something new.
It was one of the things he loved most about her.
Bianca turned and spotted him across the room. Her smile came instantly, easy and bright, and she walked back toward him with the light step she had when she was excited about work.
“Okay,” she said, holding up her boarding pass. “I’m officially traveling again.”
Adam nodded. “For one week.”
“For one week.”
“Then you’re back.”
She grinned. “Then I’m back.”
That had been the agreement with Randi. One trip a month. One week away.
The rest of the time right here in Mineral Lake.
Bianca stepped in close and slid her arms around his waist. The movement felt natural already, like they’d been doing it for years instead of a handful of weeks. “You really are okay with this?” she asked.
Adam looked down at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because I’m getting on a plane.”
“You’re going to Texas to look at filming locations,” he said calmly. “You’ll be back in a week.”
“Exactly.”
“And you love your job.”
She smiled at that. “I do.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Then why would I want you to stop?”