He laughs softly, the sound warm and full of affection, and kisses me again, his lips soft against mine. "You have all the power here, my love. All of me belongs to you."
I look up at him, studying his face in the dim hotel room light, the way his hair falls across his forehead, the way he's looking at me like I'm the only thing in the world that matters, and I've never felt so completely seen, so thoroughly loved.
This is what I've been afraid of my entire life. This feeling. This vulnerability. This complete surrender to someone else. And it turns out it's the best thing I've ever felt.
CHAPTER 24
Alex
We take the hotel elevator down at five in the morning like two people who've committed a crime and are too far in to turn back now. I'm visiting Dark River today while Jean-Pierre has other business meetings scheduled in Seattle, and I'm taking Isabelle with me for the night, a fact her father absolutely cannot know about.
She told him she was flying back to Napa for the night to check on some supply issues at the pop-up and would return to Seattle in the afternoon for our final walk-through meeting. She even bought a plane ticket to sell the lie, creating a paper trail in case he checks.
I was genuinely impressed and a tiny bit terrified by her thoroughness. She called Margot from the hotel room last night to instruct her to cover if Jean-Pierre somehow calls Solstice asking questions. Margot, thankfully, thought the whole thing was hilarious and romantic and promised to help out.
And so we're off, free to just be ourselves. Finally. Isabelle is dressed casually in dark jeans and white sneakers and a cream-colored cable-knit sweater that makes her look soft and cozy, her hair pulled back in a low bun at the nape of her neck.
I'm in a black hoodie and jeans and wearing a smile that I can't seem to get off my face, because in a few hours I'm going to show the woman I love my hometown and introduce her to my family.
We make our way through the lobby, which is still mostly empty at this hour except for a few business travelers checking out early and one tired-looking concierge behind the desk. We get to the rental car I picked up yesterday—a comfortable Subaru with room for both our bags and the drive ahead. I load her luggage in the back next to mine and we both climb in, the early morning air cool and crisp.
"What's the drive like?" she asks, buckling her seatbelt and settling into the passenger seat.
"Two or three hours through some of the most beautiful landscape on the planet," I say, pulling away from the hotel and navigating onto the main road. "Old-growth forest, some water views in certain spots, mountains in the distance. The Pacific Northwest in all its glory."
She smiles, looking out the window as the city starts to wake up around us, early morning light hitting the buildings. "I can't wait to see where you grew up and meet everyone, and see Harbor & Ash especially."
We're both giddy and in love and running on about four hours of sleep after last night, feeling like our whole future is spread out in front of us full of possibility and promise, like anything could happen and it will all work out somehow.
I reach over and take her hand, lacing our fingers together on the center console, and she brings our joined hands to her lips and kisses my knuckles. The gesture makes my chest feel too full, too tight with feeling.
"Tell me about Dark River before we get there," she says. "What am I walking into?"
I think about how to describe it, this place that shaped me. "It's a pretty small town. One main street running along the harbor, some nice beaches. There's this stretch along the water with shops and restaurants and a bookstores. A lot of Victorian architecture. The house I grew up in is actually a big old Victorian right on the water. My brother Calvin lives there now with his wife, Maren, and their baby."
"Wow, your very ownPractical Magichouse," she says, clearly delighted by this information.
I grin at her. "Hey, I told you I had a thing for witches after watching that movie.Practical Magicand growing up in a creaky Victorian probably did it to me early."
She bursts into giggles. "Well, instead of a blindfold next time I'll bring out a witch's hat. How about that?"
I glance over at her, amused. "You jest but I would be extremely into that, actually."
"Oh?" She's fully teasing me now, her eyes dancing. "Well then, if you'reverygood, maybe you'll get a whole magical evening complete with spells and potions."
"Is that a promise or a threat?" I ask.
"Both," she says, grinning wickedly. "Definitely both."
She settles back in her seat, tucking one leg underneath her. "So what's the actual plan for today? Drive through Dark River, explore a bit, hit a beach, then dinner with your family at Harbor & Ash? And then back to your apartment for the night?"
I nod. "Yep, that's the plan. We'll head to the restaurant around six for dinner. It’ll be fun—my brothers and their wives are all really great people. They're going to love you."
"I hope so. I really want to make a good impression," she says.
I glance over at her as we merge onto the highway heading toward the coast. "You're so likable and funny that I think it'simpossiblefor you not to make a good first impression. They'reprobably going to love you more than they love me by the end of the night."
We spend the entire day exploring Dark River, savoring every moment of being able to just be together openly. We start off at Sweet Haven Bakery where we get cinnamon rolls the size of our heads and the best coffee in town, sitting at one of the small tables by the window.