She couldn’t catch her breath. She was a teary, shuddering mess. “You do. ”
“Well, you’re going to rust yourself out,” he said, and she laughed through her tears. He smoothed his hand along her head. “Really, it’s time to come home, Laura. ”
“I can’t. I told them I’d take this stupid job. ” She was stuck now. The riptide was tearing her away once again. “I’ve been jerking them around so much, if I don’t take it, I’ll never work in Silicon Valley again. ”
“I don’t see the problem. ” He pulled away enough to meet her eyes. “How can I get it in your head that business success isn’t life success?”
“But it’s security. ” She’d spent her whole adult life building up the trappings of security, and she wasn’t ready to part with the idea so easily. “What if something happens? You could go away tomorrow. My dad might get sick again. I need to think about those things. ”
“Nothing will happen. I’m not going anywhere. There’s a whole town full of people who love you and will help you. Who want you home. ”
“But the business stuff…I can’t lose that. ”
“So you keep managing the lodge,” he said. “You rock at managing the lodge. Look how much it’s turned around in just a short time. ”
She shrugged. She’d wanted respect for so many years, and here it was Eddie Jessup who’d been in her corner all along. “Sometimes I feel like it’s all I’m good for. ”
“Hey”—he stroked a finger down her cheek—“you’re good for me. Or you would be if you gave it a chance. ”
“I do want to give it a chance. But you said it yourself…I’m scared to let go. ” She stared off at the falls, crashing in the distance. “I’ve always felt so apart from all this. What if you were right about everything—that spreadsheets and numbers are all I am?”
“Mine is what you are,” he said, and before she could come up with some other protest, he shut her up with a kiss.
It felt right. He felt right. He truly saw her and understood, and better, loved her for who she was. They kissed, and her blood sang as some essential part of her recognized that, city or country, being in Eddie’s arms was the only place for her.
As he pulled away, she slumped with a curse. “Crap. ”
A startled, baffled laugh escaped him. “Not the usual response I get after kissing the ladies. ”
She curled a fist in his shirt. “You better be done kissing the ladies, Edwin Jessup. ”
“Oh, I am. I swear. ” He crossed his heart. “So then what’s the trouble?”
“The trouble is, I’ve got to go back,” she said. “I have this stupid job now. ”
“Well, now you have a stupid new job. ”
She peered up at him. “I do?”
He nodded, a wicked gleam lighting his eyes. “It’s going to keep you here. And this new job has benefits unlike anything you’d get in the city. ” He cupped her bottom and gave it a suggestive squeeze.
She gave a little squeal, then swatted him. “Be serious. What are you talking about?”
“I’m completely serious. I’m taking over the ranch. ”
“What?” She pulled back to get a better look at his expression, because she wasn’t getting it. “What about Fairview?”
“Screw Fairview. I found out about the owls. We’ve stopped the project. ”
She sighed. “Oh, Eddie. I didn’t know what to do. I knew you’d scaled back, and so the nests would be fine, but what about your company? What about Jack?”
“Jack will be fine. I’m pulling out of Jessup Brothers. Having just one permanent employee will take the heat off, at least until this economy turns around. Meantime, my brother can rely on his usual subs on an as-needed basis. ”
She stepped away completely then. She trusted him—she was ready to make the leap, lose control, take a chance—but Eddie owning a ranch didn’t register. “What are you going to do with a ranch?” She guessed she could learn to love…what…cattle? What did people do on ranches?
“I’m turning it into a camp for at-risk kids. ” He let the statement hang long enough for her t
o parse his meaning.