“Depends on why you’re here. What you’re here to say,” he said bluntly, crossing his arms.
He wanted to kiss her. Wanted to take her in his arms, bury his face in her hair and let her know just how much he’d missed her. Still. But first, he had to know...
“I see.” Still smiling a little, she nodded. “First—how is Trevor?”
“Busted up. Sore. Mad at the guy who ran a stoplight and hit his bike. Mad at himself for getting laid up when he has so many irons in the fire here. Mad at the doctors for not giving him a pill that’ll magically heal him and let him get back to work. Other than that, he’s doing as well as can be expected.”
“I’m glad. I know you were worried about him.”
“Yeah. I was.” The back of his neck felt tight, but he kept his arms crossed. “So, anyway, he’s going to be out of commission for a while. He’ll be able to make some decisions and stay involved with the big stuff while he recuperates, but the staff will need to pick up the slack while he’s gone.”
“Specifically, you.”
“Not just me. But yeah, I’m taking my share.”
“Probably more,” she murmured.
He let that go without comment. “Obviously, I can’t leave while Trevor’s down. Once he’s back, I’ll have to give adequate notice for him to hire someone to take my job. And for that matter, he’ll have to fill the resort manager job he offered me so he can concentrate on his new ventures.”
“Resort manager? Wow. Congratulations.”
He frowned, wondering what she meant by that. “Thanks, but you know I’m not planning to take the job, right?”
“You would be very good at it. You are very good at it.”
“But I don’t want it.”
“Of course you do. This is a great opportunity. You should be proud that Trevor thinks so much of you. With what this place means to him, he would never put anyone in charge who he didn’t trust completely.”
Adam’s right arm fell to his side. His left hand went to the back of his neck, fingers digging hard into the tense muscles. “Okay, fine. I’m getting the message. You think I should stay here rather than moving to Seattle. For my own sake,” he added, unable to keep a note of bitterness out of his voice.
“I do,” she said, and it ticked him off that she said it with a smile. “I think you should stay. And I think Simon and I should stay here with you. Well, maybe not here. You don’t actually have to live on the grounds, right? I know Trevor has a house in town. We should be able to do something like that.”
His left arm dropped. His hand hit the corner of the desk hard enough to hurt, which only proved he wasn’t dreaming. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about us, Adam,” she said, taking a step closer. Her palm cupped his cheek, soft against his evening-rough skin. “About starting fresh here with our son. Take the job Trevor offered you. I wouldn’t be su
rprised if you end up moving even higher in this resort empire he’s planning to build. I’m a licensed psychologist with a moderately impressive resume. I’m not worried about finding work. As for Simon—as long as he’s near water and with his parents, he’s going to be the happiest kid on earth.”
He caught her hand, wondering if she’d lost her mind, or he’d lost his. Maybe both. “You’re really offering to walk away from that job in Seattle? The one that will let you do exactly what you’ve always wanted? For me?”
“Well, you were willing to do the same for me, weren’t you?” She raised her other hand, framing his face. “You’re happy here, Adam. You’re needed here. This is your home.”
He was stunned to find his eyes burning. What the hell was that? He cleared his throat. “My home is where you are, JoJo. Where you and Simon are.”
She gazed up at him with eyes the color of liquid emerald. “I’m here.”
“You are.” He couldn’t wait any longer to kiss her. He took her mouth with more tenderness than he’d ever felt before, tamping down the passion until later. He pulled his mouth away only an inch to murmur roughly, “No one’s ever offered anything like this for me. Ever.”
Her arms around his waist, she smiled up at him. “Your life is about to change, pal. I hope you’re ready for it.”
“I’m ready. I’m scared spitless,” he added wryly, “but I’m ready. And I’ll give it everything I’ve got to make sure you never regret taking a chance on me.”
He kissed her again, more vigorously this time, then set her away from him.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” he said, straightening. “You go to Seattle. Get settled in, start that great new job. I’ll wrap things up here. It’s going to take a few weeks. Couple of months, maybe, and trust me, that’s going to feel like a year. We’ll talk every day, make plans. I have some contacts, guys I served with. I think a couple of them are out in that area. I’ll be making calls, pulling strings, finding a job I’ll like as much as this one. You don’t have to worry that I’ll be making some big sacrifice to come to you. Everything I want will be there.”
She was biting her lip again. He smiled and smoothed it with his thumb.