Wildly, Boldly (Return to Culloden Moor #4)

Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38

#AlaskaLife #GhostHunting #WeddingPrep #RusticRomance

T he lodge’s porch swing creaked softly as Sophie waited, heart thundering in her chest. She’d just sent her counter-proposal to Marcus, suggesting an Alaska-based show instead of traveling. Now she watched Wyatt approach from the generator shed, his steps measured like he was walking into something both wonderful and terrifying.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi.” He stopped at the top of the steps, grease still smudged on his cheek from working with Darrow. “Can we talk?”

“We better.” She patted the space beside her on the swing. “Because I just did something either really brave or really crazy.”

He sat, careful to leave space between them. It made her heart ache, how deliberately he was trying not to influence her decision.

“I turned down the show,” she said before he could speak. “Well, sort of. I counter-offered. Pitched them ‘Ghost Hunter in Alaska’ instead.”

His sharp intake of breath was audible. “Sophie...”

“I know it might be crazy. And they might say no. But...” She turned to face him fully. “But for the first time in my life, I don’t want to leave when an adventure ends. I want to stay and see what happens next.”

“Are you sure?” His voice was rough. “This is everything you’ve worked for.”

“No.” She reached for his hand, needing the connection. “This—Alaska, the lodge, you—this is everything I never knew I was looking for.”

He intertwined their fingers, but his expression remained troubled. “Tell me why.”

She knew what he was asking. Taking a deep breath, she looked out at the mountains painted in twilight colors.

“My parents...” She laughed softly. “They’re great people, in their way. Dad’s on his third wife, Mom’s on her fourth husband. They’re all about adventures and experiences and never settling for ordinary life.”

“Sounds exciting.”

“It was. Is. They love me, support my ghost hunting, think my social media success is great. But...” She squeezed his hand. “But they never taught me about home. About staying. About building something real.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes. “That’s why you’re always moving.”

“Hard to be scared of leaving if you never really land.” She smiled, but it wavered. “Until now.”

“What changed?”

“Everything.” She gestured at the lodge, the mountains, their joined hands. “I came here chasing ghost stories, but I found...this. Community. Purpose. A place where I actually want to put down roots.”

She turned to face him fully. “Found you.”

The kiss caught her by surprise—soft and sure and tasting of coffee and possibility. When they broke apart, his forehead rested against hers.

“I’m terrified of change,” he admitted quietly.

“I know.”

“But I’m more terrified of letting you go.”

Her breath hitched. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He pulled back enough to meet her eyes. “I love you. Ghost hunting and all.”

She laughed even as tears pricked at her eyes. “Even my questionable equipment storage habits?”

“Even those.” His smile was soft. “Though we really need to talk about the EMF meter in the dishwasher.”

“I was testing a theory!”

“Sure you were.”

She settled against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. The mountains rose dark against the twilight sky, and somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled.

“I love you too, you know,” she said softly. “Even if you are the most skeptical ranger in Alaska.”

“Someone has to balance out all your ghost stories.”

They sat in comfortable silence, the porch swing creaking gently. Sophie thought about her parents, always chasing the next adventure. About Whitney and Darrow, building their life here. About how sometimes the biggest adventure was being brave enough to stay still.

“So,” she said finally. “What do we do now?”

“Now?” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Now we figure it out together. Though if you’re really staying, we should probably talk about proper bear spray storage techniques.”

“Very romantic.”

“I thought so.”

She laughed, the sound carrying across the darkening valley. Because maybe this was what love really was—finding someone who made you want to stay, who challenged your assumptions, who loved you exactly as you were.

Ghost hunting equipment storage habits and all.