Chapter 8
Daisy
Isit cross-legged on a faded picnic bench outside the main cabin at Camp Silverpine, my laptop open before me as I scroll aimlessly through potential fundraiser ideas. A warm summer breeze ruffles my curls, carrying the earthy scent of pine and campfire smoke.
”Still no luck, huh?”
I glance up to find Aspen settling onto the bench beside me, Zane trailing behind with two mugs of steaming coffee clutched in his calloused grip. The two are co-owners of the camp and have become my friends during my stays in the area.
Zane hands one of the mugs off to his wife before sitting on my other side. ”Don”t sweat it too much. We”ll figure something out for those scholarships.”
I try for a reassuring smile, but it feels strained. ”Yeah... I just really thought I had it nailed this time, you know?”
Aspen”s expression softens as her gaze rakes over me. ”This seems like it”s hitting harder than just a professional setback, though.” She takes a sip of her coffee, studying me over the rim. ”Want to talk about it?”
I open my mouth to deflect, but the words won”t come. Because she”s absolutely right—this whole thing with Wyatt is so much more than just a bruised ego or failed moneymaking scheme.
It”s a profound, tangled knot of guilt and longing and sheer frustration all swirled together.
Blowing out a heavy breath, I rake a hand through my hair. ”Honestly? I don”t even know where to start. I just... I really thought I had things figured out, you know? Like, Wyatt and I had this crazy, insane connection out there on the mountain. I mean, you should”ve seen us.”
Just picturing those moments again—that bone-deep sense of belonging, the way my soul had felt so utterly grounded yet unrestrained—has my heart clenching in my chest. A lump rises in my throat.
”And then, like a total dumbass, I went and betrayed his trust.” I shake my head in self-disgust, my voice emerging in a strained rasp. ”I got so caught up in my mission, so focused on the end goal, that I completely disregarded his boundaries. And when he found out, he... well, he shut me out. Completely.”
Aspen reaches over to squeeze my arm, offering a soft look of sympathy. ”Dais, I”m so sorry.”
”Yeah.” I let out a humorless chuckle, swiping at the moisture gathering in the corners of my eyes. ”And the worst part is, I can”t even be mad at the guy. He laid everything out for me from the start, you know? He made it crystal clear how much he values his privacy and staying true to himself, no matter what. I”m the one who trampled all over that.”
I stare down at my hands, my throat growing tight as the memory of Wyatt”s stormy expression replays in my mind—the hurt and betrayal simmering in his eyes. ”I don”t know. Maybe I”m too much of a wildfire. I see a goal and just blaze ahead, burning anything in my path to ashes.”
Zane shifts beside me, the old wooden slats creaking beneath his weight. ”Hey, don”t be so hard on yourself,” he rumbles. ”We”ve all let our passions run away with us at some point or another, right?”
I glance over at him, offering a wan smile. ”Yeah, I guess you”ve got a point there.”
”Besides,” he adds, ”I”d hardly call what you”re doing some selfish, reckless pursuit.” His eyes crinkle at the corners as he grins, giving me a playful nudge with one broad shoulder. ”In fact, it’s pretty damn noble if you ask me.”
I gratefully return his smile, the knot in my chest easing somewhat.
”Zane”s right,” Aspen adds. ”What you”re trying to do here is amazing. And if Wyatt can”t see that, or at least be willing to have an open conversation about it, then he”s not worth your time.”
I bite my lip, considering her words carefully. Because as much as I want to agree, to just cut my losses and move on, a part of me can”t seem to let go.
”I don”t know, maybe I”m just being naive, but I can”t shake the feeling like he and I could”ve had something incredible if I hadn”t screwed the whole thing up first. I just wish I knew what I could do to fix it.”
The words are barely out before a deep, rumbling baritone cuts through the tranquil quiet.
”I have an idea.”
My breath catches in my throat as I whip my head around to find Wyatt striding across the clearing toward us, that powerful frame radiating an unmistakable sense of determination.
My heart kicks into a thundering cadence as I drink him in—the tousled russet waves, the chiseled slabs of his jaw dusted with scruff, those piercing chocolate-brown eyes that had once seared into mine with such scorching intensity.
”Wyatt.” His name emerges in a breathless rasp. ”What are you doing here?”
He doesn”t answer right away, instead slowing as he approaches our table. Aspen and Zane rise to make their excuses, offering the two of us pointed looks.
”We”ll give you kids some privacy,” Zane mutters with a wink, guiding Aspen away with an arm around her waist.
I watch them go with a bemused frown before dragging my stare back to Wyatt, who has now come to a stop beside my bench. ”I figured you never wanted to see me again after...” My words trail off as the weight of our unresolved conflict hangs heavy between us.
”Yeah, about that.” He drags one hand through those unruly waves before meeting my gaze head-on. ”I owe you one hell of an apology, Delgado.”
My brows lift incredulously. ”Wait, what? No, I”m the one who—”
He holds up a hand, silencing my protests. ”The way I reacted was way out of line. You were right—we did share something incredible out there. And instead of seeing that, instead of opening myself up to where things could”ve gone, I shut you down completely.” He shakes his head, mouth twisting in a rueful grimace. ”I was an asshole. Plain and simple.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Wyatt barrels onward, seeming to need to get the rest out now that he”s started.
”But you know the worst part?” His eyes find mine, burning with an intensity that roots me in place. ”I let my stubbornness blind me to everything you”re trying to do here. To the real reason behind all of this.”
He reaches out then, cradling my jaw with unexpected tenderness. ”You”re fighting to change lives. To give kids a shot at finding their way, just like this place did for me all those years ago.”
Something warm and bright blooms in my chest as understanding blossoms between us. ”That”s... that”s exactly what I want,” I whisper.
Wyatt gives a solemn nod before squaring his shoulders. ”Which is why I”m going to make this right. You and me... we”re going to merge our callings.”
I blink. ”Wait, what do you mean?”
Wyatt reaches for my hands, enveloping them in his calloused grip with a gentle squeeze. ”I want you to have exclusive access to document my expeditions. No holding back, no boundaries.”
My eyes widen at the implication. ”Are you serious?”
He nods once, his expression one of steely determination. ”Yeah, I”m serious. We can create a premium, subscription-based platform where you share every insane, boundary-demolishing stunt up close.” That sensual mouth curves in the barest hint of a smirk. ”No cheap internet spectacles—just an elite, authentic experience for those willing to go all-in on the adventure with us.”
My thoughts are whirling at a breakneck pace, struggling to keep up with his words even as a profound sense of excitement begins to thrum through me. But there”s one lingering concern that gives me pause.
”Okay, and what about...” I trail off, gesturing vaguely around us. ”I mean, this is amazing, but you know I can”t exactly put down roots anywhere. Not with how much I”m on the move with the van and the vlog and everything.”
Wyatt”s answering look is one of pure, blazing certainty. ”Then I”ll join you.”
The breath rushes from my lungs in a dizzying exhale. ”You”ll what?”
”I”ll come with you,” he repeats. ”We”ll be partners in every sense of the word. Traveling from spot to spot, chasing the rush and giving these people one hell of an up-close look at the action.”
He lifts one hand to trace the curve of my cheek, holding my rapt stare. ”And when we”re not climbing mountains or running gnarly whitewater, we”ll be here at Camp Silverpine, helping mold the next generation of thrill-seekers.”
I”m rendered breathless, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what he”s proposing. This is far bigger than any half-baked plan I could have ever concocted.
”Wyatt...” I breathe out his name in a reverent whisper. ”This is... I don”t even know what to say.”
His answering smile is slow and devastating and so utterly him—a roguish twist of those rugged features that sends a molten rush of heat searing through my veins.
”Say yes,” he rumbles, leaning closer. ”Take a chance on this wildfire of ours and let”s see just how bright it can burn together.”
The words ignite something deep within me: a blazing inferno of desire and hope and sheer, unbridled longing. Without a moment”s hesitation, I surge up and crush my mouth against his.
Wyatt rumbles his approval against my lips, one hand burying itself in the riot of my curls as he slants his mouth over mine with smoldering intensity. I whimper at the exquisite heat of it all, at the way his solid frame slots against mine with such seamless perfection.
We”re so lost in our frenzied embrace that we don”t hear the telltale sounds of an approaching group until a high-pitched peal of laughter pierces the air. Wyatt and I break apart, our ragged breaths intermingling in the scant space between us.
”Ew, gross! They”re kissing!”
The indignant cry draws my gaze past Wyatt”s powerful shoulders to find Zane grinning like a loon, one brawny arm looped around the small gaggle of campers now clustered at his side.
”You kids are just jealous,” he calls out with a wink in our direction.
Wyatt chuckles, that rich, rumbling sound reverberating through me in delicious tremors. ”You about ready to get out of here?” he murmurs, trailing his thumb over the seam of my lips.
I grin up at him, desire and exhilaration and sheer, unbridled possibility thrumming through my veins. ”I know just the place,” I murmur, arching one teasing brow.