Chapter 16
Isabelle
For the second time that Isabelle could recall, she didn’t have a nightmare. Instead, she dreamed of lying beneath the stars with Jason. That didn’t stop her from waking up at four in the morning, which was the official time she went running with Jason these days.
Normalcy seemed to come easier for her, too.
Suddenly, she felt lighter. Waking up the day after their date felt like coming up for fresh air after being suffocated by the heaviness of her past. She wasn’t under any assumption that she was done with the nightmares.
And anxiety would be a constant battle. But for today, she was going to appreciate how it felt to feel like she was still floating.
She stretched, reaching for her toes as she bent over. Jason hadn’t emerged from the cabin yet. And if he didn’t come out in the next couple of minutes, she refused to go looking for him. After that kiss a few hours ago, she wasn’t sure how he’d react.
Jason didn’t seem like the kind of guy to get all weird. At least she didn’t think he was. She hoped he wasn’t.
Isabelle straightened with a frown and glanced over at the entrance of the building.
No. Jason wouldn’t ignore her after last night. She’d felt it in the way he kissed her back. He wanted to be with her just as much as she wanted to be with him. And now that they’d gotten past that first hurdle, they could stop dancing around each other.
A familiar tickle in the back of her mind threatened to turn into something more volatile. Anxiety had become a well-known companion whenever she felt her control slipping. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
Then the tell-tale sound of the door opening and shutting echoed in the early morning quiet. She smiled without opening her eyes or turning toward the sound of his steps approaching. Moving into another stretch, she told her heart to settle.
Jason was her safe space. He was the one who made her feel normal. One day, she could see herself settling down with him. There was no one else.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said so sweetly at her side that the hairs on her arms lifted.
Isabelle’s eyes opened and she looked over her shoulder at him. “Speak for yourself.”
He quirked a crooked grin at her as he started stretching, pulling his arm across his chest. Neither one of them had to speak a single word for her to know what they were both thinking. That kiss last night had knocked down the last wall of her defenses. Whatever this was between them had changed.
For the better.
Jason’s grin widened as they stretched in silence. When Jason had enough time to warm up, Isabelle bounced from toe to toe.
“Ready?” she said.
He nodded. “Always.”
They darted down the familiar trail. The light of the stars twinkled overhead, a reminder of two nights ago when they’d spent time floating in the calm river.
There was something about being with Jason that felt so right.
There was no other way to describe it. Her feelings begged the question, why had she been fighting it so hard?
Isabelle tossed a grin over her shoulder as she darted off the trail and into the nearest pasture where Mateo had moved several cows for grazing.
It took some quick maneuvering to get past the fence, but she managed.
And a squeal of delight burst from her lips when she noticed Jason lunging over the fence to take after her.
A few of the cows lifted their heads with curiosity.
One actually hustled several feet away from where she darted past them.
Laughter burst from her lips. It had been so long since she’d truly laughed like this. Maybe she’d finally hit the point of insanity.
Or more likely, maybe she was finally giving herself permission to live again.
With Jason at her side, anything seemed possible.
Another glance over her shoulder showed Jason was far closer than she’d expected.
They were both in running shoes. She didn’t know what she expected to happen. Of course he’d catch up to her.
A squeal of delight ripped right from her chest when his strong hands came around her waist and they both went rolling to the ground in the tall, soft grass of the meadow. She didn’t know how it was possible, but Jason managed to get them to the ground without injury.
Soon they were sprawled out on the grass, staring up at the starlit sky.
She scooted closer to him, her breathing ragged.
When Jason stretched out his arm, she nestled up to him and curled up on her side.
Isabelle drew small circles on his chest, watching as it went up and down with the same effort as her own.
The more time she spent with him, the safer she felt—the more obvious it was that she was meant to be with him, at his side.
A contented sigh escaped her lips, and she allowed her eyes to close. His warm arm wrapped her snugly against him. She lost track of the amount of time they’d spent out in the grass. She might have even fallen asleep for a few minutes before Jason shifted.
He turned his head and kissed the brow of her head. “We have to start heading back.”
Isabelle groaned, splaying her hand on his chest as she attempted to bury her face in his shirt. “No.”
Jason’s chuckle warmed her. It was chilly this early in the morning, but not when she shared Jason’s body heat. “The guys aren’t going to be thrilled if they find out Mark was the one in charge of breakfast.”
Another groan left her, followed by an amused sound on Jason’s part. “What about Nikki?”
He brushed his lips over her head and took in a deep breath. “She wasn’t feeling well last night. Sent me a message to see if I could get things going this morning.”
She propped up her head and stared at him. “That’s a good thing, right? She’s giving you more responsibility?”
Jason searched her face like he was looking for the secrets to the universe. “I don’t think it really matters around here. She’s got the head chef job.” He smirked. “And I doubt her husband is going to take that away from her.”
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Mateo would bite off his own foot before he took away Nikki’s passion.” She rested her chin on her curled fist atop his chest. “Do you think you’d ever want that life again? The hustle and bustle of being a chef?”
He let his head fall back onto the ground as he stared up at the sky.
His jaw worked and his eyes darted around, and yet Isabelle got the feeling he wasn’t really seeing anything.
Then finally, he spoke. “Honestly? I don’t think so.
I wouldn’t mind opening a bakery, though.
Like I said, I like creating desserts. I think it would be fun to have people stop in for sweets they can bring to their barbeques or weddings. That sort of thing.”
Isabelle grinned. “I think that sounds like fun.”
He lifted his head and gazed at her once more.
“For you,” she clarified. Then she wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I’d be all that great in a kitchen, no matter how much I practiced.”
Jason reached up and traced a line along her jaw. “You never know until you try.”
She rolled her eyes and shifted until she could get to her feet without digging her elbows into his gut. Then she held out a hand. “Come on, Chef. Let’s get you back to the kitchen before your fans get hangry.”
Their hands locked and she tugged, but he tugged harder. Somehow, Isabelle landed in his lap. She giggled when his arms came around her, and he pulled her close for one last, searing kiss.
Isabelle hummed and buried her face in his neck. “This is my favorite.”
“What is?” he asked huskily.
“Being here. With you. Like this. I never thought I’d be interested in this sort of thing again. Not after…”
Jason stiffened. Great. She’d just turned a sweet moment into something gray and cloudy.
Clearing her throat, she pulled back and avoided his gaze. The last thing she wanted was to invite him to start talking about what had happened to her. Nope. Not here. Not after the perfect morning they’d shared.
Maybe one day?
But probably not.
This time when she got to her feet, Jason followed. They hadn’t gotten that far into their run, so the trip back was quick. She followed him to the kitchen. Jason tossed her an apron, and she made a face but didn’t argue as she put it over her head. Moments later, Mark arrived.
The air seemed cooler when his eyes met Jason’s.
Had they gotten into a fight?
Isabelle glanced from one to the other. She burned with questions.
These two were thick as thieves. What could they possibly fight over?
When she turned her searing gaze to Jason, he wasn’t looking at her.
She wasn’t an idiot. He knew she was staring at him, asking him without verbalizing. But he ignored her.
She frowned. Mark was less chatty, too.
Yep, something definitely went on between them.
Sighing, she moved to Jason’s side. “How can I help?”
Immediately, his shoulders relaxed and he tossed her a grin. “I thought you didn’t want to be in the kitchen.”
“I don’t think I could mess up chopping something or mixing batter.”
Mark snorted. “That’s what you think.”
Jason chuckled, too, and the men shared a knowing look. For whatever reason the tension between them had started, at least it wasn’t the end of a relationship.
“Seems to me there’s a story there,” Isabelle prodded.
Jason glanced at Mark once more.
Mark scowled. “To our graves. You promised.”
Isabelle’s brows lifted and her smile widened. “That bad, huh?”
“Let’s just say Mark here didn’t bother reading the labels and mixed up some ingredients.”
Mark gasped. “It’s not my fault that you put the sugar right next to the salt. Why does a recipe like that even call for salt?”
Isabelle snickered, and Jason’s arm slipped around her waist. He pulled her body flush with his, kissed her temple, then released her.
“You can gather the fruit we need chopped for the fruit medley. It’s in the fridge.”
Isabelle flushed and nodded, pointedly ignoring Mark’s gaze on her. She couldn’t tell if the cowboy approved or disapproved of their budding relationship. For some crazy reason, she hoped it was the former.