Chapter 1

1

Preston

“Seriously. Oh, my God. Preston! Do you see this?”

I shot Sawyer a look. He was practically bouncing in his seat. Holding back a chuckle, I nodded even as I patted his thigh. “Since I’m driving, I can say with absolutely certainty that yes, I do, in fact, see it.”

Sawyer smacked my arm and scowled, but by the glint in his dark blue eyes, I knew he didn’t mean it. “Ha ha. Very funny.” He let out a contented sigh. “But just look at how gorgeous it is!”

The surroundings were definitely pretty. And very much unlike the downtown condo we lived in. Albany was a great city, but it was big and congested. Lots of people, lots of traffic, and not nearly enough nature. So when we decided it was high time for a vacation, my husband wanted something as different as he could find. This place fit the bill perfectly. Nothing but trees and water for miles around.

“Park already, would you?” Sawyer could barely contain himself, and he unbuckled as soon as I slowed to drive over the speed bump that separated the driveway from the parking lot. He placed his hands on the dash as he leaned forward. Then pointed to a spot. “There. Just pull in.”

“I was trying to see if—”

“Park!” Sawyer laughed. “Please, we can move the car if we need to later.”

As soon as I pulled into a space, Sawyer popped open his door and jumped down. I took the SUV out of gear and followed a little more sedately. And then froze as I watched Sawyer.

He tilted back his head so the sun illuminated his milky features and caught the blond strands in his light brown hair. He took a deep breath, then another, before a smile stretched across his face. I always thought he was beautiful, but in that moment, he was simply stunning.

“Do you smell that?” he asked, his voice filled with awe.

“Smell what?” My words came out as more of a croak. Five years married, and seven together, and he still made my breath catch. I was lucky that he’d given me the time of day all those years ago, and even luckier he loved me just as hard as I loved him.

“The air! It’s so clean and fresh. No pollution. No car exhaust. Just trees and water andlife.”

I did laugh then, but the fondness I felt nearly had my heart exploding. Good God, but I loved him. “I think all this fresh air is making you giddy.”

He nodded quickly, then jogged around the front of the car to join me. He took my hand, then again tipped back his head, this time to smile up at me. “Quite possibly. My body doesn’t know what to do with all this untainted oxygen.”

“Well, you better get used to it. We’ll be here a month.

Sawyer’s face practically split in two with the force of his grin. “I know!”

I kissed his temple, then gave him a tug so he’d start walking. “Come on, let’s get checked in. I think that’s the office over there.”

Though I’d had to get Sawyer moving, he was the one who all but dragged me to the rustic log-cabin style building at the edge of the parking lot. He hopped up the steps and pulled open the screen door, but I reached over his head to hold it open so he could enter first. He gave me a sweet grin as he slipped under my arm, brushing a hand across my stomach for good measure.

“Mr. and Mr. Waters?”

“That’s us,” Sawyer said with a happy little sigh, and he bounced farther into the room.

My attention, which had started to wander around the small space, was instantly captured by the captivating creature behind the counter that bisected the room. He was wearing a polo shirt with the business logo on the breast, and…I blinked. A purple and silver crown.

“Welcome to V Wilderness Adventures! We’re so happy to have you here. I’m Everett. Let’s get you checked in.”

It took only a few minutes. Everett clicked at his keyboard and swiped our credit card, all the while chatting and gesturing animatedly. Relief flooded through me. Though Sawyer had done his research, and he was certain this place was LGBT+ friendly, it was comforting to see that in action. There was no mistaking Everett’s orientation. He wasn’t bothering to hide it. Sawyer elbowed me—no doubt because he could tell my mind was wandering—and I tuned back in to what Everett was saying.

“The cabins are newly finished, and you’re our first guests to stay in them. Though we do have other reservations throughout the summer.” He grinned, handed me back our card, then reached for a stack of brochures he’d placed to the side. “Here’s all the information you’ll need about the area. Local places to visit if you want to, and places to eat. Okwaho Lake is an amazing little town. We even have a great cover band! You should check out Reine if you get a chance. They are fantastic!”

“Thanks,” I said as I reached for the brochures. But Sawyer got there first, grabbing them and immediately starting to look through them. I nudged Sawyer with my hip and added pointedly, “We’ll be sure to check it all out once we’ve settled in.”

Sawyer gave me an apologetic smile.