“Hey, thank you for answering,” I said softly.

  He nodded, his eyes holding mine through the magic of technology.

  “Can you tell me what's happening?”

  He was quiet for what felt like hours but was really probably maybe a minute. My heart hurt. Then he told me, and my heart felt broken open.

  “Archer, oh, my god. Are you okay?”

  “I'm fine, but it's all blowing up. I told my cousin. Between the embezzlement and this, I think Clint’s just trying to find leverage wherever he can. I'm going to tell my parents and my grandmother and hope for the best. I have no idea what he's going to say to anybody.”

  He looked weary, and I wished I was there with him. “I need to go,” he said abruptly.

  “I love you,” I said.

  But the screen went blank.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  ARCHER

  It felt as if a band was compressing my lungs. I forced myself to close my eyes and take a deep breath. This past week had been pure hell.

  Clint knew I’d told Rhys and my grandmother what I saw. He was pitching a fit. Thankfully, for now, he was reduced to raging helplessly because he was facing charges connected to the embezzlement. The prosecutors were moving fast because we handed over the evidence from the company.

  I hadn't handled that call with Phoebe well, and I knew it. “Fuck,” I muttered.

  I stood from my desk and paced in a tight circle. Crossing to the windows, I looked out across Puget Sound. The fog was rolling in, creating layers of gray from the ocean’s surface and blending into the sky. This place that had never felt like home, and now it felt even less like home. I’d been born in Alaska and grown up there.

  As I paced back and forth in front of the windows, the tightness started to ease inside. For the first time all week, it occurred to me I hadn’t actually had a panic attack this week.

  “Fuck, that's crazy.”

  “What's crazy?” My cousin's voice came from the doorway.

  Turning, I stopped pacing, a surprised laugh bubbling up. I shrugged. “This week hasn't been as bad as I thought.”

  Rhys walked into my office, closing the door behind him. “How the hell can that be? It's been fucking hell for me.”

  “Oh, it's been hell all right. I just—” I hesitated before deciding to be honest. “I haven't had a panic attack all week. Usually, I have them when I have to deal with your grandfather. I think maybe having it all out there has taken some weight off.”

  Rhys plunked down in one of the chairs across from my desk, letting out a ragged sigh. He ran both of his hands through his hair and let his arms fall. “I guess that would help. Fuck, man, I wish I'd known sooner.”

  I rounded my desk and sat down in the chair situated at an angle across from his. “We were just kids. I'm fucking stressed to the max. It's just I'm not losing it, and that's a relief.”

  We fell quiet. Rhys rested his elbows on his knees, angling to glance at me. “What's your plan?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you plan to live here in Seattle or in Alaska?”

  I didn't even hesitate. “Alaska. I'll travel here whenever I need to for work, but that's home for me.” He nodded before I added, “You know we don't have to have these offices here.”

  “What?” He straightened, leaning back as his brows hitched up. “What do you mean?”

  “When I told my parents this whole mess, my dad explained it was your grandfather who rented this space. They said he wanted something outside of Alaska. You always said you preferred to be home in Fireweed Harbor.”

  Rhys laughed softly. “There's so much I don't fucking know. This location costs us a fortune.”

  “No shit. Go back to Fireweed Harbor and stay.”

  “I just might. I can travel if I need to, but without these offices, I probably won’t need to that often.”

  “You call that therapist?” I asked.

  He shook his head quickly. I knew he wasn't ready. “I will. Maybe.” When I arched a brow, he added, “All right. I promise I’ll think about it.”

  We hadn’t spoken at length about what I’d shared with him, but it was obviously weighing on him.

  “You talk to Phoebe?” he lobbed my way.

  I winced, and Rhys cocked his head. “What?”

  “I didn’t handle it too well.”

  “You’ll get through it. She’s the real deal. I knew it as soon as I saw you two together.”

  I prayed he was right. I glanced at my watch. “You want to go grab dinner?”

  “Can we agree not to talk about my grandfather?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Later that night when I tried to call Phoebe, she didn't answer.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  PHOEBE

  I adjusted my bag strap on my shoulder and hurried off the plane. No matter how smoothly a flight went, it always ended with feeling jostled. The seats were crowded. There was a crying baby to one side, which I preferred to the drunk guy on the other side, and the jerk arguing with the flight attendant in the row in front of me.

  I’d decided to fly to Seattle to see Archer. I wanted to be there for him face-to-face and kick the doubts crowding my mind to the curb. I'd planned poorly, though. As soon as I walked out of the airport, I realized I didn't even know where his office was. I whipped out my phone to bring up Fireweed Industries online. Of course, the address listed was where the company was founded in Fireweed Harbor, where Archer’s parents lived now.

  I searched for the Seattle address and got a post office box. Fuck. I'd wanted to surprise him. I caved and finally replied to his text.

  Me: Hey, where are you?

  Archer: In Seattle. I missed your voice last night.

  Me: I need your address.

  I was still going to try to surprise him. Unfortunately, he knew me way too well. I wasn’t one for being all vague, and he obviously noticed.

  Archer: Are you at the airport?

  I sighed.

  Me: Yes.

  Archer: I'll be there in twenty minutes. Tell me where you're waiting.

  I glanced around, my eyes landing on a sign.

  Me: I'm right outside baggage claim in the pickup zone for the car services.

  Archer: Stand where I can see you. I’m on the way. I love you.

  For the first time since he left Willow Brook, my tension eased. I was exhausted, having hardly slept because I’d flown during the night, but it would be okay because I was about to see Archer. He arrived almost exactly twenty minutes later.

  I stood on the curb while I waited, realizing I should have asked him what he would be driving. A moment later, a black SUV pulled up to the curb. It matched his vehicle in Alaska. He was out in a flash, rounding the SUV to me.

  “Phoebe, what the hell are you doing here?” he asked, his concerned gaze skating over my face.

  “You’re going through a lot, and I wanted to see you,” I said firmly.

  My throat tightened with emotion as his eyes searched mine. He pulled me into a fierce hug, and I squeezed him close. A moment later, I stepped back. Peering up, I asked, “How are you?”

  His lips curled into a small, bemused smile. “Better now that you're here. Let's talk on the drive.”

  A few minutes later, he drove out of the airport pickup area, I glanced over. He was wearing slacks and a button-down shirt.

  “Wow, you're all business-y,” I offered.

  “This is what I wear when I'm in Seattle, but good news. We're closing down these offices.” He cast me a quick smile before looking back at the road.

  “You are? Why is that good news?”

  “Because…” He paused, letting out a sigh. “I have a lot to catch you up on.”

  “I know, but tell me about the offices. That's probably the boring part,” I said softly, my heart twisting a little to think of what he’d been dealing with.

  “I guess so. When I told my parents everything—” His eyes slid to mine, and I nodded encouragingly. “My dad filled me in on more background. My great-uncle is the one who insisted on opening the offices in Seattle. The business started in Fireweed Harbor, the place where my parents live now. According to my dad, Clint wanted something in the city. It's a waste of money, so I talked to Rhys, and we're closing this location down, but I'll take you on the tour.”

  “How soon will you close this location?”

  “We'll do it gradually and probably keep a small office here just for meetings, but that's it. With the online options, we don’t need a footprint in Seattle,” he explained as he drove, weaving expertly through the traffic. “The business started as a vineyard, and that's our primary business. We expanded into a number of other ventures, including mining in areas where we owned the rights. But we closed most of those down over the last decade. The only one left is the one I’m closing in Willow Brook or rather, preventing from being reopened.”

  “Have you decided what to do?”

  “We’re transitioning our plant to renewable energy. It’s going to take some work, but we’ll manage. I’ll be juggling the planning with Rhys. Here’s to hoping the family dynamics don’t get too messy.”

  “What do you mean?” While Archer and I had done a lot of catching up with each other, we hadn’t talked at length about his planning with the business in his new role. We simply hadn’t had the time yet, and in all honesty, we had focused on the personal aspect of reconnecting.

  “Well, including Rhys and me, eight of us stand to inherit various portions of the business. Rhys has six younger siblings.”

  “Oh, wow. You mentioned you had a lot of cousins. I guess I never realized they were all connected through him.”

  “Yeah, it’s a lot. For now, I'm going to focus on the renewable energy, and he's going to focus on the vineyards. We'll figure the rest out from there. You want to take a look at the offices?” he asked as he took an exit off the highway that led straight into downtown Seattle.

  “Only if you want me to.”

  “Let me stop by. I need to grab my laptop and close up.”

  I followed Archer up to his office, commenting, “Ooh, fancy-schmancy,” as we walked through the sleek, modern space. He grinned.

  “Oh, you have a beautiful view.”

  The sun was starting to set over Puget Sound, a watercolor of tangerine and gold shimmering on the ocean’s surface and staining the sky.

  “I do. I love this view,” he commented as he closed his laptop and slid it with some papers into a small shoulder bag.

  “Will you miss it?” I asked.

  His head whipped up, that familiar silver-smoke gaze meeting mine. He paused before replying, “Yes and no.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I missed Willow Brook a lot more than I'll miss this.” He rounded the desk, catching my hands in his as he took a step back, resting his hips on the desk and pulling me between his knees.

  “Really?” I asked.

  He smoothed a loose lock of hair off my cheek, sending hot shivers chasing through me when his fingertips brushed over the shell of my ear. “Really.” His eyes held mine, the look there so intimate, my breath caught in my throat. “I kind of rushed off the video call the other night.”

  “It's okay. I know it wasn’t easy to tell me.”

  I pressed a kiss on his cheek before leaning back and studying him. “I'm so sorry for what happened. I don’t like knowing it's just… it's you, and it’s me, and—”

  “It's us,” he whispered gruffly.

  Emotion rushed through me as I nodded. “I don't want there to be secrets, and it helps me understand a lot. This is big. It must have been hard for you this week.”

  His shoulders rose as he took a deep breath, falling when he let it out in a sigh. “It’s been hell, but I haven't had a single panic attack.”

  “Wow.” I squeezed his hand.

  “Don't get me wrong, I've been fucking stressed. My anxiety has been pretty bad at times, but I think the secret played into my panic. Now it's just out there, and everybody who matters knows. Has Clint called you again?”

  I shook my head quickly. “No, not—”

  “Since yesterday,” Archer finished my sentence. At my nod, he took a quick breath. “Rhys and I went together and told my grandmother. I told my parents, and he's already been notified they're pressing charges on the embezzlement. I don't know what he thought he was going to make up about me, but he's backed way the hell off.”

  “I don't like him,” I said stoutly.

  “Join the club.” His tone was as dry as chalk and laced with bitterness.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked carefully.

  He shook his head. “No, I’m pretty talked out for now.”

  “I’m here if you need to talk.”

  He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to my lips. “I know. Why don't we go have dinner?”

  “Do we have to go out?” I asked.

  “Not if you don't want to. Tell me your favorite food, and we'll get takeout. I know all the best places.”

  Chapter Forty

  EPILOGUE

  Archer

  Two weeks later

  As I stepped through the automatic doors at the airport in Anchorage, a blast of cold air struck my cheeks. Phoebe shivered, glancing up and commenting, “It's March, and it's still freezing.”

  I smiled. “I don't care. Plus, we're taking that mud season vacation soon.”

  She laughed and reached for my hand. An hour or so later, we were walking into our house. I loved thinking of it as our house. It represented my life with her. I'd gone back to my past to find my future. What I wanted to be only a week-long trip to Seattle had turned into three, but Phoebe had stayed with me.

  We’d covered a lot of territory as far as planning our lives. She was seriously considering how long she’d continue with hotshot firefighting. I loved that she loved her job, but I’d have been lying through my teeth if I said I wouldn’t worry about her. It was a risky job.

  We wanted time together because we'd missed a lot over the years. For now, she’d committed to the next season, and we’d go from there. I’d talked through the planning for primarily working in Willow Brook with occasional travel to Fireweed Harbor and Seattle.

  Later that night, we were in the kitchen. Phoebe had insisted on trying to make a pizza in our new oven, which had a wood-burning section.

  “That smells like an amazing test case. How long do we have to wait?”

  She glanced at the clock on the oven. “Fifteen minutes.”

  I waggled my eyebrows. “Plenty of time.”

  “Archer.” She rolled her eyes. “You're ridiculous.”

  “Come’ere,” I said, catching her hand where she stood at the end of the kitchen island. I reeled her to me, spinning on my stool to pull her between my knees.

  “What?” she asked.

  “This.” I fit my mouth over hers.

  I kept thinking my need for her would start to abate, but it was always right there on the edge. My body was like dry tinder, and Phoebe the spark. The second her tongue tangled with mine, I groaned and slid my hand down her back. Giving her lush bottom a nice squeeze, I loved how she squeaked in my mouth and pulled back with a startled laugh.

  “I'm cooking!”

  “No, you're not. The oven’s doing all the work now.”

  It wasn't difficult to persuade Phoebe after I kissed her again and teased between her thighs. Fiery minutes burned by before I turned her and bent her over the counter. She pleaded, “Archer, please.”

  Being with Phoebe like this was home for my body, my heart, and my soul. Of course, I made sure she flew first, and then my own release shook me to my core. I could barely stand and thanked the gods I had the counter to hold on to, along with the sweet curve of her hip.

  After we untangled ourselves, she turned and gave me a sassy smile. “You're too much.”

  “Never.”

  Want a glimpse of the future for Archer & Phoebe? Join my newsletter to receive an exclusive scene:

  Sign up here: https://BookHip.com/FKWVNDR

  p.s. If you are already subscribed, you’ll still be able to access the scene.

  Thank you for reading Archer & Phoebe’s story - I hope you loved it!

  Up next in the Light My Fire Series is Hallie & Chase’s story. Hallie’s looking for an escape. Just for one night. No last names, no phone numbers.

  Chase gives her exactly what she needs, and they never expect to see each other again. Until Hallie discovers she’s pregnant.

  She only has one way to find the man who she thought would be nothing but a memory.

  Don’t miss Chase & Hallie’s story - it’s hot, emotional. Chase is just the protective hero you need!

  Pre-order Keep Me Close - due out June 28, 2022!

  For more swoony romance…

  This Crazy Love kicks off the Swoon Series - small town southern romance with enough heat to melt you! Jackson & Shay’s story is epic - swoon-worthy & intensely emotional. Jackson just happens to be Shay’s brother’s best friend. He’s also seriously easy on the eyes. Shay has a past, the kind of past she would most definitely like to forget. Past or not, Jackson is about to rock her world. Don’t miss their story! Free on all retailers!

  Burn For Me is a second chance romance for the ages. Sexy firefighters? Check. Rugged men? Check. Wrapped up together? Check. Brave the fire in this hot, small-town romance. Amelia & Cade were high school sweethearts & then it all fell apart. When they cross paths again, it’s epic - don’t miss Cade’s story!

  Free on all retailers!

  For more small town romance, take a visit to Last Frontier Lodge in Diamond Creek. A sexy, alpha SEAL meets his match with a brainy heroine in Take Me Home. Marley is all brains & Gage is all brawn. Sparks fly when their worlds collide. Don’t miss Gage & Marley’s story!