“Yeah, babe,” Jasper whispers back, and I feel his smile as it widens on his beautiful face. “I’m getting that. And I can’t tell you how happy it makes me.”

“Wow. I fucking knew it.” Elsie’s voice breaks through my love fog, and even I have to say I’m impressed with how long she stayed quiet. “If there was one person on this planet who could make Drew smile like that and show some PDA, it’s Jasper freaking Williams, creator of every woman’s favorite book boyfriend.”

She’s not wrong.

But she’s not right either.

Because while I’m sure that Jasper Williams, Author, creates some amazing characters, absolutely none of them could compare to Jasper Williams, Boyfriend.

I don’t tell her that though. Instead, I tell her good night and take my man back home so we can celebrate spending many more nights together.

And maybe even a few more double dates.

Maybe.

CHAPTER 22

The drive to Salida has nothing on the one to Ouray.

Partially because it’s closer to Denver, but also because on our way to Ouray, Jasper wanted to make a full road trip out of it and stop at every opportunity we had to take pictures or try a store’s “world-famous” fudge. He turned what is normally a six-hour drive into an almost nine-hour one.

But I’m not complaining, I loved every single second. It was the perfect Sunday.

“Welcome to the Switzerland of America!” I say to Jasper as we climb out of the Jeep—a rental this time, lesson learned—outside the cabin we’ll call home for the next three days.

I had hoped to get here early enough to do a little exploring today, but we arrive as the sun is setting and it somehow feels like perfect timing. The pink and orange sky swirls above us as the sun settles behind the mountains completely encompassing this little town. I never feel as small as I do up here; the San Juan Mountains seem to touch the clouds as we nestle into the valley at their base.

“Wow.” Jasper closes the car door but otherwise doesn’t move. His eyes are focused on the cotton-candy sky and the pine-covered mountains. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

I knew going into this weekend that I was going to want to commit every second to memory, so I came prepared. I don’t say anything as Jasper stands lost in the moment. I reach into the back seat and unzip my camera, which I tucked away carefully when we packed the car up. Once my fingertips touch the cool metal, the familiar weight of the camera filling my palms, a sense of peace settles over me.