“I’ve been trying to call you because I have an idea to run by you.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a familiar piece of paper. It’s no longer stapled to the rest of the stack I handed him at dinner, but it’s definitely one of the lists I gave him. “I’ve been looking up a lot of these places and the internet does a great job at filling me in. It’s just that . . .” He trails off, looking uncertain for the first time since I met him.

“Just that what?” I ask, my curiosity reaching unparalleled heights.

He looks at me for a moment longer before rushing out his next words. “I was thinking you could be my travel guide. You sounded so passionate about seeing all of these places, I think my story would be so much stronger if I visit some of these places with someone who really loves them.”

I freeze.

I didn’t know what I was expecting him to say, but it was not that.

Conflicting thoughts race through my mind as I consider his offer. Part of me wants to jump at it. To jump at the opportunity to pull my camera back out, lace up my hiking boots, and settle into my Jeep, ready for adventure. But the other part of me is so scared to get a taste of it again and to do it with Jasper at my side. It’s all so temporary. What will it be like when Jasper finishes his book and I have to pack my camera away again? Could I handle that?

I don’t think I can. But then Jasper keeps talking.

“But I was thinking, it wouldn’t be too fair to have you show me everything you love and me only going along for the ride. So I figured it could be a swap of sorts.”

“A swap?” My refusal dies as my interest spikes. “What do you mean?”

He lifts up the list I made for him, and behind it is another one with names I don’t recognize.

“You say you don’t like books, but I think you just haven’t read the right ones.” He hands me the sheet of paper, and when I look at it, I realize it’s filled with book titles. “You turn me into a Colorado lover and I’ll turn you into a book lover. You read a book and I’ll take you on an adventure that reminds me of it. I’ll pick a place on your list, and you’ll take me on an adventure to explore it.”

My heart rate kicks up, excitement and fear battling for supremacy, and I don’t know which one will win. Fear starts to edge excitement out as my self-preservation begins to kick in.

“I don’t know—” I start, but stop when Jasper’s hand latches on to mine.