“And that’s all?” he asks, and I appreciate that he’s encouraging this ridiculous line of conversation between us.

“Well, those and probably our taste in footwear.” I don’t know that for a fact, but I do know that I haven’t seen any pictures of Megan in Birkenstocks and there are no pictures of me in heels. So it feels like a safe assumption.

“Good to know.” His chuckle is deep and throaty and I swear I can feel it caress my bare arm. “I’m learning so much about you already.”

I don’t have many expectations about this deal between the two of us. I know he needs my help to write his book, and I also know that in a few months, he’ll be long gone. I’m taking it one day at a time, indulging in the opportunity to get out on the trails again, to feel the spark of excitement I thought died along with Gran. But it doesn’t hurt that an unexpected perk is getting to wrangle as many smiles and laughs out of this man as possible. Looking at a Colorado sunset from a mountain is my favorite view, but it will far from suck having Jasper by my side as I do it.

We settle into my car, a comfortable silence surrounding us. I hop on I-25 and start our drive south; the traffic isn’t bumper-to-bumper, but there’s still more than there should be at this time of day.

“But really.” Jasper’s voice pulls me out of my inner screaming as the asshole in front of me taps on his brakes again. “You do know you’re not a mess at all, right? You have it more together than anyone I’ve met in a long time.”

This is nice of him.

Really nice.

Total bullshit, but still nice.

“Then I really feel for the people you’ve surrounded yourself with recently.” I decide to live on the edge and take my eyes off the road for a millisecond to aim my teasing smile at him full on. “Thank you though. It’s been a lot and I don’t know if I’ve gotten a handle on everything yet, but I’m getting there.”

And I am.

Our numbers aren’t horrible, but they aren’t going to send me to an early retirement. Gran had a system that worked for her and it’s been a bit of a journey to adapt one that works for me. Thanks to the growing popularity of story time on Saturdays, the constant panic I was feeling is beginning to fade. Jasper’s event also brought in so much business, it forced me to get over my fears and start reaching out to more authors to come in. I don’t know if I’m going to move forward, but I’ve called some contractors to get estimates for installing a coffee/wine bar.