“As I’ll ever be.” We walked through the parking lot, then took the flight of steps down to Main Street. I was never a big fan of opening day—or the season, really. Not that I didn’t understand the purpose. Alba only existed because people thought our ghost town was worth visiting.

I’d just never quite gotten what was so interesting about relics from our past when we could be building the future. Alba was in desperate need of updates.

“What are you thinking?” Willow asked as we reached the bottom step, coming out behind the surveyor’s office.

“That I should talk to John Royal about installing micro-hydroelectric intakes along the creek. They’re small and ridiculously effective, especially since the creek never freezes entirely. It would be a hell of a lot more dependable in the winter months than the ancient system we have going right now. I’ve thought about putting one up at my place, but it makes more sense to start in town.”

She paused, looking at me with something a lot like wonder.

“What?” I asked, stilling.

“What else?” Her forehead puckered. “What would you change in the town? And no, I didn’t open the door for you to go off on the gossip habits. You know what I mean. What would you modernize?”

“The bridge,” I answered without a second thought. “It needs to be reinforced or completely rebuilt. Not this year but soon, with the influx of traffic we’ll be expecting when the mine opens.” I shrugged.

“And?” she prompted, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“We need greenhouses. There’s at least a month up here when some people can’t get down the pass. Mount Princeton has a ton of greenhouses, and they’re only a thousand feet beneath us. I don’t see why we couldn’t have a little self-sustainability. I actually started one yesterday at my place.”

Her smile was shy, like she knew a secret I didn’t.

“What are you thinking?” I asked. “It’s only fair, since I answered.”

“That you said we. You’re settling in, and it’s pretty incredible to watch, especially for someone who hated growing up here.” She squeezed my hand.

I quickly bent and brushed a kiss across her forehead. “I didn’t hate everything about growing up here.”

“I love you,” she whispered.

My hands cupped her face, and I swallowed the words that seemed to live on the tip of my tongue. “I have no clue why, but I’m incredibly thankful.”

“There you are!”

I dropped my hands and stepped away from Willow as Thea called out to us, coming around the building with her son.

Willow gave me a questioning glance but turned on a smile for Thea. “Hey! Hi, Jacob!” She dropped down to his eye level. “Already into the caramel corn?”

“Yep! Want some?” he asked, his voice high and bright.