“No, that you are. It’s your idea. Your family’s going to oversee it and donate the land.”

“My great grandmother’s estate sits on five hundred acres. It was once a horse farm, so it’s got several outbuildings.”

“Will your parents go for it?”

“Oh, wholeheartedly. This is exactly what they love to do. Letting the People’s Party steal our land would kill them, but turning my grandmother’s property into a university?” She threw herself into Brodie’s arms. “And the best thing is that it takes the focus away from marriage and babies and puts it on the real value of our family as stewards of St. Christophe. It’s brilliant.”

He wrapped his arms around her, the strangest feeling coming over him. “We make a good team.” It was warm and bright, alive and throbbing.

“We do.” She pulled away and started tapping on her phone. “I need to tell them right now. The sooner they make the announcement, the better.” She looked at him like he was the best thing that had ever happened to her. “Thank you for talking it through with me. I love the way you’re always coming up with ideas.”

It filled him with a pulsating energy, and made his heart grow so big and thick it felt like it would punch right out of his chest.

And, right then, he knew exactly what it was.

It’s love.

As impossible as it was, Brodie Bowie had fallen in love.

And he knew, without a doubt, there was no turning back.

“Your ex is still in town.” Brodie came back from his meeting with Pierce and the board to find the kitchen table loaded with boxes. Rosie was tearing them open and pulling out bottles and glass jars, silver vats, and clear rubber hoses. “I saw him having breakfast in the hotel.”

“I know. He says he’s not giving up. That it’s ‘much bigger than the two of us.’” She stabbed scissors into the center of the next box and sliced it open.

Setting his laptop on the coffee table, he headed into the kitchen and pulled a knife from the block. He joined her at the table, watching her pull items out like she was on a game show. “Are we timing ourselves?”

She cut him a look. “What does that mean?”

“You’ve either just downed an energy drink or you’re trying to beat a world record.”

She dove back in, not a hint of a smile. “I need to get going. I can’t believe my supplies sat in customs this long.”

“Well, hang on. You’ve already created the essential oil and the formula for the lotion. You’ve got the supplies you ordered locally, and I know you made some calls about a production facility. We’re good.” No question, she’d stayed on top of everything.