Page 45 of Isabelle & Jason
For the better.
Jason’s grin widened as they stretched in silence. When Jason had enough time to warm up, Isabelle bounced from toe to toe.
“Ready?” she said.
He nodded. “Always.”
They darted down the familiar trail. The light of the stars twinkled overhead, a reminder of two nights ago when they’d spent time floating in the calm river.
There was something about being with Jason that felt soright. There was no other way to describe it. Her feelings begged the question, why had she been fighting it so hard? Isabelle tossed a grin over her shoulder as she darted off the trail and into the nearest pasture where Mateo had moved several cows for grazing.
It took some quick maneuvering to get past the fence, but she managed. And a squeal of delight burst from her lips when she noticed Jason lunging over the fence to take after her. A few of the cows lifted their heads with curiosity. One actually hustled several feet away from where she darted past them.
Laughter burst from her lips. It had beensolong since she’d truly laughed like this. Maybe she’d finally hit the point of insanity.
Or more likely, maybe she was finally giving herself permission to live again. With Jason at her side, anything seemed possible. Another glance over her shoulder showed Jason was far closer than she’d expected. They were both in running shoes. She didn’t know what she expected to happen. Of course he’d catch up to her.
A squeal of delight ripped right from her chest when his strong hands came around her waist and they both went rolling to the ground in the tall, soft grass of the meadow. She didn’t know how it was possible, but Jason managed to get them to the ground without injury.
Soon they were sprawled out on the grass, staring up at the starlit sky. She scooted closer to him, her breathing ragged. When Jason stretched out his arm, she nestled up to him andcurled up on her side. Isabelle drew small circles on his chest, watching as it went up and down with the same effort as her own.
The more time she spent with him, the safer she felt—the more obvious it was that she was meant to be with him, at his side.
A contented sigh escaped her lips, and she allowed her eyes to close. His warm arm wrapped her snugly against him. She lost track of the amount of time they’d spent out in the grass. She might have even fallen asleep for a few minutes before Jason shifted.
He turned his head and kissed the brow of her head. “We have to start heading back.”
Isabelle groaned, splaying her hand on his chest as she attempted to bury her face in his shirt. “No.”
Jason’s chuckle warmed her. It was chilly this early in the morning, but not when she shared Jason’s body heat. “The guys aren’t going to be thrilled if they find out Mark was the one in charge of breakfast.”
Another groan left her, followed by an amused sound on Jason’s part. “What about Nikki?”
He brushed his lips over her head and took in a deep breath. “She wasn’t feeling well last night. Sent me a message to see if I could get things going this morning.”
She propped up her head and stared at him. “That’s a good thing, right? She’s giving you more responsibility?”
Jason searched her face like he was looking for the secrets to the universe. “I don’t think it really matters around here. She’s got the head chef job.” He smirked. “And I doubt her husband is going to take that away from her.”
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Mateo would bite off his own foot before he took away Nikki’s passion.” She rested her chin on her curled fist atop his chest. “Do youthink you’d ever want that life again? The hustle and bustle of being a chef?”
He let his head fall back onto the ground as he stared up at the sky. His jaw worked and his eyes darted around, and yet Isabelle got the feeling he wasn’t really seeing anything. Then finally, he spoke. “Honestly? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t mind opening a bakery, though. Like I said, I like creating desserts. I think it would be fun to have people stop in for sweets they can bring to their barbeques or weddings. That sort of thing.”
Isabelle grinned. “I think that sounds like fun.”
He lifted his head and gazed at her once more.
“For you,” she clarified. Then she wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I’d be all that great in a kitchen, no matter how much I practiced.”
Jason reached up and traced a line along her jaw. “You never know until you try.”
She rolled her eyes and shifted until she could get to her feet without digging her elbows into his gut. Then she held out a hand. “Come on, Chef. Let’s get you back to the kitchen before your fans get hangry.”
Their hands locked and she tugged, but he tugged harder. Somehow, Isabelle landed in his lap. She giggled when his arms came around her, and he pulled her close for one last, searing kiss.
Isabelle hummed and buried her face in his neck. “This is my favorite.”
“What is?” he asked huskily.
