Page 38 of Falling for the Recluse

ChapterTwenty-One

JOSIE

He stopsin front of me, and I breathe in his warm scent of citrus and spices. I take Oswald and tuck him into the crook of my arm, where he always fits exactly right.

“I’ve spent the past month trying to figure it out,” Gavin continues. “And I think I have. But only if you give me another chance.”

I press a hand to my racing heart. I would give him a thousand chances, but I’m not going to tell him that just yet.

“What have you figured out?” I ask.

“I was planning to find a job somewhere on the West Coast,” he says. “California, Oregon, Washington. Anywhere I was within a reasonable geographic distance from you. Then I was going to come find you and beg you to take me back. But I knew you’d struggle with the idea of me leaving Antarctica and changing my life, even though I would turn the world upside down to be with you. And I didn’t want to do anything to hinder your success or opportunities, especially since you only have two years of college left. I want you to be free to do whatever you want, whenever you want. I want you to have all the funding you need for any project you want to pursue, even if it means counting every damn penguin in Antarctica. And I want to be there with you.”

My breath is short, my entire soul filling with hope over the beauty of that scenario. “But how…how is that even possible?”

He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to me. My hands shake as I set Oswald on a bench and unfold the paper. There’s a printed photo of a huge polar research vessel outfitted with cranes, satellites, a helicopter pad, and multiple decks.

“What is this?”

“It’s my new investment.” Pride infuses his voice, though his eyes are still somewhat wary.

I stare at him, then back at the photo. “You invested in a ship?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said.” He moves to my side and studies the photo over my shoulder. “And you were right that I need to collaborate and be more actively involved in the science community, but I also want to be out on the ice as much as I can. Fieldwork is where I’m at my best and how I can make the most impact. So I found out a Finnish shipping company was selling this ship.”

He indicates the photo. “It was used as a research vessel for about ten years but needs an upgrade. So I contacted the US Polar Institute, and we made a deal. A seventy-thirty split, with me as the majority owner. We bought the ship and are going to outfit it with state-of-the-art equipment for any kind of polar expedition. Laboratories, a long-range autosub and other submersibles, rock drills, work boats, sensors to detect water depth and temperature, and plenty of living space for scientists and crew.”

“Wait a minute.” I hold up my hand. “Youboughta research vessel? You personally?”

“In partnership with the US Polar Institute. Yes.”

I shake my head. “I don’t understand.”

He lets out a breath and walks a few paces away from me, fixing his gaze on the penguins. “I’m wealthy, Josie. By inheritance. My father owned a company called GMS that makes pens and paper products like labels and notepads. He sold it before he died but still retained shares in the company. He left the profits and all the stocks and investments to me. It was a substantial amount, to begin with, but it’s earned a lot more over the years. I haven’t done much with the money except fund my education and research, so I have plenty to put into the ship.”

I’m so stunned I can’t move, but the pieces fit together clumsily in my mind. “GMS? That was your father’s company? Their products are in every store. I buy GMS pens and paper all the time.”

He nods. “That’s the one.”

“GMS.”

“Gavin Matthew Stark.” His mouth twists with a wry smile. “My father named the company after me.”

“So, you…” My grip tightens on the paper. “Itwasyou. You paid my tuition and my parents’ mortgage.”

A shadow crosses his face as he turns back to me. “I know I overstepped, but I couldn’t stand…I mean, it was so fucking stupid that I have all this money, and people like you and your parents are struggling to go to college and own a house. And when you said you don’t even get to see them very often, it just pissed me off. I knew you’d say no if I told you in advance, but I had to take that burden off you. It was nonnegotiable. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“Gavin, you’re kind of shocking the hell out of me here.” I can barely get the words out.

“Take the money. It’s barely a dent in what I have.”

I shake my head, not even knowing what to do with the emotions roiling inside me with the force of a hurricane. “It’s an incredible gift. A miraculous one. I don’t know what to say or how to thank you.”

“You don’t have to.” He runs a hand over the back of his neck, the movement edged with frustration. “You never have to thank me. I want to give you the world, and now I can. A part of it, at least. The Antarctic Circle.”

“What are you talking about?”

“This.” He jabs his finger at the photo of the ship. “I have final approval about the expeditions. The ship can and will be used for multiple kinds of polar research. Marine biology, chemistry, atmospheric sciences. Glaciology, of course. She’ll be outfitted for all disciplines and can hold up to twenty crew and forty scientists. Scientists and teams from any country can apply for research time and expeditions. And you and I can take her out whenever we want. She’s ours.”

---