Page 131 of Blue Jean Summer

Elvis picked up his pace and matched Maisey’s as we neared the trailhead to the kissing rock.

“What about you?” he asked. “Richmond’s not exactly a quick commute from Honey Hollow.”

I knew that he was baiting me—probably to see where my head was at—but I wasn’t biting.

“Did they give you a remote option?” he asked. “Most jobs can be done from home these days. I never understood why companies make people get on video meetings when they’re in the same building.” His brows furrowed. “Just let people work where they’re comfortable and save money on overhead.”

“I’d like to stay around here,” I admitted as we neared the hitching post. “But no. The hospital job would mean I have to move to Richmond.”

Hayes dismounted first and tied Maisey off. “They’d be lucky to have you.”

His hands bracketed my hips as I hopped off Elvis and tied him to the hitching post.

I swallowed the metric ton of sand that was trapped in my throat as he took my hand and headed for the trail. We hiked in silence as we made our way to the kissing rock. Hayes went out first, sitting on the edge and holding my hands as I eased down beside him. He was quick to tuck me into his side and hold me close as the sky turned from dusk to twilight.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Hayes asked. “The weekend was a hit. You got some great press. Got the job you wanted…”

“What if it’s not what I want?” I hedged.

He regarded me with curiosity, like I had just said the most ludicrous thing.

I looked down at my hands. “What if I’m not cut out for it?”

Hayes blinked in disbelief. “Not cut out for it?” He let out a blustering laugh. “Cath, what on earth are you talking about? Not cut out for it…”

“They called me naïve.”

Those four words had Hayes pushing off the rock so he could go ruin whoever dared to speak ill of me. I grabbed his hand and pulled him back down to sit beside me.

“Simmer down, cowboy.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “I still got the offer.”

“Who the fuck would call you naïve?” he spat.

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was adorable when he was worked up. “During the interview, the panel asked what I would do if I had a ten-thousand-dollar budget to boost hospital employee morale.”

His brows furrowed. “What did you say?”

My smile was sad. “I said I’d look at the most understaffed unit with the highest number of admissions and use the budget to cover the cost of scheduling additional staff members to ease the burden.”

He looked at me in disbelief. “And they called you naïve for wanting to bolster safe staffing ratios?”

I nodded. “Apparently they usually rent billboards that tell their staff that they’re healthcare heroes instead.”

Hayes shook his head in disbelief. “So, they put a Band-Aid on the problem instead of surgical intervention.”

“Apparently, I was still their pick for the job. I guess being a Wilder makes up for being naïve.” I punctuated the last two words with air quotes.

“I don’t think you’re naïve,” Hayes said. “I think you believe the world can become a better place, and you’re willing to put in the work.” He kissed my head. “Even if it’s just in the valley.”

“I’m pretty sure the hospital administration is just banking on big donations from my very generous husband. I doubt they’ll be very happy when they find out I’m not going to be a Wilder anymore.”

Hayes pressed his cheek to the top of my head. “What if you stayed a Wilder?”

“Technically I’m not a Wilder at all. I never changed my name.”

He kissed my temple and murmured, “You know what I mean, Cath. Don’t pretend like you don’t.”

I shook my head. “Things are already too complicated between us, Hayes.”