Page 26 of Oops I Fell For The Electrician Next Door

Kelsey laughs and moves beside me. I keep one hand at her waist while the breakers close and the cabin lights return one by one. Porch lamps glow beneath the pines. Warm squares appear in the windows of Cabins Four, Five, and Six, restoring the curve of light along the shore.

Kelsey exhales as if she has been holding that breath since Monday.

The county inspector is scheduled for seven-thirty tomorrow morning. We still need his approval before guests enter the cabins, but every test says the installation will pass. Nolan packs his equipment and leaves with instructions for us not to touch anything more complicated than a light switch.

“I have leftover chicken,” Kelsey says after his van disappears. “Or frozen fish sticks.”

“You really have fish sticks?”

“No. But I enjoy knowing you would eat them.”

We carry plates to her porch instead of the kitchen. The air has cooled, and the first stars appear above the dark line of the mountain. Kelsey tucks one bare foot beneath her in the chair while I stretch my legs toward the railing.

I think about the two jobs waiting for my answer. For once, I do not want to keep the decision separate from the person it may affect.

“My company offered me a new position,” I say.

Kelsey stills with her fork halfway to her mouth. “Where?”

“Western Colorado. I would supervise the field crews across the region. There would still be travel, but I could choose a permanent home base.”

She lowers the fork. “Is this new?”

“The formal offer came last week. The discussion started months ago.”

“Before me.”

“Long before you.”

Some of the tension leaves her forehead, although not all of it. “What is the other option?”

“National troubleshooting. More money, bigger projects, and more time away.”

“Which one do you want?”

I look toward Cabin Seven. My duffel remains half packed because it is always half packed. The apartment in Denver holds unopened boxes because opening them never seemed worth the effort. Then I look at Kelsey.

“I’m beginning to know.”

She sets her plate on the small table between us. “Marc, you have known me for four days.”

“I know how long it has been.”

“You cannot choose your entire future because we had one remarkable night.”

“Two remarkable rounds.”

Her lips twitch despite the seriousness in her eyes. “True, but seriously. This is a big decision.”

“I’m not choosing because of one night.” I lean forward, resting my arms on my knees. “I asked for a position with less travel before I ever saw Eight Pines. You are not creating a desire that wasn’t there. You’re making it harder for me to ignore.”

Kelsey looks toward the lake. “I don’t want to become the reason you resent staying.”

“Then don’t make the decision for me.” I move my chair closer and take her hand. “I’m not asking you to promise me anything tonight. I’m telling you because I don’t want to stand beside you pretending the next five weeks are the only possibility.”

“What are you asking?”

“Let me decide what I want. If that includes Cady Springs, believe that I’m capable of knowing my own mind.”