Page 57 of Nothing But Air

“I’ll save you a song.” Steadier than she felt.

“I might come.” His eyes held hers a beat too long. “But even if I do, no way am I singing.”

Might come. Not a commitment.

But something.

He disappeared into the ranger station. Xander threw her an encouraging grin before following.

Eden stood there, heart racing.

Then she turned toward her cabin.

Around her, the compound settled into golden hour—light rich and honeyed, shadows long. A hawk circled in the distance. The canyon stretched beyond the rim, layers of ancient stone painted in fire.

As she walked, something settled in her chest. A realization both terrifying and inevitable.

Her problem wasn’t just climbing again. Wasn’t even opening herself to her old life—to Sierra, Trey, Kyle, and all the bittersweet memories.

The problem was simpler.

And infinitely more complicated.

She’d fallen for another climber.

Eden paused on her cabin steps, hand on the weathered door, heart still racing.

Falling for him might be the most reckless thing she’d done since arriving at the canyon.

And heaven help her?—

She was doing it anyway.

Tonight was the night.

Noah fidgeted with the ring box in his pocket for the third time in as many minutes. The velvet was smooth against his palm. Solid. Real.

A promise waiting to be made.

He was going to ask Meg to marry him.

The plan was simple. Take her to the lookout where they’d talked last month—where he’d driven her to start fresh, where she’d finally told him about her childhood, where he’d realized he couldn’t imagine life without her.

Pop the question as sunset painted the canyon in fire.

He’d even checked the weather forecast twice.

But when he arrived to pick her up, Meg was laughing with Nimue in the cabin doorway—both already dressed, ready to go out. Meg’s dark hair was loose around her shoulders, her smile bright.

“Noah!” Her smile widened. “I know we said we’d go for a drive, but—” She gestured to Nimue. “Everyone’s headed to karaoke. Would you mind if we stopped by first? Just for a bit?”

He couldn’t blame her for wanting to go. All she knew was they were going for a drive—he hadn’t mentioned the lookout, the ring burning a hole in his pocket, the speech he’d been rehearsing for three days.

“Sure, why not?” Casual, despite the disappointment settling in his chest. “Stay for an hour, then head out after?”

“Perfect.” Her hand found his as they walked. “We’ll still make the sunset. I know you’ve been planning this.”

But an hour and a half later, the sun was almost fully set—sky fading from orange to deep purple—and everyone who was left at the grounds seemed to have shown up for the fun.