Page 78 of You Met Me There

“Because you’re the best. And if they don’t want to work with you, there are plenty of others who will. Content creators pop up out of the woodwork on a daily basis. It’s like a disease.” He wrinkles his nose, and I laugh through shuddering breaths.

It’s true; there’s always someone wanting to make it big on the Internet.

He smiles. “We can come back for holidays. We’ll set plans in stone so everyone knows you’ll be here.”

“But what about your parents? We’ve spent every holiday with them for a decade.” I’d hate to see the disappointment on Samantha’s face when we tell her we won’t be with them for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

He shrugs. “They’ll get used to it. It’s time for them to share. And I’m sure they’ll want to come here to meet Kent and Shirley. Maybe we’ll plan yearly visits as a big family.” He looks around the room. “We’d have to rent a bigger cabin, though. Unless we take the guest room and my parents are in here.”

“The bed in there is too small.” I shake my head against his arm.

He rubs his nose against mine, and I close my eyes.

Luke’s breath tickles my ear. “You’re enough for me, Natalie. You don’t have to change anything about you to be loved by me. Remember that.”

His lips graze my ear, my jaw, my chin. I lean up into him, my lips hovering over his. And then he claims my mouth. He kisses me like he’s missed me. Our lips open and slide against one another’s as his tongue tastes my lips. I grip his shoulder, and he wraps a hand around my back, pulling me against his body.

It’s funny how something can begin and end in the same place, while the middle is a chaotic mess of entangled threads. Life isn’t a circle. We didn’t start in Maple Lake just to end right here where we began. We’re still in that entanglement. At one point I thought this little town would suffocate me—and it almost did—but it’s also been the place to heal me. Luke’s enduring love is the glue that fixes me when I threaten to shatter, but Maple Lake showed me the parts of myself that I had forgotten.

I may be a successful photographer, a wife, a daughter-in-law. But I’d forgotten the girl who drew pictures of the forest, picked little white flowers in the yard, and hiked a rocky trail just to see the hard-earned view at the top. Through my camera lens, I started to get tunnel vision, only seeing what was right in front of me. I forgot to look around at the people I have surrounding me. The people that mean the most. The people I had left behind.

Our kiss ends, and I scan Luke’s eyes, seeing all his love for me there.

“You don’t have to change either,” I murmur. “Whether you decide to have kids or you don’t ever, ever want them, I want to be with you. I’m not leaving ever again. And I’m sorry I ever did. That I ever made you doubt my love or made you feel like you weren’t enough.” My teary vision blurs his face. “I love you so much, Luke. So much that it physically hurts to think of not having you.”

“I love you too, Natalie.” He kisses my eyelids, then chases my tears with his mouth, down my cheeks until he’s kissing my salty lips again.

We lie together tonight, dreaming of our future like we used to. Talking about what it will look like to blend our families together. I still don’t know what he’ll decide for our future as parents, but I feel free knowing I don’t need to be a mother to be happy. I just want us, the way we’ve always been—together.

Chapter 39

Natalie

Me: Jules, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you. All of you. Cam and the boys too. I’m done wasting time not being with my family. If you’re still up for it, let me know a good time to come over for those family photos on Wednesday.

I hit send without letting myself think too much about it. If Jules decides to cancel the family photo session, I’ll be bummed. But it’s up to her now; the ball is in her court. I didn’t leave. I’m still here, and now I’ve reached out to bridge the gap. Hopefully she accepts my text as the white flag that it is.

“Okay, this spot is great,” I say to the tanned-skin woman following behind me. “Your outfit looks fabulous, by the way. I love the white sneakers.” I tuck my phone into the pocket of my green linen shorts.

“Thanks,” she says. “I get paid to wear them. My sponsor wants them in the photos for my next post.”

Sarah is a professional athlete. Her fitted black dress shows off her tall, lean body and toned arms, while the slit at her thigh complements her thick, muscular legs. It’s made of some cotton-looking material. I’ve been drooling over it ever since I met her at the trailhead.

I didn’t think I’d find a social media star way out here, but as a pro runner who’s been in the Olympic Marathon, she has a very large following. Seven hundred eighty thousand, to be exact. They all look to her for tips on running, marathoning, and creating a healthy diet in order to live a runner’s lifestyle.

My own social media account was sadly neglected when I left Fort Lauderdale, but my most recent post about being in Maple Lake was actually a successful move, and I’m overjoyed that I’ve had a few hits on it. I’ve received several messages from well-known content creators in neighboring cities. I hadn’t realized there would be anyone close to Maple Lake in need of a social media photographer, but Luke was totally right. There are always new creators popping out of the woodwork.

“To be honest, I’m not very photogenic,” says Sarah. “You’ll have to guide me. What kind of poses do you want me to do?” She smoothes down her short copper hair and tugs on her dress. “I’m also not a fan of dresses, if you can’t tell from all the fidgeting.”

“But that dress is totally doing it for you. Don’t worry. I have a few ideas. You don’t have to stress about anything.”

Sending her a reassuring smile, I click my camera on, lift the viewfinder to my eye, and toggle the settings. As I do that, I scan the surrounding area. We’re on a paved trail that winds through the woods, and I hear the river bubbling over rocks nearby.

I lower the camera. “This is a good spot. The sunshine fading through the trees looks awesome. We’ll take some photos right here,” I say. “And then we’ll go down toward the river if you’re cool with that.”

She nods. “Yeah, that sounds great. Whatever you think will look good.”

“Believe me, you look amazing,” I say, trying to encourage her and ease her nerves. “Your account is going to blow up after everyone sees you looking like this.”