editor she’d been assigned at the Annals, letting her know her revisions had been accepted and her paper would be published in the new year. She could officially add it to her CV as a forthcoming publication, which would give her a huge leg up in the job market. She might even find herself able to choose between multiple offers.
It was her dream come true.
So why wasn’t she more excited about her new prospects? The few times she’d mustered the will to browse the job listings on the AMS website, she’d experienced an unsettling feeling of detachment rather than the enthusiasm she should be feeling now that her future was looking up.
And yet she’d reacted with elation to the news of a job opening here at Bowman. What was wrong with her?
She must be gun-shy after her disappointing job search earlier in the year. That was probably all it was. A minor case of PTSD. Her brain was trying to wimp out, afraid of facing rejection again. So naturally it had latched onto the Bowman job as an easy way out.
Of course it was gratifying to have the department chair encouraging her to apply, especially since Bill didn’t even know about her paper for the Annals. He didn’t want her because of her big research breakthrough. He was impressed by her teaching. It was normal to feel flattered by that. But it didn’t mean she actually wanted to stay at Bowman.
Except for the small part of her that had been fantasizing about doing exactly that.
There was an undeniable appeal to the idea. She’d gotten used to Crowder. Gotten to like all the people she knew here. Saying goodbye to this place would be more difficult than she’d anticipated, and not just because of Josh. Obviously leaving him would be hard. But he wasn’t the only one she’d miss. She’d miss Andie and Birdie too. And then, of course, there were Mia’s students. She got wistful every time she reminded herself that she wouldn’t be around to see them graduate.
So maybe sometimes she imagined what her life would be like if she could stay. Getting to teach upper division classes, seeing the STEM diversity network grow and thrive, helping some of her students with their grad school applications in a couple years.
She’d even fantasized about living on the farm with Josh. Waking up with him every morning to the familiar sounds of the chickens and goats, cooking together in his kitchen, watching sunsets from his porch. Spending holidays with his family every year and being welcomed as one of them rather than feeling like an outsider.
It was a silly fantasy, of course. Mia wasn’t meant for a place like this. She was a city girl. A New Yorker at heart. She could never truly be happy somewhere like Crowder.
The idea of her living on a farm for the rest of her life was as absurd as her girlhood fantasy of marrying Prince William and living in Buckingham Palace.
“I’m dying,” Mia fell back onto her mattress, her chest heaving as her lungs strained for oxygen. “Holy shit.”
“Dying, huh?” Josh shot her a smile as he rolled onto his side. “Wow, I must be even better than I thought.”
Flopping over onto her stomach, she folded her arms under her head and twisted her neck to stick her tongue out at him. “Very funny.”
His eyebrows arched as he propped his head up on his hand. “Obviously we need to work you out more often.”
“Aren’t you tired?” She felt like she’d just had the workout of her life—not that it wasn’t worth it, but damn.
He shrugged, looking smug. “I can go again whenever you’re ready.”
“Come on.” She knew he was superhumanly fit and energetic, but surely he needed at least a few minutes to recharge before the next round.
“Try me.” His heavy gaze dragged down her body, so pointed she felt it like a physical caress. “I’ll be ready by the time you are.”
Despite her exhaustion, Mia’s whole body tightened in anticipation.
Josh stretched out his arm, slowly trailing his fingers down her lower back and over the contour of her ass. When he got to the curve at the top of her thigh, she drew in a sharp, hitching breath.
He paused, watching her, and licked his lips. “Sounds like you might be ready sooner than you think.” His palm glided over the back of her thigh until his fingers dipped between her legs.
A burst of heat erupted in the pit of her stomach. He was