“You mean you’re not sick of hearing about it? After I practically screamed the details in your ear?”
Jared made a joke of putting his finger in his ear and vibrating it back and forth, like he’d gone partially deaf.
“The details were a little fuzzy. But the high-pitched screams came through loud and clear.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m not. Now tell me.”
And she did. She told him everything. About how nervous she was, how long she had to wait, and about how she almost blew it. “You’re a huge part of the reason for today’s success,” she said after a slight pause. “I kept thinking about things you’ve said to me. How it’s all about the bottom line and to think like a businessperson.”
“This success is yours, not mine. You should be incredibly proud of yourself.”
“Thank you.” But even as she said it, she knew. He was a part of this success. A vital part. For years, Steven had been her soft place to fall, but what she hadn’t seen until now was that sometimes all that softness made you so content, you didn’t feel the need to get up. She wasn’t blaming Steven. Not at all. He was everything she’d wanted him to be, but Jared was . . . different. He was strong and solid, and she had no doubt he would catch her, but he’d also prop her right back up on her feet and force her to walk alongside him. “Do you want to hear what I have planned for tomorrow?”
“Absolutely.”
“A meeting with International Trust and Loan. Besides several other places in the world, they have banking head-quarters based in Seattle and Canada.”
“Planning to steal all the competitor’s clients?”
“Absolutely,” she said, repeating him.
He smiled and threaded his fingers across his stomach. “Good for you.”
She fidgeted in her seat and looked back up into the inky dark sky. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything.”
She wanted to ask him if he had thought about last night as much as she had. But instead, she said, “Any advice for my meeting tomorrow?”
He grew still. “You want my opinion?”
“Yes.”
He seemed genuinely flattered by her request. “During negotiations, first offer the no fuel surcharge. If they don’t bite, then start with a ten percent discount and negotiate from there.”
“So, in other words, don’t jump out of the gate at twenty percent?”
“Not if you can help it.”
She nodded, knowing he was right. She shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jacket. “If International Trust and Loan comes on board, too, I know my bank will give me the loan to repay you. You’ll be able to get back to your squadron in no time.” No matter how hard she braced herself, the words still cut.
He hesitated. “I’m no longer in the military. I resigned my commission.”
Her gaze swiveled to his as shock hit her. “When?” “Before I got here.”
She tried to take it all in. “You’re no longer a fighter pilot.”
“No.”
“Why?” And why did you wait until now to tell me?
He kicked at a burning log. “Because everything comes to an end.”
It was a cop-out answer, and they both knew it. But she didn’t ask him any more questions. She couldn’t. Only one thought kept whirling through her mind: he was done with flying jets. What did that mean for her? For them?
Did it mean nothing, or did it mean everything? When Jared steered the conversation back around to the business, Jenny let him. There was so much she wanted to say, to ask him, but she knew tonight wasn’t the night. Her emotions were a tangled mess, and she needed time to sort through them. Tomorrow would be soon enough.
As they sat by the campfire talking, she not only lost track of time, but she lost herself in a discussion about the business. Jared was a master at drawing out her ideas. He listened to everything she had to say with the same attentiveness and intensity he had last night. And just like last night, she found it intoxicating. Their discussion turned lively, a mutual sharing of ideas and thoughts. He complimented her on the redesigned website. He suggested they update the website to reflect North American Timber’s scheduled charters. He went on to explain that since Blue Sky would only be flying two or three executives up at one time, and the plane had room for more passengers, they’d be able to increase their profits without expending additional capital. She wanted to highlight several vacation packages; he thought one would be