Page 124 of The Quit List
He frowns at me. “Wait, don’t you have to work? In fact, what are you doing outside?”
“Well, I added one last thing to my quit list.”
His eyes glint. “Oh, yeah?”
“Quit tying myself to my past when I’ve got my future right in front of me.”
“You quit your job?”
“I did. So, if it’s okay with you, I’d very much like to accompany you to the cabin today. I won’t be much help but I can chat to the guests and regale them with fascinating tales of Sasquatch sightings.”
He scoops me up into his arms and begins striding towards Edna.
“Is that a yes?” I laugh.
“It’s a hell yes!” he practically yells. Then, he looks down at me, all smiles. “But outside of spying on me when I’m in the shower, what are you going to do now?”
I think about this. And honestly, it doesn’t matter. The right thing will come, and in the meantime, I have everything I could ever want and need.
“Well,” I say as I look up at him. “Let’s just say that I’m seeing how it goes.”
EPILOGUE
HOLLY
6 months later…
“Come on, Holly, get that sexy butt in gear!” Jax calls from outside the cabin.
“One sec and I’ll be ready,” I call back with a smile, then turn back to my laptop, where I’m captioning an image and scheduling it to be posted.
I’m beyond busy at the moment, and loving every second of it.
Hollywood Marketing & Creative was born after I quit my job at the Pinnacle. Jax asked me then what I wanted to do for a career, and I realized very quickly that what I desired was to take a chance on something I loved.
Jax has been my biggest supporter, even building me an office space to work from when I’m at the cabin, complete with a comfy chair, a desk next a huge window overlooking the forest, and a big-ass sign hanging on the wall that says, “Because I’m the Boss, That’s Why.”
And I have to say, I love being my own boss.
Once my business was up and running, Grainger Guides was my first official client. And after a very successful marketing campaign that brought Jax a ton of bookings, I have since acquired five more clients. I’m unbelievably grateful for each and every business that took a chance on using my brand new agency for their marketing needs.
It’s my dream job—made even dreamier by the fact that I can work from anywhere I like. And I like to work here at the cabin, taking full advantage of the satellite internet, the incredible scenery, and, above all else, all the time I get to spend with my boyfriend:
Jaxon Grainger. AKA the hottest wilderness guide the world has ever seen.
He’s gone from strength to strength in his guiding. As I once predicted, he now has a score of rave reviews on Google, and (thankfully) has had no more encounters with rogue LARPers on the trail.
I close my laptop, then bend to pet Rick, who’s sitting at my feet. “Come on, boy. Let’s go see what your daddy wants.”
This week, we have a rare breather where Jax doesn’t have any guests and we are enjoying the time alone, taking pleasure hikes together. And, of course, cramming in all the waterfall swims we can before winter hits and the water gets too cold to make out in (as warm as he always keeps me).
I step outside and soak in the sight of the man I love standing in the afternoon sunshine. He’s wearing all black, emphasizing his tanned skin—he’s more tanned than ever after a summer spent outdoors. He’s got a daypack slung on his back and looks entirely gorgeous—this guy is the full manly-man package, and he’s all mine.
“Where are we off to today?” I ask as I hop down from the deck and come towards him.
It’s only once I’m closer to him that I notice he’s shifting from foot to foot, looking almost nervous.
Which is unlike him.