with a resigned expression on his face. “Well, I hope you’ll come visit. And you know you’ve always got a job here if you ever get the urge to come back.”
“Thanks, Ian. That means a lot to me.”
Ian stood slowly, wiping the wet morning dew from his jeans. “When are you leaving?”
Chance shrugged. “I haven’t decided on an exact date. Maybe the end of this month? Fire season seems to be slowing down, finally.”
Ian nodded. “Yeah. This year has been bad, but I think the worst of it is over. If we’re lucky we might have even seen the last big fire of the season.”
“I hope you’re right,” Chance said. “I’m going to look at a calendar this afternoon and figure out a date to head back. I’ll let you know.”
“Alright,” Ian said. “Make sure you leave us enough time to throw you a goodbye barbecue.”
Chance smiled. “I’ll make sure to do that.”
Ian started to walk back toward the hangar, but turned around one last time to look at Chance. “Are you sure you want to move away and leave Emily behind?” he asked. “You know long distance relationships are tough, right?”
Chance raised an eyebrow in Ian’s direction. “Long distance relationships are tough. But, like I told you, she’s already got a boyfriend. There’s nothing going on between us.”
“Well, the way you two were stealing glances at each other all night suggests otherwise,” Ian said, then turned on his heel and walked away. Chance watched him go and let out a deep sigh, admitting to himself that maybe, just maybe, he was going to miss Emily just a little bit.
Chapter Six
Emily opened her eyes and blinked a few times in response to the bright sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. She sat up slowly, then glanced over at her alarm clock, surprised to see it displaying 10:26 as the time. Had she really slept that long?
She started to berate herself for being so lazy, but then she stopped her inner critic just as quickly.
“No,” she said aloud as she climbed out of bed. “I got home late, and I needed sleep. There’s nothing wrong with resting when you need it.”
Emily walked to her bathroom and looked at her face in the mirror, surprised to see that for the first time in a long time, she didn’t have tired, dark circles under her eyes. Her skin looked glowing and healthy, and her eyes had a sparkle to them that she hadn’t seen in a long time. Emily stared at her reflection for a few minutes, the realization dawning on her that just one night of taking time to do something for herself—something she wanted to do—had made a big difference. Spending time with her new friends, followed by a full night’s sleep, had left her mentally and physically rejuvenated. She felt like a new person.
Emily splashed some cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. Then she combed her hair and pulled it into a loose ponytail. She used some moisturizer on her face, letting the silky smooth lotion seep into her thirsty skin. And then she applied mascara and lip gloss. She went to her closet and picked out one of her favorite pairs of jeans, slipping into them and then finding a soft pink, long-sleeved shirt to wear. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror again. When she made an effort instead of lounging in days old sweatpants with dirty hair, Emily felt lovely.
She grabbed her phone and glanced at the date, embarrassed to realize that she didn’t even know what day of the week it was right now. Everything had blurred together into one long, despondent existence. Emily decided that she was going to change that today. She had to start working on her photography business again if she wanted to continue to pay her rent. And today seemed like the perfect day to start anew.
Emily went to look through her camera equipment, packing up a few different lenses so she could take several different types of pictures. She brewed some coffee while she ate a bowl of cereal, and then put the coffee in a
“Thanks, Ian. That means a lot to me.”
Ian stood slowly, wiping the wet morning dew from his jeans. “When are you leaving?”
Chance shrugged. “I haven’t decided on an exact date. Maybe the end of this month? Fire season seems to be slowing down, finally.”
Ian nodded. “Yeah. This year has been bad, but I think the worst of it is over. If we’re lucky we might have even seen the last big fire of the season.”
“I hope you’re right,” Chance said. “I’m going to look at a calendar this afternoon and figure out a date to head back. I’ll let you know.”
“Alright,” Ian said. “Make sure you leave us enough time to throw you a goodbye barbecue.”
Chance smiled. “I’ll make sure to do that.”
Ian started to walk back toward the hangar, but turned around one last time to look at Chance. “Are you sure you want to move away and leave Emily behind?” he asked. “You know long distance relationships are tough, right?”
Chance raised an eyebrow in Ian’s direction. “Long distance relationships are tough. But, like I told you, she’s already got a boyfriend. There’s nothing going on between us.”
“Well, the way you two were stealing glances at each other all night suggests otherwise,” Ian said, then turned on his heel and walked away. Chance watched him go and let out a deep sigh, admitting to himself that maybe, just maybe, he was going to miss Emily just a little bit.
Chapter Six
Emily opened her eyes and blinked a few times in response to the bright sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. She sat up slowly, then glanced over at her alarm clock, surprised to see it displaying 10:26 as the time. Had she really slept that long?
She started to berate herself for being so lazy, but then she stopped her inner critic just as quickly.
“No,” she said aloud as she climbed out of bed. “I got home late, and I needed sleep. There’s nothing wrong with resting when you need it.”
Emily walked to her bathroom and looked at her face in the mirror, surprised to see that for the first time in a long time, she didn’t have tired, dark circles under her eyes. Her skin looked glowing and healthy, and her eyes had a sparkle to them that she hadn’t seen in a long time. Emily stared at her reflection for a few minutes, the realization dawning on her that just one night of taking time to do something for herself—something she wanted to do—had made a big difference. Spending time with her new friends, followed by a full night’s sleep, had left her mentally and physically rejuvenated. She felt like a new person.
Emily splashed some cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. Then she combed her hair and pulled it into a loose ponytail. She used some moisturizer on her face, letting the silky smooth lotion seep into her thirsty skin. And then she applied mascara and lip gloss. She went to her closet and picked out one of her favorite pairs of jeans, slipping into them and then finding a soft pink, long-sleeved shirt to wear. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror again. When she made an effort instead of lounging in days old sweatpants with dirty hair, Emily felt lovely.
She grabbed her phone and glanced at the date, embarrassed to realize that she didn’t even know what day of the week it was right now. Everything had blurred together into one long, despondent existence. Emily decided that she was going to change that today. She had to start working on her photography business again if she wanted to continue to pay her rent. And today seemed like the perfect day to start anew.
Emily went to look through her camera equipment, packing up a few different lenses so she could take several different types of pictures. She brewed some coffee while she ate a bowl of cereal, and then put the coffee in a
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