“You bought a Jeep?” I plopped in the passenger seat of the yellow-orange Jeep Wrangler and gave Will a quizzical look.

“Yep.” He smiled with a nod, turned the ignition, and within another second, we were zooming away from the little airport. “I also purchased”—he shrugged—“or am renting, I suppose is the better term, a parking spot here at the airport, so the Jeep will be here whenever we want it.”

“So… we’re going to be coming to Washington frequently?”

Another nod. “As often as you want.”

I considered that, trying to figure out the best response, then just decided to go with what I was thinking. “I wasn’t aware I’ve been wanting to come to Washington. I’ve been to Seattle a few times. I loved it. Great food; it’s an awesome city. But it’s on the other side of the state.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have done all this as a surprise.” Will’s smile wavered. “If you don’t like any of it, just say. I’m sure I can find a buyer.”

“For the Jeep?”

He hesitated. “Sure, that too.” After a second he reached across the console and took my hand as he steered the Jeep with his other. “Just sit back and relax for a little bit. I’ve gone this far with the surprise, might as well see it out. But, like I said. If you’re not happy with it, we aren’t stuck.” He held my gaze meaningfully for a brief moment. “We’re never stuck.”

That had been our mantra for the past year. I’d thought being a member of a founding family was a chore before; turned out, being a member of two founding families, or… technically three considering Will’s half-brothers, was even more complicated. Mainly due to our mothers more than anything else, which was nothing new.

When it got to be too much, we ran, together. Back to Alaska, made a couple trips to England, to San Francisco. And whenever she wanted, Katniss came with us. We were never stuck. And if for some reason we couldn’t run away, there was nothing getting lost in the forest and trails or the beachside cliffs of Point Reyes National Seashore couldn’t dampen. That, or locking ourselves away in our house for a long evening.

But Washington? That was new.

Will had arranged for Katniss to stay with Adrian and Harrison, then told me to pack a bag. He didn’t even give me the destination until the last moment when I had to make a flight plan.

Ultimately, I decided it didn’t matter. Every day with Will was an adventure, sometimes an exciting one as we explored a new part of the world, but most of the time, one of comfort, ease, and love. Whatever we were getting ready to see in Washington I was certain would be wonderful, if for no other reason than because Will was at my side.

The drive took an hour. Within twenty minutes, we left civilization behind, the steep winding road taking us higher into the mountains and deeper into the heavy, lush green forests. As it wound around, once in a while there would be a clearing and the oceans and cliffs glistened at us in the near distance. Similar to the seashore surrounding Lavender Shores, but wilder somehow.

We drove in comfortable silence, our hands clasped. Even the music was off. Despite the damp chill of the September afternoon, we kept the windows down, letting the salt breeze wash over us as well as the smells of pine and earth and clean mountain air. I’d discovered this was one of my new favorite parts of life. In the years after Meghan’s death, silence had been a frequent companion, one that screamed loudly and ripped my heart. But this new version was soft and gentle—warmed by Will’s presence and hummed a lullaby of safety and contentment.

We left the paved road behind and wandered over a narrow lane that was sometimes gravel, other times nothing but dirt. The wilderness around us was so densely packed with towering trees that the sunlight filtering down was muted, creating a soft glow. Though I’d already been feeling peaceful, every mile we went left me feeling a little more relaxed. “It kind of reminds me of driving to Nick’s. Like we could go forever and never be found.”

He grinned. “I thought so too. We’re almost there.”

Another few miles and the dirt road turned sharply through the trees and with the changing view I gasped. “You rented us a little cabin in the woods.”

It was an apt description but didn’t actually seem to capture it. It was a cabin, it was little, and it was in the woods, but it was somehow a lot more than that.

Though it appeared rustic, I got the sense that it was new. The basic shape was a small square with a steeply pitched roof. The porch wrapped around two sides, and the little stone walkway curved from the steps to the solitary parking spot. With the exception of the cut in the trees that we’d just driven through, the cabin was completely surrounded by wilderness. The forest started within ten feet of the rear of the house. When Will killed the Jeep’s engine, I could hear the crash of waves somewhere in the distance.

We walked up the little path toward the front of the cabin hand in hand. There appeared to be an oval window in the front door, but it was covered with brown butcher paper.

Releasing me, Will pulled the key out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and pulled it open. “I didn’t exactly rent us a cabin. I”—he suddenly looked nervous—“built us one.” He laughed. “Well, had one built for us. I might’ve turned into a really great cook, but I have no desire to pick up a hammer and nails.”

I gaped at him. “This is ours?”

“Yeah. If you want. Like I said, maybe I should’ve cleared it all with you, but I got the idea several months ago when we were up at Nick’s cabin. You said you wished it was closer so we could just get away whenever we wanted to. Someplace it could just be the two of us for days at a time, a place where we can wander in the woods, get lost, then come home at night and make love.”

I remembered that, and I laughed. “I’m pretty sure I said fuck like porn stars, but whatever.”

Will’s grin broadened. “That too. Most definitely.” He nodded inside. “Come see it. Not that the tour will take very long. And honestly, I haven’t been here for a few weeks, so I haven’t seen some of the finishing touches.”

“How did you do this without me knowing?” I nudged him. “Should I be worried you’re this good at keeping secrets?”

He blushed, looking pleased. “I’d say you don’t have to worry too much. We both know that if either one of us is keeping secrets, at some point, it’ll be spread all over the gossip channels.”

“That is unfortunately true.” Laughing, I allowed myself to be pulled inside.

Will was right—there wasn’t much to it, which was perfect. It was roughly the same size as Nick’s cabin in Alaska, though a different layout. The center was a huge, open-concept room with a vaulted ceiling and massive log beams making up the rafters. A beautiful kitchen blended seamlessly into the living room, a large stone fireplace made up the entirety of the back wall. Though there were enough windows to allow plenty of natural light, the space had a cozy, earthy feel.

After a few minutes of inspecting, he led me toward the side that housed the kitchen and dining space and opened a door. The room was empty. Though it had the same vaulted ceilings with log beams, the walls were drywalled instead of log and weren’t painted. “This is Katniss’s room for when she joins us. I thought she might want to pick out her furniture and the colors.” He gestured to the other side of the room. “Her bathroom is through there.”

I was still caught off guard at being surprised with the cabin, but the gesture for Katniss, making it where she would have ownership and creative license stole any words away, and I had to blink to keep my emotions in check. Not that it surprised me. At least not anymore. I’d gotten used to Will and Katniss’s ever-deepening relationship. He’d slid into his role in our tiny family seamlessly, just as before—he didn’t attempt to play stepfather. He was simply her friend, which was good enough. She’d already had a mother; she had a father. She had an extended family that all took on different parenting roles. With Will, she’d found a ridiculously protective friend who she trusted and loved. I’d lost track of the times I’d walked in on the two of them laughing so hard tears streamed down their faces.

I didn’t attempt a thank-you. I couldn’t. Just looked in his eyes, and he understood.

Then he took my hand again, led me back into the main living space and across to the other side and opened the door. That room didn’t require any explanation at all. Our bedroom matched the rest of the house. Unlike Katniss’s room, the walls in here were full log and we had another fireplace in the corner. Another door led into the bathroom, and on either side, the wall was filled with bookshelves from floor to ceiling. And while there were a few books here and there, most were empty.

“I thought we’d fill them up with pictures, and knickknacks from England, Alaska, and all the places we’ll go, even if it’s just mementos from here.” He hesitated and chewed on his bottom lip for a second. “Do… you like it?”

My eyes still stinging, I managed to speak clearly enough. “Are you kidding? How could I not absolutely love this?” A movement caught my eye, and I looked over to see a small yellow bird on the windowsill who pecked the glass and then flew away. “Yeah, I like it. Good luck getting me to ever leave this place.” I noticed something else about the room and let out a laugh. “I see you went for the king-size bed. Plenty of room whether we want porn star fucking or lovemaking.”

“Pretty much. And…” Will pointed to the ceiling. “I know we won’t see the northern lights down here, but I figured it’ll still be nice to see the stars.” He walked over to the wall, flipped a switch, and a wood panel slid over the skylight, making it nearly invisible within the rest of the ceiling. “And when we’re done, we can block out the sun. That waking up at the crack of dawn thing is not going to be a common occurrence here.”

I laughed, completely pleased. We’d discovered that was the one downfall of the skylight over Nick’s bed. “You thought of everything.”

I’d expected one of his cocky little smiles, but instead, it wavered. “Actually, there’s… one more thing. But if it’s… too much, just say. Alright?”

I nearly teased him that the whole place was too much. But I could tell he was concerned about whatever he was getting ready to show me. “Okay. What is it?”

He grasped my hand once more and led me back to the front door. “I haven’t seen it myself, at least not completely finished. Nick sent me a few photos while he was working on it.” Releasing me, he opened the door, peeled off the butcher paper that was hung over the front, reclosed the door, and then did the same to the sheet that covered the inside.

I gasped again as the light filtered in through the stained glass window, from the sheer beauty of it. The vibrant blues, greens, and pinks of the sky, contrasted with the browns, golds, and reds of the earth below. On either side, abstract trees created a forest of pines and aspen. It was stunning. But then it clicked and I gasped again, and without thinking, I stepped forward and touched the sky, feeling the rippled glass with my fingertips. “It’s the northern lights.”

He nodded. From his smile I could tell that Will was pleased, both with my reaction and the window itself. “Nick actually managed to capture them pretty good, didn’t he?”

I returned my focus to the window. It brought back the night in Alaska the year before with such vibrancy that I nearly felt like I could see the colors in the stained glass wavering as they had that night above us. “It’s perfect.”

Will stepped closer behind me, so that one arm wrapped around my stomach and his chest was against my back. “I hope this is okay.” He pointed to a small detail I had yet to notice.

It took me just a moment, but when I realized what it was, I didn’t gasp, I couldn’t make a sound. Sitting on the golden leaves at the edge of the forest, both staring up at the northern lights, sat a jaguar, and beside it, a smaller cat that could pass for either an ocelot or a lynx. Both of their golden, black-spotted fur nearly blended in with the leaves around them. I ran my fingertip over them as well, utterly overwhelmed.

I couldn’t find words, I didn’t even attempt. I simply reached up, grasped Will’s other arm and wrapped it around me and we stood there, staring at the beautiful representation of our lives together.

After a while, I have no idea how long, Will pressed his lips to my temple and whispered, “Come on, come get lost in the wilderness with me for a while. There’s a spot on the cliffs I want you to see.”