“Are you sure you’re okay?” Henry asked again.
She nodded. Perhaps if she said it often enough, she might actually start to believe it.
Much like her, Henry was neither intrusive nor a big talker. Also like her, he had a lot on his mind, which made the long trip back to Vermont a quiet one.
Nearly twelve hours after they’d left Aurora Falls, Lainey pulled into the long lane leading to her house with Henry in the passenger seat. He hadn’t wanted to go back to the house he’d shared with Vicki, and Lainey didn’t blame him. Besides, the family home was as much his as hers.
On New Year’s Eve day, they drove down into the affluent suburb where he’d been living with Vicki and moved his stuff out before she returned from Vail. They made short work of gathering his personal belongings and managed to make it back before the snow began to fall.
Despite the somberness of the task, Henry was in good spirits. Lainey wasn’t. She put on a smile for his benefit, but inside, she felt off, as if something was out of sync. Nothing was wrong, and yet nothing seemed quite right either.
The two of them rung in the New Year the same way they had so many times before—by sharing a bottle of sparkling wine and takeout while watching live coverage of the ball dropping in Times Square.
“Here’s to a new year and new possibilities,” Henry said, raising his glass in toast.
She raised hers and clinked his gently. “To new possibilities.”
Henry pointed the remote at the television and turned it off. “Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
She knew he was referring to the directorship position. An official offer had been waiting for her when she returned. She should have been stoked. It was exactly what she’d been hoping for. The position meant more money, more power, more responsibilities. And yet something was keeping her from accepting the job.
Lainey shook her head. “Not yet. What about you?”
“I’ve tendered my resignation with Hargrove and given my two weeks’ notice. I just can’t do it anymore. I tried, I really did, but it’s just not for me.”
“Took you long enough,” she teased, glad he’d finally figured that out.
“Yeah, it did. You were right. About Hargrove. About Vicki. I couldn’t see it though.”
“The important thing is, you do now.”
“Thanks for not saying I told you so.”
“I’m holding it in reserve for the next time you decide to stick your head up your ass.”
He laughed. “Fair enough.”
“It won’t take long to find another job, one that suits you better. With your credentials, you could work anywhere. Do you have any place in mind?”
“Actually, yes. I’ve already received an offer, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to take it.”
“Nice! Where?”
He grinned. “The Institute for Scientific Research and Discovery in Aurora Falls.”
“Aurora Falls!”
“Yes. It’s a small facility, but I was impressed with what I saw there. Their focus is primarily on conservation and preserving the hundreds of plant and animal species indigenous to the area, many of which don’t exist anywhere else in the world. It’s a unique opportunity.”
Henry’s eyes lit up, the way they always did when he talked about his work. “It would be a substantial pay cut, of course, but the cost of living is much lower there. More importantly, I’d be back in the field, doing something worthwhile. Something with the potential to make a real difference.”
“I’m happy for you, Henry.”
“Me too. The guy who showed me around—Steve Pohler—said they’re doing some fascinating work with genetics and believes I can be a great asset.”
Lainey choked on her sparkling wine. “I’m sorry. Did you say Steve Pohler?” As in polar bear?
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“No, it’s just the name ...”
“He runs the facility. That’s another plus—the place is funded and run by a collaboration of scientists and the local community, not bureaucrats or private businessmen with ulterior motives. They’ve got a vested interest in keeping the area habitable. He lives there with his wife, Hildie. They just had a set of twins in fact.”
Pohler. Hildie. Twins. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Aurora Falls wasn’t that big.
“Did this guy say anything else?”
“As a matter of fact, he did. He said the area’s in desperate need of a good veterinarian, too, particularly for the local polar bear population.”
Lainey’s heart stuttered. “Did he now?”
“I told him about you, of course, and how you’ve always had a thing for polar bears. He seemed to think it was funny actually. But I also told him not to get his hopes up because you were up for a prestigious director position here. But I can’t help wondering ...”
“Can’t help wondering what?” Lainey coaxed.
“That maybe a fresh start might be good for you too. Maybe I’m stepping out of my own lane here, but you don’t seem stoked about the directorship. I get that it’s a big promotion and all, but if there’s one thing this past year has taught me, it’s that money and prestige are no substitute for loving what you do. Taking care of animals is your passion. Are you willing to step back from that and work in a job that’s mostly administrative?”
Without waiting for an answer, Henry began to gather up the remains of their meal. Lainey joined in, her mind whirling with possibilities. Hearing him put a voice to some of her own concerns added another level of validation.
“Look,” he said once everything was put away, “I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t do anything. Just think about it, okay?” He bumped her shoulder. “Learn something from your big brother.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re a minute older than me.”
“Still older. That makes me your big brother. Good night, Lainey.”
“Good night, Henry.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Finn
Finn tucked the last of his things into the suitcase and closed the zipper. He looked around his house, making sure everything was closed up and turned off. He didn’t know when he’d be back; it could be anywhere from a few months to a few years, depending on how things went.
For now, he decided to keep the place, so he’d have somewhere to stay when he came back to visit someday, hopefully with Lainey by his side. For the foreseeable future, however, his place was wherever she was.
He stopped by his parents’ house for one last family dinner before he left town. They were well aware of the situation; he’d been open and honest about his belief that Lainey was the one for him.
The atmosphere was more subdued than usual, but being mated themselves, they understood and supported his decision. When Beau pulled into the driveway, it was time to go.
“She’ll come around,” Hildie told him as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “I feel it.”
“I hope so.”
Finn shook Steve’s hand and kissed his niece and nephew, and then he turned to his parents.
“Good luck, son,” his father said, pulling him into a manly embrace.