“I’d certainly like to hear more about it.”
Trent filled him in, and the more Beckett heard, the more the thought this job was tailor-made just for him. But he wasn’t thinking just about himself now.
“You said you wanted someone to document progress of the project. What kind of documentation are you talking? Photographs? Reports?”
“Definitely. We want pictures of the efforts we’re making and also documentation of what survived.”
“So, might you have a position for a full-time photographer? Or a position that’s predominantly photography with room to expand into other areas with training?”
Trent’s gaze sharpened. “You’ve got someone in mind.”
“I do. And she’s damned good.”
Before he could say more, the shed door flew open and Sarah danced through. “I passed!” She did a victory boogie before realizing Beckett wasn’t alone. She laughed. “Sorry about that. I’ve been celebrating for the past few hours. I just passed my master’s thesis defense. My degree shall be conferred in October, and I am officially done with school.”
“Done done?” Beckett asked.
“I shall not be gracing Columbia’s campus this fall,” she announced. “God knows what I’ll be doing instead, but you were right. That PhD was not going to make me happy.” She slipped an arm around him and rose to her toes to brush a quick kiss over his lips. “But you do.”
Trent divided a glance between them. “The photographer?”
“Yeah.”
“Say what now?” Sarah asked.
Beckett wrapped his arms around her. “How do you feel about Tennessee?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been. Well, unless you count layovers at the Memphis airport.”
“I’ve got a project down there,” Trent said.
Sarah listened as he gave the rundown. Though her expression remained neutral, the hand curved around Beckett’s waist tightened with every word. “Let me get this straight. You’ve got a job for me as a photographer?”
“For documentation, yes. And prospectively promotional materials if you’re as good as Beckett says you are.”
Her brow furrowed, and Beckett could almost see the wheels turning in her head. “I assume something like this would be time limited?”
“We envision this particular project taking two to five years. But the organization itself continues to grow. We have conservation projects all over the eastern US. Provided things worked out all around, there’s the potential for longer-term careers.” Trent straightened. “I don’t need an answer right away. I just wanted to put a bug in your ear. Think about it, and let me know. Meanwhile, I’ll leave you two to your celebrating. Congratulations on your successful defense.”
Then they were alone.
Sarah pulled away and sagged against the table. “Wow. That was…entirely unexpected.”
“It’s a lot to hit you with right when you get back,” Beckett admitted. “But what do you think?”
“I think this job is perfect for you. It takes the eco-conservation stuff you loved from the park service and moves it to center stage.”
“What about you? It’s a shot at actually being a professional photographer. I mean, it’s not all pretty landscapes and stuff, but it’s not people.”
“I never even thought about photography being a legitimate career path. And here you’ve taken the thing I really love and come up with a job option that would pick up almost as soon as I’m out of contract here. One that means I don’t have to choose between doing what’s practical and being with you.”
“I didn’t so much come up with it as have it fall into my lap. But it’s an option. One we didn’t have yesterday.”
Eyes on his, Sarah shoved away from the table. “Maybe it’s what I’m supposed to do. Maybe not.” She laced her hands behind his back and pressed close. “But if the Universe is trying to tell me something, I’m listening.”
A Note From Kait
I hope you’ve enjoyed this visit to Camp Firefly Falls. I hope you’ll check out my full-length novel in the series, Second Chance Summer. Keep turning the pages for a sneak peek.