Cassie shrugged. “I don’t know. Those other scientists never talked to anyone, so I figured it was something cool and top secret.”
“Bird migration is cool!” Madison protested, feeling extremely uncool as soon as the words left her mouth. But going by the way Simon’s father smiled and his mother’s shoulders relaxed, it had been the right thing to say. “There are plenty of birds who only travel a couple of miles, but also birds who fly hundreds or thousands of miles. We still don’t know exactly how they navigate during such a long journey. But by tracking migration patterns across the years, we can see if there are changes. Do some species start migrating earlier? Or later? There’s plenty to discover about birds and how they migrate.”
Madison looked around, wondering if that had been too much. She didn’t want them to think she was about to demand they answer all her questions.
“If you discover how birds navigate, let us know.” Simon ate a piece of casserole. “Cassie gets lost five miles from home.”
Cassie let out a huff. “I don’t get lost. I take the scenic route.”
“Flying hundreds of miles sounds exhausting,” Simon’s mother agreed. “I doubt I’d be able to keep up with those birds.”
Simon shared a smile with Madison while his parents tried to remember what the farthest was they’d ever flown in a day. “I think they like you,” he whispered.
Madison watched as Simon’s mother insisted she’d definitely flown further than her husband had, with Cassie suggesting they have a competition. “They’re arguing.”
“Friendly bickering.” Simon took a sip of water. “Happens all the time.”
Now that Simon mentioned it, there was a sparkle in his mother’s eyes when her husband insisted he’d win. They were still trying to impress each other after all these years.
The conversation flowed more smoothly after that and Madison’s nerves settled. It was good to see Simon’s parents more relaxed too. Hopefully, they’d join Cassie for a flight over the next few weeks.
Once they finished the casserole, Simon’s mother brought out home-made apple pie for dessert.
“This is amazing.” The crust was perfect, not too thick and not too dry. Madison cut off another piece. “The mayor mentioned you won baking contests. I can taste why.”
Simon’s mother looked pleased. “I’m glad you enjoy it. Simon mentioned he’s been bringing you and your team treats.”
“And they are very much appreciated.” She smiled at him. “Not sure how we manage the days without a visit.”
Simon took her hand. “Not sure how I get through those days either.”
The look in his eyes warmed her to her core. This amazing, wonderful, generous man was hers. Forever.
Cassie coughed pointedly. “Just remember to save some baked goods for me.”
Madison went back to her pie, her cheeks red, while Simon laughed and assured his sister that of course she’d get treats as well.
✽✽✽
After dinner and a round of coffee, Simon and Madison made their goodbyes and walked back to his place. The spring night was still warm, but she was glad to have his arm around her.
They talked about the food, whether birds had to meet the parents as well, and which evenings Simon could drop by to boost morale.
“Don’t feel like you have to,” she said, when he opened the back door. “I know baking takes a lot of time.”
“But seeing you boosts my morale,” he told her, drawing her in for a kiss.
She didn’t point out he didn’t need to bake to visit. “That’s not all it boosts.”
His hand ran down her back. “You said your students were fine on their own for tonight, right?”
She checked her phone. “They’re making hot dogs.” She showed him a blurry picture of two hot dogs burned to a crisp. “Or trying to, anyway.”
“So you can stay the night?”
She put her phone on his kitchen counter. “Yeah.”
He kissed her again and desire pulsed inside her. “Good, because I can’t stop thinking about how good that dress looks on my bedroom floor.”
“So does your shirt.” She tugged it out of his waistband, then paused. Maybe they should discuss their future now, before she got side-tracked by how amazing Simon’s chest and abs were. “I’ve also been thinking about other things.”
He pulled back, a slight frown on his face. “Like what?”
She leaned against the counter behind her. “About what’ll happen when I’m no longer here for fieldwork.”
“Ah.” The smile back was on his face. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too. But I didn’t want to push you or move too fast. Because we don’t have to.”
“I know. But I’d like to move.” Her heart hammered against her chest. “Here. With you.” He was silent for so long she wasn’t sure how to take it, but then he wrapped her in a tight hug, laughing against her hair.
“You want to move here.”
Her arms found their way around his neck and she pressed herself closer. “Yeah.”
He leaned back to kiss her. “I thought—you’ll live further from work. We both will.”
“It’s about forty minutes by car from here to the campus,” she replied. “That’s doable. Besides, your house is way better than my apartment. I’ll actually want to come back home here.”
“Lots of late evenings?” He rubbed her back. “Your work sounds very busy.”
She nodded against his chest. “Too busy. And I need to fix that. Going over data for the tenth time to see if I’ve missed anything isn’t helping. There are things I do that my PhD students can do just as well. I don’t want to miss out on anything because I’m so focused on my research. It’s important, but so are you. So is watching a movie.” And with Simon around, it’d be a lot easier to put work aside.
“I think I can help with that.” He pressed a kiss against her temple.
“So you think it’s a good idea? Me
