I never planned on marrying my best friend. I never even planned on falling in love.

I've spent my entire life telling anyone and everyone who would listen that I'll never get married, that I'll never even date. My mother made marriage and dating look completely unappealing, so romance is not in the cards for me.

What I never counted on was Sam Holland. He was my brother's best friend first, but somewhere along the way, he became my closest friend, the person I told all of my news to, the one I wanted by my side through it all.

Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with him.

But me and Sam? It won't ever work, not like this. Because he wants a romance-worthy marriage and love story, and I don't feel like I'll ever be worthy of that type of love.

In the end, though, I did marry Sam, and now he's standing in the hallway, waiting for me to let him into my hotel room after not seeing him for six months, and before I let him into my heart again, I need to go back to the beginning to where all of this started. To see if we have what it takes to make this work. To make marriage work. To make us work.

I need a fresh start, a clear perspective.

Hiking has always given me that. I know that this hike up Longs Peak is going to help me know what to do next. It's the perfect plan.

What I didn't plan on? Jack Donovan.

The ultimate prankster who disguises himself as the perfect student (at least he did in high school.)

He was also the first boy who broke my heart, not that anyone but my college friends knows that.

When he first approached me at the airport, I thought it was simply so he could rub it in my face how perfect his life is—he still has a job after all, unlike me. But no, he's part of my hiking group.

How am I supposed to have a clear head when he's around? How am I supposed to figure out my life and plan out my next career steps if I'm worried about which pranks Jack is going to pull? Because while most people know him as the perfect, straight-A student, I know him better than that. And I kind of hate him for ruining the end of high school.

So what if it's been six years? Instead of my relaxing, mind-clearing hike, it's game on. And this time, I'm going to win. Even if it means throwing out all of my well-set plans.