Chapter 27
I should have realized people would start betting.
Hazel
I cuddle into the warm body behind me before sighing in contentment. Last night was amazing. I should have known. Miles is right. Our chemistry is red hot.
But there’s more to us than chemistry. Such as Miles cuddled into my back with his arm wrapped around my waist. And Miles saying I love you. More than once.
A tiny flicker of hope tries to ignite. I expunge it. It’s too early to feel hopeful. Yes, Miles said he loves me. But he’s said those words before. And then abandoned me when he started his pro surfing career. I don’t trust him.
Yet.
Fine. I snarl at the overly optimistic voice in my mind. I don’t trust him yet.
The flicker of hope ignites again. But I can’t expunge it this time. I want to be hopeful. I want Miles to stay with me.
I love him after all. I always have. And I probably always will.
But love isn’t always enough.
Miles squeezes my waist. “What are you thinking so hard about this morning?”
“How do you know I’m thinking hard?”
He rolls me onto my back before looming over me. “This tells me you’re worried.” He traces a finger down the wrinkle on my forehead.
“If you say I have wrinkles, I’m kicking you in the balls.”
“You don’t have wrinkles. But even if you did, you’d be beautiful.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re laying it on pretty thick this morning.”
He shrugs. “I’m in a good mood. I woke up holding the woman I love in my arms.”
My heart spasms the same way it always does when he says he loves me. The words cause warmth to spread throughout my body until I’m all warm and mushy.
“You don’t believe me yet. But you will.” He kisses my nose before hopping out of bed. “What do you want for breakfast?”
“Breakfast?” Is he seriously going to fix me breakfast? Usually, he runs away as fast as possible after we’ve spent the night together.
Ugh. Stop it, Hazel. I agreed to give him a second chance. I can’t give him a second chance while holding a grudge about the past.
“I don’t have much in my pantry. I was supposed to go grocery shopping yesterday but somehow I didn’t get around to it.”
He waggles his eyebrows before pulling on his jeans. “Worth it. I’ll find something for us to eat, or I’ll treat you to a pastry at Pirate’s Pastries.”
“Oh, what kind of pastry? I could go for a pirate’s plunder muffin. Or maybe a shipwreck cookie. Or a Kelpie crunch or Selkie bite.”
My stomach rumbles in agreement. Parker makes the best pastries. She should be working in some famous patisserie in New York City or Paris. But I’m glad she’s not. Especially since she fell in love with a billionaire and now he’s moving his entire business to the island.
Miles chuckles. “You better get dressed if you want to go to Pirate’s Pastries.”
I jump out of bed and rush toward the attached bathroom. “I won’t be ten minutes.”
He barks out a laugh. “You need more than ten minutes to dry your hair.”
I rush through my morning routine, although I don’t bother drying my hair. It’ll be a mess of curls I can’t get a brush through later but I don’t want Miles to wait any longer. Assuming he didn’t flee already.
When I return to the bedroom to get dressed, I notice a steaming cup of coffee on the bedside table. I take a sip and moan. It’s prepared the way I prefer it. Lots of sugar and milk. Yum.
I dress in my usual ‘uniform’ for days I work as a therapist. Roomy clothes I can move in and comfortable shoes.
I rush into the kitchen – half expecting Miles to be gone – but he’s sitting at my table drinking a cup of coffee while playing on his phone.
“You’re here.” The words escape before I can stop them.
Hurt flashes in his deep blue eyes but he blinks and it’s gone. Did I imagine it?
“I’m here. Right where I want to be. Although.” He waggles his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t have minded staying in bed for another round.”
I wag my finger at him. “What about the whole ‘we won’t have sex until you understand I’m serious about you’-thing?”
He stands and prowls toward me. I try to back up but end up hitting the wall. He slams his palms against the wall to cage me in.
“Do you need me to show you how serious I am about you again? Because I can.”
My breath hitches. I want him to show me again. And again. My panties dampen and my nipples tighten as memories of how well Miles can show me he’s serious flitter through my mind.
He nips my chin. “What time is your first patient?”
I tilt my head to offer him better access. “Nine.”
He swears under his breath before stepping away. “It’s after eight. I need to get you fed before your first patient arrives.”
My mouth gapes open. “You’d rather eat than get naked with me?”
His blue eyes darken until they’re practically violet. “Don’t get me wrong. I always want to get naked with you. But I need to take care of you, too. And you need to eat before you start work. I don’t want you hungry when dealing with patients.”
I scowl. How am I supposed to keep my distance from him and keep my heart safe when he’s being this sweet?
He drops a feather soft kiss onto my lips and my scowl disappears. “Let’s get you fed before you get cranky.”
“I don’t get cranky when I’m hungry.”
He tweaks my nose. “Sure, you don’t.”
We’re holding hands when we enter Pirate’s Pastries ten minutes later. The line is long with people waiting to get their coffee and muffin fix. But it moves quickly, and soon enough it’s our turn.
“Yes!” Parker shouts when she sees us. “I knew you two would work things out.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Knew we’d work things out or bet we would?”
I should have known. Smugglers love betting. Especially when the wager involves locals. Who’s getting married and when. Who’s pregnant. Will the baby be a boy or girl. The list goes on and on.
Parker shrugs. “Same thing.”
“Betting is fueled by gossip. I thought you hated gossip.”
“No one’s gossiping about you. We’re merely interested in how you are doing.”
“I prefer the old you before you fell in love with a billionaire.”
I’m lying. I didn’t enjoy watching Parker struggle one bit.
No one understood why the bakery was in trouble.
It was always crowded. No one realized Parker was trying to repair her relationship with her parents with money.
I will forever be in Jeremy’s debt for loving Parker and convincing her that her parents don’t deserve her hard-earned money.
Parker’s smile stretches from ear to ear. “Jeremy is the best.”
I nod to Miles. “This guy isn’t too bad either.”
Miles throws an arm around my shoulders. “Isn’t too bad? Do I need to prove I’m pretty damn good again? You’ll be late for your first patient.”
I wish I could be late. But people take time out of their work days to visit a physical therapist. It would be unfair of me to be late and have them miss even more work time.
I elbow Miles. “Behave.”
Parker giggles. “I’ll take words I never expected to hear Hazel Harris speak for five-hundred dollars.”
I frown. “I behave.”
She snorts. “Sure, you do. And you’ve never tried to steal Viking before either.”
“I thought I found a loophole.”
Every summer, the residents of the island try to steal the live mascots.
I decided to steal Viking – he’s the most tame and easiest to handle of the mascots – but I was told in no uncertain terminology by the mayor, I couldn’t steal the otter since I’m a resident of Smuggler’s Rest, which is the town Viking is the mascot for.
I peer around the counter. “Where is Smuggler’s Rest most famous resident, anyway? I want my otter cuddles.”
“He’s sleeping beneath the ovens.”
“I guess I’m visiting the kitchen.” I start to go around the counter but Miles shackles my wrist to stop me.
“You need to eat your muffin and drink your coffee. You have less than fifteen minutes before your first patient arrives.”
Parker gasps. “Does Miles sound concerned about you being on time, or am I having hallucinations?”
I giggle. “I’ve thought I was having hallucinations plenty of times recently.”
She groans. “Don’t tell me you’re harvesting mushrooms again.”
“I never harvested mushrooms. It was one mushroom.”
Miles grunts. “And it was a mistake.”
I wag a finger at him. “Don’t be annoyed because I thought you were a purple elephant.”
“You screamed I was going to crush you.”
“I don’t remember. Therefore, it’s not true.”
He rolls his eyes. “Likely excuse.”
Parker hands him two coffees and a bag. “Here’s your order. Go sit down and eat before the people in the line riot for having to wait too long.”
“I’m not going to riot,” Sloane says from behind us. “I am going to change my bet about when these two lovebirds finally make things official, though.”
I groan. How did I not notice her standing behind us in line? I blame Miles. I forget to monitor my surroundings when he’s around.
“Behave,” he mutters to Sloane before leading me to a table in the corner. “Ignore them. They don’t matter. The only people who matter in this relationship are me and you.”
“Pretty words, surfer boy.”
He hands me my coffee and muffin. “I’ll say all the pretty words in the world until you’re convinced I’m serious.”
“And then you’ll let yourself go? Grunt all the time. Wear sweatpants and gain weight from all the beer you drink.”
“Don’t worry, Blaze. I plan to spoil you every single day for the rest of our lives.”
I want to tell him I love him. I want him to spoil me every single day. I want to be with him for the rest of our lives.
But I’ve been burned once by Miles. And I barely survived. I don’t know if I can handle it a second time.