Chapter 32
LEIGH
Iwoke up to sunlight streaming through my bedroom window and the sound of the ocean outside. For a moment, I just lay there, wrapped up in Dex’s arms, the cats purring at our feet, and let myself feel it.
This was real. He was here. In Blue Point Bay. In my world.
And he was staying.
“Morning,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
“Morning.”
I turned to face him, and he was already watching me with those dark eyes.
“Sleep well?” I asked.
“Best sleep I’ve had in months.” His arms tightened around me. “Something about the ocean. And you. Mostly you.”
I kissed him, slow and sweet, and for a while we just lay there, tangled together, listening to the waves outside.
Eventually, he stirred. “We should get up.”
“Should we?”
“I want to take you to breakfast. There’s this place Wren told me about…”
“Wren told you about somewhere to go eat?”
“She gave me a whole list of recommendations yesterday while you were unpacking.” He grinned. “She’s very opinionated about food.”
“That sounds like Wren.”
We got up and got ready. Wren was already awake in the kitchen, coffee in hand, working on her laptop.
“Morning, lovebirds,” she said without looking up. “Coffee’s fresh.”
“We’re going out for breakfast,” Dex said.
“The Sandpiper?”
“That’s the one.”
“Good choice. Get the crab benedict.” She finally looked up, and something passed between her and Dex. Something that made my eyes narrow.
“What was that?”
“What was what?” Wren asked innocently, sipping at her coffee like she didn’t have a clue what I could be talking about.
“That look. You two are up to something.”
“We’re not up to anything,” Dex said, but he wasn’t meeting my eyes.
“Dex.”
“Just trust me, okay? I promise it’s good.”
I looked between them, suspicious, but let it drop. “Fine. But if this is some elaborate prank…”
“It’s not a prank,” Wren said. “You play one prank on someone and they get paranoid for years. Now go. You don’t want to miss the breakfast rush. Well, you do, actually. You want to get there before it gets busy.”
I squinted at her in suspicion before backing out of the room. This girl wasn’t ending up with green hair again. Dex’s peals of laughter weren’t exactly filling me with confidence either.
Dex was still acting strangely, but it was easy to forget about it at The Sandpiper.
This was my favourite spot in town, a cute little café right on the waterfront, with outdoor seating that overlooked the marina.
Wren was right as always, and the crab benedict was incredible.
But I couldn’t help noticing how distracted Dex was.
He kept checking his watch. Looking at his phone. Fidgeting with his napkin.
“Okay,” I said finally, setting down my fork. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve checked your watch three times in the last ten minutes. And you keep looking at the door like you’re expecting someone. So what’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just...” He checked his watch again. “I want to show you something.”
“Show me something? Dex, you only got here yesterday. How do you already have surprises?”
A guilty look crossed his face.
“Oh my god. Wren helped you, didn’t she?”
“Maybe.”
“When? How?”
“Yesterday while you were editing photos, I might have... gone out for a bit.”
I stared at him. “Dexter Moore. What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. Yet. But I want to show you something. And I need to show you now because we have an appointment at ten and…” He stopped, clearly realizing he’d said too much.
“An appointment for what?”
“You’ll see. Come on. Let’s go.”
He paid the bill despite my protests, and we walked back to where he’d parked the truck. But instead of heading back to the lighthouse, he drove in the opposite direction.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“You’re being very mysterious.”
“I’m being romantic. There’s a difference.”
We drove through town and started climbing a hill on the north side of Blue Point Bay. The houses here were smaller, older, with that coastal cottage charm. And then he pulled up in front of one.
A white cottage with blue shutters. A wraparound porch with a swing. A small yard with wildflowers. And behind it, panoramic views of the ocean.
There was a “For Sale” sign in the front yard.
My heart started racing. “Dex... what is this?”
“Come look.”
He got out of the truck, and I followed on shaky legs.
He walked up to the front porch, and I noticed he had a key in his hand.
“How do you have a key?”
“The realtor dropped it with Wren yesterday.” He unlocked the door. “Come on.”
I stepped inside and my breath caught.
Hardwood floors. Big windows letting in natural light. An open kitchen and living room. Everything was a little dated but it had good bones. And the light... god, the light was perfect.
“Dex...” I walked through slowly, taking it in. “What is this?”
“Three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Small yard. And...” He led me through to the back, where a sliding glass door opened onto a deck.
The view took my breath away.
From this slight elevation, you could see clear over the neighboring houses to the ocean. Blue and vast and endless. The sound of waves drifted up on the breeze.
“Oh,” I breathed.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “That was my reaction too.”
I turned to look at him. He was watching me nervously, hands shoved in his pockets.
“Dex, what is this?”
“I’m buying it.”
My heart stopped. “What?”
“I’m buying this house. I put in an offer last night. The owner accepted this morning. That’s why I kept checking my phone. I was waiting to hear back.”
“You... you bought a house? Already?”
“I’m buying it, yes. But Leigh, I need you to understand something.
” He came closer, taking my hands. “I’m not asking you to move in right away if you’re not ready.
I know that’s a big step and we’ve only been together for a few months.
You can stay at Wren’s as long as you need.
But when you are ready, whenever that is, I want this to be ours. Our home.”
Tears were already streaming down my face.
“I need to know you like it,” he continued. “Because I don’t want to build a home here without you. I want you to help me pick paint colors and furniture. I want your photos on these walls. I want this to be a place we create together, even if it takes time.”
“Dex, how can you afford this? The garage, the house…”
“I have savings. My grandparents left me some money when they passed, and I’ve been careful with it.
And I already have someone interested in buying my house in Willowbrook.
Booker actually wants it as an investment property.
The numbers work, Leigh. I’ve done the math.
This isn’t some impulsive decision I can’t afford. ”
“But it’s so fast…”
“I know it’s fast. I know this is crazy.
” He cupped my face in his hands. “But I also know that I love you. That I want to build a life with you here. And when Wren sent me the listing for this house, I could see us here. Could see mornings on that deck with coffee. Could see you in that kitchen. Could see coming home to you after work.”
“You really see that?”
“I really see that. Do you?”
I looked around again. At the space. The light. The ocean view. The porch swing visible through the front window. The potential.
I could see it too. Could see my camera equipment in the smallest bedroom. Could see us cooking together in that kitchen. Could see curling up on a couch we’d pick out together, the cats draped over us. Could see building a life here.
Our life.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I can see it.”
His whole face lit up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I laughed through my tears. “Yes. I love it. It’s perfect.”
“You’re not just saying that?”
“I’m not just saying that. Dex, it’s beautiful. And the fact that you did this, that you’re really doing this…” My voice broke. “I can’t believe you’re really here. That this is really happening.”
“Believe it.” He pulled me close. “I’m here. I’m staying. This is happening.”
“When can you move in?”
“If the inspection goes well and everything closes on time? Late September, maybe early October.” He pulled back to look at me.
“And Leigh? Whenever you’re ready. Whether that’s a month from now, six months from now, a year from now…
this is your home too. No pressure. No expectations.
Just... know that whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here. ”
I kissed him then, hard and desperate and full of everything I felt. Love and gratitude and wonder that this man was real, that he was mine, that he was doing this impossible thing.
When we finally pulled apart, both breathless, I rested my forehead against his.
“I love you, Dex Moore.”
“I love you too, Leigh Pierce.”
“Show me the rest.”
He grinned and took my hand, leading me through the house.
The main bedroom was small but had an en-suite bathroom.
The second bedroom was perfect for guest room and then the last bedroom would make an amazing office or studio space.
The yard was private, with an old oak tree and plenty of room for a garden.
We ended up back on the front porch, sitting on the swing, looking out at the neighborhood.
“I can’t believe Wren kept this a secret,” I said. “She’s terrible at keeping secrets.”
“She was very invested in making sure I found the right place. Sent me listings all week. She even somehow found out about some before they even went on the market. I have a feeling Wren could be pretty scary if you caught her on the wrong day,” he joked.
“Wait! All week? Dex, you’ve been planning this for a week?”
“Longer, actually. Before the wedding I knew one of us would need to make a change so I started weighing my options. I knew I wanted to do this right. Wanted to have a plan, not just show up and hope for the best.”
I leaned against him, and the swing creaked gently as we moved. “This is really happening.”
“This is really happening.”
“Six weeks?”
“Give or take. I need to wrap things up in Willowbrook. Pack. Figure out if I want to buy a garage here, or if I want to try something new.”
“You move fast.”
“When I know what I want? Yeah, I do.” He kissed the top of my head. “And I want this. I want you. I want us.”
We sat there for a long time, just swinging gently, looking out at our new neighborhood, our new life, our new beginning.
“Thank you,” I said finally.
“For what?”
“For choosing this. For choosing me. For being brave enough to take this leap.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Finding you was the best thing that ever happened to me. I can’t believe this is my life now. That I actually got this lucky.” He tilted my chin up. “Because you love me enough to let me do this.”
“Always,” I whispered.
He kissed me again, soft and sweet and full of promise. And sitting there on the porch of what would be our home, I felt it settle deep in my bones.
This was right.
This was real.
This was forever.