Chapter 30
30
Bren was exactly where he’d expected her to be.
As Noah jogged up Pelican Point Road on Sunday in the pale, pre-dawn glow, the solo figure in a neon green windbreaker popped from the background despite the murky light. She was standing where she’d been the last time he’d come across her here, in the spot that would give her an unobstructed view of Sunrise Reef when the sun crested the hills to the east.
He slowed as he approached the path to the lighthouse, trying to give his pulse a few moments to decelerate after the uphill run.
But in truth, the physical exertion wasn’t to blame for his racing heart.
That was all Bren’s doing.
Because his future depended on her reaction to what he intended to say to her today.
At the beginning of the path, he stopped. Pulled out his phone. Filled his lungs and tapped in her number.
A second later, she jerked. Put the phone she already had in her hand to her ear. “Hi.”
“Hi back.” He began walking toward her. “Are you enjoying the view?”
Silence.
His lips quirked as he imagined the twin grooves that would be denting her forehead.
“Um ... yes. But how did you know I was looking at a view?”
“Turn around.”
She swiveled. Did a double take. Clapped her free hand to her chest. “What are you doing here?” She was still talking into the phone.
As he closed the distance between them, he ended the call. “Breaking our radio silence. In person.”
She continued to stare at him. “How did you know where I was?”
“I jogged over to your house. When I didn’t see your car, I continued up here. Where else would you be?”
“You know me pretty well.”
“Getting there, anyway.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” She slowly lowered her cell from her ear.
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” He stopped across from her and stowed his phone. “And I thought this conversation deserved to be up close and personal.”
She attempted to shove her phone into the pocket of her windbreaker. It took two tries, thanks to the tremors in her fingers. “I was afraid—” Her voice scratched, and she tried again. “I was afraid you’d ... that you’d written us off.”
What?
Frowning, he reached for her hand. Twined his fingers with hers. “Why would you think that? Did I ever give you any indication I’d lost interest?”
“No. But a lot can change in six weeks.”
“Not on my end. And I hope not on yours.”
“Definitely not. It’s just that when you deferred our conversation from yesterday to today, I got worried. I was counting the days until our deadline, and it didn’t seem like you were.”
His throat tightened, and he squeezed her fingers. “I deferred the conversation because I wanted to have it in person, and with the race yesterday I knew you wouldn’t have a spare minute to spend with me. I was here, though. Staying with Dad, who was sworn to silence. I had a few dots to connect first, anyway.”
She furrowed her brow. “What kind of dots?”
“Dots that could remove the obstacles on our road to romance. I know the geography issue has been huge, but I couldn’t walk away from what I feel whenever we’re together without making every attempt to find a solution.”
Some of the tension ebbed from her features, and hope sparked in the depths of her irises. “I feel the same.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and—”
“Wait.” She held up a hand. “Before you say anything else, I have something for you.”
Without waiting for a response, she eased her hand free and took off at a trot down the path.
Propping his hands on hips, he watched as she jogged to her car, pulled a flat manila envelope from the front passenger seat, and returned to him at a brisk clip.
Curious.
When she rejoined him, she held it out. “Depending on how our conversation went today, I was going to drop this at the post office on my way home. I had it weighed for postage yesterday. Now I can give it to you in person.”
He took the stiff envelope, worked open the flap, and pulled out a calligraphy document done in an elegant hand, replete with ornate flourishes and touches of gold.
It was exquisite.
And the message it contained was even more beautiful.
As he read the note Bren had penned, it was hard to keep his vision clear.
Dear Noah,
If you’re reading this, it’s because we agreed during our talk on Saturday that whatever this thing is between us, it’s worth exploring.
As we both know, geography has always been a huge hurdle, and from the beginning I’ve been unwilling to consider a move. Hope Harbor is home to me.
But Alice at Sweet Dreams said something to Emma that resonated with me. When Emma asked her how she and Joe could leave a place they’d always called home, Alice said they’d realized that home is more than a place. That it’s being with the people you love.
Over these past few weeks, I’ve come to recognize the truth of that sentiment. And as much as I’ll hate to leave Hope Harbor, if we end up falling in love, my home will be where you are. In St. Louis.
So I’m going to follow the advice of the old Irish proverb Zach posted at The Blend last week: “May you always have courage to take a chance.”
I’m going to take a chance on you, Noah Ward.
Because if we’re meant to be, I believe a future with you could be a taste of paradise.
As he read the last line, Noah’s lungs locked.
How had he ever been lucky enough to meet this incredible woman, who guarded her heart and valued her independence and had searched long and hard to find a place to call home, yet was willing to go where he was and give up the life she’d created in the name of love? To put her trust in him.
It was a gift beyond price.
And he was going to tell her that.
As soon as he could talk.
He had to be finished reading her note by now.
But he hadn’t said a word.
Heart pounding, Bren clasped her hands in front of her.
Maybe she’d been too open about her hopes for their relationship. Maybe it was too soon to mention long-term commitments. Maybe she’d let herself get too carried away with romantic fantasies.
What if she’d given him a case of cold feet?
Yes, he’d said he was willing to work on the geography issue, but that didn’t mean he was thinking the M word at this stage of their—
He lifted his head, and her breath caught in her throat.
Was that a tear welling on his lower lash?
“This is beautiful, Bren. It’s the best gift anyone has ever given me.”
His hoarse tribute, and the raw emotion in his eyes, loosened the knot in her stomach.
She hadn’t shot herself in the foot after all.
“I meant what I said.” She wiped her damp palms down her leggings. “I know how important your job is to you. If we get serious, I’d rather move than lose you. And I wanted you to have that in writing.”
“You don’t have to move to keep me.”
She scrutinized him. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve done a ton of thinking over these past six weeks too. About us, about my job, about what the future might look like if I strayed from the route I planned years ago.”
“But what would you do?”
“Same type of work, except here.”
“You mean ... be a CPA in Hope Harbor?” Hope began to percolate in her heart.
“Why not? Tracy at the cranberry farm is the only game in town, and she’s been trying to balance the needs of her clients with the demands of the farm for quite a while. She and I have had several long talks, including an in-person meeting yesterday. Based on the information she shared, her part-time CPA work generates a reasonable income. If someone were to practice full-time here, it could be quite lucrative.”
“Not as lucrative as your job in St. Louis, I’ll bet.”
“No—but there would be other compensations.” He hitched up one side of his mouth and clasped her hand again.
A delicious zing zipped through her as the warmth of his strong fingers seeped into hers. “But what about all the perks you’d be giving up?”
“There’s no better perk than you.” He led her to a nearby bench, carefully set her note on the seat, and tugged her down beside him.
She followed his lead without protest, even though it was hard to focus with his achingly tender blue eyes mere inches away.
“Don’t you think—” Her voice squeaked, and she tried again. “Don’t you think we should talk about how this is going to work? I mean, until we’re both sure where this is going, neither of us should make dramatic changes.”
“What did you have in mind?” He lifted his free hand and traced the line of her jaw.
It was getting more and more difficult to concentrate. “Um ... I was thinking we could try a long-distance courtship. Letters, FaceTime, texts, occasional visits.”
“For how long?”
“Until we’re positive there’s potential.”
He brushed his finger over her lips, his feather-light touch oh-so-gentle. “Do you have any doubts about that?”
“N-not at this moment. But that’s hormones talking.”
“There’s nothing wrong with hormones.” He gave her an unrepentant grin.
“I just want us to be certain about where we’re headed before you upend your life.”
“How long are you thinking?”
“The end of the year?”
A wince replaced his grin. “Too long. I’d rather be here.”
“And I’d rather you be 100 percent confident you’re not making a mistake. If our relationship ends up falling apart, I’d feel terrible.”
“I wouldn’t. My job is losing its luster anyway. Even if it doesn’t work out between us, I doubt I’d stay there.”
“But you might not move here.”
He studied her. “Actually, I might. I like the idea of being closer to Dad, and my research suggests I can earn a decent living here. I don’t want you to worry about me, Bren.”
“Goes with the territory if you care about someone.”
After a moment, he exhaled. “Okay. We’ll play it your way. I’ll wait until Christmas to decide about pulling the trigger on the job. Fair enough?”
“Yes.”
“I’m warning you, though. Be prepared to spend lots of time courting remotely between now and then, supplemented with in-person weekend visits. And block out the week between Christmas and New Year’s for yours truly.”
The corners of her mouth crept up. “I’ll pencil you in.”
“Write it in ink.”
The sun peeked over the hills behind them, and Bren angled toward the reef. “The show’s about to begin.”
“Yeah. It is.”
She looked back at him, and the passion smoldering in his eyes sent a warm flush coursing through her as she motioned toward the reef. “The rocks will turn gold in a minute.”
“Why should I care about rocks when I have gold in my arms?”
Her heart melted.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you have a silver tongue?”
“No. I’m only eloquent with you. And I meant every word.”
She looped her arms around his neck as the sun gilded the rocks and two seagulls soared overhead. “I think the time for words is past, don’t you? Now that we’ve resumed communications, there are other ways to connect.”
“My very thought.”
Without any further conversation, he lowered his lips to hers in a pulse-pounding preview of all she could look forward to as they embarked on what promised to be a courtship to remember.
And all she could look forward to in the years ahead if their romance led to the happy ending she’d never expected to find, here in this little seaside town they would both call home.