Chapter Twenty-One
In the morning, Jeremiah opened his eyes to Noelle’s sleeping form. During the night, the satin scarf that she’d tied around her braids had come loose. She looked peaceful and angelic, illuminated by the early-morning light.
They hadn’t left the gala until almost three a.m. last night. Noelle had been so tired, she hadn’t bothered to read before bed. Her book of the week, a memoir about a child actor, sat untouched on the bedside table.
Jeremiah rested his head against his pillow as he looked at Noelle.
Yesterday, he’d told her about his last conversation with Pop, and she hadn’t judged him.
She’d told him that he was just as worthy of good things as the rest of his family.
He wanted to believe that was true. But mostly, it meant a lot to him that Noelle felt that way.
She’d encouraged him to forgive himself and stay at the gala with his family.
She’d told him not to run away. He was glad that he’d taken her advice.
At first, it had been hard to host the gala without Pop.
He’d felt Pop’s absence everywhere. But as the night went on, the gala began to feel more like a celebration of Pop’s continuing legacy.
And for the first time all summer, Jeremiah woke up this morning feeling lighter, less weighed down by his memories. A lot of that was thanks to Noelle.
He knew that he was moving to California. He knew that she wanted to focus on getting back into college. He knew that a real relationship between them might not go anywhere.
But the plain truth was that he was falling for Noelle.
And their kiss last night on the dance floor…he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
He wondered if she felt the same way. Sometimes he caught her looking at him like he was the coveted buried treasure that she’d been searching for (he was now on book two of the Pirates of the Deep series).
But it would be inappropriate for him to ask her about her feelings.
He was paying her to be here, which inevitably created a power imbalance.
Whatever was growing between them felt real, but in the event that he’d misread her and she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, he didn’t want her to feel obligated to pretend that she liked him back out of fear that he wouldn’t hold up his end of the bargain.
Ultimately, he’d have to wait and let Noelle take the lead.
He slipped quietly from the bed. Noelle rolled over but didn’t wake up.
He shrugged off his pajamas and threw on his running gear.
Then brushed his teeth and grabbed his phone before jogging downstairs.
It was a little after ten a.m. Because they’d been out so late, most of his family was still asleep.
But Ashley and Harper were sitting on the living room couch, holding bowls of cereal as they watched TV.
They were so engrossed in their show, they hardly acknowledged Jeremiah when he said good morning on his way out the door.
He ran through downtown Heart Beach, and the morning breeze helped keep him cool.
As a teenager, he used to go on morning runs every day here.
It was a special thing to see Heart Beach as it was waking up.
He stopped at Timeless Blooms, the florist that they’d used for last night’s gala.
The head florist, Gabrielle, didn’t blink when Jeremiah asked if she could put together a bouquet with the same hydrangeas they’d used for last night’s arrangements.
Fresh bouquet in hand, Jeremiah stopped to pick up donuts from Heart Beach Doughnut Shoppe.
There were plenty of sweets at home, of course, but there was only one Heart Beach Doughnut Shoppe.
It used to be one of their favorite places to visit on Sunday mornings.
Jeremiah, Amara, and Percy used to fight over who got to ride shotgun in Pop’s car as they drove into town.
Last night, Noelle had once again encouraged Jeremiah to talk to his family about Pop.
He knew that she was right, and although he felt better now after sharing the story with her, he wasn’t ready to tell his family just yet.
He didn’t want it to hurt them, and he didn’t want to face Percy’s judgment in particular.
When the time felt right, he’d tell them.
He just didn’t know when that time would be.
When Jeremiah returned to the house, Percy was alone in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee.
He nodded at Jeremiah, and Jeremiah nodded back.
There’d been an unspoken truce between them last night for the sake of the gala, but today was a new day.
Jeremiah was unsure of how to approach a conversation with Percy that wouldn’t somehow end in a disagreement.
“I got donuts,” he said, placing the box on the table. He figured pointing out the obvious was a safe choice.
Percy eyed the box. “I already had pie for breakfast.”
“Ooh, donuts!” Amara said, breezing into the kitchen.
She was wearing a vintage Blacula T-shirt and black denim shorts.
In one hand, she held her sketchbook, and with her free hand, she opened the box of donuts.
“Cinnamon sugar, my favorite. You do love me, Miah.” She beamed, then pointed at the bouquet in his hand with a smile. “Are those for Noelle?”
“Yeah,” Jeremiah said. He cleared his throat and looked at Percy again, anxious that his brother might rebuff him. “I got a Boston cream donut for you. I wasn’t sure if it was still your favorite.”
“It is.” Percy stared at the box, contemplating. Then, “Ah, what the hell.”
He grabbed the Boston cream donut and took a bite. While this definitely wasn’t a heart-to-heart conversation where the brothers put aside their grievances and differences, it was better than arguing.
Jeremiah grabbed a glazed donut and bit into it. Mouth full, he asked, “Where’s everyone else?”
“Outside.” Amara wrapped her donut in a napkin. “Harper and Ash are working on their talent show routine, and they made everyone sit and watch. I’m headed to the beach to sketch for a bit. I’ll be back later.”
She waved at her brothers as she left the kitchen. Without Amara as a buffer, Jeremiah and Percy fell quiet.
“Mom seemed like she had a good time last night,” Jeremiah said. “Even if Mercy Webster kept cornering her and talking her ear off.”
Percy smirked. “Mercy has to be the most talkative person in all of Heart Beach.”
“She called Noelle the wrong name and then tried to convince her to shop at her store.”
Percy snorted as he grabbed a second donut. “Sounds like Mercy.”
Encouraged by Percy’s relaxed attitude, Jeremiah asked, “So, you ready to be a dad of three?”
Percy waited until he was done chewing to speak. “I’m both excited and terrified,” he said. “Robin and I were just saying the other day—”
Percy’s phone suddenly vibrated on the counter, and he paused, peering at the screen. Jeremiah saw an email alert with Smith’s Sweets in the subject line. From the pinched look on Percy’s face, Jeremiah would guess that he hadn’t received good news.
“Another issue with the warehouse?” Jeremiah asked.
Percy glanced up. “No, this time it’s an issue at our new manufacturer. It’s been a headache and a half.” He dusted off his hands. “I have to make some calls. If I don’t see you before you leave, drive safe.”
“Yeah, you too.” Jeremiah tried not to show his disappointment over their positive conversation being cut short.
Percy left the kitchen, holding his phone to his ear as he headed for the stairs.
Pop had been adamant about keeping the company family operated.
Even though Jeremiah no longer worked for Smith’s Sweets, he was still part of the family.
Percy might not want Jeremiah’s help right now, but in the future maybe he would.
He grabbed Noelle’s flowers and walked outside.
On the back patio, Harper, Ashley, Zoe, and Ciara were practicing their dance routine.
Celeste, Robin, and Ciara and Zoe’s mom from next door, Mrs. Davis, were watching off to the side.
And Noelle was standing directly in front of the girls, clapping to help keep them on beat.
The girls attempted a move where they grabbed the hand of the person across from them to switch sides. But Ashley and Zoe crashed into each other. After that mistake, the girls struggled to finish strong. When the song ended, they shared matching expressions of frustration.
“Don’t look so disappointed!” Noelle said, pulling them in for a group hug. “That time was a lot better! Switching places is tricky, but we’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah, listen to Noelle,” Jeremiah said. “She knows what she’s talking about.”
Everyone turned to look at him as he walked closer. Noelle’s eyes drifted from his face to the flowers in his hand. A pink flush spread across her cheeks as she smiled. He wanted to take a picture of her smiling at him this way so that he’d able to look at it whenever he wanted.
“These are for you,” he said, handing her the bouquet.
Noelle accepted the bouquet, and the girls eagerly gathered around her, commenting on how pretty the flowers were.
“So romantic!” Ashley declared, standing on tiptoe to give the flowers a sniff.
“I want somebody to give me flowers,” Zoe pouted, folding her arms across her chest.
“Wait until you’re older,” Mrs. Davis said. “Until then, your dad and I will buy you flowers.”
Noelle looked up at Jeremiah. “These are just like the flowers from last night.”
He nodded. “You mentioned that you liked them. I asked the florist who worked the event to make an arrangement for you. Now you’ll have some for your kitchen table.”
Noelle’s eyes softened. She glanced at the bouquet and looked up at him again. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
Then, before he realized what was happening, Noelle placed her hand on his cheek, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him. The kiss was quick and light. Over within a millisecond. But Jeremiah felt rewired, nonetheless.