I haul my duffel up the narrow stairs to my attic apartment, and drop my bag on the floor, strip off my jacket, and for a moment I just stand in the doorway, letting the quiet settle in. Sunlight beams in through the blinds as I run a hand through my curls and feel a steady hum of being exactly where I belong. For once, it feels good to come back to a place I’m starting to think of as home.
A few hours later, once I’ve unpacked and tossed in a quick load of laundry, I take the steps back down two at a time only to find Gabriel, coach of the Saltwater Shredders, standing in the middle of my shop. He’s the kind of man who manages to look like he just stepped off a surf break and into a boardroom—flawless and powerful.
“Welcome back from Hawaii,” I say, walking up to him with my hand outstretched.
He looks up from the board he was examining, and flashes me a grin as he puts it back and shakes my hand. “Thanks. We got back two days ago. And—” he lets go and claps his hands together, “I have a job for you.”
“A job?”
He nods. “We’re creating an official beta team. Saltwater Shredders 2.0. We want a roster of boards custom-shaped to each surfer. This’ll be detailed work, at least a two-year commitment, full-time shaping and collaborating with the riders. Are you in?”
Two years.
Every part of me wants to scream yes. It’s a dream opportunity, one that excites me straight to my core. But right before I give him an answer, I remember that it’s not just me anymore. Me and Maisy are a team now, and I need to know that she’d be okay with the fact that I’d be here for at least another two years, if not longer.
“Can I think on it?”
Gabriel studies me like he’s weighing the man I was against the man I’ve become over the last month.
“Let me guess,” he says, voice threaded with amusement. “You met someone back in Bluewater Bluffs?”
I laugh and rub the back of my neck. “Something like that.”
At that exact moment the front door swings open and my whole world shifts on its axis as Maisy steps in, reducing everything to a single, searing focus: her.
“You’re here,” I say in disbelief, standing up straighter now.
She nods, a huge grin spreading on her face. “I’m here.”
She closes the distance between us in two long strides and the room collapses into the soft, slow orbit we always fall into.I pull her into me, and she fits against my chest like a missing piece.
“I thought you were going to take some time to make sure this is what you want,” I mumble into her hair.
She laughs against me. “I don’t need time, Sterling. Thisiswhat I want.”
Gabriel clears his throat with a courteous cough, breaking the moment.
“I’m Gabriel, coach for the Shredders.” He holds out a hand and Maisy shakes it without missing a beat. “I actually saw you in the last Olympics. Impressive stuff. Shame to hear that you quit after the accident.”
She flushes, awkward and deflecting. “It wasn’t—I don’t think I could’ve kept up that pace after the accident.”
Gabriel’s grin is soft. “Let me know if you ever want to give surfing a try. You’ve got the frame of a competitor.”
He winks at her, and then he turns back to me. “Think about the job. I want you, Sterling. We’ll need your answer soon.”
When the door shuts behind him and the shop settles, Maisy turns to look at me curiously. “He asked me to take on a huge job with a secondary team he’s putting together.”
“Sterling, that’s amazing! You have to say yes. It’s what you love doing.” I force a small smile, and she frowns as she studies me. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s a two-year commitment. I just want to be sure you’re okay doing this long-distance thing for that long of a time.”
She laughs quietly, as she presses her hands to my chest, eyes bright. “Well, I guess that just means we’ll be in Saltwater Springs for the next two years.”
“We?” I echo.
She nods as her lips tug up on one side. “I’m moving here. I’ll always be able to drive back to Bluewater Bluffs whenever I misshome. I can always visit my family. But I want to try this new life. Here. With you.”
I sweep her up without thinking, spin her in a circle, and kiss her, pouring all of my love into it. She laughs against my mouth, breathless, and then rests her forehead to mine, hands tucked into the back of my shirt as she strokes my neck.
