“You must be freezing.”
“I’m fine.”
“Liar.” He sidled past her, his scent tangling with her senses. Fresh citrus and warm spice. Unlocking the door, he shoved it open to let her inside. “I can hear your teeth chattering from here. Why didn’t you at least wait in your car?”
“I probably should have.” Juliette stepped into his house and warmth instantly engulfed her. Her cheeks were flushed from mortification, something she could easily blame on the cold weather. But waiting for him on the porch seemed to be more of a statement, if a foolish one.
He gestured to the living room, then turned on his heel, like he was heading for the kitchen. “Can I get you anything? Maybe some hot tea or hot cocoa?”
“Brock, wait.” She reached out and snatched his arm. She didn’t want him to go anywhere, because she worried if she got too comfortable, she’d lose her nerve. “I’m sorry for leaving you on the beach like that, but I had to talk to my mom.”
“I know.” He lifted his shoulders, like it was the easiest thing in the world to understand. “I talked to her too.”
“You did?” All the air Juliette had been holding tight in her lungs left her in a rush. She hadn’t thought Brock would approach Gigi, but knowing he did filled her with a kind of sentimental adoration, and pride bloomed in her chest.
“I went looking for you after you left the beach house. I thought you were leaving. For California.” He pushed a wave of auburn hair back from his face, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I figured Gigi’s was the last place I would try.”
His amber eyes softened, the gold of them melting, drawing her in. Holding her captive. “She apologized.”
Relief settled into Juliette’s frozen bones. Gradually, the pieces of her life were starting to fit together again. For so long she’d been determined to run away from everything, thinking she could make her own way while trying so hard to be someoneelse. All she ever wanted was to be enough, to pave the road to her destiny. But it had been rough and uneven, full of hurt and loneliness. It took coming back home, abandoning what she thought she wanted, and being hurt in more ways than one before she truly found herself.
Before she realized the depth of her own worth.
Before she accidentally fell in love again with the boy who broke her heart.
“Don’t leave. Don’t move to California. Stay here. With me.” Brock grabbed her hand, planting a kiss on each of her knuckles. “I love you, Jules. I don’t think I ever stopped loving you. It didn’t matter where I was or what I was doing, you were always there in the back of my mind, whispering my name.”
Juliette’s heart soared. She was featherlight. Dancing upon the air. “You love me?”
“Always.” He captured her face with both of his hands, and his palms, roughened by years of hard work, were gentle against her cheeks. He tilted her face up to him. “You’re enough, Jules. You were always enough.”
She’d been crazy to think she ever wanted anything more than this, more than him, more than their life together. She threw her arms around him just as his mouth came crashing upon hers. His lips were warm and soft. His arms were safe and secure. This was where she belonged. This was home.
Brock was home.
Mystic Cove was home.
“I love you, too,” she murmured against his lips, tangling her fingers in his hair.
Brock grinned. “For how long?”
Juliette leaned back and looked into the pair of amber eyes that had stolen her heart when she was a girl. Her smile was wide and real when she said, “Until forever.”
EPILOGUE
The wedding of the season went off without a hitch.
Rodrigo and Charity’s exclusive beach wedding was the talk of the D.C. elite. The beautiful weekend in June brought crystal-blue skies and turquoise waves. The air was warm and filled with the heady scent of roses, peonies, and freshly cut ferns. Gigi’s craftsmanship for the bouquets and centerpieces was exquisite, and Vivianne could hardly keep up with all the tagged photos on the shop’s social media accounts. Already, Coastal Vows had booked clear through the rest of the wedding season and into the upcoming fall.
Adrienne was in her element, ushering the bride and groom into the most serene positions with gorgeous backdrops. The beach was stunning on its own, but walking through Coastal Vows was like living, breathing magic. Juliette completely remodeled the interior with a focus on bringing the outdoors inside. Lush greens, soft blues and sandy tans blended beautifully with the bohemian furnishings, while the kitchen was fully outfitted with top-of-the-line appliances fit for a catering staff.
Once the reception was under way and the happy couple was cutting a seven-tiered cake, Juliette slipped out to the beach to meet Brock with a flute of champagne in each hand.
“Hey.” He accepted the champagne and kissed her soundly on the mouth. “What’s this for?”
“To the start of future happily ever afters.” She raised her glass and he softly clinked them together. “Cheers.”
“Cheers, indeed.”
