“Sofia! Get your ass here and give me a hug!”
She laughs and walks in with Danger, who sniffs the floor with great interest.
The chip shop owner, a massive alpha named Harry Turner, is one of Franco’s best friends, so I don’t get my back up over his overly friendly greeting. Everyone in town is one degree of separation in Sunshine Cove. He was probably there helping to celebrate her arrival into the world.
“How have you been? When I heard you were back, I couldn’t believe it. What was the city like?”
She wrinkles her nose. “Busy. Dirty. Loud.”
“Sounds like a hell I don’t want.” He laughs and goes back behind the counter. “All right, you two wait there. I’ll get it for you.”
“I’ll-” I step forward but stop abruptly.
I’m cut off by the fierce glare Harry sends me.
“You let me get your food ready. Go sit down, and don’t you dare pull out that wallet or I will ban you for the rest of your life.”
“Does anyone get paid in this town?” Sofia murmurs.
“Watch out for Sully; he’s been sighted around,” Harry says.
“Damn it!” I mutter. “That accursed bird.”
Sofia stares up at me.
“What?”
“You’re really part of Sunshine now. You drank the water and turned into one of them, like, properly. This is your home.”
I give her a lopsided grin. “Wasn’t I always?”
“I don’t know; I always thought you were more like me, ready to get out, spread your wings, fly.”
“Sofia, the only place I ever wanted to fly, pointed straight at you.”
Her gasp is soft, but I look away, giving her a moment to get used to that idea.
“Lunch is up. Now scram, I want to get home and see Peta for an hour before my shift tonight.”
“Thanks, Harry.”
Sofia blows him a kiss as I lead her and Danger out. We head down to the beach, sit down in the sand, and I rip open the top of the paper-wrapped chips and turn to her. Danger curls up on the sand and closes his eyes, exhausted.
“Do you remember the last time we sat like this?”
She sighs heavily but smiles. “Yeah.”
“You buried your toes in the sand, wrapped your arms around your knees, and then asked me to go out with you.”
“I remember.”
“I was so happy, I thought I was going to die,” I say, leaning back and casually eating a chip.
She shakes her head, tossing that auburn hair. Her lips are pink. She’s got the faintest spray of freckles that you can only see if you look closely. The green flecks in her brown eyes are brighter today.
Instead of saying anything else, I hold the steaming parcel out to her and watch as she takes a chip.
“You said yes,” she murmurs.
