My mother reaches over to grab my shirt and pull me into a hug. She cries into my shoulder, and I have to say that I haven’t cried in my mother’s arms since I was a baby. But I do, and she’s there for me. Holy shit—I had no idea how much I still needed my mom.
After an embarrassing amount of time, my mother draws a tissue pack from her purse and hands me one as she dots her cheeks. I wipe away my tears and shove the tissue in my back pocket.
“Now,” she says, straightening up. “Any chance you want to come to California, or…” She glances over at the yacht.
“I don’t think so,” I tell her, smiling. “I’m going to stay here for a while. Help them rebuild the Surf Shack.”
“I figured,” she says with a grin. “She’s lovely, by the way. Noa? She’s quite lovely.”
“I know,” I tell her.
My mother takes a look around, and then motions to the boat. “I’m drawing up papers as we speak,” she says. “I’ll be sure this is in your name immediately.”
“Thank you,” I say. I’m a little stunned. I just got a yacht.
My mother starts back down the dock toward the resort, but halfway there, she turns around to look me over one more time. “This place suits you, you know,” she calls out to me. “I think you’ll be happy here.”
We watch each other a moment, both of us realizing this is goodbye. Nothing will ever be the same. I’m an adult now—I’m never really coming home again.
I hold up my hand in a wave, and she does the same before heading back to the resort.
I wait a long moment, not sure how to feel, but when I turn around and see the yacht, a smile creeps over my lips. I just got a fucking yacht.
“Noa!” I shout, breathless, and start moving back toward the boat. “Noa!”
She appears on the deck near the ladder, her brows drawn as worry cuts across her features. “What?” she asks. “What happened?”
But then she sees me, the wide grin on my face, and her panic melts into a smile. “What?” she asks again, like she doesn’t dare hope it’s something awesome.
I leap onto the deck and sweep her into my arms, swinging her around and making her laugh. The sound is sharp and bright, like fuckingsunshine, and when I set her down again, I can’t stop looking at her.
She’s everything. The chaos and the calm. My peaceful place.
“I’m not leaving Cape Hope,” I tell her, my voice suddenly heavy with everything I can’t put into words.
Her eyes study mine, this last flash of hesitance. Last hint of protection. “For good?” she asks. “Like,for good.”
“Forever,” I whisper. Then lower, truer, “Also… I think you should know that I’m stupidly and fully in love with you. The reckless sort,” I add with a shrug. “The kind that will let you get away with anything.”
“Like stealing your boat?” she asks with a smile, although there are happy tears in her eyes.
“Oh?” I say, pretending to be confused. “Don’t you meanmy yacht?”
Her mouth falls open, and she pushes me backward. “Seriously?” she asks. Then louder, “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
She rushes to hug me again, the two of us laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.
After a moment, Noa sighs, lacing her fingers behind my neck as she gazes up at me. The green in her eyes catching the sun, soft brown freckles dotting her skin.
“Jamie,” she murmurs. “I am also stupidly and fully in love with you. And more than anything”—a soft smile sneaks across her lips—“I just really want you to kiss me right now.”
I hum out that it’s a good idea, and lean in and do just that.
I kiss her completely and with my whole body, one arm around her waist and my palm on her cheek, keeping her close. My tongue against hers, her fingers in my hair, tiny gasps between each kiss. Each touch consuming.
Like it can never be enough to make up for lost time.
