“I’m not. But Margo Burns always sets up a stand with her famous hot chocolate, and she adds all sorts of toppings, and that shit is addicting.” He motioned to the booth in the corner, and we followed him over there.
“I saw that the firehouse window was all decorated with pumpkins wearing fire helmets,” I said with a laugh, and he shook his head, a wide grin spreading across his face.
“Yeah, the rookies have to do the windows for the holidays, and they had a little too much fun doing it this year.” He paused when Margo clapped her hands together.
“You never could resist my hot chocolate, Phoenix. And Cutler is always nagging me to serve it earlier every year at thediner.” She winked at them. “Gracie, are you ready for the best hot chocolate you’ve ever had?”
“I sure am.” I moved closer to Cutler when a gust of wind blew past me, and his arm came around me like it was the most natural thing in the world. He rubbed my shoulders as Stanley filled the cups with cocoa, and then Margo added the whipped cream and sprinkles.
“They don’t make it this good in New York City,” Stanley said as he handed me a cup. “You know what they say about Blue Sky Bay, don’t you?”
“Tell me,” I said, wrapping my hands around the cup of warm cocoa.
“‘Once you give your heart to Blue Sky Bay, you never get it back.’” He smirked.
And I had a feeling he was right.
But Blue Sky Bay wasn’t the only one I’d given my heart to.
And I feared I’d never get it back.
Because I knew in my gut that it was exactly where it was supposed to be.
twenty-seven
. . .
Cutler
There wasthis looming cloud hanging over our heads, and I could tell it was weighing on Gracie.
We’d need to have the talk that neither of us wanted to have.
She was leaving in three days. We couldn’t avoid it anymore.
It felt like a cruel joke in some ways. Everything was so good right now. We were happy. And it was all going to come to an end.
We’d have to find our new normal, and I didn’t have a fucking clue what that would look like.
I rolled on my side, where she was snuggled up against me, sleeping soundly.
Long black lashes rested along the top of her cheek, and her plump pink lips were parted the slightest bit, her hands drawn together just beneath her chin. Her long hair was a wild mess of waves falling all over the white pillow.
She looked like a fucking angel.
I could look at her forever and it wouldn’t be long enough.
I wanted to memorize every single curve of her face so I’d never forget this moment.
Waking up with Gracie Reynolds in my bed was not something I took for granted.
I knew that I was the luckiest man in the world at the moment, but I also knew that it wasn’t forever.
And that was a tough pill to swallow.
To know in your gut that this was your person, that this was the other half of your soul—but to also know that you had to let her go.
You had to let her spread her wings and fly.
