“Look at this place,” Birdie coos.
Silvie walks over and gives her a side hug. “Isn’t it gorgeous? I can’t wait to see it fully furnished.”
“It will be soon if I can decide on these barstools. When is everything else being delivered?”
I already made most of my selections over a month ago. Shipping to an island takes longer than most places.
“First delivery is tomorrow! It’ll be like Christmas morning every day for the next week.”
“Get the porch swing. How long will it take to get here?”
“Dayton! We do not need that porch swing to sell this house.”
“You don’t like it?” He pulls back to look at me.
“I love it, but it’s too much for a staging.”
“Get it,” he tells Janice. “And expedite the shipping.”
I roll my eyes, wondering what has gotten into him. After he had to front the cost to rebuild the deck and the outdoor kitchen from his own money, I feel guilty even picking out furniture.
I didn’t ask how much it cost. I know the sale will cover it, but it couldn’t have been cheap. He’s a successful businessman who hates spending money. When he told me not to worry about it because he had it covered, I figured he might have had to borrow it from a friend or withdraw a loan.
Truthfully, I hate even thinking about money. My mom never talked about it, and we always made ends meet. I don’t need much to be happy. This house is much nicer than anywhere I ever dreamed of living.
“After it sells, do you know where you’re gonna go, Sum?” Silvie asks.
All eyes turn to me. I interlace my fingers through Dayton’s. He squeezes them. We haven’t talked about the future, like, at all. We’ve been together nonstop the last three weeks, aside from a few nights when he had to fly to New York for a client meeting.
I know he’s sick of working out of the studio and that, realistically, his company is in New York. The branch in Miami is too small for him to be needed there permanently.
I almost needed to not discuss anything serious with him up until now, but with the house finally being done and my living situation up in the air, it’s time for us to talk aboutus.
“I’m not really sure, to be honest. I haven’t wanted to think about it. I thought about California. Savannah said I could live with her for a while. I didn’t expect to fall in love with Coconut Beach while I was here.”
Emotion rises in my throat at the words. Falling in love,period, wasn’t in my plan.
Yet here I am. Stupid in love.
Dayton’s warmth at my back and the gentle squeeze of my hand in his eases the tension in my shoulders.
Silvie’s eyes soften. January is grinning like a Cheshire cat who knows something I don’t. She always does. Cal glances at Dayton with a question in his eyes that I can’t interpret.
“You have time to figure it out,” Birdie says warmly.
“And lots of friends to support you while you navigate your next steps,” Silvie says.
I smile, nodding. She’s right. I’ve built some incredible friendships on this little island. Part of me can’t imagine flying all the way back to the West Coast.
Being here makes me feel closer to my mom and Russell.
Being here feels like home.
The sun is descending in the west as Dayton pours us each a glass of champagne. We’re up on the second story of the deck, where he just finished hanging the string lights. There’s no furniture up here, so he brought up our beach chairs.
I’m wearing a simple white linen dress that has a low back. After being here for almost a month straight, his skin has the same golden glow he always had in high school. The pale yellow button-down is showing off his chest.
He lifts his champagne glass to mine. “A toast, to finally finishing the house.”
