I huffed out a chuckle. “Why am I not surprised you hate lawyers?”
He shrugged. “My live-and-let-live personality?” He flashed his white teeth and waggled his eyebrows, making me laugh in earnest.
“That might have something to do with it.”
“What can I say? I value my freedom.” His gaze returned to the ocean as if pulled there by magnets. “I love the ocean. Its vastness. Its endless possibilities. So much to experience and explore. No boundaries. Just a horizon full of promise.”
“You don’t want to be tied down by anything.”
“No, I don’t. I’ll always be there for my family—that will never change—but aside from them? I want to live by my own rules, not someone else’s expectations. Or commentary.” He said the last word dryly and rolled his eyes, evoking another huff of laughter. “I want to take off at a moment’s notice on a new adventure, experience a new challenge. I want to ride the wave of life without worrying about other people wiping out.”
“No one is that free. What you’re describing sounds like a dream.”
He gave me a sidelong glance, his features contorting like I spoke a language he didn’t comprehend.
The corner of my mouth climbed at his reaction; he really didn’t understand. “You have to live somewhere. Eat. Sleep. Provide for yourself. Which means you have to have a job.”
“Sure, but nothing’s permanent. You can always find a path to more freedom.”
“That’s very idealistic of you.”
“I’m an idealistic guy. It’s been true so far in my life, and I’ve been on this wild ride for forty-five years. But back to you…”
He held his glass to his lips and stared at me with intent under raised eyebrows until I took the hint and drank with him. The buttery California vintage was delicious, hardly a burden.
“If you’re done with all the paperwork and lawyers, why are you still here? Aren’t you eager to get back to Charleston?”
“Hm,” I grunted and stared into my wine. “You’d think that.” I swirled the golden goodness in my glass, brought it under my nose, and inhaled its delicious aroma. I regarded Elias, his curious eyes waiting for my reply. “No.” I shook my head. “I’m not eager to get back.”
“What about your studio?”
“You were right the other day—what you said about me being the reason it runs so smoothly. I made that happen, and I’m proud of that. But aside from teacher training, Candace can run the studio herself. And it’s time I let her.
“It’s time for me to move on from my past, and my past is in Charleston. I need to start something new. I need to start over.” I averted my eyes to the wine, unable to hold Elias’s penetrating stare while I vocalized the plans I’d only solidified that morning. “I want to expand Yoga Star. I want to open a studio here in Hilton Head. I want to move back to the island.”
The words rolled off my tongue far easier than I’d thought possible. They tasted right as they passed my lips, natural, as if the universe yearned to hear them. And in that moment, I knew that’s what my soul craved—to stay here and build a new life.
The waves punctuated the silence. I looked up, and Elias’s eyes moved through a slow blink, his mouth slightly agape. He closed his lips into a set line and swallowed.
Chapter Ten
ELIAS
Her grey eyes caught the moonlight, staring at me expectantly, a nervous hopefulness apparent in the twitch of her mouth. A cacophony of thoughts swirled through my brain, and the thing that had been beating against my chest for weeks redoubled its efforts. I gulped my wine, trying to pull myself together.
“You’re surprised,” she said, a shy observation, hesitant with fear of judgment or need for encouragement, it was hard to tell. I was too preoccupied by what it might mean if she stayed. My heart rate ticked up at the idea.
“I’m sorry. You caught me off guard. I was surprised, but not in a bad way. Expanding your business is a fantastic idea. And you already have a house.” The words sounded placating even to my own ears, and I hoped she didn’t pick up on my sudden unease.
“Thanks.” She beamed, her face alight with pride and hope, making her even more beautiful in the moonlight.
I exhaled, the confusion in my head falling away at the sight of her radiant smile. “You’re so beautiful, Lena.”
She lowered her eyes and tucked hair behind her ear.
She’d done that before, anytime she felt embarrassed or moments became too intimate. But I wanted her to acknowledge the truth. I took her chin between my forefinger and thumb, and tilted her head until she met my eyes. “Especially when you do that.”
“Do what?”
