Page 43 of The Marine's Homecoming

By the time we've walked the whole topside and inspected the underneath, the tension in my shoulders has started to ease. Mrs. Reyes flips to the last page on her clipboard and signs with a quick scratch of her pen, then tears off the top copy.

She holds it out to me. “Pier Two is approved for full commercial and public use, Mr. Maddox. You’re back in business.”

I take the paper and fold it in half, starting to feel my chest well with excitement. Hannah will be thrilled to know the property is now safe for her festival, and just in time, too. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

She looks out over the water for a second, then back toward the marina buildings with their fresh paint. “The charter guys have been blowing up my phone for weeks—fishermen too. Once word spreads that the deep slips are open again, a lot of folks are going to get their hours back. This pier was dying on us. You brought it back to life.”

This place has been in my family a long time. Seeing it strong again feels like I finally did right by it. When Tom shifts and runs a hand over the top of his head, I get a feeling he's saying he's proud of me, the way my father would be.

"I sure hope so, Mrs. Reyes. I want this town to keep enjoying the water safely, and I hope you'll see I've tried to do just that." The paper in my hand flutters in the wind as she smiles softly.

Mrs. Reyes shakes my hand one more time, then Tom’s. “Keep it safe, especially with the festival coming. And try not to give me any extra paperwork before then, alright?”

“I’ll do my best,” I tell her, chuckling.

Tom and I watch her walk across the bridging back toward pier one and the parking lot, but it feels like I can finally breathe again.

"You did good, kid. Your daddy would be proud."

"Nah," I hum, knowing if it were up to me, we'd still be standing on rotting boards. I’m not as stubborn as the old man, but I’d have taken all summer and into the fall to do these fixes. I owe Hannah for that. "You did the hard work," I tell him, and then I turn to shake his hand. "And I owe all that to Ms. Hannah Brooks… who is probably going to be ecstatic to get this signoff. If you'll excuse me?"

"Get out of here," he says, nodding at me. "And tell her I say hello."

With a skip in my step, I hustle down to my truck and climb in. The entire drive across town, I'm positively buzzing with energy. Between the confidence I now have that we can take Dorsey down and my excitement over being able to tell Hannah the news, I can barely sit still. I speed a little and wind up making the ten-minute drive in under seven.

Hannah sits behind her desk in the city building when I walk in. I see her across the way, and the receptionist, familiar with our mutual business on the pier, waves me through. She looks up as I approach with the release paperwork in hand, and her eyes flash happy recognition.

"Luke," she says warmly. I still can't get used to that. To go from Hannah's resentful, bitter attitude to this welcoming reception feels mind boggling, but I'm not going to complain. I love this woman more than anything and there isn't anything I wouldn’t do for her.

She stands awkwardly, like she's not sure how to greet me now with everything going on between us. She doesn’t open up for a hug, but she also doesn't extend her hand for a handshake, so I thrust the paper out toward her instead, offering my good news to break the ice.

"What's this?" she asks, taking it from me and unfolding it carefully. Her eyes scan the page and I watch her face change as the words register. Her mouth drops open and she looks up at me with wide eyes. "Luke, is this what I think it is?"

"Pier two is officially approved for full commercial and public use," I say, and I can't help the grin spreading across my face again. "We're back in business, Hannah."

She groans and whimpers as she presses the paper to her chest. "Oh, my God. Do you know how long I've been waiting to hear that?" She looks down at the paper again like she needs to confirm it's real. "God, and just in time for the festival."

"I know," I say, rocking back on my heels. "Mrs. Reyes said the charter guys and the fishermen have been calling her nonstop. Once word gets out that pier two is open again, a lot of people are going to be really happy."

Hannah sets the paper on her desk and smooths it flat with both hands, reading it over one more time. Her eyes are glassy and she blinks a few times before she looks up at me again. "You did this," she says. I can tell she wants to move closer, but in thisoffice surrounded by people, it's probably a bad idea. The heat between us crackles like electricity.

"Tom did the heavy lifting," I say, deflecting, but I know what she means.

"Tom fixed the pier, Luke. You saved the marina." She rolls her eyes and shakes her head at me. "I'm proud of you."

I don't even know how to respond. All I can do is stand there like an idiot with my hands in my pockets while she stares at me with starry eyes. It's uncomfortable and wonderful at the same time. I shift my weight to my good leg because the bad one is starting to ache from all the walking today.

"Tom says hello, by the way," I manage, and she laughs. The awkward redirection of the conversation has her wiping her eyes and blinking hard. God, she's so beautiful when she smiles. I want to keep that smile on her face every day for the rest of her life.

"Tell him I said thank you," she says, coming around the desk. She stops a couple of feet away from me and crosses her arms. "I know I've given you a hard time about a lot of things, Luke. I know I haven't always been fair to you."

"Hannah, you don't have to?—"

"Let me say this." She holds up one hand and I shut my mouth. "When you came back to Bandon, I wanted you gone. I'm not proud of that, but it's true. And then all of this happened…" Her hand drops to her side and she looks down at the floor for a second before meeting my eyes again. "You did good."

My chest is tight and I can feel the heat crawling up my neck. I've spent years in this town feeling like I owed everyone something Icould never repay. Hannah's opinion is the only one I care about, and to hear her tell me I've done well gets me a little choked up.

"Well," I say, clearing my throat, "Father's Day is coming up and I wanted to make sure I'm doing right by my kid, you know?" I shrug, knowing deep down it's not just for the baby. It's for her too, but I can't just blurt out that I feel that way. I have to pace myself with her or risk scaring her off. I'm feeling it come closer, but I won't put any pressure on her.