by Bria Quinlan
“Wait, he’s back? I thought he was in New Hampshire.”
“He was, but that’s all of what, three, four hours? It’s not like it’s Idaho.”
Lyra pulled her apron off and tossed it at Skye as she passed. “Lock the door and put the sign up when you’re done. Vivian, stay away from the banana nut muffins.”
She had a man to win back.
28
Two more articles scheduled.
He was exhausted, but he needed to get ahead of the curve. He hadn’t expected to have to go live so soon, but obviously things changed. The group who bought his site wanted it ASAP. That meant he needed to have his new income and his promise to Lyra fulfilled with The Backyard Tourist as soon as possible.
If he could get the next two weeks in order, he could get back to focusing on his life and see if what he thought he and Lyra had was real.
He shook his head.
He knew how he felt. He’d thought it was too soon, that he could soft step into love. He was an idiot.
Of course, that had been decided upon and confirmed over and over again this month.
But, he didn’t know if she felt the same way. He was willing to risk it though, because she was the forever out on the horizon.
Nearly done with the next article, he jumped when the front door slammed open.
“Where is he?” Lyra’s voice demanded.
Noah mumbled something, which was obviously him selling Spence out because her tiny, rapid footsteps were coming his way.
Standing up, he faced the door, waiting for her, waiting for the anger and accusations again.
He was ready, ready to love her through all of that.
“You jerk.” Lyra came rushing in the room, all pink cheeks and bright freckles. “You absolute jerk. I’ve been brokenhearted in agony and you could have ended that. Could have told me that you were fixing it. That you weren’t a promise breaker.”
Spence wasn’t sure what to say.
He zoomed in on the one thing that mattered—brokenhearted.
She loved him, too.
“What are you grinning at, you lying promise keeper?” she demanded.
“That you love me.”
“So what if I did?”
“Do. You love me.” He rocked back on his heels, happy to be in her line of fire. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be so mad.”
“I’m really, really mad.”
“That’s okay, because I really, really love you, too.”
She sighed, a completely exasperated sound.
“Spence, you should have told me. You just left, walked out. I thought you weren’t coming back. Even when I thought I hated you, I needed you to come back. I needed to depend on that. People keep leaving and coming back or not coming back and I never know when or if.”
“I will always, always come back, Cupcake.”
“My family isn’t the best at promises.”
“So I’ve gathered. But I will be.” He came and took her in his arms. “But, Lyra, you have to fight for us, too. I left because I didn’t want to disrupt your job at the party. You made it bigger than it needed to be because you wouldn’t talk to me.”
“I hate talking.”
Spence laughed, “You absolutely do not hate talking. But, I’d rather do this right now.”
He leaned down, brushing his lips across hers as if for permission and felt his heart nearly explode with happiness when she sighed and leaned in to his kiss.
It was exactly what he’d always wanted.
Starlight Harbor was the place he lived.
Lyra was home.
Epilogue
Cam carried yet another box through Noah’s house to the back bedroom. For a guy who insisted he’d be traveling light, Spence had a lot of crap.
“Don’t put that there.” Vivian pointed back toward the hall. “It clearly says bathroom on it.”
“I can read. I just thought we could put all the boxes in one place and let Spence sort them when he wanted.”
“Yes. And if by ‘sort them’ you mean do the extra work of putting them in the right room, great.”
“Fine.” Cam picked the box back up. “We’re just going to move him in a few months anyway, when he and Lyra get their love life in line.”
She pointed at the box and then at the bathroom.
Fine. He’d carry the box up Mount Washington if she wanted.
Vivian was in rare form today. He was used to being on the receiving end of that temper, but today seemed especially bad.
It was like…a looking glass.
Both of them carrying boxes into a cute little house, unpacking it together, seeing what might have been.
She turned and caught him watching her, her shoulders stiffening as she pivoted and strode out of the house.
Vi could hold a grudge like no one else on Earth, but if there was one thing he’d learned from Spence winning Lyra over, it was this:
Even a Santa-hat-wearing idiot could win the love of his life back.
Cam grinned. It was time to get to the wooing.
Also by Bria Quinlan
STARLIGHT HARBOR Series
The Sweetest Things
Book 2 - Cam & Vivian’s Story
BREW HA HA Series
It’s In His Kiss (FREE Prequel)
The Last Single Girl
Worth the Fall
The Catching Kind
The Proposing Kind
Things That Shine - A Crossover Brew Ha Ha /Double Blind Story
Bria’s YA set RVHS Secrets
Secret Girlfriend
Secret Life
And YA Standalone
Wreckless
About Bria
Quirky Girl and all around lovable klutz, Bria Quinlan writes Diet-Coke-Snort-Worthy Rom Coms about what it's like to be a girl and deal with crap and still look for love.
She also writes books for teens that take hard topics and make you laugh through your tears…or maybe cry through your laughter. Some people call them issue books. Some people call them romantic comedies. Bria calls them what-life-looks-like.
Her stories remind you that life is an adventure not to be ignored.
If these things are important to you: she’s a RWA RITA, Golden Heart, & Cyblis nominee as well as a USA Today Best Seller, and natural blonde represented by the awesomely amazing Laird Lauren Macleod of the Clan…. Oh, wait. Of Strothman Agency.
Want to hangout? Check her out here:
briaquinlan.com/