by Kay Correll
But it was Sara’s decision to make. No one could make those hard decisions in life for you. Sometimes the fates decided to force you into making the tough choices.
Like when she’d taken custody of Sara all those years ago. Oh, she hadn’t really had a choice—there was no one else. But she’d been so frightened of that little girl with the wide eyes filled with tears.
But they’d made a good life for themselves. A duo against the world. It had taken time, but Sara had finally lost the haunted look in her eyes. She’d made friends with Robin and Charlotte, and the three of them had filled The Nest with laughter.
She pushed off of her chair, steadying herself before she took a step, and walked over to the railing, looking out at the sea.
The salty air refreshed her, invigorated her. The island was in her very bones. She smiled then at the thought. Maybe the island in her bones would get to speeding up the healing of her fracture and life could get back to the way it was.
Sara got smaller and smaller in the distance. There was nothing she could do at this point to help her niece. She’d suggested Sara think about what she really wanted out of life. No one but Sara could make that decision.
She clasped the railing. Who knew that raising a child was this hard? Even after the child became an adult.
Sara hadn’t gotten halfway to the lighthouse before she knew what she wanted. She was certain. More certain than she’d been about anything in a very long time. She crossed over to a stand of palm trees, out of the wind. She slipped her phone out of her pocket and called Diane.
“Yes?”
“Diane, it’s Sara.”
“Calling to say you’re coming back sooner, I hope?”
“No, actually… I’m calling to say I’m turning down your offer of partner. And I’ll be sending in a letter of resignation.”
“You’re what?” Diane’s crisp voice cut through the airways.
“I’ve decided that I’m going to stay here on the island.”
“But you’ve worked for years for this position.”
“I have. But… things change. What I want from life has changed. I don’t want my whole life to be about work. I have family here. Friends here.” And someone she loved here. Loved very much. She just needed to go find him and tell him.
“Are you certain? Chances like this don’t come along every day.”
“I’m certain. Oh, and another thing. I got you the Coastal Furniture account.”
“What?” It was hard to miss the surprise in Diane’s voice.
“Windsor was here at my aunt’s inn. I pitched my idea, and he loved it. I’ll have him contact you and you can work out the details with him.”
“That’s… wonderful. You did a great job. Thank you.” Diane paused. “We’re going to miss you here.”
“Thank you.” She wasn’t going to miss the long hours. Nor the crazy demands. Nor the traffic.
She would have night skies filled with stars, salty air, walks on the beach, Aunt Lil, her friends… and if everything worked out, she’d have Noah back in her life again.
“I’ll send in my official resignation. Bye, Diane.” She put her phone back in her pocket and raced down toward the water, whirling in a crazy circle. She hurried up the beach and touched the wind-beaten stone on the lighthouse. “Hello, old friend. Looks like I’ll be coming to visit you more often.”
She wandered down to the edge of the water, letting the waves lap over her feet and slip back into the sea.
A light purple shell tumbled in the water and stopped by her feet when the next wave rolled away. She reached down and picked it up. She rubbed it with her fingers and smiled.
She closed her eyes and made her wish. With all her hopes and possibilities stretching before her, she tossed the shell out into the water.
Chapter 29
Noah saw Sara standing alone out on the point, watching the sunset. “Hey, Cooper, this isn’t good. I told her I had a thing tonight.”
Coop looked up at him.
“We should just turn around before she sees us.”
Coop looked down the beach and then back at him. Then he took off at a dead run, racing toward Sara.
“Great, just great.” He whistled, but Coop ignored him. With a sigh, he jogged after the dog. The very disobedient dog. Maybe he should take him to obedience classes…
Well, he could tell her about his new job…
Sara had dropped to her knees, her arms wrapped around Cooper. She smiled up at him when he got close. Not too close. He carefully kept his distance.
“Hey, there. Cooper needed a walk.” As if to explain why he was so very, very busy tonight and couldn’t come see her.
She stood. “I have news.”
“You already told me, remember? And now I have news.”
She tilted her head. “You do?”
“Yes, so I’ll go first.” He raked his hand through his hair. “I’ve taken a new job. I’m leaving Belle Island and moving close to Zoe. It’s a great job. More responsibility. More money. It was time for a change.”
A look of surprise crossed her face. “You’re leaving Belle Island?”
“I am. Zoe wants me nearer and… well, I’d do anything for her. It will be nice to be closer and see her more often. I miss her.”
“That sounds like it will work out for both of you then.”
Noah got the feeling that she wasn’t that thrilled for him. But maybe it just didn’t matter to her where he lived. “So, that’s my news. What’s yours?”
“Oh…” She turned and looked out at the sea. “My news.” She turned back to him with a small smile. “My news. Um, oh, it’s not really my news. It’s more Robin’s news. She took a job working as a manager at the inn.”
“That will make it easier for you to leave, I bet. Knowing Robin’s here helping with the inn.”
“Yes. Easier to leave.” She reached down and petted Cooper. “I’ve got to get back. I’m meeting Robin and Char for a drink on the deck. I’ll let you finish your walk.”
He nodded.
She gave him one more long look and he just couldn’t get a read on it. She turned and walked away. She looked sad, maybe. Disappointed? Maybe she hoped to see him some when she came back to visit her aunt. But he wasn’t much interested in some superficial long-distance relationship. Besides, he knew that once she got back to Boston and threw herself into being partner, her trips back to the island would be few and far between.
“Come on, Coop.” He headed in the opposite direction of the inn and didn’t turn back even once to watch her walk away.
“Seriously, Sara. You are so stubborn sometimes.” Robin glared at her in the low light from the solar lantern on the deck.
“Robin’s right. You are.” Charlotte nodded. “You should have told him how you felt. That you turned down the promotion and you’re staying.”
“I couldn’t. He’s moving, and he wants to be closer to his niece. She’s what’s important to him. His number one responsibility.” Sara took a sip of her wine. “And he sounded excited about a new challenge with the new job, and it’s more money.”
“But if he knew how you felt—”
She lifted her hand to cut off Robin. “No, he wants to be near Zoe. He takes his responsibility for her very seriously. She’s his family. I’m not going to throw any complications into his decisions.”
“You’re making a mistake.” Charlotte shook her head.
“I’m not. I’m giving him the freedom to move and not worry about how I feel. I don’t want to become another of his responsibilities or have him feel guilty about moving. Besides, he’s never said a word to me about his feelings.” She looked at Robin, then Charlotte. “And neither of you say a word to him about me staying either. He doesn’t need to know.”
“Mistake, Sara. Really big.” Robin stretched her hands out in front of her.
“But it’s mine to make.” She took a sip of her wine and looked out at the gulf. Sadness wrapped around her. She was hap
py she was staying and still believed she’d made the right decision to turn down the promotion to partner. That life in Boston just didn’t appeal to her anymore.
She’d find work here and be near to help Aunt Lil.
“At least the three of us will all be together again.” Charlotte raised her glass.
They clinked glasses.
“To the three of us together again.” Sara smiled at her friends, but the sadness still lingered at the edge of her mind.
Chapter 30
Noah got back from his morning walk with Cooper to find Zoe sitting on his front step. “Zoe, what are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you.”
“Is something wrong?”
“I could ask the same thing.”
He dropped to the step beside her. “Why do you say that?”
“First off, since when do you make a snap decision to take a new job? My real uncle would have called me, discussed it, the pros and cons. Like I did when I took my job.”
“But—”
“And you didn’t sound excited when you called to tell me you took the job. Something’s not right. You know you can’t hide things from me. You can’t even keep secrets about presents you buy me.”
He smiled. Too true. Christmases were hard, trying to keep surprises from her.
“So, why don’t you talk to me and tell me what’s going on?”
“I thought you’d be excited that we’d be near each other again.”
“I am. I miss that. But I don’t want you taking a job close to me thinking you still need to take care of me.”
“But I thought you wanted me closer.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Sometimes you are just so… You should do what you want. Stay here if it makes you happy. I just thought you were so lonely without me here. I felt guilty for leaving you. So I thought maybe you wanted to move closer and then I could… I don’t know… take care of you for a change.”
“But I thought—”
“You don’t really want to leave the island, do you?”
He sighed. “Not really.”
“You love your job at the community center and all the people there.”
“But you’re not here.”
“I’m not far. And one more thing.” She narrowed her eyes. “Lisa said that you’re dating someone. Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“How did she know?”
“Uncle Noah, duh. Small town. And Lisa knows everything. She ran into Tally who mentioned it. You’re dating Lil’s niece, Sara.”
He grinned. “Well, I kind of was. She was a woman I dated back in Boston before…”
“Before Mom and Dad died and you came to take care of me? And I take it she wasn’t interested in dating an insta-dad?”
“No, actually, she didn’t know why I left. A mix-up with communication.”
“And now she’s here on the island?”
“But she’s leaving. Headed back to Boston for a big new promotion. She made partner in the ad firm I used to work for.”
“But you care about her still. I can see that.”
He laughed. “You have always been able to read me like a book.”
“Came in handy when I was trying to get my way growing up.” She grinned. “But… have you told her how you feel? You’re not very big on expressing your feelings, you know.”
“No, I didn’t tell her. She’s worked her whole career to get to this partner position. I didn’t want to complicate things.”
Zoe rolled her eyes again. “Men. Sometimes I think you’re a separate species. Why don’t you tell her how you feel? Let her make her own decisions?”
“I—” He looked at Cooper staring him, wagging his tail as if agreeing with Zoe. He turned to Zoe. “How’d you get so smart?”
“I had a fabulous uncle who did a great job raising me.”
“I love you, Zoe.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Love you, too.” Zoe stood. “Now I’m taking Cooper and we’re going to go find Lisa and you’re going to go find Sara.”
He jumped up. “I am.”
He watched Zoe and Cooper walk away and pulled out his phone. He called Sara, but she didn’t answer. He left a message that he needed to see her.
Then he sent a text message.
Then he called Robin and told her he was looking for Sara.
But just to be certain, he also sent an email to Sara for good measure.
There would not be any lost messages this time.
Chapter 31
Sara stood by the lighthouse trying to dispel the overwhelming sadness. It was silly, really. She was going to stay on the island. The island she loved. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it until this longer trip home. The island was part of her.
So why couldn’t she shake the melancholy?
“I thought I might find you here.”
Sara turned around at the sound of Noah’s voice. Her heart skipped a beat and her pulse quickened.
“You said you always come to the lighthouse when you’re thinking about things.”
She nodded. “I—I do.”
“I left you a message that I wanted to talk to you.”
“I didn’t bring my phone…”
“I also texted you, sent an email, and left a message with Robin.”
She laughed. “I’m sure I would have gotten at least one of those.”
“It was important that I see you, and I was taking no chances with lost messages this time.”
She looked up into his eyes, uncertain of what was left for him to say. Different paths. Life was always leading them down different paths. She shrugged. “Well, I’m here, what did you want?”
“Sara Wren…” He reached out and took her hands in his.
Instant electricity surged through her, and she grasped his hands in spite of her best intentions to keep her distance.
He paused and looked into her eyes and quite possibly into her soul. “I have fallen in love with you, Sara. Again. Or maybe I never fell out of love. I should have told you how I felt all those years ago, but I never got up the nerve. And now I know my timing is terrible because you’re leaving for Boston. But I just had to let you know how I feel.”
“Noah, I—”
“Let me finish.” He lightly touched her lips, then brushed a wayward wisp of hair out of her eyes. “I know it will be hard to do this long-distance, but I’d really like to give it a try.”
She looked at him, her pulse racing like the waves rushing the shore. “But I don’t want a long-distance relationship.” The crestfallen look on his face made her hurry to continue. “Because, you see, I ended up turning down the partnership. I’m staying on Belle Island.”
He grabbed her and swung her around, her feet flying, her arms wrapped around his neck. “That is the best news I think I’ve ever heard,” he finally said when he set her down.
“And one more thing.” She looked up at him, her heart pounding and the lingering sadness swept firmly out to sea.
“What’s that?”
“I love you, too, Noah McNeil.”
He broke into a wide grin and kissed her again. When he finally pulled away, she asked him, “So… what was that wish you made at Lighthouse Point that first time we were here?”
He dipped his head, then looked at her with an impish grin. “I wished for a kiss from you.”
“Ah, I think we can make that wish come true.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him and he deepened the kiss. Then he broke away and swung her around again.
“I love you, Sara Wren. You’ve made me the happiest man on the island.”
Sara and Noah walked back to the inn, hand in hand. As they climbed the stairs to the inn, Sara spotted a group of people sitting at the end of the long deck. Aunt Lil, Robin and Charlotte, Jay, and a young woman she believed was Zoe. She waved.
“Look, everyone’s here. Let’s go tell them the news.”
They walked over to the group. Au
nt Lil smiled knowingly. Robin and Charlotte had self-satisfied looks on their faces.
“Sara, I’d like you to meet Zoe.” Noah reached out a hand and the young woman came and took it.
“I’m glad to see Uncle Noah went and found you.” She looked at him and back to Sara. “And did the two of you have a nice talk?”
Noah laughed. “Yes, we did. And I told her I loved her.”
“About time the two of you realized it.” Aunt Lil bobbed her head.
“So I guess this means you’re turning down the job by me and you’re staying on the island? Because I just heard Sara is staying.”
Noah laughed. A sound that brought such joy to her. Noah’s laugh.
“Yes, I’m staying here.”
“Perfect.” Zoe grinned and hip-checked Noah. “Now you can be someone else’s problem.” But the adoration for her uncle was evident in her eyes.
“Oh, here’s your phone.” Robin handed it to her. “There seems to be a lot of messages. Oh, and I have a message from Noah. He’s looking for you.” Robin grinned.
She laughed when she took the phone. It rang as she took it, and she glanced at the screen. “It’s Diane.”
“Answer it and tell her you’re still sure with your decision,” Robin suggested.
“Hello?” She listened to Diane talk while everyone watched her. “Okay, give me some time. I’ll think about it.” She clicked off the phone.
“You’re not changing your mind, are you?” Charlotte’s forehead creased in a frown.
“She offered me consulting work. It seems that Windsor doesn’t want to work with Terrence or anyone but me for the Coastal Furniture promotion. I’d work from here and just freelance for her for this client.”
“There you have it. Your first gig. You can start your own company right here on the island. Oh, and we expect a discounted rate on a new ad campaign for the inn.” Robin grinned. “And as manager of the inn, I’m thinking of grabbing a round of mimosas for everyone to celebrate all the good news.”