“Zoe, I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe we can clear things up.” Mason and Gary strode up the desk.
“Gary, you’re back.” Lillian rushed from behind the desk, and Gary encircled her in an embrace. “I didn’t know you were coming back today.”
“Perks of a private jet.” He grinned. “I’m back. Back to stay.”
“But what about your job? The CEO position?”
“Lillian, you are my whole world. And I don’t really want my world split in two places. So, I’ve come up with a plan.” Gary turned to Mason. “But, for now, let’s let these two talk.”
Zoe stood staring at Mason. Mason. Back here on the island. Not anything she’d expected.
“Go ahead, son. Go talk to Zoe.”
“Hey, you.” Mason walked up and took her hand.
“Hi.” Her voice was barely over a whisper.
“Can we talk?”
She nodded and he led her outside to a corner of the deck where they were alone. She turned to face him, and he took both her hands in him.
“I missed you,” he said.
She’d missed him too. But seeing him like this, so soon, after she’d almost talked herself into believing she was getting used to him not being here…
He reached out and ran his fingers along her cheek. “I’ve missed your smile, your laugh, even your messy ways.”
A tentative, nervous laugh escaped her lips.
“Mostly, I missed just talking to you. Oh, and one more thing.” He gave her his world-famous impish grin, and his one dimple deepened. “I missed kissing you.”
He leaned in and kissed her. And again. Her world spun around as she kissed him back, clinging to him, hoping this wasn’t all a dream.
He finally pulled back. “So, the thing is, I care about you. A lot. And how can we figure us out if I’m a six-hour flight away? I’ll answer that. We can’t. So… I’m going to stay here in Florida. Dad and I made plans. We have good managers in Seattle and good teams in Chicago and Minneapolis. We’re national now on our projects, so we don’t really need to be headquartered in Seattle. It appears we now own the majority stock in the company again, so we made a decision. We’re going to run the company from Belle Island.”
Her mind was reeling. Mason and Gary were going to be here? On the island?
“So, you’ll only be a couple hours away and I can see you all the time.” He paused, then said, “Right?”
“No.” She looked at him and shook her head.
“No?” He frowned. “I thought… I’m sorry. I thought we were on the same page. That maybe you cared about me too.”
“I do care about you.”
“But then, why no?”
She reached out and touched his arm. “No, on the couple hours away.”
His brow creased. “What do you mean?”
“Well, some things have changed since you left.” She grinned. “I’ve moved back to the island.”
“You have?” He grabbed both her hands. “You mean… you mean we’re both going to be here on Belle Island?”
“Looks like it.”
“I can’t think of any better news.” He broke into a grin.
“Ah, but there is so much to tell you.”
“I’m all yours.”
That sure sounded nice. All hers. She kicked off her shoes. “Come on, let’s go for a walk on the beach.”
He took off his shoes, rolled up the legs of his slacks and they headed to the beach.
“So, what’s this you want to tell me?”
“Well first of all, will you be my date to Jay and Robin’s wedding next weekend?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Really? Well good for them.”
He took her hand in his while they crossed the warm sand and stood beside the water looking out as the waves rolled toward them. “You know, Zoe. This island is kind of a magical place.”
Contentment, intermingled with absolute happiness, washed through her as she leaned against him. “It really is, isn’t it?”
Chapter 31
Robin stood on the edge of the beach at Charming Inn. Okay, she’d taken two weeks, not just one, but the wedding was planned and everything was perfect. They’d kept the wedding small, just like she’d wanted. Just a handful of friends.
She stood at the end of the aisle with Sara on one side of her and Charlotte on the other. She nodded to them and they walked her down the aisle toward Jay.
The setting sun threw sunbeams dancing across the waves. Birds winged through the sky above them. A gentle breeze kept the evening at the perfect temperature.
Charlotte leaned over and kissed her cheek before letting go of her arm. “Go to him. It’s been five years. You two deserve your happiness.”
And she let go of her friends and walked into the arms of the man she loved.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
“You look…” She didn’t even know the word to describe it. Handsome. Perfect. Charming. Welcoming. That was it. He looked like home.
They turned to the minister and said their vows. Then before she knew it, the minister was saying they were married.
Married.
She and Jay were married.
He leaned over and kissed her. Slowly. Thoroughly. She should care that everyone was watching, but she didn’t. She circled her arms around his neck and clung to him.
“I love you, Jay.”
“Love you right back, Mrs. Turner. With everything I have, everything I am.”
And life fell into perfect place. She loved this man. With her whole heart. Her whole being. She’d found him. Her soulmate.
They finally had a few moments alone at the reception and stood at the edge of the deck with the stars dancing above them. Music drifted across the deck, mixing with the gentle breeze. Lanterns cast gentle light around them. She stood quietly with him, watching the waves.
“It was a perfect night.” She leaned against him.
“It was.”
“I was kind of surprised you didn’t show up in a t-shirt, though,” she teased.
He grinned. “Oh, but of course I did.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it apart.
There, underneath the light blue dress shirt,
