Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“You’re not kidding. Speaking of, let’s go check it out over at your place.”
I pay the bill, and we walk out of Lighthouse Pizza to our cars. “You okay to drive?”
“Since when has one beer rendered me incapacitated, especially after eating half a pizza?”
“Not since high school,” I reply with a laugh. It doesn’t take long for us to drive the short distance to my house. I pull into the garage, and Apollo parks behind me.
June’s truck is parked in front of the guesthouse.
“Looks like we’re crashing a party,” Apollo says with a grin, and we walk over to knock on the door.
A few moments later, Sarah answers. Her cheeks are flushed, and she’s smiling with so much joy, it takes my breath away.
“Hi, guys. Come on in.” She steps back and gestures for us to come inside. “We were just getting settled.”
“Meow.”
Petunia ribbons between my legs and purrs when I pick her up and scratch behind her ears.
“She likes you,” Sarah says with surprise.
“I’m a likable guy.”
“Ugh, why are you here?” June demands, glaring at Apollo.
“We heard there was a creep in the area and decided to check it out. Turns out, the rumor was true, because here you are,” Apollo says to June with a satisfied grin.
“You’re so fucking witty,” June says with a roll of the eyes.
“I know. Nice digs, Sarah.”
“Isn’t it awesome?” she gushes as she looks around the space with flushed cheeks. “It’s a little cramped with all of us in here, but as summer gets closer, I can use the back patio as entertaining space, too, so Luna isn’t always the one to host our fun dinners. And look, I have space for a studio!”
She shows us into the small nook that the last tenant used as an office, and I lean against the wall, watching as Sarah points out all of her ideas.
I love that she’s going to make art here.
“But the best part is, I can see the ocean from here. And it’s just a short walk down to the beach. I’ll probably walk down there every morning.”
“Thank you,” Luna says quietly beside me. “She’s stupidly happy.”
“She should always be happy.”
I feel Luna look up at me, so I meet her gaze.
“Does she know?” she asks.
“About what?”
“That you’re still in love with her?”
My eyes turn back to Sarah, who’s joking with June and Apollo. Her head is tossed back, and she’s laughing.
I want to kiss her neck.
“No. And she may not for a long while.”
“Oh, Tanner. Don’t be too patient, okay?” Luna pats my arm, and we all turn as Luna’s fiancé, Wolfe, walks through the door.
“I found you. Hey, this is cute. It suits you, Sarah.”
“Are you mad that I’m not waiting for the apartment above the garage to be done?” she asks and worries her bottom lip between her teeth nervously.
“It could be another year,” he says with a sigh. “You’d be crazy to wait. We’ll figure out something to do with it. Don’t worry. This is way better. Quieter. And closer to your job.”
“Exactly,” Sarah says, excited all over again. “Petunia already found a sunny spot on the living room rug, and it just feels right here, you know?”
Suddenly, she turns to me and presses her finger into my chest.
“You didn’t have to fill my fridge and leave cupcakes for me.”
“Maybe it was the cupcake faerie?” I feel my lips twitch as her gorgeous eyes narrow.
“Thank you. It was the sweetest, and they were delicious.”
“Hold up,” Apollo says. “You ate all the cupcakes already?”
“Of course, we did,” June replies with a satisfied Cheshire grin. “Too bad, so sad.”
“You’re mean,” Apollo says to her.
“You’re slower than I thought if you’re just now figuring that out.”
I want to brush the loose strand of blonde hair behind Sarah’s ear. I want to pull her to me and kiss her until she can’t remember her own name.
So, I take a step back and shove my hands in my pockets the way I always do when I’m around her, just to be safe.
“I’m glad you’re getting settled. I’m going to head out. Have a good evening.”
“We’re about to go, too,” Luna adds as I turn to the door. Once outside, I hear the door open and close, and footsteps sound on the driveway behind me.
“Tanner?”
I turn at Sarah’s sweet voice. “What’s up?”
“Thanks.” She boosts up on her toes and presses her lips to my cheek. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
Chapter Three
Sarah
“I’ll be back in just a little while.” I pat Petunia on the head, then scratch her under the chin before slipping my feet into flip-flops and pulling on a red windbreaker.
It’s chilly on the Oregon coast in the spring, but I still want to feel the sand under my feet as I walk.
It takes me less than a minute to walk down the steps by Tanner’s house to make it to the sand. Being near the water fills me with absolute joy as I slip out of the flip-flops and leave them at the bottom of the steps, then set off toward the surf.