Page 86 of Tell It To The Waves

“Record everything, Bodhi.” Her face is marred with worry now.

Kissing her lips and leaving her in bed, I hurriedly get dressed and meet my brother in the living room.

The ride to the end of the island is quiet, both Kai and I in our own heads, until I can feel his eyes on the side of my head. Looking over, he glances from the road to me. And we just look at each other.

“You didn’t have to take this shit all on your own, and that makes me mad at you.” I watch his hands squeeze the steering wheel.

“It was my doing. I shouldn’t have left it all on Mom, or at least had you come over with them. I knew Mom was so stressed and tired; I’m stupid,” I berate myself.

“Yeah, you are. But a hard lesson learned.” He cuts his eyes at me and smiles at me before stopping in front of their gate. Kai pushes the button and the gate opens.

We’re met at the door by Todd and Kate, both standing like they have a stick up their ass, as Kate holds on to a walker.

“Honey, if you’d let me and the guys go and have a chat.” Todd sweetly tells Kate, who narrows her eyes at him. “We have business to attend to.”

Kai grunts but covers it with a cough.

We follow Todd to his office, while Kate stays back.

Walking into it, it’s such a heavy feeling, and maybe that’s all the bad energy they hold from fucking people over.

Todd sits, but Kai and I stay standing, ready to get this all over with. “Here is a paper our lawyer drew up; it just needs your signature.” I drop the paper to the coffee table and watch it float down, landing perfectly.

He breathes in and exhales loudly, like this is such a huge thing for him to do. I cock my eyebrow. “Let’s get this over with.”

Looking at Kai, he stares daggers into Todd’s head.

“Also, where are the contracts?” Kai sneers at him.

Todd slides the now-signed paper that states only the Westmores have any and all access to their property and business. They don’t owe anything on it, and it’s fully theirs. To me, before opening up a folder, holding papers out. I snatch them, my mouth grimacing, “Leave people alone in Driftwood. We have your number now, and best believe we’ll be keeping an eye on you, Todd.” I snarl at him before opening the folder, looking through the papers and seeing it’s all there. “Because your little secret won’t be safe with me otherwise, daddy dearest.”

I jerk my chin to the door and Kai nods. Opening the office door, I smile at a standing Molly, whose eyebrows are knitted together from hearing what I told her father. “Got to love family secrets.” I spit to Molly. Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. “Maybe you three need to understand, you all are the unwelcome ones on Driftwood Bay.” I don’t give Molly a second look before walking by her. Smiling, knowing I’m finally done with this family.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

THREE WEEKS LATER

“Everything feels so normal; it's as though everything has fallen into the right place. But I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Today is the grand opening of Goose and Anchor, and if I said I wasn’t freaking out, that would be a lie. It also marks a decade since you’ve been gone,” I tell the waves, knowing they’ll take my words on their whitecaps and deliver them to my mom and now dad.

The sun had barely risen before I made my way down to the shore.

My toe drew on the sand, waiting for the swash to come and clear it away, a blank slate for a new drawing, just like Bohdi and I got. “I’m in love with Bohdi Westmore. I’ve been in love with him; it’s never changed, even all those years away, my heart and body yearned for him. I still feel like I’m putting distance between us, and I hate that. I want to be all in. I need to be all in.”

“I am all in.” Bohdi’s voice comes up from behind me, making me turn around. He’s standing about five feet away from me, just watching me.

Closing the gap between us, he steals my lips before finally freeing them. “Today’s the day.” He smiles at me, showing his straight teeth, before kissing the tip of my nose.

With one swift motion, I turn over the open sign on the bakery door, spinning around, taking in my new home away from home. Officially open for business.

It’s bright and airy, with coastal vibes that welcome both visitors and locals, incorporating Driftwood Bay perfectly.

Walking to the glass display case, I look at all the cookies and cupcakes I’ve made over the last few days. Ten different varieties of cookies and four flavors of cupcakes. I was scared to go overboard because of the what if’s that have been trying to plague me.

The door chimes announcing my first customer. Taking a deep breath, I turn around and stop when I see Bohdi standing at the entrance, holding a bundle of pink Beach Roses. My smile upturns my cheeks, making the tears in my eyes fall over the edge of my waterline.

“I’d like one cookie, please.” Bohdi strides to me.

Pursing my lips, I ask, “One?”