SWNOVELS Chapter The Cinnamon Bun Book Store: Epilogue
Six months later
Hazel was lounging under the shade of the cabana. Even in the shade she was wearing her giant floppy hat and a long-sleeved shirt, because this sun was no joke. She was pretty sure she was burning anyway.
They were in Aruba and had been for nearly a week now. It was the longest vacation Hazel had ever taken in her entire life but Melinda had insisted she take two weeks when Hazel had asked for some time off.
‘You’ve earned it, darling!’ she’d said over the phone. ‘Of course you should take some time off.’
And so she had. Well, she had with lots of convincing from Noah and plenty of assurances from Alex that they had everything completely under control and promises from Annie and Jeanie to check in on the bookstore every few days and report back. Then she had dusted off the passport she’d used only once for a trip to Niagara Falls, packed her bags, and followed Noah for an island adventure.
After this week in Aruba they were headed to visit Noah’s new nephew, Michael, before they returned to Dream Harbor. Noah was so in love with the baby, this visit would already be his fifth since the little guy was born in March. And of course, Hazel loved to see Noah with a baby in his arms. It was nearly as sexy as him docking his boat in a storm.
But he deserved a break too after all the work he’d done on the vacation rentals. After an investment from his dad, the sale had gone through with the town. Noah had hired an architect, and a construction team and worked through the winter to get the houses ready for guests. He’d made a lot of progress but there was still plenty of work to be done.
Hazel loved the little row of tidy beach houses, but mostly she loved that Noah was proud of them.
She took a sip of her fruity drink, eyeing the iguana that had crept up next to her beach chair.
‘I don’t like it when they get so close.’ She tucked her legs up closer to her body while Noah tried to shoo the lizard from their cabana.
The little green monster just blinked at him, wildly unimpressed with his hand flapping.
Noah leaned back in his chair. ‘I don’t think he’s going to come any closer.’
Hazel huffed. ‘So, you only fight seagulls?’ she teased.
‘If that thing takes flight, I’ll be sure to spring into action.’
He was sprawled out in his beach chair, his tan chest on display. Hazel couldn’t help but reach out and trace his new tattoo, the little book over his heart with the letters HK+NB written inside.
Noah grabbed her hand and brought her fingers to his lips.
Hazel smiled. ‘This is my favorite vacation.’
Noah hummed a happy little sound. Hazel could feel it vibrate through his chest where her hand still lingered.
‘You know what would make a good story to tell when we get home?’ he asked, eyes still closed.
‘What?’ They had already complied quite a list: snorkeling over the top of the shipwreck that Hazel was sure housed a fleet of sharks and probably a few ghost pirates, eating their weight in shrimp, the fight Noah got in with that pelican, drinking more ‘happy punch’ than was advisable on their sailing trip. Not to mention all the stories they wouldn’t be telling anyone like the day they hadn’t left the room at all…
‘If we got married while we’re here.’
Wait. What?
‘Married?’ Hazel squeaked.
Even the iguana looked surprised.
Noah turned his head toward her, a mischievous grin on his face. ‘Yeah, married.’
‘Noah…’
‘Say you’ll be my wife, Haze.’
He squinted a little in the sun, creases forming next to his eyes. His hair glinted copper and gold, his smile competing for brightness. He was so beautiful her heart ached.
His wife.
‘It’ll be fun. I promise.’
‘Noah, I…’
He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the chair and took her hands in his. ‘And sometimes it won’t be fun. Sometimes it will be boring and sometimes you’ll be mad at me and sometimes I’ll be mad at you. But, Haze, it will be me and you. Forever. Do you want that?’
The mischievousness was gone now, the grin, the smirk, the casual playfulness Noah did so well. Now he was earnest and sweet and serious. He was good at those, too.
Did she want that?
Did she want him forever?
An adventure partner and a reading buddy.
‘Yes. Of course I do. Yes.’
Noah whooped loud enough to scare the iguana and several nearby sunbathers before he grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her hard and strong and real.
She was laughing and crying by the time he pulled away.
‘We’ll get a ring. Whatever you want,’ he was saying. ‘And I did all the paperwork, Haze. I got things apostilled, and I learned what that word meant, and we can get married right here on the beach, if you want.’
He still had her face in his hands and he brushed the tears from her cheeks. His eyes sparked with excitement and love and happiness.
And she knew her life with Noah would be filled with good stories. This one would be one of her favorites, for sure. The time she married her best friend on a tropical island and promised to love him forever.
It would be hard to beat, but they had a lifetime to try.