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I shift, uncomfortable. Then I sigh. “It was a job in Charleston. A top hospital—pediatrics and ortho. Great salary. Research options. A fast-track to management roles. It was the kind of offer I should’ve jumped at.”

Wes whistles. “That’s big.”

“Yeah,” I say. “And I was flattered. I was. I even flew down to meet with the department. Toured the hospital. Walked the halls. Talked with their director of surgery. It was impressive. State-of-the-art. Everyone seemed smart and competent. But…”

“But it didn’t feel right?” he asks.

I nod. “Exactly. The whole time I was there, I kept waiting to feel excited. Or at least proud. Like I was stepping into this next level of my career. But mostly, I just felt… lonely.”

Wes leans against the table, arms folded. “You never told anyone?”

“Not really. Abby knew. And Meg. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it until I made a decision. But even after they offered, I stalled. I told them I needed time to think, but really—I was looking for a reason to say no.”

I let out a breath and sit on the edge of a table. “I spent the first night in the hotel room just staring out the window. Wondering if I’d ever really feel settled there. Wondering if moving on meant letting go of everything that still feels unfinished here. And I realized—maybe I wasn’t running toward something better. Maybe I was just running away from the pain.”

His voice is quieter now. “From losing your dad. From me.”

Tears well, but I blink them back. “Yeah.”

“And now?”

I meet his gaze. “Now I want to stay. Not because it’s easier. But because I want to do hard things with the people I love. I want roots. I want peace. I want… possibility. And not in a sterile hospital miles from home, but here. With my people. With you.”

Wes’s throat moves like he’s trying to swallow a whole flood of emotions. “You have no idea what it means to hear that.”

I step forward. “It wasn’t just the job offer I turned down. It was the idea that I have to do this all alone. I don’t want to anymore.”

His voice is low, thick. “You don’t have to.”

We stand there, holding each other’s gaze like the truth is finally safe to say out loud. Maybe it’s not the perfect moment. But it’s honest. It’s real.

And even though there are still unanswered questions between us, it feels like a door finally cracked open.

She leans in and kisses me ever so softly. Something passes between us. A silent vow. A heartbeat shared.

Even if it started with a haunted jockstrap.

Chapter sixteen

Wes

Sunset Cove is quiet at dawn. Too quiet.

I walk the trail behind the youth center alone, coffee in hand, bundled in a hoodie that still smells faintly like the storage room cleaner. The same gear drive room where Quinn and I laughed like we hadn’t in years. Like maybe we’d both stopped bracing for the next heartbreak.

I should feel lighter today. Encouraged. Hopeful. But instead, I keep replaying her words.It wasn’t just the job offer I turned down. It was the idea that I have to do this all alone.

She’s choosing to stay. Choosing the hard stuff. Choosing this town.

But is she choosing me?

That’s the question that loops in my brain on repeat.

A seagull screeches above me, pulling my attention to the bay. A fishing boat motors slowly out to sea, leaving a rippling wake. It’s early. Cold. Still. And I’m filled with this familiar restlessness I can’t shake.

I promised her I wouldn’t leave again. And I meant it. But old habits die hard.

Especially when you’ve mastered the art of running.