Page 26 of Broken Hearts (Hibiscus Hearts #1)

Sage wanders over with what I can only assume is her mom because while she might have Mitch’s eyes and a lot of his mannerisms, there are parts of her that clearly come from this woman.

“Nate, this is my mom, Angie,”

Sage says, her arm linked through her mom’s. “Mom, this is Nate. He runs Dad’s shop.”

“I just work there,”

I correct, holding out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs…”

“Angie,”

her mom says, smiling as she shakes my hand.

“Sorry for your loss,”

I add, giving her a quick nod.

“You too,”

she says quietly, just as people start to arrive on the beach.

Tanner is quick to walk over to us, pulling me into a tight embrace as he slaps me on the back. I know today isn’t just hard for Sage or me or Alana, but for so many people, Tanner included. He and Mitch were friends for decades and I don’t think I ever saw a day when they didn’t hang out or at the very least speak to each other.

“You okay?”

he asks, his voice gruff as he pulls back.

I shrug, even as I answer, “Yeah.”

Tanner nods at me before turning to Sage and her mom, surprising us both when he goes straight to Angie and embraces her. I don’t hear what he says to her as Sage and I exchange a surprised glance before Tanner now engulfs her in a hug.

“Dude,”

Kai says, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

“Hey,”

I reply, tipping my head at his brother Miles, standing beside him.

Alana, Daisy and Sloane are the next to arrive, followed quickly by Owen, Malo and Matt, Eddie and a whole bunch of other people. I don’t miss the way Owen sidles up to stand beside Sloane or the pained look Miles gives Daisy that I’m sure he thinks no one else notices.

Before long, it feels like the whole island is here, which given how many people knew and loved Mitch, isn’t surprising. Even the kids we gave lessons to are here, along with their parents.

“We should start,”

Tanner says, squeezing my shoulder.

I blow out a breath, suddenly unsure if I’m going to be able to do this. As much as I told Sage this memorial was a time for remembering Mitch and celebrating his life, now that it’s here, it all feels so different.

So much harder.

I turn to Sage, holding my hand out to her before I lead us down to the first row, her mom joining us and taking a seat next to Sage. I have no idea what she thinks about me and Sage, what anyone here thinks, but in this moment, I don’t really care.

We sit, each of us putting on the lei that’s hanging on our chair as Tanner now moves to the front, standing before everyone, an easy smile on his face as he takes in the crowd. All of the chairs are filled, and there are people standing at the back, everyone here to remember Mitch Harris.

“Thank you all for coming,”

Tanner starts. “I think it comes as no surprise that this many people have shown up to honor and celebrate Mitch’s life.”

There are a few chuckles behind us, and Tanner smiles as his gaze moves to Sage, sitting beside me, her mom on her other side.

“I want to particularly acknowledge Mitch’s daughter, Sage, and also Angie, for making the journey to our island. I know Mitch would have loved seeing you here on his beach.”

Beside me, Sage lets out a small sob, her head falling slightly. I let go of her hand, sliding my arm around her shoulder as I pull her into my side, knowing that after everything that’s happened, this is a million times harder for her.

Tanner continues speaking, recalling moments and memories from Mitch’s life. The years they spent growing up together, including the trouble they got into during their younger years. Their dreams of making and selling surfboards to people on the island and how that dream became a reality. All the people whom Mitch helped, whose lives he touched, and the island he loved.

Tanner turns to me and Alana now, an easy smile on his face as he says, “Alana, I know Mitch was so proud of you, of everything you’ve achieved. He would’ve wanted you to continue, you know. To take that shot that he knows you’ve been dreaming of since you were a kid.”

Beside me, Alana nods, even as tears stream down her face. We both know Tanner is talking about Maui Pipe and how Mitch would hate to see her withdraw just because he isn’t around anymore. Deep down, I don’t think Alana wants to either, even though she hasn’t trained since Mitch died.

“And you, Nate,”

Tanner continues. “He was damn proud of you too, kid. For everything you’ve overcome, everything you’ve achieved, and most importantly, for the man you’ve become today,”

he says, and I swear, this is so much harder than I thought it would be. But it’s Tanner’s next words that undo me when he says, “You were like a son to him. Don’t ever forget that.”

Beside me, Sage lets out a muffled sob and it’s all I can do to turn and bury my face in her neck as the tears I’ve been so desperate to hide now start to fall. I feel Alana, sitting on my other side, take my hand in hers, squeezing it tight.

“Sage,”

Tanner now says, and when I finally lift my face, he’s smiling at her. “Man, did he love you,”

he continues, chuckling a little. “I don’t think there was ever a day that he didn’t think about you, and I know he didn’t get to see you as much as he might have wished, but don’t ever think he didn’t love you. Because he did. More than the shop, more than surfing, more than this island,”

he adds, glancing across the crowd of people before turning back to Sage. “He would’ve loved seeing you here with his other family,”

he adds, his words a whisper as he now walks over to give her something.

When I turn to Sage, I can see she’s openly crying, the tears streaming down her cheeks as she stares at what Tanner has given her, the bracelet Mitch wore that bears her name. The one I never saw him take off.

I’m glad Tanner found it and that he’s giving it to Sage, whose hand is shaking so badly, her mom has to help her put it on. Sage’s fingers trace over her name, brushing over the engraved sage leaves, and I lean in and press a kiss to her temple.

Tanner smiles before moving back to the front of the crowd to now tell surfing stories about Mitch. Of the junior comps he won, or the crazy adventures they would go on, surfing every break around the island. He doesn’t avoid telling the story of Mitch’s final surf, making a point of telling everyone that Mitch died doing something he loved and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

He gets chuckles and quiet murmurs as he regales us all with the things Mitch said and did and by the time he’s finished, everyone is laughing, some also crying at the same time. When he then invites people to join him in the paddle out, I stand, along with Alana, Daisy, Sloane, Owen, Matt, Malo, Miles, Kai and a bunch of other people.

“What are you doing?”

Sage asks, reaching for my hand.

“We’re doing a paddle out,”

I tell her, unbuttoning my shirt.

Sage glances over at where all the boards are, watching as those who are coming start to undress to their boardshorts or swimsuits and grab their boards. “Can I come?”

she asks, turning back to me.

I smile, squeezing her hand as I say, “We’re going out on the water, you’re gonna get wet.”

She stands now, shaking her head as she lets go of my hand and pulls her sundress off to reveal a white bikini underneath that honestly makes my mouth go dry. “Alana told me to wear this,”

she says, giving me a shy smile.

I step closer, hooking my arm around her neck as I pull her in for a kiss. “In that case, you’re coming out with us.”

“I don’t have a board,”

she whispers, her hands on my chest.

Smiling, I say, “I got you.”

We walk down to the water’s edge, all of us walking out with our boards until we’re about waist-deep, where everyone then gets on their board, paddling the rest of the distance out to where the ocean is calm and still.

“What should I do?”

Sage asks, turning to me.

“Jump on,”

I say, giving her a smile. “Move to the front and lie down.”

She does what I tell her, and once she’s settled, I hop on behind her, lying so my body is between her legs and my chest is basically resting on her ass. It’s not the easiest way to paddle out, but when she sees what I’m doing, Sage starts to help.

When we reach the rest of the group, I sit up, telling Sage to do the same before I hook my arm around her waist and pull her back against me, so she’s sitting between my thighs, both of us straddling my board. In the middle of us all, Tanner is handing out the leis that were hanging on Mitch’s board, which now stands alone on the beach beside his picture and what’s left of him.

“What happens now?”

Sage whispers, glancing back at me.

I smile, kissing her temple as I say, “We each say something about Mitch, something we’re grateful for, before throwing a flower into the water.”

I pull a couple of the hibiscus flowers off the lei Tanner handed us, giving one to Sage and keeping one for myself. Around us, people start to take turns, thanking Mitch for something before they let their flower go in the water.

“Thank you for the friendship,”

Tanner starts, his eyes on the horizon as he lets go of his flower.

“Thank you for teaching me to surf,”

Alana says, shooting me a quick glance as she adds, “And for making sure I was better than all the boys.”

This gets a laugh as Eddie adds, “Thanks for the laughs, man. The Coconut Grove won’t be the same without you.”

The thanks continue as each person says something before letting go of a flower. There must be nearly fifty of them in the water by the time it gets to me.

“Thank you,”

I start, my words quiet, my arm still wrapped around Sage’s waist as I stare at the yellow hibiscus flower in my hand. “For saving me,”

I whisper as I drop the flower in the water, watching as it slowly bobs away.

Sage’s hand falls to my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze as she now says, “Thanks for being my dad,”

before dropping her flower into the water.

And then we all watch as they float on the surface, surrounding us, the sun now low in the sky as the finality of saying goodbye to Mitch hits us. Somewhere, someone starts humming a tune, a song I quickly recognize as one of Mitch’s favorites, something he’d hum constantly in the shop as he worked.

Before long, we are all humming it, watching as the flowers all float out to sea and the sun slowly sinks below the horizon.

I wrap both of my arms around Sage, my chin resting on her shoulder as she rests her hands over mine.

“This is so beautiful,”

she whispers, and when I look up at her, I can see she’s both smiling and crying.

Nuzzling into her neck, I place a soft kiss behind her ear. “This is exactly what he would’ve wanted.”

After we all paddle back to the shore and dry off, everyone starts to say their goodbyes, hugging and smiling.

“What happens now?”

Sage asks as she pulls her sundress back on.

Smiling, I slip on my shirt, leaving the buttons undone as I say, “Now a bunch of us go back to the shop and eat and drink and tell stories about Mitch.”

Her eyes widen as she says, “But I, we?—”

“We took care of it,”

I tell her, knowing Alana and I have been planning this memorial with Tanner since the day we lost Mitch.

She smiles at me, stepping in as she wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you,”

she whispers, kissing my cheek. “I don’t know how I could’ve done this without you.”

I want to tell her that she never has to worry about that, that I will always be here for her. But I know that’s not true, especially as her mom walks over, smiling at us and reminding me of the fact that this is not where Sage belongs.

“That was a beautiful ceremony,”

she says, stroking a hand down Sage’s hair.

“You’re coming back to the shop, right?”

Sage asks, jerking her thumb across the road.

Angie smiles, shaking her head as she says, “I have an early flight tomorrow, and I’m kinda beat. I think I’ll just head back to my hotel.”

“Stay here,”

Sage says, an urgency to her words as she reaches for her mom’s hand. “I can drive you back in the morning.”

Angie lets out a soft laugh. “It’s okay, sweetie. Stay with your dad’s family. I’ll be okay and I’ll see you soon, remember?”

she adds, reminding me once again that Sage’s time on this island, with me, has an end date on it.

“Are you sure?”

Sage asks as she walks into her mom’s embrace. “I don’t want you to be alone.”

Angie smooths her hand down Sage’s back, her eyes meeting mine briefly before she turns to her daughter and whispers something I can’t hear. Sage nods in response, pulling her mom in for another hug before letting her go.

“It was very nice to meet you, Nate,”

Angie says, turning to me.

“You too,” I reply.

She watches me, a soft smile on her face as she does. “Take care of my girl,”

she whispers before she gives me a small nod and then turns and walks away. I want to tell her I will, that I won’t ever let her hurt again, but I know I don’t have that power.

“Do you want to go with her?”

I ask, watching as Sage watches her mom leave.

“No,”

she says, shaking her head. “I want to stay here with you.”

I nod, wishing I could ask if she means stay forever, even though I know she can’t possibly mean that. “Shall we?”

I ask, holding out my hand.

Sage smiles as she slips her hand into mine and we turn and head up the beach and back to the shop, to where a crowd of people are gathered around the back, the barbecue already going. Just as we walk past the side of the shop, I see a familiar figure walking up. A figure that has my blood boiling with rage.

“No way,”

I say, dropping Sage’s hand as I walk over to him. “No fucking way, Butler, not today.”

“But I,”

he starts, glancing at Sage over my shoulder. “I just want to?—”

“You’re going to want to leave,”

Tanner says, cutting him off as he steps up to Pat Butler. “You don’t get to disrespect Mitch, not today, Pat,”

he says, pointing to his car. “Leave.”

Butler opens his mouth to say something, once again trying to look at Sage, even as Tanner and I both move to block his view. Eventually, he gets the message, letting out a hard exhale before he turns and walks back toward his car.

“Fucking dick,”

I mutter, turning back to Sage.

She’s looking at me with an unreadable expression on her face. Maybe because she knows why Pat was here, because she’s already decided what she’s going to do, I don’t know. All I know is that whatever it is, it can’t happen today.

“Are you okay?”

Sage asks as I swallow hard, walking over and throwing my arm around her shoulders.

All I can do is nod as we now follow Tanner around to the backyard.