Page 29 of Broken Hearts (Hibiscus Hearts #1)

The next day, neither of us talk about what Tanner said, how he called me family. They didn’t have to accept me the way they have, but they do feel like family. And with it only being my mom and me, I never had the chance to enjoy having a big family.

I check my phone as I grab it off the nightstand, noticing another text from my dad’s lawyer, almost forgetting that he said he wants to meet with me. I knew coming here that it wouldn’t just be saying goodbye to my dad, but that I’d also be dealing with his estate. That’s something I know nothing about.

And when I open the text from the lawyer, I see my mom’s name sitting right below it. I click on her name looking at the text she sent me this morning, reminding me that I need to call her.

The crazy thing is, I should be scared of what she said, but I’m not. I should be scared to give up a life I built in New York, the place I’ve called home, but everything about staying here feels right.

“I gotta go meet up with a guy who asked me to design a custom board for him,”

Nate says, jarring me from my thoughts. We’re still in bed, but it’s early. Even I now wake with the sun after being here for just a short time. I’ve learned it’s when the island is at its most beautiful: quiet and serene.

“Okay. When do you think you’ll be back?”

I ask, knowing I should tell him about my dad’s lawyer reaching out to me.

But there’s nothing to really tell him. All I got was a text asking if I could meet with him. It could all be as simple as needing to sign some paperwork. There’s no way my dad had a will at his age, and with his passing being so unexpected.

I also know how hard this has been for Nate and sharing this with him will only cause him to stress about the situation. I can’t make any decisions until I meet with the lawyer and find out how I get rid of the guy who is trying to buy the land my dad’s shop sits on.

“I don’t know, but it shouldn’t be long,”

he replies, smiling, and there’s something about his happiness that is contagious. “Maybe an hour or so.”

I think back to when I first met him and he was all grumpy and giving off this vibe that he hated me, and really everyone. It’s hard to believe this is the same guy.

“I have a surprise for you too,”

he now says, and I tilt my head to the side, trying to read his expression.

“What are you up to?”

I lean close to him, taking his face in my hands. I give him a quick kiss. Narrowing my eyes, I wait for him to answer.

“You’ll see. You know where the keys to your dad’s SUV are?”

He winks, pressing a light kiss to the tip of my nose.

“I do.”

“Then wait for my text and meet me,”

he says, and now I’m even more intrigued. “That’s all I’m saying. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“How are you getting there?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“What should I wear?”

I’m hitting him with all the questions even though he’s being very secretive.

Nate rolls his eyes, letting out a chuckle. “What you have on.”

He motions to me, slipping a finger under the tiny strap of the tank I was sleeping in. I’m only wearing it and my underwear, and I let out a laugh at his answer.

“No, seriously. I’m not going out in my underwear, you cheeky boy.”

“Just make sure you have a suit on,”

he now says. “That’s all I’m saying. No more questions.”

“I guess I’ll see you in a bit then, huh?”

“I guess you will.”

He leans in and kisses me sweetly, and I have no idea what he has planned, but I do know I want to tell him I’m staying. That this thing between us is real, and that I can’t imagine my life without him.

Nate climbs out of bed, pulling on a T-shirt and some boardshorts, and before I know it, he’s on his way, needing to make it to his appointment. I love that he’s found an outlet for his art, designing custom boards with Tanner is something that fits with Nate, and something I’m sure my dad would have been proud of.

I quickly text my dad’s lawyer, hoping I have enough time to meet with him before I have to meet up with Nate.

Ten minutes later, I’m pulling up outside the lawyer’s office, even though he told me he’d come to me. It’s easier this way, no one to notice him at the house since selling The Pipe Dream seems to be on everyone’s minds. I don’t want anyone jumping to conclusions about me meeting with the lawyer and eventually I’m going to have to tell the developer that is hounding me my intentions too.

My dad’s lawyer is exactly as expected, tanned and wearing a floral print button-down shirt with a pair of boardshorts. It couldn’t be more cliché, and I try not to smile when I see him sitting behind a desk, a surfboard propped up in the corner behind him.

“You must be Sage,”

he says, standing up to greet me. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Your father spoke about you often.”

“That’s nice to hear. It’s good to meet you.”

He lets out a sigh, motioning for me to sit down across from him. Smiling, he pulls a file from his desk and begins flipping through it.

“This shouldn’t take long. As I’m sure you know, The Pipe Dream sits on a large plot of land that is worth, well…”

Stopping, he begins thumbing through the papers. “At last assessment it was near ten million, and I’m not here to give advice or even offer it. I’m just here to share with you a letter your father gave me, and to let you know that you are a fifty percent owner of The Pipe Dream.”

“Fifty?”

I quickly question, my brows furrowed at this.

“Yes, fifty. The other owner is Nathan Peterson. You may know him. He works for your dad?—”

I cut him off quickly, nodding my head, a smile spreading across my face at this news. “Yes, I know him, and I have to say, I’m surprised, but I’m also really excited to tell him. He doesn’t know, right?”

“He doesn’t. I wanted to speak with you before sharing anything with Nathan since you are the next of kin.”

“Would it be okay if I told him?”

I ask, not sure how any of this legal stuff works. “We’ve grown close since I’ve been here.”

This man doesn’t need to know exactly how close, but it’s definitely the truth.

“Sure, but he’ll still need to come by and see me to sign a few things,”

Mike says, and I nod as he slides a few papers across the table to me.

Most of the stuff I sign is transferring my name onto the business, and it’s surprisingly simple. Mike explains everything as we go, letting me know I can come to him with any questions or give him a call if I need anything.

“I know you don’t live in the area, so…”

he starts, but trails off a little, his question hanging between us, and really, he’s going to be the first person I admit this to, even if my mom already knows. She figured it out on her own.

“I’m planning to stay, and I have no intention of selling The Pipe Dream,”

I admit, and I see Mike’s shoulders visibly relax as he lets out a hard sigh.

“Well, thank god, that has been weighing heavy on me ever since Mitch’s passing. It’s an icon around here, and I really would hate to see it sold to the highest bidder.”

“It’s never going to happen.”

I say this with such certainty, knowing my father would be proud that I’ve decided to carry on his legacy, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Once Nathan comes by and we finalize everything, I’ll be in touch to iron out any small details,”

Mike says, the conversation more relaxed than it was when I first walked in here. “Oh, and here, I have this for you too.”

He hands me an envelope with my name written on the front, a little hand-drawn hibiscus next to my name, and I immediately recognize the handwriting. Running my fingers over it, I feel the sting of tears burn my nose.

“I have no idea when he wrote this, but it was in with all his paperwork regarding the shop,”

Mike says, holding out a box of tissues for me as the tears begin to spill over. “And if you wouldn’t mind, there’s this one too.”

He hands me another envelope, this time with Nate’s name written across the front, and next to it is a surfboard sketched out. Jesus, if I thought I was struggling when he handed me my letter, it’s nothing in comparison to when he hands me Nate’s. And to add to it all, he hands me a third one, this one with Alana’s name on it. Hers is sketched with a little shaka and a heart.

“Can you get this one to Alana Hale too?”

he asks, and all I can do is nod, wanting to tell him how much both Nate and Alana mean to me now, but the words just don’t come.

The tears are now flowing freely, and I blot at them with the already soaked tissue. It’s doing nothing to help, and I give up, letting the tears fall from my eyes, cathartic and needed.

I have no idea what either of these letters say, but I know Nate and I are going to need each other when we do read them.

I swipe my hands under my eyes, taking in a cleansing breath. I look up at Mike, who has been waiting patiently for me to stop blubbering.

“If you need anything, let me know,”

he says, smiling as he stands. “I’m here. Have Nathan get in touch with me once you’ve shared the news with him, and we’ll get everything sorted out and official.”

“Sounds good. Thank you.”

With the envelopes in my hand, I make my way out to my dad’s old SUV, having returned my rental car once things began to heat up with Nate.

I climb in, taking in the smell and smiling. It feels good to be able to keep my dad’s name and his shop alive, not just for the people on the island, but also for him. Even better, is that Nate is a co-owner, news that I can’t wait to share with him.

My phone chimes out, and I see a text from Nate with a pin drop that says, “Meet me here”. I click it, getting the directions to pull up.

It takes me about fifteen minutes to get from the lawyer’s office to the location Nate sent me, and I see him waiting on the side of the road. Pulling up alongside him, he tells me to park, and it literally looks like we are in the middle of nowhere.

“You sure it’s okay to leave the car here?”

I ask him when I hop out.

He laughs, shaking his head. “Yeah, Sage, you’re good. Now come on. Not like anyone is going to steal Barney anyway.”

He pats the hood of the old SUV, and I smile, realizing it’s only valuable to me. It’s really a piece of shit.

Holding out his hand, I take it as he pulls me toward a heavily wooded area, trekking through with nothing but my flip flops on my feet.

“Nate, where are we going?”

I’m giggling as he pushes back tree branches, stepping over rocks and mud.

“Will you just trust me?”

he quips, looking over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at me. But behind his harshness is a happiness that is contagious.

“I trust you with my life.”

My words cause him to pause, and I see him swallow hard. Now I worry I’ve said too much. Things between us have been intense for the last couple of weeks, but I do worry I’m misreading how he feels about me. My feelings are real, despite the short time I’ve been here. I have a connection to Nate like nothing I’ve ever felt before, but I worry he doesn’t feel the same way. That this could all just be my connection to my dad and Nate’s need to hold onto something.

“Come on,”

he says, slinging an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. His lips press softly against my temple, and I can’t wait to tell him I’m planning to stay, that this could be our life every day.

“How much further?”

I now ask, and he lets out a hearty laugh. Not that we’ve been walking very long, I’m just so impatient. I have such a hard time with surprises, and it makes me laugh now as I think about how I’m keeping the fact that I’m staying from Nate, wanting to surprise him.

“Close your eyes,”

he tells me, and I look at him, wondering what the hell he’s up to. “Put your hands on my shoulders, and I’ll guide you the rest of the way.”

“Oh my god, Nate, what is going on?”

I squeal, laughing.

“Just a few more steps. Keep going,”

he tells me, and I follow along, giggling as I do.

Then he stops, and I nearly run into his back, my eyes still closed, and Nate laughs now.

“Okay, open them.”

And when I do, I’m met with the most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen. The turquoise blue water cascades down the rocks into the small plunge pool at the bottom, the water foaming and misting as it hits it.

The lush greenery around it is dotted with brightly colored flowers, the rocks covered in moss while dragonflies buzz through the mist. And when the sun shines though, it creates little rainbows all around.

It seriously looks like a goddamned postcard, and I gasp out loud. It’s secluded and beautiful and as Nate and I stand here, I wonder how many people even know this is here.

“Want to go for a swim?”

he asks me, reaching to the back of his neck, tugging his shirt off over his head and tossing it onto one of the rocks.

“How did you find this place?”

“I don’t even remember, but it’s my favorite place in the whole world.”

He reaches for me, pulling me to him, and I push up on my toes to kiss him. Letting our lips linger against each other’s, my heart racing at his closeness.

“Thank you for sharing it with me.”