Page 167 of Ten Day Affair

I jog back to my place and retrieve the wine from the fridge. Her excitement is infectious, and I feel giddy with her.

When I return, Sam's standing on her deck with a towel draped around her neck, the ocean breeze catching loose strands of her hair.

I hold up the bottle. "Ready for round two?"

She reaches for it immediately. "I'm opening this one. You struggled way too much yesterday with your gimp arm."

Heat creeps up my neck. "I think you're just feeling sorry for maiming me."

"Nope. You totally deserved it." She grins, already twisting off the top with practiced efficiency.

I pour for both of us, the pale wine catching the afternoon sunlight.

"To mobile clinics," I raise my glass.

"To unexpected miracles." She clinks her glass against mine.

The wine is crisp and bright. Sam takes a long sip, then settles into the deck chair beside me.

"This changes things," she says as she looks out at the waves. "Now there’s no question that I'm meant to do this."

"I think you're right. This has your name all over it."

"You know, my dad told me today at lunch that my mom tried to do this same thing here in Palm Beach. How wild is that?"

"You're shitting me."

"No, when he said it, I swear a chill ran through me. It erased the last shred of doubt I had about doing this. And then I got that fucking text. Holy shit. What a day."

"Now you don't have to sell your house."

She blinks at me, confused. "What?"

"I mean, you were only listing it to fund the clinic, right?"

"Yeah. That was the plan."

I shrug, keeping it casual. "Then maybe it doesn’t have to be. You love it here. The ocean, your runs. If keeping a piece of this place gives you peace of mind, you should have that."

She studies me, something unspoken flickering across her face.

"I already signed with Janet," she says.

"You can cancel the listing. It’s not even active yet."

A moment passes as I see the gears turning in her eyes. Then, softer, I add, “I know this house isn’t your whole story anymore. But I also know how much it means to you. You don’t have to let it go just to prove you’ve moved on.”

Her gaze holds mine, and something shifts.

"If I didn't know you'd already sold your house, I'd think you were trying to keep your hot neighbor intact," she asks with a smile.

"Nope. This isn't about me. I just want you to always have a place that feels like home."

Her lips twitch. Then her fingers slide up to my cheek. "That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me."

My chest still heaves like I've been underwater for minutes.

Sam lies beside me,her skin glistening with sweat, hair spread across the pillow in dark waves.