"Have a great day," Eric said with a grin as the elderly couple he'd served grabbed their bag of food and turned to leave. When the door swung shut behind them, leaving the store empty for the first time since he'd started hours ago, he let his shoulders relax and released a long breath. "Is it always this busy?"
Traffic in and out of the store had been crazy all day considering the beach was packed with locals and tourists looking for a quick snack or a cold drink as they soaked in the last traces of summer. And while June had stayed a bit after our usual lunch rush to help out, it'd been just the two of us for the last hour or so. Me mostly observing, though hopping in where I could, as I let Eric take the lead considering his training period was coming to an end and, thus far, had shown himself more than capable of handling the register while filling orders. All while exuding an upbeat energy and sporting a toothy smile.
I let loose a laugh and shook my head. "Don't worry, it's mostly a steady stream of customers. There are only a handful of days—holidays or when there's a festival in town—when we get swamped. But don't worry," I explained with encouragement, "you're doing a great job."
A gleam sparked in his eyes. "Thanks."
"And with Naya and Brendan starting next week—" Two high school students I'd hired as part-time employees to help out in the kitchen and front of the store, respectively. "—June and I will be able to craft a more official schedule, so we'll make sure to have two people working during the predicted rushes."
"They'll definitely be a big help around here," he commented. "I can't believe it was just you and June running the ship around here for over a year."
I shrugged, because now that I looked back on things, it hadn't been the least bit practical to balance the workload between the two of us. "We made things work, but it probably wasn't healthy to spend as much time as I did focused on work. So, it was time for a change."
He nodded in understanding before lifting a brow. "Do you know when you're going to hang up the apron for good?"
While I hadn't specifically looped him into my plans, he'd likely picked up enough context from conversations between June and I. After all, it wasn't a secret. Not anymore. "Soon," I replied, the corner of my lips quirking upward, "but not quite yet."
There were a few things up in the air regarding what was next for me, and until those were figured out, I would be sticking around to help out at Wilma's.
"Speaking of hanging up an apron though," I continued, hooking a thumb over my shoulder, "I'm going to refill the display case with everything June left to cool, and then I'll cover for you while you take a much-deserved break."
Flashing me two thumbs up, he said, "Sounds good."
Grabbing two empty racks, I carried them into the back and started transferring the sweet-smelling treats onto them. As a weekend special, June had whipped up blackberry muffins and apple pie snack bars, and those items were flying out of the store faster than any of our usual sweets, so she'd made sure to make extra before leaving today. She truly had a gift for finessing flavors and creating desserts that were out of this world, and I'd miss acting as her taster when I finally did step away from Wilma's. But I had no doubt that any of the new hires would oppose stepping into those shoes.
Ten minutes later, I'd brought back the last of the racks to fill with our more standard desserts—chocolate muffins and oatmeal raisin cookies—when I heard the bell above the front door sound. Then Eric's voice perked up as he said, "Hey, welcome to—holy shit!"
My eyes widened and I immediately abandoned the treats, shuffling quickly back to the front of the store. "What's happening?" I asked, the words tumbling out in a mumbled rush as I pushed through the swinging door, only for the air to leave my lungs as I skidded to a stop and locked eyes with who'd just walked in.
Ryan.
"Dude, you're Ryan Nyberg," Eric said, oblivious to me freezing up beside him as he gawked at the man I couldn't stop thinking about. The one I'd also been avoiding, knowing he was in town this weekend to pick up Bowen, because I knew that the moment I saw him, my feelings would be written clearly across my face.
And despite those around me telling me that it was obvious he felt the same, the nerves crawling through my system couldn't quite let me believe it.
Ryan chuckled as he tore his gaze away from me, allowing me a few moments on the sidelines to calm my racing thoughts. "I am, and you must be Eric. Sloane mentioned she'd hired someone new."
Eric's wide-eyed stare shifted my way. "You know Ryan Nyberg?"
"You follow hockey? And cheer for the Knights?" I tossed back at him with a curious expression. "Didn't you say you were from New York?"
"Born and raised in New York, but I went to college in Boston," he explained. "I'd never been that big into sports, but my roommate was a die-hard Knights fan and managed to pull me onto the bandwagon." He turned back to Ryan. "You're a legend, dude. You've been a star in the net since I started watching, and I can't wait to see when you and the rest of the team finally get to lift that cup."
"Hopefully you won't have to wait too long," Ryan mused.
"What are you doing here though man? Hasn't training camp already started? Shouldn't you be in Boston?"
The words training camp—the ones I'd dreaded thinking about all summer, knowing that was when he'd been set to leave Neptune Bay, and me—felt like a punch to the gut.
"I grew up here, so I was visiting family for the weekend," he replied, answering Eric's nosy questions with ease before his eyes flicked back over to me. "But I also had to make sure to deliver a message to a certain someone in person."
It didn't take a genius to figure out that someone was me.
Cue the butterflies.
"Okay, well then," Eric said, clearing his throat, having picked up on the obvious tension sparking between us, "I think I'll take my break now. Leave you two alone to chat." He stayed still momentarily, looking back and forth between Ryan and I, before finally shaking himself out of it and scurrying past me and into the back.
A beat passed and nothing was said. Then another.
Finally, I swallowed, pushing down my jitters and asked, "W-what are you doing here?"
"Like I said," he said softly, taking a slow step forward, "I have a couple things I wanted to talk to you about." Another step closer. "I drove by your house, but when I noticed your bike wasn't there, I figured I'd find you here." One more step. "I didn't want to head back to Boston without getting to see you, especially with how we left things."
With two more steps, there was only the counter separating us now. He was so close, and while a part of me was leaping in joy, another was too hesitant to hope.
"About that," I started, fidgeting with the sides of my apron, "you were right that night I more or less barged into your house after talking to my dad. I was frustrated and—"
"You had a right to be, though," he said, jumping in. "I let your plans slip to your dad and didn't let you have that conversation with him on your own terms. Was it an accident because I assumed you'd already told him?" He lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. "Sure, but it was still on me to tell you what'd happened."
"It was," I agreed, "but... I was more so talking about when you mentioned I seemed to be looking for a fight. That's what you were right about." I sighed, my chin dipping to my chest, embarrassed by my actions. "Truthfully, I hadn't been all that frustrated about you talking to my dad; I knew it was an accident. I held onto it though. I used that as an excuse to push you away. To give me a reason to end things before you left."
His eyebrows furrowed together. "But why?"
"Because I was scared," I admitted, a slight crack to my voice. "Scared that my feelings for you were growing too strong. Terrified that you leaving meant this chemistry between us would fade away with the distance, and that I'd end up losing you despite trying to hold on. So, I figured the best thing to do was to let you go. To get hurt now rather than later."
"While I can understand some of that, there's one thing you didn't factor in, Sloane," he said. "I was falling in love with you. Had fallen for you, so what made you think you were going to lose me?"
A comforting warmth radiated through my body at his admission, my cheeks flushing. "Because in case you didn't notice, I don't do all that well with change." I met his eyes with a wry smile. "All my past relationships have been like sparklers—hot for a few moments before fizzling out. I'd grown to expect it at this point... but then you came along. Or should I say came back. And from the start, it was different. More intense. I just couldn't shake the thought that you were one more person I would lose. Especially considering we jumped into things knowing there was an expiration date."
"That expiration date was for my time in town, not for us," he replied. "I was one hundred percent serious about long distance."
I cringed. "And I threw that in your face."
"You did, but maybe I hadn't been clear about what keeping our relationship together meant to me," he said, his voice low and taking on a more serious tone. "I understood you needed to stay in Neptune Bay, at least for a little while, and knowing I needed to be in Boston, l thought long distance was the best option. Because holding onto what's between us—even if it's through phone calls and short visits squeezed into our busy schedules—would be worth it to me. Because you were it for me.
"And I hoped that when you finally sorted things out here, you might factor me into what was next for you. That you might consider pursuing your dreams in Boston, whether that be teaching or something else, because then I'd get to watch the woman I loved shoot for the stars."
I was speechless. Thrown aback by the fact that every word that left his mouth felt like him pleading with me to see it. To see how far gone he was for me.
And I did, because I was just as far gone, as scary as that was. My heart was his.
I didn't have the right words, so instead, I rounded the counter. Ryan barely moved, as if doing so would cause me to jump back or disappear. But that wasn't happening. With barely an inch of space between us, I rested both my hands on his cheeks and rose up on my tiptoes to pull his lips down to meet mine.
A grateful moan tumbled from him at that first contact. It was just a whisper of a touch, but suddenly he was all in—hands on my waist, holding me to him as he claimed my mouth. And I was right there with him, losing myself in the feel of his tongue against mine and the comfort of being in his arms. Showing him how much I'd missed him as the bottle of emotions and passion I'd tried to keep bottled up finally popped free.
When I pulled back, still aware we were in the middle of Wilma's, there was a beaming smile on my lips as I said, "You may be shocked to hear this, but a lot has happened since that night two weeks ago. With you gone, I needed a distraction—" I felt him squeeze my hip with affection. "—so I threw myself into work. I hired two more part-time employees and started planning for what leaving would look like. Plus, my dad told me he's moving into the retirement home in town, to make sure I can move into the next chapter of my life without worrying about him." It seemed like information overload for Ryan as his brows rose sky high at the words spewing from my mouth. "All that's to say though is yes, I still have some loose ends to tie up in Neptune Bay—" I hung my arms over his shoulders, clasping my fingers together behind his neck. "—but once those are settled, I can absolutely factor you into my plans for the future, because I love you."
The words sunk in slowly for him, then suddenly, a wide grin appeared and he lifted me in the air. Planting an array of kisses on my face, he muttered, "Say that again."
I laughed, planting my lips on his. "I love you. I love you. I love you. And I should've worked up the nerve to tell you that before. It would've saved us both the heartbreak."
"Ancient history," he said matter-of-factly, punctuating his words with yet another kiss as my feet once again hit the floor. "All that I care about is that it's true, and I don't have to drive back to Boston without hearing those words."
"Speaking of driving back to Boston," I mused, glancing out the glass doors and into the parking lot to see an elated Bowen watching us with wide eyes from his car seat, "it looks like someone is happy for us."
Ryan chuckled. "Mhm, I would say more than just someone." His arms tightened around me, one hand slipping into my back pocket. "And while I do have to get going, I need you to promise me that if you're ever feeling down about not being in the same city, or worried about our relationship, you'll remember this moment. Remember that I love you. Wherever you are. And that I'm only ever a phone call away."
"Hopefully, soon, you'll only be an arm's length away. For good," I replied. "And I can keep that promise, because I love you too."
Ryan's eyes lit up, shining with excitement, and I was sure my own expression mirrored his as we thought about what the future might hold. Right now, it was nothing but a murky slate of unknowns, though someday soon, that would change. To what remained yet to be seen, but all that mattered was that whatever was next for us, we'd face it together.
a/n: JUST THE EPILOGUE LEFT GUYS!
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