The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)(26)

So, one day he just took off. Took one of his family’s old boats, scribbled his dad a check to pay for it, and left. It was a shitty way to leave but he couldn’t face his father’s disappointment again. It was why he rarely went home, rarely talked to the old man, rarely saw his beautiful little nieces.

But Noah had no intention of talking about his family today. One open wound was enough.

She winced. ‘Sorry. I have a bad habit of doing that.’

‘Doing what?’

‘Spoiling the fun.’

He inched a little closer and ran a finger down the bridge of her nose to un-crinkle it. ‘You don’t spoil the fun.’

‘Well, I turned this little secret-telling game into a terrible therapy session, so...’

‘Tell me your secret, then, and I’ll psychoanalyze you. It’ll be fun.’ He flashed her a grin and she let out a quiet laugh.

‘I mean, I already told you my whole afraid to turn thirty thing...’

‘There must be something else. Some deep dark secret ... something not even Annie knows.’

Her eyes widened at that. She clearly told her best friend everything, but Noah wanted a little piece of Hazel Kelly that no one else had. A little treasure he could put in his pocket at the end of this day and keep with him when she decided she didn’t require his services anymore.

Hazel blew out a long sigh like she was strengthening her resolve. ‘Okay, there is something I’ve never told anyone else.’

Noah rose up on his elbow, his curiosity piqued even as Hazel stayed in the protection of her hood.

‘I don’t ... I don’t actually believe my dad is clairvoyant.’

‘What?’

‘I know a lot of people in town think his dreams are real or have real meaning or whatever and my dad does too, but I just can’t ... I don’t know ... I can’t truly believe that his dreams are anything more than random and the decisions he makes based on those dreams are just good decisions for the town.’

Hazel looked truly stricken like she had confessed to the worst possible thing. Noah stared at her for a second before he rolled onto his back, laughter bubbling out of him.

‘Haze,’ he gasped between laughs. ‘Are you kidding?’ Noah had been to enough town meetings to know Mayor Kelly loved to talk about his dreams, but he honestly thought everyone was humoring him. Did the town really think he had premonitions? This place just got weirder and weirder. He loved it.

She was up on her elbow now, looking down at him with a crease between her brows.

‘Of course I’m serious.’

He wheezed, the laughter making his stomach hurt. ‘From the way you were acting, I thought you were going to tell me you killed a man or you liked some kinky sex thing.’

‘The town is very serious about those dreams!’

Tears had started to fall from the corners of his eyes and he wiped them with the back of his hand. ‘I thought everyone was just playing along!’

Hazel shook her head. ‘Nope. It’s all very real to them.’

His laughter petered out as he looked at her serious face. He tucked an errant curl behind her ear, letting the back of his hand brush against her cheek.

‘So what do you believe in?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, you don’t believe your father receives messages from the universe in his dreams, but what do you believe in? What makes the world make sense to you?’

She stared past him down the beach, the crease between her brows deepening and he could tell she was really considering it before she answered. He liked that about her. Hazel didn’t say things unless she meant them. It made everything she said that much more important.

‘Good books,’ she said after a minute, her gaze returning to his. ‘Good friends. Good food.’

He smiled up at her. ‘What more do you need?’

‘Exactly.’ She smiled back. ‘What about you?’

‘Hmm.’ He twisted his mouth to the side as he thought, loving the way Hazel tracked the movement with her gaze. ‘The love of a good woman.’

A laugh burst from Hazel’s mouth. She shoved his shoulder playfully and he caught her wrist and tugged until she landed on top of him. Her face was a breath away from his.

‘I was serious,’ he said with a teasing grin.

‘I bet.’ She hadn’t moved, hadn’t pulled away and instead had left the weight of her body on his. He could feel every line of her, every dip and valley she’d been hiding under her bulky sweatshirt all day.

‘What more is there to believe in than love?’ He was still teasing, still trying his best to charm her, but he wanted to know more about her. Hazel Kelly was the only thing he’d felt like learning about in years.

‘Have you ever been in love?’ she asked, resting her hands on his chest and placing her chin on top of them.

‘Nope. Unless you count Ginger.’

‘Ginger?’

‘My boat.’

She giggled and he could feel the vibration through his chest.

‘I don’t count that.’

‘Okay, then no. How about you?’

‘Not really.’

‘Not really?’

‘I mean, I don’t think so...’

‘Haze...’