The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)(65)

‘Me too,’ she repeated and she meant, me too, I want to keep doing this with you. I want more than casual fun with you. I want everything.

Noah leaned forward and brushed a kiss to her lips.

And she hoped that meant he wanted everything, too.

‘I have something to tell you,’ he said and Hazel’s heart tripped over itself with excitement. This was it. This was the moment.

‘Okay,’ she breathed. Finally they would say everything out loud; she would tell Noah how she really felt about him and he would tell her. No more guessing. No more wondering. They could do this for real. Casual fun had become exhausting. Hazel was ready for serious contentment.

‘I’m going away for a while.’

‘Away?’ What? No, that couldn’t be right. Going away? That was not what Noah had to tell her. It couldn’t be. She misunderstood.

‘Well, home, actually. To ... uh ... help out.’

‘Oh.’ Home. Noah was going home. He was leaving just as abruptly as he’d arrived. And just like that, Hazel’s hopes of forever blew out to sea. Everything she’d planned to say rearranged itself, the declaration of love quickly retreating to the safe confines of her heart. She’d clearly misunderstood everything.

‘After your birthday.’ He was watching her as he spoke, waiting for her reaction.

Hazel swallowed hard. She absolutely would not make a fool out herself about this. Their tryst had always had an expiration date. She knew that.

‘That’s ... uh ... good, right?’

Noah frowned, a crease between his brows. ‘I mean ... I guess so. My sister needs some help with things and my tours are wrapping up, it seemed like a good time to go.’

‘Right. Sure. That makes sense.’ Hazel was attempting a smile but her face wouldn’t move. This was good for Noah. He should go home. His family needed him. This thing between them was temporary. It all made perfect sense but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

‘Look, Haze, I...’

‘I’m happy for you Noah. This will be really good for you.’ She inched away from him, suddenly their closeness was unbearable. ‘We should head back soon, right?’ she asked, her voice too loud, too cheerful for the moment. But she wouldn’t make Noah feel guilty about this. He’d try to hide how much the issues with his family hurt him, but Hazel saw it. He missed them and if he was finally willing to go home and fix things, she wouldn’t dare tell him he shouldn’t. She couldn’t keep him here.

Maybe this was how things were meant to end, anyway.

Noah blinked. ‘Yeah, I guess we should.’

‘Thanks for making this day so memorable,’ she whispered.

‘Happy to help,’ he said, but his smile was anything but happy.





Chapter Twenty-Five





‘Let’s review the facts one more time,’ Annie said, her legs stretched out on the couch in Hazel’s office. Jeanie sat at the other end with Casper in her lap. The little cat had taken to visiting the bookstore and Hazel often found him hidden among the stacks of books.

‘Do we have to?’ Hazel was behind her desk, a fresh cup of tea in her hands, courtesy of Jeanie, and a half-eaten muffin from Annie’s in front of her. She’d caved and told her friends everything that happened on Noah’s boat and the weeks leading up to that moment, the one she hadn’t stopped thinking about for the past two days.

The storm, the sex, Noah leaving, all of it had turned into a confusing and nauseating mix of emotions in her gut. It had been so wonderful and then it had been so ... not. He hadn’t said he was leaving forever but he also hadn’t said they should continue whatever this was between them.

So now she was stuck in limbo again.

And stuck listening to Annie’s theories about the whole thing.

‘Yes.’

Hazel groaned.

‘Exhibit A.’ Annie held up one finger. ‘Noah has had the hots for you for at least a year.’

‘That’s not an exhibit. It’s conjecture,’ Hazel grumbled, but Annie just stuck her tongue out and continued on.

‘The man has purchased more books in the past year than anyone else in town. There’s your evidence.’

Jeanie gave Hazel a sympathetic look. There was no stopping Annie when she was like this.

‘Exhibit B.’ Another finger in the air. ‘Someone starts ruining your books at the exact time Noah just happens to wander in here and offers to help you.’

‘It didn’t happen exactly like that.’

Annie plowed forward, a third finger up. ‘Exhibit C. He saves your life and then rocks your world on his boat, a boat that was specifically named in the last clue!’

‘Not specifically named.’

‘It’s totally him leaving the clues, Haze, and he totally has a thing for you. Clearly. Obviously! I told you this weeks ago. I mean sometimes you’re so smart and other times . . .’

‘Him having a thing for me is not the same as him being in—’ Hazel caught herself before finishing that very dangerous sentence but it was too late. Annie’s eyes had gone wide and even Jeanie’s dark eyebrows were up to her hairline.

‘Hazel Jasmine Kelly––’

‘Not my middle name.’