Page 107 of Lost Hours
Reece stood. “Tell Mina we said hi.”
Hayden got up and rested his hand on Nolan’s uninjured shoulder. “Good luck, man. We’re all pulling for you two.”
“What he said,” Jude said as he passed by.
“You got this, man,” Gabe said. “If only I could be as confident in that art project. Maybe if we fail, I can offer rides on my motorcycle.”
Nolan laughed, which he knew was Gabe’s intent, but still, his palms started sweating. He hadn’t seen Mina since the night in the ER, when the doctor cleaned and bandaged up his arm and pronounced him good to go. They’d spoken on the phone, and she’d been vague about talking to her family. If she’d done so or was even going to, he had no idea.
And then what? Would she be able to forgive him if she thought he was guilty of abandoning her? Had she talked to her family and was on the outs with them, blaming Nolan for that?
His gut clenched. He wanted to see her, but he didn’t at the same time. Didn’t matter what he wanted. There she was, walking up the hill toward the inn, and he hoped all would be revealed.
She was dressed in uniform, the khaki pants and shirt emphasizing her curves. The blond waves in her hair were tucked up behind but still shone in the sunlight. The uniform wasn’t a surprise. She would be on duty for Founder’s Day, like most of her deputies, to make sure no one got out of control during the celebration.
They’d been blessed with a warm, sunshiny day for this time in March when it typically rained and the skies were cloudy and gloomy. The sun glistened off the waves gently rolling in from the ocean behind him and lit up the landscape that had turned a lush green from all the rain.
Maybe the calm waves were a sign to Nolan that all was calm with Mina. He didn’t usually believe in signs, but he was grasping for anything today. He’d had time to replay every minute he’d spent with her, to rehash the recent phone calls, and knew that just like back in the day, he still loved her. Loved her completely and forever. The marrying kind of love.
He was prepared to ask her to marry him, but he hadn’t bought a ring. Wouldn’t buy a ring until he knew their past had been resolved.
He couldn’t wait at the entrance any longer and jogged down to meet her at the edge of the parking lot. She looked up at him and smiled. That dazzling smile that sent his heart racing.
Was she telegraphing something good was about to happen?
“Mind if we go to the lookout?” she asked, her smile wavering.
“Of course.” He turned to let her go first.
“If I have to take my phone out, I’ll be sure to keep a better hold on it.” She laughed, but it was a nervous laugh.
Was it because she was bringing up the last time they saw each other before he’d left? Or was it just because she was remembering their time together in the past, and she was going to hold that against him and refuse to see him in the future?
They strolled side-by-side toward the lighthouse the team had decorated in old-fashioned red, white, and blue bunting, matching the other businesses in town to celebrate the day Lost Lake had been officially founded.
Locals milled around the place, most of them calling out a hello to Mina, and giving him a sharp nod of acknowledgment. The positive greeting from them was all he could expect at this point. He was still too much of a newcomer to receive the same warm welcome their elected sheriff was getting.
They reached the railing on the cliff’s edge, the ocean spreading wide before them. The sun continued to glisten all the way to the horizon, and magnificent blue waves undulated toward them, crashing on the rocks with a frothy white intensity before receding.
She planted her hands on the metal rail and shivered.
“If you’re cold I can give you my jacket,” he said.
She shook her head. “Not cold. I’d just forgotten how brutal the waves were against the rocks.”
“I’ve heard stories about people losing their lives down there.”
“Nothing recently, but I remember several boating accidents when I was a kid. And there was also a suicide.”
His turn to shiver. “I can’t imagine being desperate enough to jump into that churning water.”
She turned to look up at him. “I can’t either. But I do remember feeling very desperate when you left.”
He couldn’t wait any longer to ask about her decisions. “Did your parents confirm I’d stopped by to talk to them, and they sent me on my way?”
“No.”
That one word felt like he’d taken another bullet. “Oh.”
