The older man nodded slowly, his shrewd eyes never leaving Sean’s face. “Well, I’ll be sad to see you go but I had you much longer than I ever expected.”
Sean blinked in surprise. He’d been certain Pat would try to convince him to stay or, at the very least, give him a good grilling before he accepted the resignation. “What do you mean?”
“When I took you back after your brief interlude in Melbourne, I expected you’d stay on for six months. A year at most.”
Wow. That was not the response he’d anticipated. “I thought you wanted me to stay.”
“For my benefit, sure. Good workers are worth their weight in gold.” Pat crossed his arms over his massive barrel of a chest and leaned back, forcing the chair to groan in protest. “But you can do much better than pulling beers, son. I know your mum put some terrible ideas in your head and I don’t mean to speak ill of anyone’s mother, but she was projecting her own shit onto you. That much I know.”
The strange thing was that his mother had been a steady patron of Riptide before Sean had worked here—some days he wondered if it drew him to this place because it felt like he was putting himself exactly where his mother thought he should be.
In a place that wasn’t going to take him anywhere.
“You never said anything.” Sean frowned.
“Not my place. You’re my employee, not my kid.” Pat made a gruff sound. “But whatever references you need, I’ll provide ‘em. What are you going to do?”
“Get my Bronze Medallion.”
It was an important step toward becoming a proper lifeguard. He’d already spent the morning chatting to the folks at the surf club to let them know he wanted to become more involved. The job would suit him well—it was strongly tied to the community and the place he loved; it would keep him close to the waves, which had been his companion ever since he was a kid.
Now if only you had a certain creative and ambitious brunette by your side.
The fantasy would never be complete without Lily. But he respected her need to chase her dreams and reach the heights that fuelled her. There was a part of him that knew he’d never love another woman the way he loved her.
“Keeping our beaches safe.” Pat nodded. “It’s a noble job.”
The plan would be to work at the surf club in a more official capacity while he got certified. They were always looking for help and it would allow him to keep up with his volunteer duties as well.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest work, and it made a positive impact on the place he called home. And for once in his life, Sean wanted to see himself as a person who could make a positive impact. Being with Lily, allowing himself to truly feel something for another person, had shattered the protective shield inside him. For so long he’d numbed himself with never trying, avoiding commitment like it would scar him.
But love was funny like that. It was like an ocean—frightening and vast, with depths unknown. It could drown you.
Or it could help you soar.
Loving Lily had helped him to see where he was holding himself back and how he could stop being afraid of wanting more. He’d sat still for long enough. Not another day of his life would pass him by.
And one day, maybe he would find a love like that again.
16
New Year’s Eve…
Lily felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as she walked through Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, a small suitcase trailing behind her. Was it because she’d been in another airport recently? Or was it because of the swell of Aussie accents around her, a sound so familiar it was like wrapping herself up in a big, fuzzy blanket?
She’d trudged through the necessary lines to clear customs and border control, her eyes blurring with tears as the officer looked over her Australian passport—with its emu and kangaroo emblem—and said, “Welcome home.”
She was home. Well… almost.
Scanning the crowd, she hunted out a familiar face. When she saw her dad waving, a wide smile beaming, she rushed forward. Her suitcase bumped and rattled with the change in pace, but she didn’t care. Her dad held his arms open and pulled her into a bear hug, crushing her against his chest. “Oh sweetie. It’s good to have you back.”
Now she was home.
For the rest of the day Lily’s stomach felt like a pretzel, all twisted and knotted. She settled into her old bedroom in the family home—which her mother had preserved as if Lily had never left. She still had her old bed, with girlie floral sheets and a pink crochet blanket strewn over the end. Her vanity mirror had photos wedged between the glass and the frame—smiling shots of her and her cousins in their school uniforms or dressed up in silly outfits with feather boas and too much lipstick.
When she’d called her parents after her meeting with Nina, they were thrilled she wanted to come home so soon after seeing them at the wedding. But there were questions. Lots of questions.
And frankly, Lily didn’t have all the answers.
All she knew when she threw a handful of outfits into her suitcase was that she needed to be here as soon as possible. The trip wouldn’t be long—her return flight was in three days, because she had commitments in LA for the next few months. But after that…
She was coming home for good.
Tonight would determine what was waiting for her upon her permanent return. Sean was currently working the day shift at Riptide—something she’d gleaned from a few subtle questions—and tonight there would be a big party on the beach like they had every New Year’s Eve. Fireworks would explode along the coastline and there would be music and dancing, and lots of food, and romance. It was worlds away from the exclusive LA clubs with the expensive champagne and celebrity guest lists that Brock had dragged her to year after year.
This was exactly what she wanted, though. Rolling waves, the company of the people she loved, and maybe a few New Year’s wishes on her lips. If she was lucky, a kiss. All she had to do was turn up tonight and tell him how she felt. No dodging questions, no skating around the truth, no protecting her heart.
It was time to go for broke. To go all in.
Her packing skills had left something to be desired, however, and the only thing that even closely resembled a party-appropriate outfit was a crumpled black linen dress. Thankfully, when she called her cousin, Amelia had been there in a flash.
“I still can’t believe you’re here.” Amelia sat on Lily’s bed, shaking her head. She wore her signature casual style to perfection—a short denim skirt with a white top knotted over a bright pink bikini, flat sandals, and her brown hair tumbling in beachy waves all around her shoulders. “Now, nothing in my closet is anywhere near as stylish as Evie’s, but hopefully something works.”
Evie and Jasper were still on their honeymoon in The Bahamas and wouldn’t be back for another week.
“Seriously, I appreciate any bit of help,” Lily replied, looking through the options. She was instantly drawn to a pale blue cotton dress with a frill around the bottom and thin straps that criss-crossed at the back. The fabric had a subtle dotted pattern to it, and it still had the tags on. “Oh, this one is gorgeous!”
“I bought that for a wedding and never ended up wearing it. It’s a bit frilly for me, but it’ll look amazing on you. You can keep it.”