Page 59 of Touch My Shelves

Here is where she says yes, jumps into my arms, and I spirit her back to the ship. But the tear slowly falling down her cheek is my first clue that it’s not going to happen without a rewrite.

I take her hand and squeeze. “Poppy, I love you. I don’t want to hide what I feel for you anymore. I want to make a family with you and Freeya. I don’t want you to change or feel anything but empowered by the love I have for you. I will support your dreams and every day I will make your happiness my goal. I won’t allow you to lose yourself in me because I love the Poppy you are too much to ever chance her going away. Will you marry us?”

She hasn’t stopped staring at the ring. Another tear tracks down her cheek. Slowly, she puts her hand over the ring box and closes the lid and my heart crashes. She’s saying no. I knew there was a chance.

She pulls me to my feet and looks up at me with tears still unshed clouding her eyes. “I love you, Brax, but there’s something I have to do first before I can answer that question. Could I please have a TBD? Will you give me time?”

“How much time?” I ask, my voice suddenly hoarse.

She reaches up on her toes and gently kisses my lips and then sadly says, “I don’t know.”

She bends down to give Freeya a hug and whispers something in her ear, after which my daughter throws her arms around Poppy and kisses her cheek before nodding with a smug grin.

I don’t know what she said, but it gives me hope. I’ll take it.

CHAPTER 21

POPPY

Six months later

From the window seat on the plane bound for California, I watch the white fluffy clouds go by and I remember the look of hurt and hopelessness in Brax’s eyes when I didn’t say yes. I wanted to so badly, but as I stared at the beautiful diamond ring, I knew I had work to do on myself before I would feel worthy of his love and being Freeya’s mother.

I grin and let my head rest on the cool window. Freeya had played her part perfectly and I hate we missed having the duel between father and daughter. How they coordinated all that without me knowing still has me scratching my head.

Gripping the book in my hands, I glance down at the cover. Yeah, it’s my book. A lot has happened in six months. The first thing I did after pirate-gate was go home. I spent a week with my family without my anti-marriage glasses on. I had a long talk with my mom and my sisters-in-law and realized that their lives are their choices. They didn’t give up who they were; they just wanted different things as they grew in their marriages.

There’s so much love in my family and it scares me to realize I could have missed out on knowing how incredibly in love my parents and siblings really are.

When I got back to Faire Island, I pulled that book out I’d been working on for so many years and I finished the darn thing. Turns out Naudi was right. I did have it in me and the very first publishing company I submitted to jumped on the chance. Thus, the book in my lap.

“I just finished that book. You’re going to love it,” the flight attendant says before asking for my drink preference. I decline and, with a private smile, turn back to the window. I could have told her it was my book, but I didn’t. Some things are totally good enough for just me to know.

Book sales are doing so well they want a second book option. I haven’t given them an answer because, while I admit finally that I love to write and I’m good at it—talk about growing confidence—I really want to see how my immediate future plays out.

I haven’t spoken to Brax since that day on the dock. I understand from many reliable sources that Brax and Freeya left Faire Island the day after the ship sailed in. They went back to California and haven’t returned.

He was so swashbuckling handsome in his pirate gear. I’ve missed him so much, but I don’t know if he still feels the same, or if I hurt him too badly by turning him down. Especially in such a public way. He values his privacy and with all the videos on social media of what “they” dubbed pirate-gate, everyone knows BJ Sully was dumped, thanks to a tourist that recognized him. They can watch it happen over and over.

He wasn’t dumped, though. He was just TBD’d.

A few hours later and I’m standing at his front door with my hand raised to knock when the door flies open.

“Poppy!” Freeya screams and launches herself into my arms.

I hug her to my chest and suddenly my lungs inflate to full capacity. “Freeya, I’ve missed you so much.”

And then I see him. My heart lurches and finally goes back into rhythm. He’s wearing a pair of cut-off shorts and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up on his arms. What is it about the sight of a man with rolled sleeves in front of woman that’s like dangling raw meat above a hungry alligator? Worst analogy ever, but I do want to gobble Brax right up.

I bend down and kiss Freeya’s cheek. “Will you give me a minute with your dad, honey?”

I can see the hesitation in her eyes. “I promise I won’t leave without seeing you again.”

That’s the best assurance I can give because, with the unreadable expression on Brax’s face, I may not get the answer I’m hoping for.

Freeya nods and slips back inside. Now it’s just the two of us. Brax opens his mouth, but I stop him. “Mind if I go first?”

His mouth closes and purses into a glare. Fine. I can work with his anger. I grab my handbag from where I’d dropped it when I caught Freeya and dig around until my hand lands on the box I’m looking for. I pull it out and step in front of Brax. This would be easier in his house. On carpet. But he didn’t have it on the wooden dock, so here goes.

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