Page 72 of The Unbound Bookshop
Her words tore into his heart like a rigging knife, ripping away the tattered seams of a wind-beaten sail so they could finally be repaired.
He forced himself to meet her gaze, broken anew by the unconditional love reflected in her glistening sea-green eyes.
“Kevin wouldn’t want you to live his life,” she said, her voice soft and trembling. “He’d want you to live yours. He was so proud of you, Flynn. He always said people like him ran the world. But people like you were the ones who knew how tolivein it.”
A surge of warmth washed over him, as real and tangible as the sun’s rays. Had his brother really felt that way?
Sage leaned closer, as if to ensure he didn’t miss a single word she said. “Kevin may have cared a lot about making money and a name for himself, but he cared aboutyoumore.”
Cap wiggled in the sand beside him as if he wholeheartedly agreed.
Flynn let her words sink in, and the tightness in his chest released, like a pressure valve being opened. “How’d you get so wise?” he teased, using levity to ease his mounting emotions.
“Must be all the books I read.” She smiled through her tears.
The wind tossed her curls around her face. A few strands stuck to her tearstained cheeks, and her nose glowed a pinkish red. But she’d never looked more beautiful.
She’s the greatest blessing in your life. And you’d better do everything in your power to show her that every day, in as many ways as possible.
He reached for the time capsule, ready to face whatever he found inside.
Heart thrumming, he entered the code in the manual lock—their birthdate, which was easy to remember.
As he flipped open the lid, he broke into a grin.
Great minds think alike.
A blue and white friendship bracelet rested inside.
Sage gasped, her entire face beaming like the sun hanging low in the sky before them. She scooted closer, tears shimmering in her eyes as he lifted the letter.
A sheet of white paper, neatly folded into a symmetrical square.
He carefully smoothed out the creases.
A single word stared back at them from the center of the page.
Family.
A lump lodged in his throat.
Here come the waterworks again.
“Well,” he said with a raspy chuckle. “He gets bonus points for brevity.”
Sage laughed, light and lilting—the most captivating, cleansing sound.
He slipped an arm around her shoulders, one hand petting Cap, as the sun dipped toward the horizon line, splashing pinks and gold across the waves.
Although he sat anchored on shore, not sailing across the sea with the wind at his back, he’d never felt freer.
Chapter 41
ABBY
Standing atMira’s bow,Abby gazed across the sun-soaked water. The gilded circle sank into the horizon, diffusing in every direction like fresh-churned butter melting over the surface.
Music and laughter mingled with the melody of ocean waves, and Abby tore her gaze from the mesmerizing view to take in an even more glorious sight. The joyous tableau of her loved ones gathered on deck to celebrate The Unbound Bookshop’s inaugural sunset sail. Logan, Max, Verna, Nadia, Evan, and so many others she loved and cherished sipped strawberry lemonade, alternating their awestruck attention between the sun’s stunning watercolor display and the rugged coastline drenched in gold.
