Page 217 of Better When Shared
“No, Makai.” She grabbed my hands, squeezing tightly. “Not just for the summer. Permanently. We’re staying on San Juan Island. Permanently.”
The bread knife I’d been holding clattered to the counter. “You’re what?”
“We’re staying,” she repeated, searching my face anxiously. “We’ve decided to make the island our home base. We understand if you want things to stay casual between us.”
The irony, that I’d spent the last week freaking out about them being gone and she still thought I wanted things casual, made me laugh, the sound bursting out of me with such force that Imogen stepped back, startled.
“Are you serious?” I asked. “You’re staying? Both of you?”
“You’re not happy we’re staying?” She looked hurt, her arms crossing defensively over her chest, and I realized she thought I was laughing at her.
“No, fuck, that’s not—” I reached for her, pulling her against me. “Sweetheart, that’s not what I meant at all. I’m thrilled. I only laughed because you seemed to think I wouldn’t be, which was absurd.”
“Oh,” she whispered, tilting her chin up to meet my eyes, her hazel eyes wide. I pressed my lips to her forehead, my heart hammering so hard I was sure she could feel it. A slow smile spread across her face. “So you’re excited?”
“Of course I’m excited. I’m not ready for this to end. Not even close. The way you rushed back to England had me terrified that you were making plans to go home..”
Her body relaxed against mine, tension draining away. “Really?”
I pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “Imogen, I drove to fucking Seattle and back just to get six extra hours with you guys. I was terrified that we only had another few weeks together, and wanted to spend every moment possible in your company.”
“Oh.” The smile that spread across her face was like sunrise breaking over the mountains—gradual, then suddenly brilliant. She threw her arms around my neck, pressing her body flush against mine. “Oh love. We rushed back to England to be sure we could make it work before we told you the news.”
“You might have told me before you left, fuck,” I said, shaking my head.
“We didn’t want to risk hurting you,” Hamish said. “We had to have all our ducks in a row before we poured our hearts out to you. We had to be responsible about our grand gesture.”
“Well, I’ve been miserable since you left, checking my phone every five minutes, driving Skylar insane with my moping. I don’t know where this is going between us, but I want to find out.”
“I was so afraid you’d think we were crowding you,” she whispered. “That we were pushing for something you didn’t want.”
“I want this,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “I want you. Both of you. I was just too fucking afraid to ask for that.Too afraid to do the grand romantic gesture, to commit to you, to admit that I want everything from you.”
I kissed her then, fierce and deep, pouring all the fear and longing of the past three days into it. Her lips parted beneath mine, tongue meeting mine with equal hunger. I tasted mint and the faintest hint of the coffee she’d had on the ferry, but mostly I tasted Imogen—the woman who, against all odds, was choosing to stay in my world rather than expecting me to fit into hers.
Hamish cleared his throat behind us, and I broke the kiss with Imogen, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist as we both turned to face him. He stood by the couch, hands in his pockets, a slight flush on his cheeks that I’d come to recognize as a mix of arousal and nervousness.
“Since we’re sharing news,” he said. “I should mention that I’m now officially unemployed. I gave my notice the first time I went to England.”
I stared at him, trying to process this second bombshell. “You quit your job? Why?”
Hamish ran a hand through his hair. “Because I hated every bloody minute of it. It took coming here to realize it.” He crossed to us, stopping just within arm’s reach. “Back home, I spent my days managing old money for old men who think adventure means trying a different brand of scotch. Uptight twats, the lot of them, though I didn’t see it until...” He paused, his eyes finding mine.
“Until?” I asked.
“Until I came here and met you. I saw how you built a life around what you love instead of what others expect. I saw how Imogen changed as she channeled her passion into something really meaningful and rewarding. It became painfully clear that I didn’t have that kind of passion. I never did, really.”
Something expanded in my chest, warm and overwhelming. I’d seen the changes in Hamish over these weeks—watched him transform from a tightly-wound banker afraid to get his designer shoes wet into a man who’d eagerly teach kids to mountain bike and jump into rough surf without hesitation. But I’d never imagined he’d completely upend his life because of it. Because of me.
I laughed, the sound rough with emotion, and reached out to pull him into our embrace. He was stiff for a moment, properly British through and through, then he sighed and snugged close. His body fit perfectly against us, his arms wrapping around both Imogen and me. I kissed him hard, tasting the mint of his toothpaste and feeling the slight rasp of stubble on his cheek.
“If you’re looking for work, I’m sure I can find something for you to do,” I said against his lips. “You were pretty great with those kids on the mountain bike tour. Skylar’s been saying we need another instructor.”
Hamish blushed, the pink spreading from his cheeks down his neck. “Maybe. I will need a job.” He glanced at Imogen, who nodded encouragingly. “Though Imogen had the brilliant ideato lease the Walker Estate to her bosses, to turn it into a new hotel. We were in England showing the property to the Bindery Bancroft execs, including Imogen’s best friend Gemma.”
I pulled back, trying to wrap my head around what they were saying. “So you’re leasing your entire estate? Won’t that be strange? Having people staying in your home? And won’t you miss Dorset?”
Hamish’s hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw with a tenderness that made my throat tight. “It’s not a done deal yet, but even if we lease the main house, there’s still the caretaker house on the property for personal use. We can visit Dorset anytime we like.” His eyes held mine, unflinching and sincere. “I’ll miss the horses, certainly, and the countryside has its charms. But not nearly as much as I’d miss you.”
