9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sunny envelops me in his arms, in this kiss. My hands grip his strong shoulders. My pulse pounds against his chest.

This seems like a wonderful place to land. The very best as our lips find themselves perfectly at home. This is where I belong. With him.

The sparks haven’t stopped crackling between Sunny and me. Kissing him is like taking a bath in the stars. My heart throbs as I breathe in his sunny, surf wax scent, feeling the familiar internal squeeze at his touch. But unlike when we were teenagers, I’m not nervous.

It’s not because I have more kissing experience, but because I am certain this is it. Sunny is the man for me and if for some reason we can’t be together, I’ll grow old as a single, lonely duchess in a tower in the northern wilds of Concordia.

But that’s not going to happen because as keenly as my body remembers how much I value, adore, and desire this man, I’m taking the reins of my life from now on.

Sunny cradles my jaw between his hands as the kiss slows. We savor this moment, each other.

He skims my lips with little kisses, one for every year we were apart. I counted.

Then his hands travel down my arms, clasping my wrists, and drawing our hands between us before he plants my palms on his strong shoulders and rings my waist with his.

The kiss deepens now, and it’s both soothing and thrilling. His hands tangle in my hair. Mine slide into his. Our sharp inhales and exhales match the pulse of our hearts as we give and take, each of us generous as the kiss continues.

Now, I’m floating in the clouds and realize that for so long, I’ve been in a storm. My life had been a maelstrom of my mother’s wind and hail and only now does the sun come out.

I smile against Sunny’s lips and whisper, “I love you.”

“I love you beyond the sea and back.”

Then we both fully get lost in a kiss as deep as the ocean.

Summer is now halfway behind us, but things with Sunny are only just getting warmed up. He surfs every morning and then we do some work on the house before his shift on lifeguard duty. Meanwhile, I practice being normal.

You’d think my life as royalty would mean a lot of leisure time, but this is the first time since I was last in Palisade Shores that I’ve relaxed and haven’t had every minute of every day booked. I’ve even read a book like Gran-mère and I used to.

My mother and I came to an agreement. Don’t worry, Sunny was the only one who got a second chance. Rumor has it Antony already moved on with a woman he met while getting a massage. Meanwhile, my sister, the amazing businesswoman that she is, forged the critical alliance my mother sought without anyone practically being sold into marriage. She’ll be formally crowned duchess this fall.

For my high school senior year, I got to be the girl next door. My life was normal, and I escaped from the trappings of my family name—the Barclays doesn’t rhyme with billionaire, but it may as well.

At first, Sunny was worried about being a bad influence, but I made it clear that this was my choice. I left Cecily’s wedding, stole a car, and drove to Palisade Shores. I had no idea he’d still be here or if my grandmother’s house was still standing. Yet it all worked out, practically tied with a bow.

My summer adventure taught me several valuable lessons:

Stealing is wrong and falling asleep on the beach is dumb

I can successfully be less of a pleaser

And I am still madly in love

The idea of going back to my old life leaves me with a tight knot in my stomach and the threat of an eye twitch, which is why I spend some of my free time testing my grandmother’s recipes. Each one, from the pineapple coconut to the peanut butter chocolate to the strawberry mango and the orange cream, comes out perfectly.

Tonight, Sunny and I are going to the Cinema on the Coast event, part of the Palisade Shores Summer Entertainment Showcase. Last week, we saw a cover band called The Thunderbirds, and next week the high school drama department is putting on the stage version of Grease.

Sunny had to work late and will meet me here, so I claim a spot near Shelly and Dune’s blanket. She and I have become friends and chat for a few minutes. Somehow, we go from discussing smoothie-inspired flavor combinations and how they could translate to popsicles, to heavier, real-life and relationship stuff.

“Dune has come a long way. Last year at this time, he wouldn’t have set foot at something like this.” Her lips twist with a relieved smile.

“Isn’t a fan of crowds?”

“He didn’t like much of anything except surfing. All three brothers handled the cards they were dealt differently, except when it came to the ocean. They all have that in common.”

“I’m convinced Sunny’s blood is half composed of salt water.”

We both chuckle.

“Dune shut down and shut everyone out. He was such a grouch. Reef is the wild man, unpredictable, a loose cannon, and quite the charmer. As for Sunny, he’d always been looking for love. Well, he found it, and then—” She bites her lip.

I wince.

“I know the whole story. The good, bad, and ugly. When Dune was being an absolute bear, I needed someone to talk to. Sunny, being his brother and all, helped me figure out what to do. I was this close to bailing.” She pinches her fingers together. “I turned to Sunny, and he opened up about what happened between you guys, saying he wasn’t the greatest person to come to for relationship advice.”

My heart sags at the hurt we both caused each other. “I’m glad he had someone to talk to.”

“In his eyes, no one has ever compared to you.”

“That feels like a lot to live up to.”

She shakes her head. “Nope. Just be yourself. That was his advice to me, anyway. And I am nothing if not a persistent ray of sunshine. In fact, Dune once said he had to wear sunglasses around me.” She laughs. “Oh, and look who’s coming. Mr. Sunny himself.”

Sunny and his brother, appearing from opposite directions, bump fists. Dune waves hello at me and then he and his fiancée embrace with a discreet kiss. The guy is definitely bear-like with a full beard and scowly eyes.

But not Sunny, despite the hand he was dealt, as Shelly said, he’s all smiles.

“Hello, beautiful.” He nuzzles my temple with his nose and then kisses me on the cheek.

Ever since that first morning on the beach, this is how he greets me and it’ll never get old. I mix it up and reply with things like, Hey, hunky hottie or Hi, Prince of Surfdom or Hello, Big Kahuna.

This evening, I say, “Howdy, handsome.”

That earns me one more kiss.

After the sun sets, the iconic music to the Endless Summer movie comes up and everyone quiets down. Sunny has seen this movie at least twenty times, if not more, yet it captivates him fully. By the time the final credits roll and the guys walk into the sunset, I get the allure. Not only is it the search for the perfect wave, but a longing that so many of us have for the good parts and highlights in life not to end. For surfers, that might be summer waves and warm temperatures. For me, it’s this, right now, surrounded by laughter and lighthearted ease instead of political posturing, forced polite manners, and a long list of royal tasks that only grew longer by the day.

I’m not opposed to working hard and I love Concordia, but my mother’s plan for me to marry Antony because he supposedly knew more about finance than me and his family’s critical connections for our economy was all wrong. Katherine is the woman for the job and she doesn’t need an Antony. However, the last time we texted, she mentioned she went on a second date with an adorable nerd named August Hynson.

Afterward, Shelly and Dune along with a few others invite us down to the beach for a bonfire. The scent of wood smoke makes it an instant yes from me. They seal the deal with Sunny when Shelly says they’ll be roasting marshmallows.

We find pieces of driftwood and Dune sharpens the ends. Bartie, one of Sunny’s friends, and Nick from work join us along with two girls I remember from high school, Katy and Bea. We spend a few minutes catching up while the guys “sword fight” with their sticks.

The laughter flows freely until Bea says, “I heard Rocco is back in town.”

Despite the warm night and nearby fire, Katy goes stone cold and then leaps to her feet. “I should go.”

Bea shrugs and says, “There was no love lost between those two back in the day.”

I vaguely remember them being like cats and dogs, but I was so wrapped up in my own love story, that I don’t quite recall the details. I do distinctly recall Bea and Finn, who also lived in the Sand Dollar Strand neighborhood, kissing dramatically on graduation day after we tossed our caps into the sky. We were all friendly but never became the best of friends.

Bea says, “It’s nice having you back in town. I’m the new owner of the bridal boutique if you ever want to stop in and pretend to be a princess—” She goes quiet, rumors likely having spread about me falling asleep on the beach in a gown and of course, my true identity as Concordian royalty.

“I was a duchess but gave my sister the tiara.”

We both burst into laughter.

Then I add, “I’m taking a break from gowns for a while.”

“Even wedding gowns?” She elbows me and waggles her eyebrows in Sunny’s direction.

“I’d probably go for something simple and beachy, if anyone is asking,” I tease back.

“We have those for sure.”

Despite my mother’s concern about my safety, life here in Palisade Shores is quiet, sleepy. No one makes a fuss about my background. The sea breeze provides the best night’s rest and my eyes haven’t twitched in weeks. Mostly, everyone here does their best to make it a nice town to live in—and I’ve already received more than a few words of appreciation about cleaning up the exterior of Gran-mère’s house. It’s still a work in progress, but the Designed to Last team is coming for the big spruce-up this fall.

When my marshmallow is adequately roasted and cooled, I pop it in my mouth as Bea tells me she’s going to check on Katy.

Sunny catches his breath, having declared himself King of Marshmallow Haven, winning one of the bags Shelly brought.

He kisses me on the cheek and then pauses, biting his lip. “You have a bit...” Before he can wipe my mouth or do something equally romantic, I delicately pat it.

His lips quirk. “I would’ve taken care of that.”

“You can take the duchess out of Concordia, but you can’t take all of the royalty out of her.”

Some habits die hard, including me having food on my face in public...or kissing in public even though we’re over here in the shadows of the bonfire. I can practically hear my mother’s chiding in my ear.

Sunny and I settle on a beach blanket while we roast our marshmallows and debate the superior style of cooking: burned to a crisp or lightly toasted.

“Team incineration, totally molten,” Sunny says.

“Team toasted.”

“We can agree to disagree.” He wraps his arm around my back, tugging me close. “But we still go together...”

An old song from another classic movie comes to mind and I hum a few bars. “Tonight was a real throwback.”

“The good old days.”

I rest my head against Sunny’s shoulder. “What about our best days being yet to come?”

“Definitely.”

“Are you still thinking of opening a surf shop?”

“I have a business plan and everything. Just no name,” he laments.

“What about Endless Summer?”

He straightens and then brings me to my feet, causing me to drop my marshmallow stick onto the sand. He hugs me, jostling us both up and down in his version of a happy dance.

“That. Is. Perfect.”

“Glad. To. Help,” I answer.

We both laugh and then Sunny hands me his marshmallow roasting stick. “Sorry about that. You can have mine. I’d only achieved toasted perfection.”

“Ah, so you admit it.”

He chuckles and then repeats, “Endless Summer. It was meant to be.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t think of it.”

He shakes his head, dumbfounded. “Sometimes it’s easy to miss the most obvious things.”

“They have a tendency to be right beneath your nose,” I add.

Sunny glances at my mouth. “I can get behind opening the shop on one condition. You sell popsicles. We already have smoothies, juice, coffee, and ice cream covered in town. We’re missing out on refreshing and delicious pops. Plus, we all know eating a popsicle equals an instant smile. You can’t be unhappy and eat one at the same time. It’s a law of nature.”

I laugh because he’s right. “Do you suggest I use Gran-mère’s recipes?”

“They’re the best. Do you want to go into business together?”

Without having to give it much thought, I love the idea and nod. “You fly. I’ll buy.”

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“I’ll be your first and best investor and you get Endless Summer Surf Shop off the ground. I can work there and help run the place, too, so you can still lifeguard.”

“Do you have any retail experience?”

“Of course not, but I’m great with people and I’ve always dreamed of having a popsicle palace.”

Sunny’s laughter echoes over the water.

“I’m not joking!”

He kisses my temple. “Of course, you’re not, Princess.”

“Duchess. Well, formerly not formally.”

He taps the air. “First, I have a question.”

I tilt my head, preparing for something silly or playful that only Sunny would say. However, his sea glass blue gaze tracks mine and doesn’t let go. His smile is as effortless as ever, but something buzzes between us as he squeezes my hand and leads me to the waterline.

The waves softly lap our bare feet. He holds a seashell and something in the center sparkles in the firelight.

Taking a deep breath, Sunny says, “At first, I worried that our past love story was just a nostalgic page from the yearbook. Then I feared it was only a summer fling. But I realized that I don’t want a repeat of what happened before. I want you, today, tomorrow, an endless summer together...”

He presents a ring, consisting of a pearl set in a white gold band surrounded by sparkly diamonds.

I gasp, pressing my hand to my lips.

Sunny takes my hand, holding tight.

“Dee Dee, my duchess, princess, mermaid, queen, will you marry me?”

I laugh and say, “Yes, so long as you’ll be my Big Kahuna.”

He slides the ring on my finger and I jump up and down a little.

Then the space between us shrinks. Our breathing falls into sync as our lips meet. I’ve come home, here in Palisade Shores, at Gran-mère’s house, and at last, in Sunny’s embrace.