Noah laid on his back, the sand soft beneath him, and stared at the stars, thanking each one for his reunion with Zara.
She lay curled into his side, and neither of them spoke. The slight scent of chlorine mingled with flowers, and it was the best smell in the whole world.
“What did your father say?” she asked to break the silence between them.
“I haven’t spoken to him since sneaking away.” He’d told her the whole story of his time in Triguard, his horrible experience with Katya, and how he feared his father would never allow him to return to Getaway Bay.
“I’m sure he was livid with Louisa and Damien.”
“I would like to meet them,” she said.
“You will. We’ll go visit my parents, and we’ll of course go for her wedding, but that won’t be for, like, ever.”
“Really?”
“Oh, the royal engagements are ridiculous.”
“I would like a short engagement,” Zara said, and Noah smiled at the stars.
“That’s fine with me, sweetheart.”
“I’ll talk to my mother tomorrow. See what we can put on the calendar.”
“You might need to explain to me what a traditional Indian wedding looks like.”
“Oh, we won’t have a traditional Indian wedding.”
Noah’s arm around her tightened. “We won’t?”
“I’ll wear the traditional clothing, and it’ll be loud. Every party we have is very loud. But it won’t be full-blown traditional.”
“But we can have butter chicken, right?”
Zara giggled, her breath heating his skin beneath his T-shirt. “I suppose we can have butter chicken.”
The sky above them held magic, and Noah wanted to stay on this island for the rest of his life.
“Did you know Katya had your phone?” she asked, and Noah flinched.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, she had your phone and she texted me. She was the one who sent me the picture of you two kissing.”
Noah hated the sound of those words coming out of Zara’s mouth, and he pressed his eyes closed. “My mother dropped my phone in the koi pond.”
“Well, when I texted you to ask you a question, she responded.”
“What did she say?”
“I don’t know.” She took a deep breath. “All kinds of stuff. She was basically bragging about how she was with you and I wasn’t.”
“You know she was never ‘with me,’ right?”
“Yes,” she said, and it was the best word he’d ever heard. She lifted her head and added, “Come on. You told me you’d show me your place.”
“It’s too dark,” he said.
A beat of silence passed, and then she said, “You don’t have electricity?”
“Well….”
“And no running water.”
“Nope.”
“You’re moving back into the mansion.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Noah.” She pushed up on her elbow. “Where do you go to the bathroom?”
“There’s a bathroom down the beach a bit,” he said. “There’s showers and a sink and stuff.”
“It’s not private.”
“I don’t mind.”
“There’s got to be somewhere you can live that has the things you need.”
Noah gently drew her back into his side. “I’m sure you’re right. I’ll find somewhere tomorrow.”
“And where’s Boomer?” she asked.
“I met a guy named Tyler?” Noah said, like it was a question. “He said he’d take him.”
“Tyler Rigby? The billionaire poker player?”
“I have no idea.”
“You gave Boomer to a stranger.” Zara shook her head against his chest. “I can’t believe you.”
“He had two other dogs, and he seemed chill.”
“Definitely Tyler Rigby.”
“Do you have his number then?”
“I’m sure I can figure out how to get in touch with him. I think he’s friends with Ash’s husband.”
“Because I lost all my contacts when I got a new phone, and I don’t exactly know how to get in touch with him.”
Zara started giggling, and Noah couldn’t help but join in. He wanted this life with her, laughing at the moonlight and snuggling on the sand. He wanted electricity and indoor plumbing too, and he decided that tomorrow, finding a functional place to live was priority one.
The next morning, when he finally dragged himself out of bed, he found his phone laden with messages. He read the ones from Zara, Louisa, and Damien, and ignored the ones from his parents.
He asked Zara for Tyler’s number, and a few minutes later he was able to text the man about getting Boomer back. While he had Tyler’s attention, he asked about a real estate agent, and an hour later, he walked into an office that looked more like a beach hideaway to find a woman sitting behind a desk.
“I’m looking for Jewel,” he said.
“Oh, I’m Jewel.” She tossed her long, blonde hair as she stood. “You must be Noah.” She extended her hand across the desk, and they shook hands.
“That I am,” he said. “And I really need a new place as fast as possible.” He thought about the hammock he’d slept in last night. No way he could let Zara see where he called home.
“Let’s talk for a few minutes, and I’ll see what I’ve got.” She settled behind her desk again, and Noah took the chair across from her. “What are we looking at for budget?”
Noah hadn’t checked his accounts, and had no idea if they were still operational, but he said, “The budget is wide open.”
Jewel didn’t blink. “Size?”
“Nothing huge,” he said. “Something normal, for a normal person. I am getting married soon, though, so something for two normal people. And maybe a family.” He realized he was rambling, and he pressed his lips together in a closed-mouth smile.
“On the beach? A condo? I’ve got a couple of things up on the bluff.” Jewel glanced at him.
“Not the bluff,” he said. “My parents have a place up there, and I’d prefer to be down on the beach anyway. Not a condo. I have a dog, and he likes to go outside like, every five seconds.”
“Large yard for the dog?”
He could hire a gardener, or better yet, figure out how to push a mower himself. “Sure,” he said. “Or not. The yard doesn’t matter to me.”
“Pool?”
He thought of Zara and started nodding. “Definitely.”
Jewel tapped and clicked and smiled. “I think I have the perfect place for you.” She beamed at him, printed one sheet of paper and said, “Do you want to follow me?”
He nodded, his heart bobbing around in the back of his throat. He’d never purchased a house of his own, and he couldn’t wait to see what Jewel had for him. And there was just the one, so he hoped it was available right away.
She drove for about ten minutes before turning into a perfectly normal neighborhood, with completely ordinary homes. She parked in the driveway, which would accommodate four cars, and got out. “Here it is. The house is vacant, so you’ll have to use your imagination for where furniture would be.” She clicked toward the front porch. “But the whole thing has recently been painted, and there’s new carpet throughout.”
Noah didn’t care about the carpet or the paint. The house screamed normal, and it had five bedrooms and four bathrooms, which was plenty of room for him, Boomer, and Zara, even if they had a family.
It was the pool and yard that sold him the moment he stepped onto the back patio. While the house was in a neighborhood, it sat on the edge of it and the backyard stretched for a good distance before the sand took over.
“Do we own the beach?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Jewel said. “But there is access, and not many people come to the beach if they don’t live in the neighborhood.”
He glanced at the sparkling pool, which a tall, vinyl fence surrounded to provide some privacy. “I’ll take it.”
“Really?” Jewel asked. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Noah smiled at her. “Is that not how people do it?” His grin slipped. “This is my first time buying a house.”
“It is?”
“Yes.” Did it really show?
“Well, you’ll get some incentives for that.” She pulled her phone from her purse. “Let me put in an offer.” She babbled on about the price of the house and how it really was quite fair, but that the owners had left the island already and were desperate to sell. “So we could probably go in lower.” She looked at Noah, obviously asking him.
He had no idea. “I’m fine with the list price,” he said. “And I’d love to move in like, tonight.”
Jewel’s eyebrows went up. “Well, I’m afraid that won’t happen, Mister Wales. We have to do the financing, and the inspection, and—”
“I’m willing to buy it as-is,” he said. “With cash. Today.”
Jewel gaped at him, the hand holding her phone falling to her side. “Cash?” wisped out of her mouth.
“Today,” he said.
She regained her professionalism and said, “Let me call the real estate agent for the owners. Perhaps we can work out an agreement that allows you immediate occupancy in exchange for no inspection and a full cash offer.”
Noah nodded at her, imagining himself living in this house…with Zara. In fact, he wanted to marry her right there in that gorgeous backyard, with the banyan trees above them and the beach beyond them. He even knew who to hire to make her wedding dreams come true.
He shook away the fantasies and focused on the moment. He first had to make sure he had the cash in liquid form to buy this place. Then he could bring Zara here and ask her what she thought of tying the knot with him right there in this new, normal place they could call their own.