Page 135 of Somewhere You Belong

Dallas grins at his sister as he pulls me closer. “You’ll have to forgive Hazel. She’s a hopeless romantic.”

“I am, all right? I admit it. This is like romance book worthy.” Hazel launches herself from the couch and heads down the hall. “Ugh. I need to blow my nose again.”

Penn stands from the couch and hovers over us, trepidation in his gaze. “So this is real?”

“It is.” Dallas stands and looks him dead in the eye. “I went after what I want, and I got it.”

“Then I’m happy for you.” He looks to me and says, “Both of you.” Penn pulls his older brother in for a hug, slapping his back before releasing him and turning to me once more. “So, you’re not selling the house?”

Rising from the chair, I meet his gaze with a smile on my lips. “Nope. I’m here to stay.”

“Good, because it didn’t feel right the thought of you leaving.”

Dallas’s eyes meet mine almost instantly. “I couldn’t have said it better myself, brother.”

***

One Month Later

“I’m glad we came to an agreement.” I stare at the computer screen, watching Thomas Fletcher, one of my biggest clients, smile from ear to ear.

“Me too, Willow. I miss seeing you around here, but Natalie and the team did me proud. This campaign is a winner. The sales have already been outstanding.”

“I told you they would. You know I’m always here if you need my input, though.”

“I appreciate that, but I must say, it’s nice to see you with your hair down. You look…” He pauses while he searches for the correct word. “Content.”

I glance above the computer, finding Dallas grinning at me, bouncing his eyebrows as he cooks us breakfast.

I am content, feeling more fulfilled and grounded than I have in my entire life.

And yes, my hair is down, because that’s the way my live-in boyfriend likes it.

Dallas moved in shortly after we spoke with his family about their dad. It just made sense for him to stay with me in a space that was big enough for us both. The apartment above the restaurant is still there for those late nights if he needs it, but more often than not, he sneaks into our bed in the wee hours of the morning and wakes me up with his tongue between my legs.

Rule number three is definitely our favorite.

And now the man who wanted my house to begin with is finally living in it—with me.

“Well, that’s what living by the beach will do for you, Thomas. Make you relax a bit. That and the right person to help you see what’s truly important in life.” My eyes meet Dallas’s again, a hint of reverence in his gaze.

“Glad to hear it. We’ll talk soon.”

“Looking forward to it.” I log off the call and then lean back in my chair, watching the muscles in Dallas’s back clench and ripple as he moves, finishing our breakfast. “Well, that went well.”

“And now you’re done for the day?” He slides two eggs onto a plate and then butters two slices of toast.

“Yes, I am.”

“Good, because we have a busy one ahead of us.”

When I left D.C., I made an arrangement with the board of my company that allowed me to feel more comfortable with moving here permanently. The thought of leaving entirely wasn’t what I wanted. I built the company myself, and still wanted ownership, but I was ready for far less responsibility. So, I stepped down as acting CEO, and let Natalie, my VP of marketing, step up. She was ecstatic about the opportunity, and I’ve been mentoring her as needed, as well as communicating with clients who have been with me since the beginning, like Thomas Fletcher.

I still have a say in certain campaigns. I still log on to calls and check my emails every day. But I have a much better work-life balance than I did before, one that is more conducive to living in a small town and dedicating time to the new man in my life—the only man I know I’ll ever need. There are days where old habits try to sneak their way back in, but Dallas comforts me and encourages me to look out at the ocean to remember that change is good.

Like the waves lapping at the shore, change is unpredictable and sometimes scary, but it can wash away old scars and shape us into something new.

“Are you ready for today?” I reach for my cup of coffee, sipping on the now lukewarm liquid.

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