Page 74 of Knot Your Sunshine
"I can see why you never stopped," she murmurs, running her thumb along the smooth wood we're creating. Her next pass is slower, more deliberate, and the workshop settles into a peaceful quiet, broken only by our breathing and the soft shush of the plane.
"Hey, look at what you've done." I run my finger along the instrument. "See how the grain seems to glow now?"
She sets the plane down carefully then runs her own finger along her work, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "That's so cool." Then she turns in the circle of my arms, looking up at me, her face radiant. "Thank you. For sharing this."
I cup her face, thumb brushing her cheekbone. "There's a spokeshave that needs using next. Wanna try?"
She grins. "You want to turn me into a woodworking nerd, don't you?"
"Maybe." I reach for the spokeshave, demonstrating the curved pulling motion. "Or maybe I just like having you here, sharing this."
Pink spreads across her cheeks, and she rises on her toes, lips brushing mine.
"Show me more," she whispers against my mouth.
Chapter twenty-nine
Josh
My phone buzzes in my pocket as I round the corner toward our office. I pull it out, nearly dropping it in my eagerness.
Email from Chadwick's team. Subject line:Launch Test Results: Day 2.
My heart rate picks up. I swipe to open it, and grin.
"Guys, did you see?" The words burst out of me as I reach the office and push through the door.
Keanu's sprawled on the couch, one arm behind his head, boneless. Noa stands by the window, but something's different about him. His shoulders sit lower. The line of his spine curves instead of that usual rigid posture.
They both turn to me.
"We saw." Noa's voice carries a warmth I rarely hear. "Numbers are holding strong. Excellent revenue across all locations."
"Excellent is underselling it." Keanu sits up, feet hitting the floor. "The franchises are absolutely crushing it."
I scroll through the report on my phone again. "The attribution data per location is still experiencing delays though.Can't tell which specific locations are outperforming yet. But overall?" I look up, grinning so wide my face hurts. "This is incredible. Better than we could have imagined."
The success feels surreal. Mia's going to be so excited.
"Can I tell her?" The question tumbles out before I think about it. "The good news?"
Noa turns from the window, and the expression on his face is soft, content. Something I haven't seen since we sold our company.
"Of course. You'll probably find her at the rooftop spa." His mouth curves. "She was worn out after our date, so I booked the whole place for her."
Keanu shifts forward on the couch, elbows on knees. "Hold on a second, Josh. Mr. Mysterious here still hasn't said a word about his date in the half hour he's been back. Let's make him spill."
"No need. Since you're both here now, I'll tell ya…" Noa walks to the bar, pours himself water. Takes a long drink. We wait.
"Well?" Keanu demands.
"Come on, tell us." My voice comes out strangled.
He leans against the bar, and his whole face transforms with a private smile. "I took her to the lovers' cave."
The room goes silent. I hear the ocean through the windows. My own breathing.
"The cave?" Keanu's voice drops to almost a whisper. "You showed her the glowing cave?"
