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Being in Oak Island and in my grandmother’s home, which was now mine, had awoken something inside me. It was where I belonged.
“Does Jensen know?” Nyla asked excitedly.
I shook my head. “Not yet. My parents don’t know either. So, it’s going to be a surprise.”
Nyla stood and leaned against the railing so she could face me. “So, you’re moving back here? When?”
A chuckle escaped my lips. “When I come back in two weeks, I’ll be here permanently.” I spread my arms out wide. “I’m keeping the house.” I stood and joined her, loving the feel of the wind whipping around me. “I don’t have a job lined up yet, but I’m not stressing about it. I know I’ll find one eventually. I’m still scheduled to do some surgeries up in Boston, so I’ll just travel back and forth to those. And I plan on taking surgeries on a case-by-case basis until I find a job down here.” I breathed in the salty sea air. “It won’t be so bad leaving when I know I’m coming right back.”
Nyla beamed with genuine happiness. “That’s great, Everleigh. I think that’s the second-best decision you’ve ever made.”
“And what’s the first?” I asked, laughing.
Her eyes twinkled. “Getting back with Jensen. You’re a completely different person now.” She gasped and held up her hands. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved how you were in Boston, but here you’re so full of life.”
Tears burned my eyes. “I could say the same for you.”
She nodded in agreement. “I think so, too.” Her lips pulled up in a mischievous smirk, almost as if she was keeping something from me.
“Why do you look like that?” I questioned.
Nyla giggled and sighed wistfully. “Oh, you know, I just feel amazing right now. Since turning in my notice at the hospital, I’ve had a lot of time to think about my future.”
“What?” I squealed, feeling a wave of excitement surge through me.
I flung my arms around her neck, and she laughed as we bounced around. If anyone needed a change of pace, it was her. I’d never seen her look as healthy as she did now. I let her go and grabbed her hands.
“What are you going to do? Are you going to stay in Boston?”
She shrugged. “Not sure. I just know I want a change.”
We both had apartments in Boston, and her lease was about to come up for renewal, like mine. I knew exactly what she needed; I could feel the certainty of it in my blood.
Squeezing Nyla’s hands, I looked right into her sea-blue eyes. “You’re going to live here, Nyla. It’s the right time and place; I can feel it.” Nyla started to shake her head, but I clutched her hands harder. “Don’t you say no to me,” I snapped playfully. “You belong here just as much as I do. In just the span of six weeks, you’ve changed so much. I like what I see, and I know you have to be a million times happier.”
Nyla smiled, her eyes misting with unshed tears. “I am. There is so much I love about this place.”
“So, it’s settled?” I asked, lifting my brows. “You’re going to stay?”
Nyla’s lips trembled with happiness. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”
Letting her hands go, I embraced her hard. “I would love nothing more.”
My phone started to ring, so Nyla dropped her arms, and I grabbed my phone off the distressed wood coffee table Jensen had made for my grandmother; it was my mother calling.
“Hey, mom,” I answered.
There was no good morning or greeting.
“Have you seen the news?” she asked, her voice hesitant.
Fear began to grip my chest, and I felt my heart stop beating for a split second. “No, why?”
She sighed heavily. “The hurricane took a sharp turn to the west. It happened out of nowhere. It looks like it will hit in less than two days.”
My only thought was of Jensen. He was out there at sea with a storm coming right at him.
“Oh my God, Mom,’ I exclaimed in horror. “What about Jensen?”
