Eleanor sat down beside Jonah, still marveling that he was here. Alive. Right here with her.
“Ellie, we need to talk.”
“Okay.” She nodded. Yes, they needed to talk.Sheneeded to talk.
Jonah took her hand in his, his touch warm and familiar, stirring up old memories. “Ellie, there’s no way after we lost all these years that I’m letting you slip away again. I’m not sure where this will go—you and me—and if you don’t want this, speak up now.” His words came out in a rush. “Otherwise, unless you say no, I’m moving to the island as soon as I get things wrapped up back home. There’s plenty of work for me here. And there’s… you.”
She swallowed hard, trying to find the right words.
“Just tell me you want me to come back. Choose me this time, Ellie. Choose us.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. She’d never thought this moment would come. She’d resigned herself to a life alone, always wondering what could have been. But now, here was Jonah, offering her a second chance.
She reached out and touched his face, so familiar, even after all these years. Now it was her time to speak. “Jonah. I want you to come back.”
His face broke into a grin that chased away all the years they’d been apart. “I’ve been waiting a lifetime to hear those words.”
She blinked away the tears and squeezed his hands. “I want you, Jonah Burton. The choice I should have made all those years ago.”
“But we have our chance now, don’t we?” His eyes searched her face.
“We do,” she said as a long-awaited smile, full of promise and hope, lifted the corners of her mouth.
He pulled her to her feet, holding her close. She looked out past his shoulder, out past the magnolia tree, up at the brilliant blue sky, dotted with fluffy clouds. And her heart filled with love. For Jonah. For this beautiful island that had always been her home, but now it felt like it was even more so. This was where she was meant to be. With Jonah. Building a new life together, surrounded by the people and the place that she loved.
I hope you enjoyed reading Bayside Beginnings. But what about Darlene? And don’t we want more about Eleanor and Jonah? Try Seaside Sunshine, the next book in the series! And don’t worry… Beverly will get her own book too.
As always, thanks for reading my stories. I truly appreciate all my readers.
