Adrift
Page 24
If she says no, it’s not the end. It’s no for today. I need to eliminate any doubt about how I see her and what I want for us.
“Gabe?” Her large blue eyes gazed up at me, a question in them. Concern radiated through her soft touch. She sensed I hovered near a precipice.
“Hey.” I reached out to touch her soft golden curls. These were the curls she obtained by blowing out her hair and using a wand and curlers. I’d played the role of observer long enough to know. She wore a flowing aqua dress that enhanced the cerulean hues in her irises.
“You look beautiful.” She spun around for me, sending the light, silky material into a floating whirl. “It’s good for tonight?”
“Perfect.” I held out my arm for her, and she giggled.
“What?”
“You’re being so formal. I like this side of you.”
If tonight goes well, you won’t see these nerves again.
“I invited Cali over for tomorrow night. Her new place is three doors down.”
“Wait. You mean Jasmine’s tutor? She moved in on our street?”
“Yes, I told you. I helped her move.”
“How can she afford—”
“I don’t know. She’s divorced. There’s more to her story. I like her.” She searched a large tote bag and pulled out what looked like lip gloss and tissues to put in her small clutch, then paused, studying me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’d rather you hang out with happily married women. Not disgruntled divorcees.”
“Would you shush?” She kissed me in a tease, and I let it drop. I’d worry about this Cali another day.
When we pulled up at the Shoals Club, her girly giggle returned as I came around the side of the golf cart to escort her into the restaurant.
“None of tonight is supposed to be amusing,” I reprimanded with a teasing tone.
“It’s not my birthday. Like, if this is a surprise birthday party, you got the wrong day.”
“I am aware.” I hadn’t thought about it, but her birth date fell exactly one month ahead, so her assumption I’d gotten the month wrong bore logic.
I tapped my phone as we ventured up the sidewalk, and a million twinkling lights lit the expansive deck and every available railing. She gasped, and I took her hand in mine.
“My lady?”
“I’ve never seen this before. It’s gorgeous. When did they…” She paused on the second step up to the deck. “Did you do this?”
“I did.”
She let my hand go and wandered onto the deck, her mouth slightly open. She twirled beneath the lights with the amazement and wonder of a small child at Christmas.
“Where is everyone?”
“I rented out the restaurant tonight. When we enter those doors, the staff will escort us to a candlelit table with an ocean view. The chef is a Michelin five-star chef I flew down from Manhattan.”
“Jason is a good chef. Why would you kick him out of his kitchen?”
“Trust me. He appreciated the paid night off.”
“It’s a Saturday night. The amount of revenue—”
“Trust me. I made it worth their while.”
“But, what? Why?” Her hands clasped over her chest as her confusion increased.
“He’s an amazing chef. And he’s willing to talk to you about your restaurant. And I figured--”
“Gabe, that is insane.”
I dropped to one knee, and her manicured hands covered her mouth.
“The last time I dropped to one knee, I asked you to give us a chance without an end date in sight. These last few months have been some of the happiest in my life. I hadn’t realized it, but before I met you, I was floating, adrift, without a purpose. You’ve changed my life for the better.” I reached into my pocket as her first tear escaped. I opened the velvet lid, and she gasped. “Penelope Star Smith, will you do me the honor of committing to be with me for the rest of your life? Will you marry me?”
“Me?” She glanced behind her, as if anyone else could possibly be standing there. “Me?” she repeated, but this time, her gaze locked with mine.
“Yes. You.”
“Yes. Oh, my god, yes!”
All the worry I’d been carrying dissipated, and the two-ton weight on my chest lifted. I slipped the ring onto her finger, and she threw herself into my arms, knocking me back a foot or two.
“You know, this means we’re partners now. We lean on each other. No matter what happens, we have each other.”
“For life.” She kissed me, and I wiped away her happy tears. I didn’t doubt her happiness, because my Poppy glowed.
The End
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Logan and Cali’s story is up next in First Light…
He could be my savior…or my downfall…
I was living a lie.
No one knew who I really was. Letting someone in could’ve been devastating for my family.
For the most part, isolation wasn’t a hardship. It’s not like I was looking for love or any kind of serious relationship.
But then I met Logan.
I tried to keep my distance. He wouldn’t let me.
Logan is gentle, kind, and loving. Everything I never knew I needed in my life.
He’s also a cop—exactly the kind of man who’d never understand my truth.
So, while he shared his deepest, darkest secrets, I kept mine hidden.
Too bad I couldn’t keep my heart locked away, too.
Because now, I’m falling for a man who can never be mine. Not truly, anyway.
How can I ask him to be my future when I can’t even let him help me survive the rough waters of my present?
Notes & Acknowledgments
“Have you ever heard of a site called OnlyFans?”
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That’s what my husband asked me almost a year ago. And, I hadn’t. But, I joined. I’ve followed several accounts, reached out to some creators for interviews, and read a ton of articles. Just a couple of weeks ago, an article came out in People magazine about a creator whose kids got kicked out of school for having an account. Say what? I tried to do Poppy and all the other creators out there justice and to emphasize how much work it is. As an Indie author – I know – it’s not easy to ‘just get discovered.’ Those accounts out there making a lot of money- for the most part, those artists REALLY work.
I also read Billion Dollar Whale by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope. Gabe is inspired by that real world, shocking scandal. The scenario is structurally different, and Gabe doesn’t play the role of any of the characters in the nonfiction book, but it just goes to show those kinds of billion dollar scandals really do happen – and the fall out casts a wide net.
And Gabe’s love for flying, well, that’s inspired by my brother. He took me up in one of those planes- and gave me the safety speech of “Just so you know, if the single engine dies, it turns into a glider…so it’s really safe.” I suppose you could say I was a more mellow version of Reed after that discussion, after I asked the question any sane human would ask. “Ah, can you repeat that?” All of my aviation information comes from my little brother, by the way. If I got anything wrong on that score – he can be blamed.
And, obviously, I love him and want to thank him for taking me up in that plane and flying me all the way to Georgia and back. I’d probably jump at the chance to fly more with him, but my husband isn’t too fond of the idea.
Along that note, I’d like to thank my husband, my family, and my friends for their support and patience as I embark on this little dream of mine. I’d also like to thank my growing number of author friends for help with random questions about nipples and other oddities.
My editors help me to finesse all the ideas into a more polished book, and I’ll always be appreciative. Amy Claire Major read Adrift in its first d
raft form and helped me to see opportunities for improvement. Lori Whitwam, my editor since the beginning, continues to fine-tune my work and I’m so grateful to have her accompany me on this journey. And Heather Whitehead serves as line editor, coming along behind all of us and finding any little last oversight (or so we always hope!).
I’d also like to thank my Hidden Gem beta readers for their valuable feedback. Carly Autumn read the most recent version, prior to it going to editors, and I’m so grateful that she fit me in while also working on her manuscript. And, last but not least, I most definitely want to thank my ARC readers for volunteering to read early copies and help get the word out on review sites.
Most of all, my thanks go to my readers. Your support keeps me going forward and working on this writing thing each day. I love to hear from readers. You can contact me through my website at www.isabeljoliebooks.com and also sign up to find out when my next book will be available. Thanks again and again for your support!
About the Author
Isabel Jolie, aka Izzy, lives on a lake, loves dogs of all stripes, and if she’s not working, she can be found reading, often with a glass of wine in hand. In prior lives, Izzie worked in marketing and advertising, in a variety of industries, such as financial services, entertainment, and technology. In this life, she loves daydreaming and writing contemporary romances with real, flawed characters and inner strength.
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Also by Isabel Jolie
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Rogue Wave (Tate and Luna)
First Light (Logan and Cali) - Coming Fall 2021!
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Walk the Dog (Mason and Delilah)
Lost on the Way (Jason and Maggie)
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