Chapter Thirty

Ben

I can’t seem to get this right.

I turn the wrench a few more times to tighten the bolt, then I walk back over to the front of the motorcycle and mount. I kick at the starter. The engine grumbles, then sputters out.

“Hmm.” I like these kinds of puzzles. They calm my mind. Not that it needs much soothing these days.

“Ben, are you still working on that crappy old bike? We have to get ready!”

I glance up and see Naomi standing on my front porch. Her hair is down, the silky tresses dancing in the gentle breeze. I want to capture this image of her and keep it in my mind’s eye forever. She’s wearing a pale pink dress and a sturdy pair of cowboy boots. Just seeing those boots has my dick tingling.

Those were the ones she wore last night.

Naomi jumps down the steps and saunters over to me, her dress flowing as she walks. As I watch her approach, I’ve never been happier. I didn’t ever think that this would happen to me.

She is everything. My whole world.

She approaches me on my bike, and I reach out and pull her onto my lap.

“Oof,” she says in a cute little voice. I tilt her chin up and kiss her perfectly plump, delicious lips. She settles into my lap and wraps her arms around my shoulders as she deepens the kiss. If I don’t end it, I will end up fucking her on this bike.

That’s not such a bad idea.

She pulls away and looks up at me as our foreheads touch. “We have work to do, Officer. I need your help with the final touches.”

“I love you.”

She smiles, and everything is right with the world. Her fingertips trace the line of my jaw as her gaze takes in my face, finally landing back on my eyes.

“I love you, too, you nut. Now let’s get going.”

“I have a better idea,” I say, and I place my hands on her hips and slide her along the crease of my jeans. Her eyes glaze over, and I think I’ve got her on board to have sex on my bike, right in my front yard, in broad daylight. Then she jumps off my lap, and it will have to wait.

“Come on, horn dog. You’ve made a big promise for later.”

“Happy to keep my promises.” I step off the bike and shift my half-hard dick as I fall in step with Naomi. Together we make our way to the front porch again, and I run ahead of her to open the front door.

“After you,” I say, and I step aside.

She smirks up at me and saunters through. I land a playful slap on her perfect ass, and she yelps, then giggles.

“You need to eat first, then we can go. I advise you to eat fast, because I am not a patient woman.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You’ve been pretty patient with me,” I say. I tug her hand and twirl her into the circle of my arms. I hold her close and brush a strand of dark brown hair from her face as I gaze with adoration into her beautiful eyes.

How did I ever get this lucky?

“I had to be. You were the worst when we first met. You’re lucky I’m as trusting and patient and considerate, and understanding…”

I lean down and bite gently on her neck, and she laughs.

“You were none of those things. I loved you anyway.”

“You had a funny way of showing it.”

“So did you.”

“Are you done? I need you to put food in your mouth so we can get going.”

“I need to put something in my mouth, but it’s not food,” I say, still nibbling on her neck.

She pushes me away with another laugh. “Ben, we can’t have sex all the time. We have to do things with our lives.”

“Having sex is doing something with our lives. I would argue it’s one of the best ways to pass the time. Science backs me up.”

“I back you up, but this is important. I want to make sure everything is perfect.”

I release a dramatic sigh and walk over to the kitchen table. Naomi has prepared a breakfast of fresh waffles, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

I am so glad I’m in love with a chef. I’m even happier that she loves me enough to make such a spread. I’ve never eaten so well. In fact, I’ll have to sneak in an extra workout after this.

Maybe one that includes Naomi.

I sit down and load up my plate. Naomi sits next to me and slides a piece of bacon and an egg onto hers.

“That’s not going to sustain you for the day,” I say, and she shrugs.

“I’m too nervous to eat. What if something goes wrong? Maybe we made the wrong choice by reopening in the same place that burned down.”

I reach over and rest my palm on her hand. I force her to look me in the eye. “Nothing bad is going to happen. You’ve aptly renamed the place, and it’s going to be a huge hit. Besides, everything that was wrong with the building was fixed in reconstruction. It’s a perfect location. Everything is going to be great. Now stop worrying and eat your food.”

“You’re so pushy,” she says with a grin.

“Look who’s talking,” I retort.

We eat our breakfast in comfortable silence, and I manage to get Naomi to eat one extra egg for the protein. Together, we leave the house and slide into my old truck. Naomi takes a bracing breath, and I reach over and lace her fingers in mine.

“You’ve got this,” I say, and she nods.

“Yes. Totally.”

I drive the truck down to the oceanfront and park in the lot next to Naomi’s old apartment. I glance out at the line of boats, many of which are out at sea presently, including the one that Jordan stole. This time, its rightful owners are taking it for a ride.

I grin as I think about how fun it was bringing that asshole to justice. He thought he was invincible. I even managed to sneak a confession from him about Naomi’s brother. Alex should be arriving to join us for Naomi’s big day.

Everything is as it ought to be. I finally feel like I’ve made up for nearly all my mistakes.

Naomi slides out of the truck and walks up to the glass front doors of her new restaurant. She pulls the door open and steps inside, holding it for me as I follow close behind.

The whole place had changed. It’s still a seafood joint, but there is new carpeting, fresh tablecloths, and an entirely new kitchen setup out back. Along the walls, Naomi’s images of the town have been blown up to make fantastic art, and the place has a cozy feel, even though it’s a little more upscale.

We make our way into the back kitchen, where Paul and Katie chat beside the ovens. They hear us and both turn.

Katie is wearing a bright red dress and a matching bow. With her blond hair and pale complexion, she looks healthy and vibrant and beautiful, and I’m grateful to see it. Images of her tied up, frantically needing help, have haunted me for quite some time. Now that she’s smiling, I feel a little better.

I’ll never fully forgive myself, in the end.

“Hey, guys! Ready for the big opening?” Katie asks.

Naomi’s eyes are bright as she gazes around the kitchen, but when she looks back at me, her expression changes. “We are. Just one thing before we get everything ready outside.” She walks over to me and grabs my arm, pulling me back into the dining room. “You’re feeling guilty again,” she says, ever observant.

I don’t bother denying it. I stopped being anything less than 100 percent honest with Naomi after the Jordan case ended. It’s been a much happier world ever since. Naomi leads me toward a booth in the back, and she points to a small plaque on the side.

Curious, I bend down and read it.

In loving memory of Logan Tremaine, who died in combat on April seventeenth.

My throat tightens, and I look up at Naomi. She takes my arm in her hand and turns it so that my tattoo is fully visible.

“You told me once about a friend of yours who died in combat. That when that happened, you decided to leave the military and try civilian life. I noticed his name and the date on your arm a while ago and did some research. I thought we could honor him here and keep him in our lives, always. After all, if it wasn’t for him, I never would have met you.”

I’m speechless. I stare at her with my mouth open, and I force myself to close it. To my dismay, my eyes mist over as I look at the plaque again.

“This can always be our table, so he can sit with us,” Naomi says, then she glances down. “I hope this wasn’t too presumptuous of me. With the little I got from the insurance payout, I needed pretty much all the help I could get, and you were there for me. I wanted to make it special for you, too.”

My throat constricts as I try to swallow back my emotions, and I clear it and focus back in on Naomi. The love in her eyes radiates all around me, absorbing me with its glow. There’s no better time to do this.

I slowly lower to one knee and stare up at her. Her eyes widen with surprise as I reach into my back pocket and pull out a diamond ring encased in sapphires.

“Naomi. You have brought happiness into my life when I thought I would know nothing but the dark. You helped me come back to life. You helped me become the man I want to be. I would be beyond honored if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

Tears fill her eyes, and she grips my hand as she stares at the ring. She sniffles. “I… I can’t believe it. You want to marry me?”

I can’t help but grin up at her. “I’m on my knee with a ring, Naomi. That’s kind of how this whole thing works. There’s a part on your end though.”

She cups her face with her hands and laughs. A tear spills down her cheek as she nods. “Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

I rise then and wrap her in my arms. My lips crash against hers as I claim them as my own for all time. The sound of applause erupts around us, and we turn to see the crowd gathered for the opening of our new restaurant. Naomi blushes, and I slide the ring onto her finger.

“Now, let’s go open this place up, shall we?” I ask.

Naomi glances back at Katie and Paul. Katie wipes a tear from her cheek as she smiles at us, then steps up to join us near the front.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Phoenix of the Sea is ready for business!”

Naomi slides her hand into mine, and we make our way outside, ready to face our new beginning.

Together.