The Heart of Us (Love in Isolation 4)

Easton sits right next to me and interlocks his fingers with mine. He leans close, moving the headphone from my ear, and whispers, "I love you."

I mouth it back to him.

"This is my favorite part," Piper says as we hover over the ground then take off. We fly over the coast, and I love seeing the sunset from above. It's beautiful, and I can't stop staring.

"I've never been in a helicopter before," Easton says, and I agree.

Tristan is holding Piper as they look out the window. “You get used to it,” he tells us.

Eventually, the helicopter flies over the beach, and torches are lit that say congrats. It slowly descends and stops on a pad.

“Where are we?” Easton asks as we step out.

“On a private beach,” Piper explains, leading us to an overwater bungalow. As we get closer to the deck, I see a string quartet, a private chef and server, and several different wines. I can’t even imagine how much this cost.

“Piper,” I whisper.

“Before you say anything, this is my personal treat. I just wanted us to have privacy without all the attention.” She squeezes me. “Plus, look at this view.”

I turn and see the golden rays of the evening sunset bursting over the water. Orange and pink fill the sky as a warm breeze brushes over my skin. I inhale slowly, taking in the moment. Easton's eyes meet mine, and he grabs my hand to kiss my knuckles.

We sit at the table as the music drifts in the background. There’s laughter and love, and Easton randomly leans in and kisses me every chance he gets. The chef allows us to order and prepares our food in the outdoor kitchen.

The salmon and shrimp are fresh, along with the veggies. Everything tastes so damn good that I have to hold back moans each time I take a bite. At the end of the meal, we're served the chocolate cake with homemade ice cream. As I look around the table, I'm so happy that I nearly tear up.

“I don’t know what I did in my past life to deserve any of this, but thank you all so much,” I say, trying to hold my emotions in.

Easton wraps his arm around me. “You deserve the world, beautiful.”

"You're basically family now," Tristan tells me, and Piper nods in agreement. It's so cute how they look at each other with so much love and adoration, and I know Easton gives me the same look.

“Sometimes, bad things happen, which leads you to the person you’re supposed to be with,” Piper says. “I just knew this was going to happen when I was told you’d be staying at the beach house together. I like to think that I helped with the matchmaking.”

Easton chuckles. "Oh, hush. I fell in love with Tatum the moment I saw her. The beach house just allowed us to get to know each other better. But yeah, I agree, wouldn't change it for the world because it all worked out in the end."

I think about everything I've been through over the years. All the heartache, tragedy, and loss made me realize I found happiness by following my heart. Little did I know I'd find the man of my dreams in Florida. Every day I wake up, I'm so damn thankful I left because everything worked out the way it was supposed to.

Chapter Twenty-One

EASTON

ONE MONTH LATER

It's been three months since we left the beach house and moved into our new place, but we're both ready for a break from how busy the shop has been these past few weeks. Since Oakley couldn't come out for the re-opening, I decided to surprise Tatum with a trip to see her. I didn't tell her until we got to airport security.

As soon as she saw CALIFORNIA on the tickets, she immediately knew. The flight was fine, but now we’re waiting for an Uber to take us to our hotel.

“I can't believe we're here and gonna surf!” she gushes, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Well, you can't go to the west coast and not surf. That'd be a crime.”

“Have you ever visited before?” she asks.

“Nope. This is a first for me too.” I kiss the tip of her nose.

Once we check into the Radisson, we crash for a short nap. Then we have plans to meet Oakley for dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

"Oh my gosh!" Tatum squeals as soon as she sees her. The moment is like a slow-motion scene in a rom-com where long-lost siblings run into each other's arms.

“Holy crap, I can't believe you’re both standing in front of me.” Oakley's smile matches Tatum's.

I stand once they separate. “Finally, meeting the famous little sister.”

“In the flesh.” She hugs me. “Though, famous...not yet anyway. Maybe someday.” She waggles her brows.

Tatum showed me some of Oakley's paintings, and I agree, her work is incredible. There's no doubt she has a bright future ahead of her.