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He nodded, reluctantly lettingback to Bailey and Tom

I hurried over, slipping ?”

“Oh, thank God,” he said “Rescue”

“George!” Iris huffed

“Sorry, Iris, this pretty lady needs a drink” He guided me quickly away from Iris and over to the buffet “That woman has always terrified me,” he confessed

I laughed “She is a force of nature”

He grunted at that, picking up a pig in a blanket

I studied hi a little rown fond of him in such a short time, but he and Sarah were the reason I was there

Maybe Bailey and the rest of the toere right about this place and fate

It felt like fate had brought uise of Sarah’s letters

And I’d fallen in love on the boardwalk

It was nice to think that end was real after all

“I’”

George gaveSarah’s letters to me? Because thank you, Jessica You’ll never kno much it matters”

I looked over at Cooper and he see toward“I think I do,” I said

“Maybe it wasn’t all for nothing after all,” George muttered

His words pulledbetween Cooper and me “What?”

He s after all Sarah and I”

Still confused, I shook my head

That er picture Soer story”

Finally, I understood, and it brought tears to my eyes

He saw and nodded to the wine “Drink?”

“I can’t,” I said regretfully “Dr Duggan is showing me the ropes tomorrow for work”

“Oh!” a voice said behind et toto be the new doctor”

I blinked in surprise at her, considering that twice now I’d caught her flirting with my man “Yes”

“Doc,” Sadie said, “I’ve got a bit of a proble if you’d take a look at it when you have a moment”

“Problem?” I frowned

“Well, you see” She slipped off her sandal “Do you seetoe? Does that look swollen to you? Because it hurts like a bitch I think I broke it, Doc What do you think?”

Suddenly I remembered what Bailey had said

“I think you should put your sandal back on and make an appointment to see me in my office”

She frowned at me “Is this because of Cooper? Because I’ve backed off”

I fought hard to hide my smile “No, Sadie It’s because I’m at a party, not at work”

“Oh Okay Just thought I’d ask” She shrugged and sauntered off, not liht add

George chuckled beside ton”

“Yes Bailey warned me”

“Think you can cope with it? Small-town life?”

I gazed around at everyone who had turned up to say good-bye to George, and then my eyes fell on Cooper, as surrounded by his sister, Joey, and hn and E months

Antonio’s was noisy, ray

It was nothing like the soothing sound of the surf crashing against the shore

And yet as I stood there, my eyes locked with Cooper Lawson’s, surrounded by the people of Hartwell, that feeling I’d gotten the first time I stood on the balcony at Bailey’s inn washed over me

Peace

At last

“Yeah,” I said, “I can definitely cope with it”

dded, reluctantly lettingback to Bailey and Tom