I grabbed my toothbrush and a cup, filled it with water, and started brushing my teeth. I didn't look at Molly the whole time, but she didn't take her eyes off me. She checked me out from head to toe."Keira, this is Molly Ruth," Macy said, introducing us. "Molly, meet Keira Kay."With my mouth full of toothpaste, I nodded at Molly.She had a round face but wasn't overweight. She wore a floral dress and had clearly put effort into her makeup."Molly', she's the one you wanted to meet. Didn't I tell you? Look how pretty she is," Macy said, scrubbing some clothes by hand.When Molly and I locked eyes, I caught a flicker of insecurity in her gaze, but she wouldn't show it. "She's younger, of course she's pretty. I wasn't bad at her age either."Macy sneered, and Molly rolled her eyes. Their silent feud felt like I was watching a comedy.As I finished brushing my teeth, Molly spoke up, "Keira, are you visiting relatives here or just traveling?""Traveling," I said, turning on the t
I looked up and saw Hayden's rugged, chiseled face. Not only did he catch me, but he also snagged the watermelon from my hand.This surreal scene, straight out of a TV drama, was actually happening to me.He steadied me and let go, but the second I moved, pain shot through my ankle.Grabbing his arm, I said, "It hurts..."Following my gaze, he saw my ankle already turning red. "It's sprained?"Hayden was really close, his deep voice sounding especially sexy and comforting.I nodded, and the next second, he handed me the watermelon and scooped me up in his arms.In all the years I was with Jace, he never held me like this. Hayden carrying me like his princess made my heart race, and even my nose started to sweat.That was my thing; whenever I got nervous or excited, my nose would sweat.I heard gasps around us—it was the neighbors and passersby. In a small town like this, such behavior between a guy and a girl wasn't common.Hayden seemed unfazed by the onlookers, carrying me
Not too long ago, Jace had also given me a foot massage. It felt sweet then, but it didn't even come close to what I was feeling now.I couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was Hayden's technique.As Hayden was finishing up, I heard Macy shouting outside, "Listen up, everyone! If anyone tries to mess with my tenants, don't blame me for getting nasty! I'll make your whole family regret it...""What's going on?" I asked quietly.Hayden took my foot off his knee and placed it on another stone bench. As he stood up, I noticed his face was a bit red.I thought he was just hot, but his next words told me otherwise.He said, "From now on, don't wear skirts around here."I looked down at my skirt, a royal blue silk one that clung to my body and had a slit up the side. Sitting the way I was, the slit had ridden up, exposing my thigh. When he was massaging my foot, he must have seen something.My face turned slightly red, but I wasn't about to lose my cool. I feigned indifference. "Why? Doe
It was the bluntest thing I'd ever said.Hayden looked slightly stunned, then replied in a super chill tone, "You're overthinking it.I did not say anything.He turned around and started cutting the watermelon, arranging each piece on the plate like little soldiers ready for inspection.Looking at the perfectly cut watermelon, I suddenly felt this weird urge to snoop around his room."Why aren't you eating? Just staring at it won't help," Macy teased as she walked over.Macy was such a character—hands on hips when scolding, but super caring and gentle when she showed concern. She could crack a dirty joke like nobody's business."I was waiting for you. You really stood up for me earlier," I said playfully, handing her the biggest piece of watermelon.Macy didn't hesitate. She took a bite and said, "Sweet, but I can't have too much. My blood sugar's high."I started on my piece, but Hayden went back to his room and stayed there.When it was time for dinner, he left again. I wan
I'd been here for days and hadn't seen any of Macy's kids or grandkids visit. I didn't ask much about it. She seemed to think of Hayden and me as her own.One night, while I was getting ready for bed, Lena called, asking when I planned to come back."I haven't decided yet. I'm really happy here. It's the happiest I've been since my parents passed away," I told her.I even considered extending my leave, staying until I got tired of the place."Maybe you don't want to leave because of that soldier," Lena teased.Thinking about my few but oddly heart-stirring interactions with Hayden, I said, "I wouldn't say I can't leave, but when he's around, my heart definitely feels more alive.""Sounds like you're healing pretty well," Lena joked.I stayed quiet for a moment, then Lena asked, "Has that jerk Jace contacted you at all? Not even a text?"I licked my lips. "...No."Lena scoffed, "He thinks you'll never leave him."I knew she was right. Staring at the moonlight outside my window
I thought, 'Messed up? How bad can it be?'Staying chill, I asked, "Okay, slow down. What's going on?"Demi said the lights didn't match the design specs at all. Either the lights from the manufacturer were junk, or there was a problem with the installation."Look, you know what might be causing it, so just call the right people to fix it. Even if I were there, that's all I'd do," I replied, trying to keep things calm."Keira, please come back. I can't handle this alone. And I don't know what's gotten into Mr. Johnston lately. He's been coming to the amusement park every day, and every time he leaves, there are more problems. I'm about to lose my mind," Demi's voice was cracking.Thinking about the message Jace sent me, I wondered if he was deliberately causing trouble for Demi to pressure me.After all these years together, he knew me well. He knew I had a soft heart and couldn't stand seeing others suffer because of me."Handle it for now," I said, still not agreeing to go bac
Demi had taken the video from the highest point. Through it, I saw the amusement park all lit up. It didn't look too bad, but the base color of the lights was completely different from the design plan.Originally, the lights were supposed to be a gradient of blue, like the ocean at night turning into dawn. Now, it was just a solid blue—a deep, heavy blue.Sure, the color was rich, but it lacked soul."Demi, this is the overall view. Any idea if it's a construction issue or a problem with the lighting supplier?" I asked. "Have you talked to both parties? What did they say?""The construction team insists they followed the specs, and the manufacturer says the lights meet our requirements. No one's admitting fault, so I'm totally clueless about where the problem is," Demi said, clearly frustrated."Keira, please come back. I can't handle this alone, and I know you don't want this kind of mess for the amusement park you've put so much effort into," Demi pleaded again."Okay, I'll com
At Steve's pool hall, Jace took a shot and missed all the balls.Steve shook his head lightly while wiping his cue. "Keira still hasn't replied to your message?"Jace stayed silent. Steve aimed at the most awkwardly placed ball on the table. With a thud, the ball glided smoothly into the pocket."Doesn't make sense. She wasn't mad when you talked to her, so why is she being stubborn now?" Steve was puzzled.Jace thought about the time Keira had come to play pool. "What did she ask you about back then?"Steve pocketed another ball and perched himself on the pool table. "I told you, she asked if anything was going on between you, Tanya, and Desmond in school. I told her no, so her leaving has nothing to do with me.""I'm not blaming you. Why are you so defensive?" Jace said bitterly.Steve looked at the last ball on the table but glanced at Jace instead of taking the shot. "You really don't know why she left? Why she refused to marry you?""I don't know. She's just throwing a tan