“Who is that?” one of them asks, eyes glued to Kade.
“No idea, but he’s gorgeous,” the other replies. “Those arms—”
“And the beard,” the first adds. “Definitely not local.”
“Well, he won’t be single long if he is,” the second says, laughing. “Not in a place this small.”
My stomach twists. They’re not wrong.
I pour another drink, my hands steady even as my chest tightens.
Kade wipes his brow with the back of his hand, grinning as Pete claps him on the shoulder. They exchange a few words I can’t hear, and then, like he feels it, Kade’s gaze lifts.
It finds me instantly.
The smile fades, just a fraction. Not gone but softened, like he’s suddenly remembered himself.
For a moment, everything else blurs.
The noise. The people. The green.
It’s just us.
Then a kid barrels into him, laughing, and the moment breaks. He looks down, helps the kid up, and ruffles his hair.
I exhale slowly, not realising I’ve been holding my breath.
“Next,” I call, louder than necessary.
Because watching him like that—happy, wanted, already being claimed by the town—stirs a warmth inside my heart that I’m not ready to feel.
The crowd thins for a moment, just enough for me to breathe.
I wipe my hands on a towel and reach for my phone, frowning when the screen lights up.
Five missed calls, all from Fern.
My stomach tightens. Fern doesn’t panic-call unless something’s wrong. I’m halfway through tapping her name when a shadow falls across the stand.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I jump, shoving the phone straight back into my pocket like it’s burned me.
Kade stands there, hands resting on the wooden counter, eyes searching my face in that way he has, like he’s already bracing for impact.
“Everything okay?” I ask, even though my voice comes out thinner than I mean it to.
“Yeah,” he says, grinning. “Everything’s fine.”
“I’ve got five missed calls from Fern,” I tell him. “Do I need to be worried?”
Something flickers across his face—irritation, sharp and brief. His jaw tightens, and then it’s gone.
“No,” he says, then, quieter, “She shouldn’t be calling you.”
My pulse picks up. “Why?”
He straightens. “Because I haven’t had a chance to speak to you first. Come, take a break. I’ll explain.”
