“Do you fecking live here?”
The words leave my mouth before I even think about it, because the last person I expect to see when the door opens is Aiden Holloway.
He leans against the doorframe like he belongs there, relaxed, comfortable, and I swear to God, something inside me twists hard enough that I want to punch him straight in the throat.
Why is this bloke always here?
Every time I turn around, there he is fixing something, helping someone, smiling that calm bloody smile while half the town melts around him.
Oh, he’s so sweet, Finn.
He’s helping with flowers again.
He’s baking bread for the community.
He visits the senior home.
I hear it constantly. Young women, older women, women who should absolutely know better—all sighing over Aiden Holloway like he’s some local saint.
And now he’s standing in May’s doorway looking entirely too domestic.
I hate it.
I hate how natural he looks here.
I hate that she moved next door to him.
“What the feck are you doing here, Holloway?” I ask, already irritated by the way he doesn’t look bothered in the slightest.
“Using May’s oven,” he says. “What are you doing here?”
I squint at him, unimpressed. “I hope that’s literal and not some kind of sick joke.”
His mouth twitches like he’s trying not to laugh.
“Where is May?” I ask.
“She’s in Newport. She went to the store.”
“When’s she coming back?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m not her keeper.”
My fists tighten at my sides. There are about ten things I want to say all at once, none of them polite.
“Why don’t you text her?” he asks.
“I have,” I say, jaw tight. “She just doesn’t… never mind.”
Before either of us can say anything else, a voice comes from behind me.
“Everything okay?”
I turn and straighten instinctively.
Nathan Prince stands there with his dog at his side, calm and unreadable. He’s a retired chief petty officer, Silver Finn, a man I’ve respected long before I ever ended up in this town.
“Chief Prince,” I say automatically.
