Tonight wasn’t about guilt or history. Or mistakes he couldn’t undo. Tonight was about one chance. One evening to remind Johanna there had been something beautiful between them before everything fell apart.
And maybe, if the universe decided to show him mercy, one chance to make her laugh again the way she used to.
That was all he wanted.
Mostly.
He slipped into a leather jacket, grabbed the bouquet from the kitchen counter, and headed outside.
Cold February evening air greeted him the second he stepped onto the porch of his renovated craftsman near the marina. The setting sun painted Sheraton Beach in soft gold and amber while boats rocked gently against their slips in the distance.
At this hour, the town became dangerous.
The light softened everything. The ocean breeze carried possibility through the streets. Even heartbreak looked survivable in weather like this.
Blaze climbed into his truck and headed toward Main Street with his nerves sitting entirely too close to the surface.
By the time he pulled onto Johanna’s block, he had regained and lost confidence at least five times.
Then he saw her building.
The renovated brick storefront sat above a boutique selling handmade jewelry and coastal home décor. Black shutters framed tall windows overflowing with flower boxes, and warm amber light glowed softly behind the curtains upstairs.
The place suited her perfectly. Beautiful without trying too hard. Welcoming without revealing too much. Carefully puttogether while still feeling lived in.
Just like Johanna.
Blaze grabbed the flowers and stepped onto the sidewalk. Before he reached the stairs, the door of the antique shop next door swung open.
Ms. Adele Jenkins leaned outside wearing a purple cardigan and the expression of a woman fully prepared to involve herself in somebody else’s business.
“Evening, Braxton.”
Blaze stopped. “Evening, Miss Adele.”
Her eyes traveled over him. “You look handsome tonight.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“You nervous?”
Blaze looked at her.
She smiled knowingly.
Nosy as hell.
“No, ma’am.”
“Lying to elders damages the spirit.”
A laugh escaped him before he could stop it. “Yes, ma’am.”
She nodded toward the stairs. “Go get your woman.”
Blaze blinked once. “She’s not—”
Miss Adele raised one eyebrow.
