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“Ah! I’m so sorr—Calvin?” I look up and see two bright brown eyes laughing at me.

“Hey, Lettie.” A grin is stuck on his face.

“What are you doing here?”

“Running,” he says, pointing to his workout clothes and earbuds. “I run here a few times a week when I can.”

“I’ve never seen you here before.” I’m also here often.

“Do you usually come at 6 a.m.?”

“Never,” I admit.

“There you go. I usually run at sunrise, but I’m a little later today.”

That makes sense. Castle Island tends to get busy during the day, so he probably tries to slip in a run while it’s quiet. Besides him, I’ve only seen one other person today, also a runner, and a million seagulls.

“Who’s a good girl?” Calvin says, and my face automatically turns red.

Why, yes, I am a good girl.

“I know,” I admit to him, a blush taking over my entire face.

Amusement dances in Calvin’s eyes as he bends down to give my temporary dog plenty of pats.

“Crap. You meant the dog.”

He winks at me, then jogs the opposite way.

“I’m pretty sure Panda is a boy,” I yell after him with both hands cradled near my mouth.

He turns around and jogs in place. “Good thing I wasn’t talking about him then. I’ll catch you later, Lettie.” He winks again as he runs farther from me. Now I’m left wondering why Calvin is the first guy in a long time to make me feel completely inept around him.

Chapter Eight

Scarlett

Ipush open my office door to the main working area, where empty cubicles greet me. I glance down at my watch to find that it is well past six o’clock. That explains it. There are only a few people at the foundation who work directly in the office every day, but still. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten, which also explains my rumbling stomach.

I saunter over to the makeshift kitchen where I step in front of our shared office refrigerator to grab a snack. My hand wraps around the door handle, and I pull it to me and—crap.

Twenty pounds of metal tumbles toward me, and I grip the side with my free hand for a better angle. The piece is awkward and heavy, but I wiggle it down from my body and set it safely on the ground to lean against the now-broken fridge.

What the heck just happened?

I draw my eyes closer to the mess, eyeing the useless silver brackets broken on the gray tile floor.

“Help!” I yell out to my coworkers, but there’s no point. I’m the lone person left, and I have no idea what to do in this situation.

I can’t just leave the fridge wide open, doorless, especially with how full this thing is. But what is the solution?

I unlock my phone to consult with my good friend: Google. I’m about to hit enter when my device starts ringing in my hand. Sebastian.

“Hello?” I croak as my eyes are focused on the stainless steel in front of me

“Hey. You sound strange.”

“Well, the fridge door fell off.” I swipe my forehead where a bead of sweat formed.