Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“See ya, kid.”
She rounds the table next, surprising Harlow with a hug.
It catches her off guard, but she softens quick, her hand coming up to hold Julie close. “Bye, Julie. It was nice meeting you.”
“You too.” Julie leans in close, whispering loud enough for us all to hear, “Say yes. He’s a real catch.”
A smirk pulls at my mouth.
That’s my girl.
Harlow’s gaze flicks to mine as Julie skips away. “Really, Masters? Recruiting a child to do your dirty work?”
I ease back in my chair, having no shame. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
She shakes her head, but she’s not fooling anyone.
Her gaze drifts back to where Julie disappeared with her grandparents, expression sobering.
I know exactly where it’s about to lead to.
“The fire,” she starts quietly. “Is that…how she got the scars?”
The weight in my chest tightens. “Yeah. An electrical fire started in her room while she was asleep. The Chows couldn’t get to her from inside the house.”
The memory claws through me. Mrs. Chow’s screams, her daughter’s devastation, Mr. Chow trying to scale the siding with his bare hands.
“Thank god you made it in time,” she whispers.
“Too bad it wasn’t fast enough.”
Her gaze locks on mine, seeing everything I don’t say. “I bet the Chows would disagree with that.”
Maybe so, but it doesn’t erase the truth. A kid like Julie should never have to carry scars like that.
“Puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?” she says, her fingers tracing idle circles along the stem of her glass.
“What do you mean?”
She lifts a shoulder. “We complain about bad days, but most of us don’t really know what that means. People like the Chows…Julie…they do. It makes everything else feel insignificant.”
I nod, the words settling somewhere deep. “Kinda makes you want to take risks.” My mouth curves, my meaning clear. “Especially when you get a second shot.”
Her brow arches. “Subtle, Masters.”
I’m done being subtle. Done pretending. Done watching everything I want slip through my hands.
I tip my bottle toward her, the glass cool against my palm. “Here’s to the ones who remind us of what matters and never taking it for granted.”
She raises her drink, a quiet ease in her eyes. “I’ll cheers to that.”
Our glasses touch, sealing something unspoken.
The rest of dinner unfolds with a calm that feels almost unfamiliar. Conversation comes easy, laughter even easier, and for the first time in a long while, it doesn’t feel like we’re circling old battles. It feels like we’re starting something new, the way it was always meant to be.
The lake shimmers silver under the stars, its shoreline crowded with people and glowing lanterns waiting to rise.
Through it all, Linc’s hand holds mine as he guides me toward the quiet dock, steady and sure, like it’s belonged there all along.
It shouldn’t feel this easy, this natural. But there’s no panic clawing at my chest, no second-guessing. Just a quiet certainty that settles me.
At the end of the dock, a lone fisherman awaits, a flashlight swinging from his hand as he steadies the canoe. Inside rests a folded blanket, a small basket of supplies, and a single glowing lantern.
I scan the empty water before looking up at Linc. “We’re allowed to watch out on the lake? How did you manage that?”
His smirk is pure arrogance. “Told you, Goldilocks. I’ve got connections.” He tips his chin toward the older man. “Even convinced Jack here to track down more dandelions, since mine blew to shit.”
He didn’t.
Jack points down at the bench, pride written in the lines of his weathered face. “Found some big beauties too. Should be able to get plenty of wishes out of those bad boys.”
A laugh escapes, my heart warming at the gesture. “Wow. Thank you, Jack.”
“Anytime.” His grin is easy. “Just give me a ring, I know where to find the good ones now.”
Linc cuts back in, voice teasing. “Hey, old man. Get your own woman.”
Jack chuckles good-naturedly, the light catching the grooves of his face. “All right, let’s get you two out on the water.”
He kneels, bracing the canoe while Linc offers me his hand.
I step inside carefully, the wood rocking beneath me.
“Steady now,” Jack murmurs.
Once I’m settled, Linc climbs in with practiced ease, taking the paddles from Jack and thanking him.
I glance back at the fisherman, offering my own smile. “Yes, thank you, Jack. For everything.”
He tips his chin, eyes kind. “You two be safe now.”
With a single push, the canoe drifts free, and Jack disappears down the dock, leaving us surrounded by nothing but water and stars.
The crowd on the shore fades into a blur as we drift outward. The only sound the dip of paddles as Linc guides us toward the heart of the lake.
I lean over the side, trailing my fingers along the glassy surface.
The ice water bites against my skin, sharp enough to steal my breath.
“God, I forget how cold it is,” I laugh, flicking the droplets away.