Page 6 of Falling Again For My Best Friend's Brother

Sweat trickled down my back as I hammered the last stake into the ground, securing the dog run that would hopefully contain Hero's destructive impulses. The little guy had not only demolished Amelia's garden but had also developed a worrying fascination with chewing holes in water hoses. Some support dog he was turning out to be.

I straightened up, wiping my brow as the delivery truck pulled up with supplies for Amelia's garden. My muscles ached pleasantly, reminding me of long days of PT in the military. At least this time, the pain was for a good cause.

Amelia bounced outside, her floral-print dress fluttering in the breeze. Her hair was tied back with a bandana, giving her a look that was equal parts adorable and capable. I forced my thoughts away from that dangerous path. This was about making amends, not whatever my traitorous mind was cooking up.

She greeted the delivery driver with her usual upbeat demeanor, but I noticed more tension than usual in her shoulders as she carefully unloaded trays of vibrant flowers.

"These are perfect!" Amelia exclaimed, closing her eyes to inhale their scent. "I can already picture them in a beautiful arrangement."

Her enthusiasm was infectious, but guilt gnawed at me. Those flowers wouldn't be necessary if I'd been more careful with Hero.

Amelia glanced over at me, her lips pressed in a firm line as she directed the driver where to put the flowers and bags of soil. She pointedly avoided my gaze, her slender frame rigid with tension.

I cleared my throat. "Amelia, I'm sorry about what happened to your garden. I shouldn't have been so careless with Hero."

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. It wasn't your fault." But her clipped tone said otherwise.

"Well, I'm here to help," I offered, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt. "Just tell me what to do. I used to work with my mom in her garden sometimes."

Amelia hesitated before nodding. "You can start by opening those bags while I lay out these flowers."

I nodded, pulling out my pocket knife to slice open the thick plastic. As I worked, I couldn't help but watch Amelia meticulously arrange the flowers. Her focus was intense, almost endearing.

"You worked in your mom's garden?" Amelia asked, curiosity creeping into her voice. "You don't strike me as a... flower kind of guy."

I shrugged, dumping soil into the newly dug holes. "Yeah, it was kind of our thing when I was younger. I used to help her plant sunflowers every spring until my junior year. Then I..." I trailed off, not wanting to dive into my rebellious phase.

"Sunflowers," Amelia mused. "Like the ones that took over Rivermint Cove the summer my family moved here?"

I laughed sheepishly, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, that was my doing. Mom always said sunflowers were the happiest flowers. I guess I wanted the whole town to feel that happiness."

Amelia's laugh was genuine, her eyes sparkling. "Well, you certainly achieved that. Our whole street was decorated with sunflowers for months."

We continued working, falling into a comfortable rhythm. I found myself stealing glances at Amelia, noticing how her cheeks flushed pink as she laughed, her whole face lighting up. It was strange seeing her like this—vibrant, passionate, and definitely not just my little sister's friend anymore.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

I cleared my throat, caught off guard. "Yeah, just... admiring your expertise with those flowers. You've done a great job with this place."

"Well, don't think your compliments make me any less upset about you and Hero messing up my garden or disrupting my beauty sleep," she retorted, her tone playful but firm.

I grinned. "Beauty sleep? I thought night owls like you thrived on moonlight and creativity."

Her laughter danced through the air. "Even night owls need their beauty sleep, Trevor. We can't all thrive on firefighter heroics and adrenaline rushes."

Her words sobered me, reminding me of the weight of my responsibilities and past mistakes. I took a deep breath, knowing this was my chance to make things right.

"Amelia, I need to apologize for what happened back in high school," I said, my voice wavering slightly. "Kissing you and then ignoring you was immature and hurtful. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you."

Amelia's eyes widened in surprise. She seemed at a loss for words, her guard lowering slightly.

"Trevor, I–" She paused, her brow furrowing. "I didn't even know if you remembered. It was hurtful, and honestly, you moving in brought some of that back. I guess I can accept your apology. We were both young, and I've learned a lot about myself since then. As you have probably noticed, I'm not the same naïve girl I was in high school."

"And I'm not the same guy," I said, holding her gaze. "I've grown, Amelia. The military helped me face my mistakes and become a better man."

Just then, a blur of brown and white fur bounded into the garden. Hero had escaped from the dog run and was prancing through the newly planted flowers, one of my socks clenched in his teeth.

"Hero, no!" I shouted, lunging for the little troublemaker. He darted away, sock flapping in the breeze like a victory flag.

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