Page 29 of Since the Day We Kissed

Charlotte snatched a brochure from her mom’s hand and handed it to Ethan. “Here, take this. It’s got all the info—the animals we help, how to sign up, shift times, everything. We’re pretty flexible, and Mom’s usually around to train new folks. You’d pick it up in no time!”

Kara froze, momentarily stunned.What is she doing?

Charlotte smiled at him, then gave her mom a knowing glance and a wink. “Okay, gonna help Emma now!” She ducked away and disappeared into the crowd, giving Hero one last scratch behind the ears.

Kara turned back to Ethan. What could she possibly say after all these years to the person she thought, once upon a time, that she’d spend her whole life with?

A lengthy silence stood between them before she said the only thing that came to mind. “Nice day, huh?”

The words hung in the air.

Kara mentally facepalmed herself.Of all topics. The weather. Really?

Ethan’s head bobbed, seemingly unfazed by her best conversation starter. “Yeah, it’s ... pleasant? Cooler than I expected for May.”

Kara drew in a slow breath. This was her chance to redeem herself, a second chance rescue—if there ever was one—at a better first impression. She willed her voice to be steady. “So, when did you get back?”

“Just drove in yesterday,” he said, patting Hero’s head. “Dad passed, so I’m getting everything sorted. Probably heading back in a few days.”

The awkwardness seemed to evaporate in the face of this news. “Oh, Ethan—I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

Ethan shrugged. “Thanks. It’s—yeah.” He paused. “I’m just relieved Charlotte wasn’t hurt in that accident.”

Kara’s brow furrowed, thrown by the shift in conversation. “Wait, so why were you there?”

“It happened right in front of Dad’s place.” Ethan’s gaze grew distant, unfocused for a moment. “Heard the crash and rushed out to it.” His attention shifted back to the glossy paper in his hands as he flipped it over.

“Oh.” Kara’s eyes followed his and her stomach churned as memories of late-night edits and rushed printing flooded her mind. She bit her lower lip. The cheaper paper felt like a glaring mistake now.

“You don’t have to read it all,” Kara muttered, resisting the urge to snatch it back. “It’s—not our best work. Threw it together last minute.”

Ethan looked up, meeting her eyes. A small, reassuring smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Are you kidding? This is incredible, Kara. The layout, the information—it’s really well done. You should be proud of this.”

Those ocean-blue eyes were just as deep and mesmerizing as they’d been twenty years ago when they sat in his old blue Chevy. For a split second, she was eighteen again, inside his truck with the scent of salt and the grit of sand clinging to her skin. His fingers entwined with hers one last time, promising to call. The bittersweet ache of leaving him, not knowing it would be the last time they’d be together like that. She remembered Ethan’s words: “I love you. You know that, right? I’ll love you forever, Kara.”But did he mean it? Does he still—

The memory dissolved as Hero’s soft whine pulled Kara back to the present. She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. Her eyes went to Hero, who had settled at Ethan’s feet, his mismatched eyes calmly tracking the people and animals milling around them.

“Must have taken a lot of work to get it to this point. How long have you had this place?” Ethan’s voice brought her attention back to him.

“Going on twenty years now,” Kara said. “It was a slow start. Renovating the old barn alone took almost a year. But now?” She gestured around them. “We try to host these events monthly. I wish we could do more but, well, you can imagine the work involved.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” His eyes swept over the area before landing back on Kara.

Kara’s cheeks warmed under his gaze.

Amazing? After all this time, he still thinks I’m amazing?

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, buying time to compose herself. Part of her wanted to bask in the compliment, but another part remembered the pain of their separation and urged caution.He cleared his throat. “I mean, this is all amazing. I’m guessing you have a pretty big team of volunteers to pull off something like this?”

“We do. Well, sort of—used to. Could always use more hands.” Kara hesitated. “Look, about what Charlotte said. There’s no pressure, okay? I know you’re not staying long. It was just her being Charlotte.”

Ethan’s gaze locked onto hers, those gorgeous eyes appearing to see right through hers. “And if I wanted to volunteer? Would that be okay?”

The question lingered between them, loaded with two decades of unspoken words and missed opportunities.

Every second stretched impossibly long. She knew that whatever she said next could change everything—again.

Kara’s heart hammered, her pulse drumming in her ears, as if the moment itself held its breath, waiting for the right words to fill the space, but what came out was, “Well, I mean if—”

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