Page 78 of Since the Day We Kissed

“Of course.” The photographer quickly polished off the muffin and positioned himself in front of the welcome booth, raising the Polaroid camera. “Alright, everyone—squeeze in close ... On three! One, two, three ... say cheese!”

The camera clicked, and a Polaroid picture slowly emerged. Charlotte dashed forward, plucking it from the photographer’s hand and waving it in the air with an eager grin. As the image developed, she brought it over to Kara and Ethan.

Kara leaned into Ethan, her arm slipping around his waist. “Did you think it was really a good idea to have the photographer only take Polaroids for the event?”

“Maybe not the most practical choice,” he admitted, glancing at the photo, “but this way, everyone gets a little keepsake. Something tangible to remember the day by.” He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Kara’s head. “Just like we had.”

Before Ethan could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps and cheerful greetings caught their attention. Kara glanced up to see familiar faces arriving—Phil from the diner, Ada, Clyde, and Emma walking in with Riley by her side. The crowd grew as more people from Hadley Cove gathered, filling the space with a buzz of excitement.

“Kara!” a warm, familiar voice shouted.

Kara turned, recognizing Katie, the owner of the local bookstore, with Benny by her side.

“Katie!” Kara beamed at the sight of the senior schnauzer. “And Benny! Look at you, boy.” She crouched down, reaching out to pet him. “He looks incredible ... a little younger even. How y’all doing?”

Katie’s face lit up as she squeezed Kara’s hand. “We’re doing so well! Benny’s been such a joy. It feels like we were meant for each other. He loves coming to the bookstore with me every day, and the customers absolutely adore him.”

Kara grinned, standing up. “I’m so glad to hear it! When I saw how fast those pictures of him on the beach were shared online, I just knew he’d find his perfect home.”

“Thanks to you. And thank you for inviting us today. It’s wonderful to see how far the rescue has come.”

“Oh, it means the world that you’re here,” Kara said, gesturing toward the open yard. “Feel free to look around and enjoy the day. By all means, make yourself at home!”

As Katie and Benny walked off to mingle with the other guests, Kara spotted Emma weaving through the crowd, Riley happily trotting alongside her.

“Kara!” Emma waved, making her way over. “This turnout is amazing. You’ve really outdone yourself!”

Kara chuckled, giving Emma a quick hug. “It’s a team effort, believe me. I’m just glad the weather’s on our side.”

“Well, you deserve every bit of this. Riley’s already tried to greet every dog here. I think he’s the unofficial canine welcoming committee.”

Kara laughed, patting Riley on the head. “Aww, we’ll make it official next time.”

Emma grinned. “He’d love that. Maybe too much. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to playing host, but I just wanted to say I’m so happy for you. This place is something special.”

“Thanks, Em,” Kara said, watching as Emma and Riley headed toward the treats and toys booth, where bags of goodies and colorful toys were drawing a small crowd of excited dogs and their owners.

After walking around and mingling for a while, listening to all the wonderful things people had to say about the grand opening and all the hard work that had gone into it, Kara made her way up to the front porch. She waved her arms to get everyone’s attention.

“Hello—hello!” she called out, her voice carrying over the chatter. “First, I’d like to welcome everyone to the Pets for Vets Center, an extension of Second Chance Animal Rescue, where veterans from all over the country will be matched with rescue animals—both from right here in Hadley Cove and from rescues nationwide. Next, I’m excited to announce that, for the first time in a year, all the animals from Second Chance have been adopted. The kennels are clear!”

The crowd clapped and roared, and Kara couldn’t help but smile, soaking in the moment, before continuing, “All of this could not have been done without the help of so many people in this wonderful community,” she began, “but especially one person I’d like to recognize: Ethan Bennett, who donated this lovely property at 237 Willow Creek Road to us—his former childhood home. Ethan, where are you? Can you come up here?”

The crowd stirred, heads turning as they searched for Ethan. Kara scanned the sea of faces, her heart fluttering with a mix of excitement and confusion when she couldn’t spot him.

“Where is he?” she muttered under her breath, her eyes darting from one corner of the yard to the next. She called out again, “Ethan?”

As she was about to step off the porch and look for him herself, a sudden movement caught her eye.

Hero bounded through the crowd, his tail wagging as he trotted up to Kara. The crowd parted, and Hero stopped at her feet, an envelope tied securely around his collar.

Kara bent down. “What do you have here, boy?” she murmured, untying the envelope and then opening it.

Inside was a small card with two words that made her heart skip a beat:

Follow Me.

Kara looked down at Hero, who gave a single, eager bark before leaping off the porch.

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