Page 7 of Begin Again

I shake my head. “Nope, I’m new to town.”

He nods, then his eyes flicker back to Aubrey, the corner of his mouth tilting.

The handsome stranger walks over to us as he gives Morgan a slow appreciative once-over. “And you?”

Her smile is slow, deliberate, she leans forward resting her chin on her hands. She gives him the same slow up and down before responding. “No, but I suppose you could say I know this place better than most.”

His lips part slightly at that like another question is sitting on his tongue, but instead, he just nods. A response that’s more careful than casual. Then again, I guess as someone who works at the Sheriff’s Department she really does know this place better than most of the people here.

“I’m Bennett,” he offers, his gaze lingering on Morgan. “Freelance travel writer. I’m in town doing a piece on the ski resort. Figured I’d get a feel for the locals, hear what they have to say about the place.”

Morgan leans back against the booth. “Oh? And what exactly are you looking to know?”

Bennett shrugs. “A little bit of everything. The town’s history, its people—anything worth writing about.”

Aubrey chuckles as she brings him his drink. “Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place for stories.”

He takes a slow sip, his expression thoughtful. “What’s one thing I should know about the area? What would be a big draw for tourists?” He asks Aubrey, tilting his head slightly. “You seem like someone who’s seen a lot of this town’s history.”

Aubrey’s smile sharpens but there’s a steely edge in her eyes now, it’s the look a woman has when her age is brought into question. “Oh, Sweetheart, I don’t just know the history. I am the history.”

Bennett huffs a quiet laugh, though there’s a flicker of wistfulness lingers in it. He studies her for a moment longer before finally shifting his attention back to me.

“You said you’re new here. What made you move to Shadow Grove?”

I smile, though I can feel the familiar twinge of discomfort settling in my chest. The short answer? A fresh start. The long answer? Well, that’s a story I don’t owe to a stranger with a charming smile and a motorcycle.

“I needed a change of scenery,” I say instead, keeping my tone light. “Big city life wasn’t for me anymore.”

Bennett tilts his head slightly, studying me like he’s trying to piece together a puzzle. “And you landed here of all places? Shadow Grove isn’t exactly on the map.”

I shrug, fingers tracing the rim of my coffee cup. “It was voted one of the best small towns in North America,” I say, lifting my iced latte in a mock toast. “Seemed like a good enough reason to check it out.”

Morgan snorts. “You mean, you visited once, met with a realtor on a whim, and then dropped everything to buy a house.”

I roll my eyes, but I don’t deny it. I just finished telling them the story. “There wasn’t anythingtodrop. I had a feeling about this place.”

What I don’t say is that I was desperate for a trace of home—anything that felt steady. Atlanta had stopped feeling that way long before I left, and DC wasn’t much better. Orion had been great, but I knew he worried about me, hovering like an overprotective mother hen. He meant well, but I needed space. I needed a place where I wasn’t constantly reminded of everything I’d lost.

Bennett’s lips quirk up at the corner like he’s amused. “So you packed up your life on a gut feeling?”

“Pretty much.” I take a sip of my coffee. “And so far, no regrets.”

“Well,” he says, leaning back, “I respect the spontaneity. You just up and moved here all alone?”

“Not exactly.” I grin. “I’ve got Valkyrie.”

“Who is Valkyrie?” Morgan asks, tilting her head.

I glance at Bennett, whose brow raises in curiosity. “She’s my dog,” I explain. “A red Doberman. Trained guard dog.”

Aubrey arches a brow. “Trained, huh?”

I nod, keeping my expression neutral. Technically, I’m not lying. Valkyrie did go through training—she just… didn’t exactly pass. TSA deemed her too easily distracted by shiny objects, which, honestly, is one of my favorite aspects of her personality. But Orion doesn’t need to know she flunked out. As far as he’s concerned, she’s a certified protector, and that’s all that matters.

Bennett chuckles. “So, you’ve got a security detail. Smart.”

“Gotta be prepared,” I say, half-joking. “You never know what kind of trouble lurks in a small mountain town like this.”

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