Page 100 of 15 Summers Later

I need you to go back in time and wait inside for about fifteen minutes so Luke will kiss me again. Can you manage that?

“I think we’re covered,” she said instead. “But thank you.”

“Call me if you change your mind. I’m not doing a thing tomorrow except working in the yard. And I’m always glad for an excuse to get out of that,” Evelyn said.

“I will,” Madi promised.

“I’ve got to run. We’re babysitting so our son and his wife can have a date night. Hence the balloons. See you both later.”

After she climbed into her car and drove out of the parking lot with one last wave, Luke turned back to Madi. “I didn’t know you were planning an adoption event tomorrow,” Luke said.

“Yes, at the farmers market. We’ve reserved a booth and are hoping to find new homes for all the kittens and puppies and a couple of the older dogs.”

“That should be great. You’ll likely find more foot traffic there than anywhere else in town on a Saturday.”

“It was Ava’s idea,” Madi said. “She’s been going with Leona on Saturday mornings to sell flowers and produce.”

“I know,” he said. “I bought a bouquet of flowers from her last week. My mom was thrilled with them.”

“We thought people might want to take home a new puppy, along with their zucchini.”

“Why not?” He smiled.

“I’m surprised Sierra didn’t tell you what we’re doing tomorrow. She signed up to volunteer for a couple of hours.”

“She didn’t mention it, but between my schedule and hers, I haven’t seen much of her the past few weeks.”

Madi winced. “Sorry about that. She’s been hanging out at the shelter a lot.”

“No need to apologize. I’m glad she has found something she loves. It helps her not miss Zoe as much.”

“We have three or four other volunteers around her age. She seems to be enjoying their company a lot.”

She didn’t mention that Ash Dixon, whose parents ran a farm stand in town, had just started volunteering at the rescue and she suspected Sierra had a thing for him.

“If you don’t have anything else planned, you’re welcome to come help us tomorrow. People would probably love to talk to a veterinarian about what they could expect if they adopted some of our older or special needs animals.”

“You might not have the DVM behind your name, but you know as much about veterinary medicine as I do,” he said, his voice gruff. “But I can try to make it. That might be my only chance to hang out with my daughter for a few minutes.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

She didn’t add that she would probably see him that night in her dreams, too, if the past few weeks were any indication.

27

As Madison and I navigate the uncharted territory of our new lives, we are determined to rewrite the narrative that once confined us.

—Ghost Lakeby Ava Howell Brooks

Luke

Luke walked into the large downtown park under a painted sign reading Emerald Thumbs Farmers Market.

It smelled delicious, a mix of kettle corn and roast coffee and empanadas from the various food trucks parked along one side of the park.

He waved at a couple of people he knew standing in line at a crepe stand and stopped to chat with a neighbor buying a flat of glossy red strawberries.

As he passed Leona Evans’s stall, he stopped again, this time to speak with Simon Walford, who stood admiring the lush and colorful peonies.

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