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They ended the call, and Asher felt a bit more hopeful than he had ten minutes ago. He stood and stretched. As he turned toward Main Street, a familiar laugh drifted through the air.

Instead of heading to the bakery, he strode across the grass where the stage was being built in the park for the upcoming concert.

He still thought it was a waste of time and resources to do the wooden stage, but whatever.

A young couple walking a dog passed him. He gave them a quick nod and then side- stepped a toddler escaping from his mother.

Three children chased each other around the playground while a white-haired couple sat on a bench overlooking the water.

Community.

The park brought people together.

In front of the stage, he spotted Sadie laughing again at something Dani or Liam had said and gesturing with her hands. A trait she did often, and he found it to be endearing.

The sun, high in the sky, shone over her, burnishing her hair and bringing out the natural red glints.

A knot tightened in his chest as he took in the way her yellow and navy sundress swirled around her shapely legs.

He resurrected the memory of her kiss, the way her lips felt against his, the way she felt in his arms. Then, the way his stomach dropped to his feet when he learned he was responsible for her family’s deepest grief.

What was he doing?

He shouldn’t be walking toward her. He needed to be running away. Far away.

But he wasn’t a coward.

He needed to come clean with her. Even though he couldn’t say anything to relieve her pain, he needed to confess and let things play out the way they were supposed to.

If she never wanted to speak to him again, he wouldn’t blame her.

His fingers tightened into a fist.

“Hey, man. You okay? Saw you heading to the park, then you stopped.”

Asher jerked at the sound of the deep voice next to him and found Hunter Barrett standing next to him.

He gave the man a quick nod, but that did little to soothe the tightening in his gut. “Just a lot on my mind.”

For the first time in a long time, Asher longed to confide in someone who wasn’t his counselor. To spill his guts and get wisdom about what to do. With Sadie. And his life.

But, while Hunter was an okay guy, Asher didn’t know him well enough. He couldn’t risk being exposed.

“Actually, I was heading for the bakery, but then I got distracted.”

Standing next to him, Hunter laughed and folded his arms over his chest. “I wonder what could have distracted you…”

He wasn’t wrong, but Asher couldn’t really afford to allow Sadie to twist up his thoughts. He needed to focus.

Asher shook his head, then shot a look at Hunter. “You have time to head to the bakery now and show me how to use the machine to remove the old floor tile?”

“Sure thing, but I think someone else much cuter and way more interesting is about to take up your time.” Hunter lifted his chin in the direction of the stage.

Asher’s gaze swung around and found Sadie, Dani, and Liam walking toward them.

Sadie’s eyes tangled with his, and the smile she’d shared with Dani disappeared as she approached them. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Stage is coming together nicely, Hunter.”

He ran a hand over the dark scruff covering his chin. “Thanks, Sadie. We’re hoping to make up for time lost due to yesterday’s storm.”