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CHAPTER TWO

HOME AGAIN

ADELINE

It feels great to be back in Silver Hills.

Strange, too. I almost feel like a stranger as I drive down Jupiter Lane and see all the new faces and shops, but I’ll acclimate quickly.

I’ve been back often to visit Mom and Dad, but there’s just something different about living here again. The big city wasn’t for me.

“There you are,” Dad says, holding his arms out for me as I step into Starlight Cafe.

I walk into his hug and inhale his aftershave. “Hi, Dad.”

“I’m so happy you’re home,” he says, smiling down at me. We walk back to a booth near the window and sit down. “Well, kind of home. Are you sure Mom and I can’t change your mind about moving back in? There’s so much room.”

I shake my head as I smile down at the menu. “I haven’t lived at home since before college. I love you and Mom dearly, but I need my own space.”

He sighs, looking both proud and exasperated. “Well, I don’t see why you need to pay for some fancy condo when you can just?—”

“I’m happy where I am,” I cut in. “Besides, it’s not that fancy. It’s just…nice. Quiet.”

Dad doesn’t push it further. He switches topics to something he’s excited about. “I want to be the one to bring you in on your first day,” he says, his chest puffing out slightly. “Introduce you to everyone in the office…you’ve met a lot of the staff over the years, but not everyone.”

“I don’t need to make an entrance,” I say nervously.

My dad might have had a say in getting me hired, but I’ve proven myself in my field and feel like I’m more than able to hold my own.

If I can make it in California as a registered dietitian, I can survive anywhere.

Still, I don’t want a big production. A proud dad hauling me in before my peers doesn’t seem like it’ll win me any friends.

“Adeline, I’m telling you, this is going to be great. They’re going to love you.”

“Thanks, Dad. I hope so.”

Lunch is easy and fun, the way it always is with my dad, and after we finish, I decide to take a stroll down the street before heading home. The bright sunshine and warm breeze are a nice distraction—until I see him.

Penn.

He’s coming out of the police station, a boy walking next to him.

Penn’s head is down and his expression is stormy.

Even from a distance, I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw is set like he’s trying to hold himself together.

My heart thuds against my ribs, and instinctively, I duck behind a parked car, hoping he doesn’t see me.

Why am I hiding? It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong…until now. But seeing him again stirs up so much—too much. Memories of our night together in the Bahamas rushes back, the way he made me laugh, the way he kissed me like it meant everything, and then the way I disappeared without a word.

It was for the best that I left. I honestly don’t know what I’d been thinking, starting a conversation with him in the first place. I’m going to rack it up to being on vacation for the first time in years and letting my guard down.

Big mistake.

I peek around the car, my pulse racing. He looks so different now…

so serious, so weighed down. I want to rush toward him, ask if he’s okay, but what would I even say?

Instead, I’m frozen, watching as he gets in his SUV and drives away.

The guilt that’s been simmering since I left him that night boils to the surface.

I’d told myself it was for the best, that I’d tell him who I was eventually, but seeing him now, I’m reminded of how just being in his presence is so heady.

If anything more had happened between us, I probably would’ve made more of a mess of things and fallen even deeper for the guy.

And that just can’t happen.

Once he’s gone, I let out a shaky breath. This job is supposed to be a fresh start, but right now, I’m not sure I’ll be able to accomplish that.

As soon as I left Penn that night in the Bahamas, regret settled in like a storm cloud I couldn’t shake.

I hadn’t planned any of it—the spark, the pull, the way he made me feel like the only person in the world.

I’d told myself I’d stay under the radar, enjoy the free vacation my parents had brought me on while they went to Bowie Fox’s wedding, and I’d finally recoup from my exhausting job before starting a new one.

But then I met him, and he was like a beacon in the dark night. Gorgeous, hilarious, and a strange combination of cocky and self-deprecating that just worked for me. I couldn’t ignore the pull to him. And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since.

I’d expected all the guests to already be caught up in the wedding activities when I ventured out at the resort, not to stumble straight into Penn Hudson. I thought maybe he’d recognize me, but when it became clear he had no idea who I was, I let myself enjoy the flirting.

I wasn’t immune to Penn’s good looks—is anyone?

But it wasn’t just his looks. It was the way he carried himself, the easy humor in his voice, the way we laughed so much…

the way I forgot why I was trying so hard to keep my guard up.

The chemistry between us was undeniable.

For those few hours, it felt like we were in our own little bubble, separate from reality.

And then we kissed. It was…well, I’m still getting heart palpitations after all this time, just thinking about it, so that says a lot.

I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t acknowledge that I’ve had a massive crush on Penn Hudson since the day he joined the Mustangs…despite never meeting him in person until that night in the Bahamas. He did not disappoint; in fact, he was even better than I’d imagined.

But the second I walked away, I knew I’d let it go too far. And I’d made it so much worse by not telling him who I was.

I told myself I’d fix it. But I never got the chance.

Goldie, my college roommate and one of my closest friends, got in a car accident. When I got the call, there was no question. I packed my bags and flew to Minnesota, where she’s from, to be with her, leaving Penn without an explanation.

There’s no more avoiding him. I know that. Still, I’d like to stretch out running into him for as long as possible. Just a few more days to settle in, to prepare myself and pretend that I’m fine, that nothing from my time with Penn Hudson lingers.

But who am I kidding? It lingers.

Kissing him is something I’ve revisited daily since it happened. Something I don’t think I’ll be able to forget.