Page 13 of Time After Time (Golden Sands #1)

As I skimmed through the handwritten note from Mr. Marley, a loud squeal cut through the usual sounds of the pigsty—one that definitely didn’t come from the pigs.

I turned just in time to see Gen backing away, her focus on the enormous pig moving toward her.

She held her hand out, trying to keep him at arm’s length. “You’re a good boy. Stay back.”

But the pig, understandably smitten, had other ideas. He kept advancing, nibbling at her clothes. Gen, however, wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. She let out a high-pitched shriek and backed away even faster, inadvertently encouraging the pig, who thought she was up for a game.

Gen’s eyes went wide, her lips parting in a silent gasp as the pig blocked her path, its squeals growing louder with every step. She continued to retreat, her feet stumbling, raising her hands in front of her, desperately trying to push the pig away with little success.

A shaky breath escaped her, and her shoulders tensed as she glanced around, realising there was nowhere left to go.

I couldn’t help it. Laughter exploded out of me, shaking my whole body. I bent forward, clutching my sides as tears sprang to my eyes. I squeezed them shut, struggling to breathe through the waves of laughter.

“Sebastian!” Gen’s voice was sharp, and hearing her use my full name only made the situation funnier. Her face was flushed, her lips pressed into a thin line of annoyance, and she shoved the pig away again, more forcefully this time, but it didn’t stop.

She took another step back, eyes darting to me, her expression pleading. “Help me!” she shouted, her voice rising above the noise.

The situation sent me into another fit of laughter, my knees wobbling as I struggled to stay upright.

“You’re an asshole!” Gen’s shout cut through the air, sharp and frustrated, but it only made my laughter harder to contain.

My breath came in ragged gasps, and another wave of tears poured down my face, mingling with the warmth of the sunlight on my skin.

Then, something heavy landed on my back. I grunted, almost losing my balance as I lurched forward, the sudden weight snapping me out of my laughter and disrupting my thoughts.

“You really are an asshole.” Gen’s voice came from just beside my ear, and I felt a shiver as her breath brushed against my skin. She clung to me, arms winding around my neck, her legs gripping my waist, trying to lift herself as high as she could to stay out of the pig’s reach.

The pig grunted, blocking our way, irritated that I had taken Gen from it. It made another attempt to snap at my clothes, and I quickly stepped back, trying to create some distance.

“Hey, dude,” I said, trying to reason with the pig, but my words and gestures had no effect.

He kept edging closer, his large head bumping into my legs.

This pig was definitely on the bigger side.

“Step back. Go join the others.” But no matter what I said, he didn’t budge, nudging me persistently, as if trying to push me away from Gen, even though she had come to me in the first place.

The pig circled me, positioning himself behind me in an attempt to reach Gen.

She screamed even louder and scrambled to climb higher onto my back, as though that were somehow going to help.

My hands slid beneath her thighs, unintentionally supporting part of her weight with my arms, a gesture she seemed to misinterpret as an invitation.

I grumbled in frustration as Gen twisted around, her arms and legs moving so fast that I let out a grunt. Now, she clung to me like a koala, but this time she was on my front instead of my back.

Our faces were only inches apart, our bodies pressed tightly together.

Her eyes stayed locked on the pig as he turned, realising Gen was out of his reach. Meanwhile, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. The world around us seemed to fade, my breath catching as I watched her, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Oh, my gosh!” Gen’s shout came at the same time her arms tightened around my neck, and I gasped, caught off guard by how firmly she squeezed. Our bodies pressed closer together, and I had to shut my eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the sensation of how perfectly we seemed to fit.

Without thinking, my hands found their way to her lower back, lifting her slightly.

That movement, however, triggered the pig to leap, slamming its head directly into my groin.

“Fucking—” The curse was cut short by a sharp, searing pain that shot through me, too intense to finish the word.

Despite it, I held onto Gen with everything I had, hyper-aware of her fear as the pig, now far from cute, continued to charge.

“Cooper!” Mrs. Marley’s voice rang out, and the pig, now identified as Cooper, turned with a sudden shift in demeanour.

The troublemaker, once charging at us, now appeared almost angelic as he bounded toward her, making a series of joyful noises just as loud and enthusiastic as his earlier squeals.

“Are you being naughty?” she scolded, though amusement laced her tone.

As Cooper sprinted off, Gen’s body seemed to loosen. Her grip on me relaxed, but she still clung to me, her head sliding onto my shoulder. Her face nestled into the crook of my neck, and she let out a few deep, calming breaths. “A demon possessed that pig.” I chuckled, nodding in agreement.

“That pig just destroyed my manhood,” I joked, and Gen’s laughter, muffled against my neck, made the moment feel oddly cosy—even though I was still wincing, my face contorted with the lingering pain.

“You’re laughing while I’m about to die,” I said, trying to keep the sarcasm in my voice, but my grin betrayed the discomfort that still had me shifting on my feet.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that Mrs. Marley was watching us more intently now, her gaze lingering as we stayed pressed together.

When I turned, I found her standing still, lips pursed, her eyes narrowed just slightly.

Her eyebrows lifted, and there was a hint of amusement in the way her gaze flicked between us.

My cheeks heat up, and with Gen still clinging to me, I made my way toward Mrs. Marley, who was now holding out two large glasses.

“I brought you some homemade lemonade.”

“Mrs. Marley, you’re a lifesaver.” With a grunt, I lifted Gen and set her carefully on top of the wooden fence, making sure she was steady. Cooper, still restless, circled around us and Mrs. Marley’s feet, making his presence impossible to ignore.

I handed Gen a glass of lemonade, and her face lit up as she took it from me. She pressed the rim to her lips, letting out a sigh of relief before taking a long drink. I followed suit, gulping down the chilled liquid, the coolness cutting through the heat and easing the tension in my muscles.

Once I finished, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and handed the empty glass back to Mrs. Marley, offering her a grateful smile.

A sudden, pained sound caused me to jerk my head toward Gen’s direction so rapidly that I felt a twinge in my neck. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and lines of discomfort creased her forehead, nose, and the corners of her eyes. Her head hung low, and her free hand pressed against her forehead.

“Brain freeze?” I asked, and Gen nodded, her face twisted in a grimace as she held the position.

A soft chuckle broke the silence, and when I turned, I caught Mrs. Marley trying to stifle a grin. But then I froze—standing beside her was a girl I hadn’t noticed before. Had she been there all along?

“Oh, I forgot to introduce you,” Mrs. Marley said, her hand resting on the young girl’s shoulder.

The girl looked to be about our age—maybe a little younger.

“This is my granddaughter, Aria.” I shifted through my memory, remembering Mrs. Marley mentioning Aria before.

She was two years younger than me. “She’s staying with me for a few days while her parents are away on business. ”

I flashed Aria a grin, assuming her grandmother had already filled her in on who we were.

“She’ll be helping out on the farm for a few days too, so you won’t have to come every day.

” Though I didn’t mind showing up to help while Mr. Marley recovered, a few mornings off would be nice.

It gave Gen and me a chance to make other plans.

As Mrs. Marley kept talking about her granddaughter, I felt a shift in the air. Glancing sideways, I caught Gen watching me closely. Her head was tilted, her expression serious.

She didn’t move, but there was a faint twitch in her brows, like she was trying to figure something out. I met her gaze with a look of my own, unsure of what she was thinking. It seemed to help, though, as her shoulders eased and her focus shifted.

“-to go.” It took a moment for Mrs. Marley’s words to sink in. “Once you’ve finished with the horses, you’re free to go.” I blinked, unsure if I’d heard right, and asked her to repeat herself just to be sure.

Her eyes softened as she spoke again, and she tenderly placed her hand on my forearm.

With my other arm still supporting Gen, I held her hand for a brief moment, making sure she didn’t stumble.

“You kids are a huge help to me. I’m sure Mr. Marley will want to thank you both personally once he’s feeling better. ”

Gen slid off the wooden fence, her weight still leaning against me as she found her balance. She placed her right hand over both Mrs. Marley’s and mine, her touch light. “It’s our pleasure.”

And it truly was.

This wasn’t how I’d imagined spending my summer, but I couldn’t deny that it had given me memories of Gen I’d hold onto forever. If I could, I’d carve those moments into every surface, replaying them over and over, today and long after.

Before we left, I shot Mrs. Marley a grin. “You might want to be careful with how much you’re feeding that pig. I think he’s already planning a takeover.”

Just then, Cooper let out a loud snort, almost as if to confirm it, then shoved his snout into a nearby bucket with a frustrated grunt, knocking it over like he was throwing a tantrum.