“Yes!” Eric straightened a little.

“Why would I lie about something like that?” There was a flicker of pride in his eyes.

“I shelled every single one. Didn’t let anyone help.”

He noticed she was staring at him and quickly looked away. Feeling the awkwardness creep back, he mumbled, “All right, I’ll get going.” He waved.

“You should go rest. Good night!”

Then he turned and walked off, vanishing into the night.

Hadley took a step forward, wanting to call after him, but he was already gone. She looked down at the jar in her hands. Pine nut kernels were easy to buy these days. Was he still recovering from his head injury to believe otherwise? Why else would he go through all that trouble and shell the nuts himself?

Hadley pressed her lips together, thoughts circling in her head, her chest stirred by a quiet flutter. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. But what if her guess was right?

The next two days brought Hadley some much-needed quiet. With Theodore by her side, she took Nyla, Locke, and Joy out on a yacht for a short getaway. Caring for an elderly woman and two children was tiring, sometimes overwhelming, but she didn’t mind. It was the kind of exhaustion that made life feel whole.

Hadley was up early one day—well before six. She went out for a morning run. The air on the island was crisp, and the quiet road made for a refreshing start. Without telling anyone, she slipped out with a small bag slung over her shoulder and earphones in her ears.

“Hadley!” someone called behind her, but the music blocked the sound.

It wasn’t until the person caught up and fell into step beside her that she noticed.

She turned in surprise.

“Mr. Gomez?” She laughed as she removed her earphones.

“That was you calling me?”

“Who else would it be?” Ellis raised an eyebrow, glancing around.

“See anyone else out here?”

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She smiled, a little sheepish.

“Sorry. I thought I was hearing things, you know, with the music on.”

“It’s all right.” He gave her a small smile, but then he frowned, offering a quiet warning.

“It’s not the safest thing—wearing earphones while running. Especially out here.” Running into someone was one thing. A car? That could be serious.

“At the very least, keep the volume low so you can hear if someone calls out.”

“Or in case a car honks?” Hadley asked with a small smile.

“Exactly.”

She nodded, amused.

“You’re right, Mr. Gomez. I’ll take the advice.” She pointed toward the roadside.

“Let’s rest over there.”

“Sure.” Ellis followed, a few steps behind her.

They stopped near a large flat rock—just enough space for two to sit comfortably and catch their breath. Hadley sat down, pulled a bottle of water from her bag, and unscrewed the cap. Before taking a sip, she looked over.

“You don’t bring water when you run?” she asked.

He didn’t seem to be carrying any.

“It’s not that I don’t drink water,” Ellis said, shaking his head. He smacked his lips and sighed.

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