Page 5

“It’s you,” she said softly.

For a moment, Reece was too stunned to respond.

It was her—the woman from the park. He’d seen her earlier while he was out jogging and had nearly tripped over his own feet when she smiled at him. She was beautiful—wavy brown hair and warm amber eyes—and that shy smile had almost made him stop in his tracks.

Something about her stirred an unexpected memory. As a kid, he’d spent countless hours playing at Harborview Park, but he hadn’t been near that swing set in nearly twenty years. That was the spot where he and…

Reece’s eyes widened as the pieces suddenly fell into place.

“Alesha?” he whispered.

She looked at him strangely, and he couldn’t tell if it was because of the fall or what he’d just said. Reaching out, he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

He knew the exact moment she recognized him.

“Reece?” Her voice was small, and she winced as she tried to sit up.

“Don’t move,” he said gently. “Let’s make sure you’re okay first.”

She didn’t listen and pushed herself upright anyway. “I’m okay… I think.” She paused. “The wind just got knocked out of me. That’s all. I was only on the second step of the ladder.”

He helped steady her, then gently checked along her scalp for any bumps. When their eyes met, he nearly groaned under his breath as she discreetly licked her lips.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Does anything hurt? Should I call an ambulance?”

Alesha shook her head. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.” She offered him another shy smile and took a steadying breath.

Then she looked around the room before glancing back at him.

“What were you doing in here?”

“Oh, um…I'm looking for some boxes for my dad.”

“Any boxes in particular, or…?”

“He said they were marked ‘Gingerbread House,’ but I haven’t found any yet that actually say that.” She rubbed the back of her head. “I’m sure they’re going to be right in front of me or something.”

But Reece stood and began walking around. “So, uh…how’ve you been? How’s life in…?”

“Oregon. And I’m good. I’m here to spend the month with my dad.”

“The whole month? You must have a very understanding boss,” he teased as he continued to walk around.

“I’m a virtual assistant to a few authors, so…” She shrugged. “I can work remotely.”

“Authors, huh? So a love of books clearly runs in the family.”

She smiled. “I guess so.”

Moving around a cluster of boxes, he made his way over to the far corner and said, “Found them!” But when he saw her struggling to stand, he immediately stopped her. “You stay there. I’ll bring them over.”

“You really don’t have to do that. I just need another minute.”

“Alesha, please. If my mother walked in here and saw you moving boxes while I was just standing around…”

“Why would your mother walk in here?”

He remembered that Alesha had been long gone when his parents opened the ice cream shop. Pointing over his shoulder to the open door, he said, “My folks own The Daily Scoop. I’m here to help them do some renovations.”