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I’m barely over the threshold, and the air’s already working on me, thick with the sweet scent of fresh donuts and way too many memories. Frank Butterworth grins from behind the counter. “Welcome home, Todd! I didn’t know you were coming home.”

I manage a smile and reply, "Thanks, Frank. Thought I'd surprise everyone."

Frank’s got the small shop done up in his usual style, like the nineteen-fifties came through town and never bothered leaving. Red vinyl stools line the counter, a neon donut blinks in the window, and there’s an old jukebox in the corner that plays nothing older than Elvis. Everything’s so damned familiar.

The place is practically empty, and it feels too big, too quiet, except for the low hum of the fridge and the blood roaring in my ears. I’ve been gone so long I can hardly believe I’m back here, standing in the same old donut shop. Even though I’m fresh off a championship win with the San Francisco Riptide, I’m not happy. And I won’t be until she’s in my arms.

I take a half-step toward the counter, thoughts scrambling around in my head. Frank’s there, still grinning, the scent of his famous maple bars thick in the air. Everything feels just as warm as I remember, like a well-loved old quilt, but now the comfort’s laced with a weird kind of tension.

The door jingles behind me, and I turn, my breath catching. It’s almost too good to be true. I’ve been trying to figure out how I’d approach her, but it seems the universe did the hard work for me.

It's Maggie. The one who got away. I can't move, can't speak. We just stare at each other as the last ten years fall away, and we’re suddenly back where we started. And ended. Suddenly, it’s too hot in here. Suddenly, I’m too hot, everywhere.

I must look like I’m ready to keel over with my shirt glued to my back and my pulse bounding visibly. I can’t even manage a nod. Instead, I just stand there like a wax dummy, arms stiff at my sides. The world outside Frank’s shop slips away, leaving only my racing heart and Maggie’s eyes locked onto mine.

It’s like I’ve been sucked back in time to when Maggie and I spent every free second together the summer before I left for college. First, she taught me to ride a horse, but then she taught me how to fall in love. The love I feel for her will last forever, and it’s time for me to make sure she feels the same way.

We just stand there, gawking at each other. One of the last times I saw her, she was kissing me like it was the end of the world and she didn't mind one bit. It takes everything I’ve got not to rush over and scoop her up right now.

She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Her chocolate hair is longer and has more waves. A flood of memories hits, so real I can taste them. Her laugh, those midnight stargazing sessions, the surprise kiss by the lake that changed everything between us.

I try to swallow, but my mouth's gone bone dry. This isn’t just shock. This is seeing Maggie, really seeing her, and feeling the ground shift underneath me. This is the girl I left behind, and I’d like to kick my own ass for my stupidity.

Her lips curl into a smile, tentative at first, like she’s not sure if it’s okay, if I’m okay. I finally let out the breath I've been holding, and that’s when a flutter in my stomach spreads throughout my body, making my hands shake and my heart hammer.

Everything else disappears. It’s just her and me, and that look that says maybe she’s thought about this too, thought about me. Her smile grows, gaining confidence, and my chest tightens with a sudden, aching clarity. There’s no getting over her. Hell, I never even tried. The longing is like a punch, taking my breath away. I feel a thousand things at once, and they all come back to the overwhelming reality that Maggie Carrington is standing right in front of me, and it’s time for me to correct the biggest mistake of my life.

Frank walks over to my side, jarring me out of my Maggie-induced trance with a booming voice and flour-dusted hands. “Would you look at this!” he bellows, smacking my back hard enough to dislodge a rib. “Our very own big shot athlete!” He’s as subtle as a runaway freight train, and my ears burn at his bellowing. He nods at Maggie, grinning like he just won the lottery. “You came by at the perfect time.”

“I know,” she mutters, looking like she’d rather be anywhere besides here right now.

“Sit! Sit!” Frank urges us both, pointing at a booth at the back of the donut shop. My body goes on autopilot, dropping into the chair even though my brain’s still screaming, Can this really be happening?

Maggie’s just as flustered, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her purse. Frank watches us, chuckling and pouring coffee we didn’t ask for. “Donuts are on the house for my two favorite customers!” he declares, giving me a nudge on my shoulder.

I’m aware of every inch of Maggie, her scent, her presence, the way she chews her bottom lip like she used to. It’s been so long since we’ve been face to face, and I’m thankful Frank’s relentless meddling put us this close. A shiver runs through me, electrifying everything.

I’m already flushed, already battling the heat she’s got me worked up to. My cock stirs, then swells, going rock-hard under the table. I shift in my chair, desperate for relief, but there's none to be found. The jeans I’m wearing do nothing to hide my situation, and I try angling my body, adjusting, and fidgeting. I wonder if she notices. I wonder if she cares.

Frank’s as oblivious as ever. “Now, when did you blow back into town?” he asks, clearly loving every awkward moment he’s orchestrating.

"Last night," I manage to say, my voice strained and sounding as ragged as I feel beneath the weight of exhaustion. I didn’t get in until after midnight, and my eyes popped open at six am out of habit. Frank lets out a hoot as if I've just shared the funniest joke, and then gives my back another hearty thump. "I thought I'd come by and get donuts for my nieces," I explain, trying to muster a smile.

"How are the girls doing?" Frank inquires, his eyes twinkling with genuine curiosity.

"They're growing up too fast," I reply with a weary sigh, imagining their bright eyes and infectious laughter that seem to transform with each passing day.

Frank chuckles, a deep, resonant sound that fills the cozy bakery. "Ciara and Garrett are trying to repopulate Silver Spoon Falls," he jokes, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I laugh, shaking my head in amusement, picturing the bustling household. "They're going to keep going until Garrett gets his boy," I say, envisioning the determined look on Garrett's face as he dreams of adding a little boy to their lively brood.

Frank nods as he takes both our orders, jotting them down with a swift flick of his pen before walking away to prepare them. The air between us becomes electric, charged with a palpable tension that feels as if it might spark at any moment. It's an uncomfortable sensation, heavy and intense, yet undeniably real, as if the very atmosphere is alive with unspoken words and emotions.

She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and the movement is so simple, so achingly familiar, that I’m hit with another wave of nostalgia and intense hunger. The tightness in my jeans only makes it worse.

We’re both quiet, the space between us filled with the pounding of my heart and Frank’s off-key humming. I fight to find words, any words, to fill the gaping silence. “How have you been?” I finally blurt, my voice coming out embarrassingly weak.

"Great.” She glances around before giving me a fake ass smile. “I didn’t expect to ever see you again," she says, her voice trailing off as her eyes dart down to the ground before meeting mine once more. Her cheeks are tinged with a rosy hue, perhaps from the embarrassment of the unexpected encounter or the undeniable chemistry that crackles between us, reawakened as if it had never dimmed.