That didn’t seem fair to me, though. It was my trauma, after all, not theirs.

But my husband had already left me because of my inability to move forward with my life. I couldn’t also lose my sister for the very same reasons.

“I just worry about you, Kenny,” she said, using the nickname Mama used to call me. My stomach fluttered with nerves as it fell from her lips. “You’ve been through so much. After losing Mama and Daddy and Da—”

“I’ll explore today,” I offered, cutting her off before she could go into mentioning the accident that had burned my soul. “I’ll see what’s going on in this place,” I said, trying to sound hopeful so Yoana’s worries could evaporate.

The sigh that slipped through the phone speaker was much more relaxed this time. “Oh, Kennedy, you’re going to love it! Nathan talked me into flipping the house out there by offering me a few highlights of Havenbarrow. There’s an old-fashioned drive-in movie theater that only plays black and white movies, and every other Friday night is a romantic movie,” she urged, piquing my interest.

“Oh? Do go on.”

“There’s a coffee shop that has a stray cat named Marshmallow that wanders around.”

Okay, she was now tickling my fancy.

“And, and, and!” she exclaimed, her excitement coming through loud and clear. “The library has a secret bookshelf! At least that’s the urban legend. The bookshelf leads to a hidden reading nook, and you have to find the right book to unlock it. Rumor has it no one has found it yet, but it’s supposed to be there.”

Challenge accepted.

“You can even take Mama and Daddy’s car out to get around,” Yoana said with a splash of hope.

That was definitely taking things too far. She knew about my issues with driving. I wasn’t ready to jump off the diving board just yet. “One step at a time, sis.”

I could almost feel her guilty smile coming through the phone. “I had to try.”

After hanging up with Yoana, in an attempt to avoid the invasive individuals bearing baked goods and to push myself out of my comfort zone, I walked into town to find some breakfast.

The café had a very Luke’s Diner feel to it with the random tables scattered around and red leather booths along the walls. The stools that sat at the front counter were occupied by individuals chatting, using their actual voices instead of staring down at their cell phones. There was a sign on the wall in front of the coffee station that read, No cell phones. Connect and unplug or get the eff out.

Now, if that wasn’t a Luke’s Diner comment, I didn’t know what was. I guessed there was no need to ask if they had a Wi-Fi password I could use. I slid my phone into my purse and sat down in a booth. It didn’t take long for my steak and eggs to be delivered to me, and then I turned my attention to the window for my dining entertainment. An adorable puppy was leashed across the street.

Don’t do it, pup.

The owner of the dog was yelling at someone on her cell phone and flailing her arms around like a madwoman. The dog’s leash was tied to a bike rack, and every few seconds, it would tug on the leather strap, loosening the knot a hair. He was trying to reach the stray cat sitting on the opposite side of the busy street, licking its paws clean.

The owner didn’t notice her dog’s level of distress, too busy screaming into her phone to concern herself with the fact that her dog was about to take off running into traffic.

The pacing of my heartbeats became erratic. The dog’s leash was almost loose. He was almost freed from the restraint in place for his own protection. “No,” I muttered to myself, my hands shaking, hoping the dog would sit and stay where it was.

The cat stretched himself out, making the dog even more frantic. The alertness in the dog’s eyes and its loud barks should’ve made the owner take note, but she hadn’t.

Imagine being that disconnected from one’s surroundings.

“No!” I screamed, my voice cracking as the sound shot from my lips. People glanced my way, but I didn’t care.

I leaped up from my booth as chills raced through my body, and two seconds later, the leash was free, the dog was in the street, and my heart was in my throat.

Before the dog could leap in front of a car, before a gruesome sight unfurled right before me, Mr. Personality stepped into the road in front of the moving vehicle and snatched the dog up into his arms.

Mr.

Freaking.

Personality.

Are you kidding me?!

Grown, buff man holding tiny, defenseless puppy against his chest?

Instant lady boner.

The driver of the vehicle slammed his hand to the horn before gesturing in the air with a look of disgust then speeding off.