Chapter 6
Johanna Bennett woke up irritated.
The annoyance had nothing to do with poor sleep either. Unfortunately, she had slept entirely too well for a woman who spent half the night dreaming about her ex-boyfriend’s lips.
Which felt deeply unacceptable.
A groan slipped out as she buried her face deeper into the pillow, only to freeze seconds later when the faint scent of Blaze’s cologne drifted around her again.
Her eyes flew open.
“Oh my God.”
The whispered horror disappeared into the quiet bedroom.
Because somehow, even after showering, moisturizing, and aggressively attempting emotional recovery, she still smelled faintly like him.
Warm cedarwood. Clean soap. Masculine heat.
Blaze Carter lingered everywhere.
Johanna flopped onto her back dramatically and stared at the ceiling fan turning lazily overhead. This right here was exactly why she avoided emotional nonsense.
One kiss from Braxton Carter and suddenly her entire nervous system had abandoned common sense entirely.
Her phone buzzed against the nightstand.
Then again.
And again.
Johanna narrowed her eyes suspiciously before reaching for it.
MILAN: GIRL.
TASHA: So, when were you gonna tell us Blaze took you to Harbor & Wine for dinner???
LEIGH: Main Street got footage.
NIA: Miss Adele called my auntie this morning.
Johanna closed her eyes slowly.
Sheraton Beach truly operated like a small-town FBI division but with better uniforms.
Another message flashed across the screen.
MAMA: Call me.
That one made her sit upright.
Because if her mother texted before nine in the morning, the gossip had officially escalated to emergency-management levels.
Absolutely wonderful.
Johanna dragged herself out of bed and shuffled toward the kitchen wearing an oversized T-shirt and fitted sleep shorts while pale morning sunlight poured through the apartment windows overlooking Main Street.
Down below, the town already buzzed with life.
Dog walkers moved along the sidewalks bundled in jackets against the February chill. Tourists carried oversized coffees between boutiques while delivery trucks rolled slowly past storefronts preparing for the day.
And somewhere beneath all that movement, people were probably discussing her love life over country ham and scrambled eggs.
She needed a new town.
Possibly a new identity.
Coffee came first though.
Panic could wait another fifteen minutes.
By the time she arrived at her parents’ house, the scent of bacon, burnt butter, and pancake batter wrapped around her before she even stepped through the front door.
Home.
Warmth settled around her instantly.
Classic Motown music drifted softly through the kitchen while sunlight spilled across dark hardwood floors polished enough to reflect the morning light. Framed family photos lined the walls beside old school portraits and vacation pictures from years ago.
Her father sat comfortably at the kitchen table behind a newspaper with reading glasses balanced low on his nose. Douglass Bennett had aged into the kind of distinguished handsome that turned heads without trying.
Her mother, Denise Bennett, wore a bright yellow satin robe wrapped around her curvy frame while flipping pancakes with one hand and sipping coffee with the other. Her taffy-brown skin glowed beneath the morning sunlight pouring through the windows.
“Finally,” Paige sang dramatically. Her younger sister lounged across one of the island stools wearing matching pink pajamas, full-glam makeup, and oversized hoop earrings like she was filming a reality show instead of eating breakfast.
Johanna pointed. “Don’t start.”
Her mother turned slowly from the stove with a maternal investigative expression.
“You look pretty this morning,” her mother observed casually.
She was wearing a comfortable blue sweatsuit. Her hair was up in a sloppy ponytail. Johanna blinked suspiciously. “That sounded loaded.”
Paige snorted into her orange juice.
Their father lowered the newspaper slightly and smiled. “Morning, baby girl.”
“Morning, Daddy.”
At least one person in this house respected boundaries. Briefly.
Then her father folded the newspaper neatly and asked, “So… how was dinner with Blaze?”
She should have known the questions would begin.
Johanna dropped into the nearest chair and reached directly for the bacon platter.
“I hate this town.”
Paige gasped dramatically. “You kissed him, didn’t you?”
Johanna choked.
Her mother calmly slid orange juice toward her. “Baby, breathe before you hyperventilate.”
Paige came over for a closer look. “Oh my God, you did kiss him!” she cried like she had just spotted a hickey on her neck.
Johanna pointed aggressively while coughing. “Why are you like this?”
Paige took a seat at the table then leaned forward with narrowed eyes. “Why are you blushing?”
“I am not blushing,” Johanna argued while walking away to grab a coffee mug from the cabinet.
“You absolutely are.” Paige nodded confidently. “You got that first-kiss glow.”
Their mother turned back toward the stove suspiciously fast, clearly hiding a smile.
Cowards.
Every woman in her life lacked loyalty when it came to her personal life.
Johanna poured hot coffee before she swung around and wrapped both hands around the mug. “Everybody relax. It was one dinner.”
Paige leaned across the table, her large dark eyes wide and expressive. “And one kiss?”
Johanna stared at her silently.
Paige screamed loud enough to shake cabinets. “I knew it!”
Their father lowered the newspaper again. “Now hold on.”
“Oh my God,” Paige shrieked toward the stove. “Mama! She kissed Blaze!”
“I gathered that, baby.”
Johanna dropped back into the chair and groaned. “This family is exhausting.”
Her mother finally joined them carrying a plate stacked high with pancakes. “You know everybody’s talking already.”
“Wonderful.”
She put pancakes on each of their plates as she said, “Miss Lillian called me before eight.”
Johanna’s head snapped up in horror. “Why?”
Her mother fought a smile and failed miserably.
“Apparently she wanted advance warning in case she needed to prepare a large flower order for your future wedding.” She paused just long enough to enjoy Johanna’s suffering.
“She also mentioned Blaze came into the shop personally to buy flowers for your date.”
Paige nearly slid off the chair laughing.
Johanna looked toward heaven for patience.
Or escape.
Either would help.
Then her mother’s expression softened. As she leaned forward, silver curls bounced around her oval face. “Did the two of you finally work things out?”
The question quieted the kitchen.
Johanna lowered her eyes to the plate in front of her because beneath all the teasing, gossip, and family dramatics… that was the real issue, wasn’t it?
She traced one finger slowly around the rim of her mug.
“No. Yes. Not really.”
Her mother studied her carefully. “But?”
Johanna exhaled softly. “But things between us still feel unfinished.”
The honesty settled heavily across the room.
Paige’s expression softened first.
Even her father looked up again.
Because everybody in this family remembered Blaze.
The boy who practically lived at their house growing up. The teenager who fixed things without being asked. The young man who carried groceries for her mother and sat on the porch talking football, cars, and future plans with her father for hours.
Blaze hadn’t simply been Johanna’s boyfriend once. He’d been part of their lives.
Losing him hurt everybody.
Her father folded the newspaper carefully. “That boy sure did love you.”
Johanna’s throat tightened unexpectedly.
“He still does,” Paige said quietly.
Johanna looked at her sharply. “How would you know?”
The twenty-two-year-old gave her an unimpressed look. “Please. That man hasn't dated anybody in the four months since he came back to Sheraton Beach. Trust me, my friends tried and got rejected. Blaze is emotionally unavailable to every woman in town except you.”
Their mother nodded once in agreement.
Wonderful.
Apparently the entire town knew Blaze still loved her except her.
Johanna reached for the maple syrup. “It doesn’t matter.”
Her mother lifted one eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t it?”
“Because history doesn’t magically disappear because somebody kisses you under moonlight.”
Paige clutched her chest dramatically. “Under moonlight?”
Johanna groaned loudly.
Their father laughed into his coffee while her mother reached across the table and squeezed Johanna’s hand gently.
“Honey,” she said softly, “sometimes fear keeps people lonely longer than heartbreak ever could.”
And that… that was exactly what Johanna had been wrestling with since last night.
Comfort versus loneliness.
Safety versus love.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed on the table.
The entire family looked down at it simultaneously.
Johanna narrowed her eyes suspiciously before picking it up.
Blaze.
Her pulse instantly misbehaved.
Paige saw his name and lost every ounce of self-control.
“Oh my God, answer it!”
Johanna ignored her and noticed the text message underneath the missed call.
BLAZE: Come hang out after shift. We’ll be at the beach. Bonfire tonite.
Goodness.
Even his text messages sounded masculine.
Confident enough to assume eventually she’d say yes.
Paige practically climbed across the counter. “What did he say?”
Johanna clutched the phone against her chest. “Mind your business.”
“That means it’s juicy!”
Their mother smiled quietly into her coffee cup while her father loaded his mouth with pancakes.
“Sounds like that young man is on a mission,” her mother managed between sips.
Somehow that realization settled low and warm inside her instead of frightening her the way it probably should have.
Johanna looked down at the message again.
The fire crew was having a bonfire tonight. At the usual beach near the marina.
And the worst part… she planned to say yes.