Working as Lavender Hollow's new city clerk had been a quiet, steady gig until the rich, most eligible bachelor Ryan Carlton waltzed into my office, bringing with him a rush of memories and an unexpected twist in my day.
espite years having passed, he failed to recognize me, his little sister's best friend.
Annoyance simmered as I watched him, his good looks a stark contrast to my frustration. Did I look that different from my college days when he last saw me with a pixie cut and a nose piercing?
Apparently, seven years had changed me but not enough to be unrecognizable.
To make matters worse, he planned to demolish the cherished Cromwell Mansion, where we had played hide and seek and shared countless childhood memories. His intention to replace it with a recreation center ignited my ire. But beneath it all, my unresolved childhood crush resurfaced. Ryan had matured into a brawny, attractive man, sparking feelings I thought long buried.
As I tried to acclimate to my new life back in Lavender Hollow, Ryan's presence promised a twist in my quiet existence, one I wasn't entirely prepared for.