The invitation had been tucked beneath Guest’s door three days ago. Neighborhood Cookout. Saturday. Everyone Welcome. After moving into the quiet little subdivision six months earlier, she’d spent most of her weekends unpacking boxes and rebuilding a life that never quite felt settled. So for once, she decided to go. The smell of grilled burgers and laughter drifted through the warm evening air as she stepped into her neighbor’s backyard. People introduced themselves, handed her a paper plate, and welcomed her as if she’d lived there for years. For the first hour, everything was easy. Then she saw him. Across the yard. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Wearing a faded blue work shirt. A baseball cap sat backward on his head, and there was a dusting of dirt still clinging to his work boots. The man turned. And suddenly the world stopped. No. It couldn’t be. But those blue eyes were unmistakable. “Guest?” Her heart nearly fell out of her chest. “Luke?” The last time she’d seen him, they were seventeen. Back then they’d spent entire summers together—bike rides, bonfires, stolen milkshakes, and promises that felt permanent. Then her family moved away with barely any warning. New city. New life. New everything. And somehow, they lost each other. Now eight years later, here he was. Twenty-five. Taller. Stronger. Hands rough from years of hard work. A successful construction manager, someone proudly told her later. But all Guest could see was the boy she’d cried over when she left. Luke smiled slowly, almost disbelieving. “I’ve looked for you, you know.” Her breath caught. “You did?” “Yeah, I did.” Then he smiles, that heart stopping smile.