Chapter 6

Six

Elena

Monday morning was already off to a whirlwind start at Reflections. Clients came in and out, filling the space with cheerful chatter and the vibe of small-town life. I’d just finished trimming Mrs. Warner’s hair and was cleaning up my station, feeling settled and content in the familiar rhythm, when a flicker of movement caught my eye.

I glanced over at the waiting area—and froze.

Cory.

There he was, sitting calmly, his gaze wandering around the room like he had all the time in the world. He definitely looked older, of course. More polished, more rugged in a way that was hard to pin down. But the intensity in his eyes, that unmistakable glint, was still there. It was a jolt, pulling me back to another time, another place. In an instant, the steady rhythm of the morning broke, and I felt a sharp twist in my chest as if the air had suddenly thickened around me.

A familiar scent seemed to drift through the air for a moment—his old cologne, maybe, the one that used to cling to my sweaters long after he’d left. The memory hit hard, sharp, and unwelcome, pulling me back to the present. I fumbled with my combs, trying to ground myself, reasoning that he was just here to set up another appointment, nothing more.

I took a deep breath. I had lunch plans with Luke. Cory was nothing but an unexpected distraction… wasn’t he?

Yet, as I watched him out of the corner of my eye, my heart refused to settle. Why was he here, really? He hadn’t said a word since he rescued me days before. He just sat there, observing, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the years between us melted away, and all I saw was the boy I’d once known—the one who used to look at me like I was his entire world.

And yet, here he was now, a stranger in my life, a relic from a past I’d told myself I’d left behind.

I forced my eyes to look away, grounding myself in the salon’s chatter. I’d decided I was ready to take things further with Luke. It was time, wasn’t it? But now, with Cory just a few feet away, those plans suddenly felt tangled up in questions I hadn’t planned on facing.

A warm hand rested on my shoulder, snapping me back to the present again. “Ready for lunch?”

I looked up to find Luke, his easy smile right in front of me. I managed a small smile back, grateful for his warmth. Here was someone stable and dependable who had no complicated history with me, no tangled mess of unresolved emotions.

Nodding, I grabbed my bag as he took my hand and guided me toward the door. As we walked, I stole one last glance at Cory, unable to help myself. He was watching us, his expression unreadable, but for a second, I thought I saw something in his eyes. Hurt? Curiosity? It was impossible to tell, but a strange vulnerability flickered there, gone as quickly as it had come.

I swallowed, feeling exposed as if he could see right through the polite mask I’d put on for Luke’s sake. I turned away quickly, pulling Luke a little closer as if that could silence the sudden roar of emotions rising in my chest. Cory was part of my past, a chapter I’d told myself was over. I had no reason to let his presence affect me now.

Luke’s arm rested comfortably around my shoulders as we walked down Main Street toward the café. I tried to pay attention to what he was saying—something about the new equipment he’d ordered for the gym—but my mind was still back in the salon with Cory, trying to untangle the questions swirling in my head.

When we arrived at the café, Luke motioned to a booth by the window. Instead of sitting across from me, he slid in beside me, close enough that our knees brushed together under the table. The closeness made me tense, but I forced myself to relax. This was good, I told myself. Luke was here, steady, a man I could rely on.

But even as I tried to settle into his presence, my thoughts kept straying back to Cory. His expression, that unspoken question in his eyes, haunted me. What did he want? And why did I still care?

Luke’s hand slid onto my knee, and I felt the gentle weight of his thumb circling in slow, easy movements. There was undeniable chemistry between us, a pull I hadn’t fully explored yet. As he leaned closer, his fingers pressed into my thigh, and again, my mind flashed back to Cory’s expression when I’d walked out with Luke.

Get a grip, Elena.

I took a breath, mentally returning my focus to Luke. This was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to move forward without all the baggage of my past. Luke was here. He was kind and caring. This was what I wanted—wasn’t it?

“So,” Luke’s voice broke the silence, his tone casual but interested. “You’re really happy here, aren’t you?”

I blinked, a little surprised by the question. “Of course. Cedar Cove has been everything Jake and I need. It’s safe, supportive… it’s home.”

Luke nodded, his hand tightening slightly on my thigh, a silent affirmation. “I get that. I love it here, too. Building the gym, watching the town grow… it’s been a dream. No big-city chaos, no need to worry about getting lost in the crowd. Just this quiet, close-knit community.”

A pang of guilt tugged at me, cutting through my thoughts of Cory. Here was Luke, offering me stability, a future I could see in clear, simple lines. The kind of life that made sense. I managed a smile, pushing the guilt back, but another thought slipped through unbidden.

The last time I’d felt this kind of connection—this sense of home—had been in high school with Cory. Different time, sure, but the memory still whispered around the edges, persistent, refusing to fade.

I took a deep breath, determined to let it go. “Yeah, I love that Jake has a safe, quiet place to grow up. The school system here is great, and I feel good knowing he’s getting the attention he needs. Plus, I definitely don’t want to deal with the big-city traffic.”

Luke laughed, nodding along. “Small-town life suits you, Ellie. It’s hard to picture you putting up with all that city chaos.” He paused, looking at me with a smile. “But what do you do when you need a break? Like, say, a weekend away? Do you have someone who could watch Jake?”

The question caught me off guard, and a flicker of discomfort prickled at the edges of my thoughts. “I, um… usually ask my parents to watch him when I need to be away for more than a day or two. They’re still in Florida and won’t be back to Beaver Creek for a few weeks. Jake loves flying to Daytona and spending time with them, but money is tight right now,” I added, feeling the need to explain.

Luke’s hand stayed on my knee, his thumb tracing those gentle circles. “I was thinking we could get away for a bit. Just the two of us. Spend a weekend somewhere, relax without any distractions.”

The suggestion felt like a step, a clear shift in our relationship. While a part of me felt flattered, another hesitated. The thought of leaving Jake to go somewhere with Luke, even for a weekend, unsettled me. I forced a smile, hoping to hide my reluctance. “That sounds… nice,” I said, though my mind was spinning.

“A weekend away sounds nice?” He teased, leaning in, his voice warm but insistent. “Come on, Elena. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I thought you’d be excited about the idea.”

I glanced away, feeling that familiar tug of guilt. “I am, it’s just… complicated with Jake. I’m not sure he’s ready for that yet. I mean… me having someone new in my life,” I explained, hoping he’d understand.

Luke nodded, but his thumb continued its circles, this time a little higher up my thigh, as if he was intent on changing my mind. “Well, can’t your friends help out? Sarah or Nikki?” His voice was gentle, but there was a hint of insistence there, a quiet pressure that caught me off guard. “I just thought it would be a chance for us to spend some private time together. To see where things go.”

The weight of his expectation settled over me, thick and heavy, as if he’d handed me something fragile I wasn’t sure I could hold. Luke was a good man, offering me something normal, something reliable—a chance to share my life with someone again. But here I was, struggling to move forward because of a man I hadn’t seen in years.

I looked down at my plate, picking at my salad, as I tried to gather my thoughts. There was a time when a simple weekend getaway would have sounded perfect, like a natural step. But now, with Cory’s reappearance, I felt myself being pulled in two directions, torn between the promise of something new with Luke and the pull of my past.

“I’ll think about it,” I managed, looking up to offer him a polite smile. “But I really should get back to the salon. I don’t want to keep my next client waiting.”

Luke let out a small sigh, his hand finally leaving my thigh. “Alright. But don’t keep me hanging too long. I’d love to make this happen.”

As we walked back toward the salon, I felt the steady pressure of his arm around me, a new realization gnawed at me from the inside out, something I hadn’t let myself admit until now.

I couldn’t keep pretending.

Until I understood Cory’s situation, I could not move forward with Luke.

Back inside Reflections , I slipped on my apron and focused on the salon’s rhythm, hoping the familiar sounds and scents would quiet my thoughts. As I prepped my station, Sarah sidled up beside me with an excited grin.

“Elena, guess what?” she said, her eyes sparkling. “One of our product reps just stopped by and invited us out for dinner tonight. She wants to show us a new line of hair extensions and do a demo.”

I raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard. “Really? On a Monday night?”

Sarah shrugged, still grinning. “She’s in town for just a couple of days, so it’s tonight or nothing. Besides, we’ll get to see the new products up close before anyone else, maybe even snag a few samples.”

The idea was tempting. I hadn’t been out for a casual, work-related evening in what felt like ages. And I could use a distraction—a chance to laugh with the girls, to focus on something light and easy instead of the tangle of emotions I couldn’t shake.

I glanced at my watch. Jake would be at baseball practice after school, so I wouldn’t need to pick him up until eight. Plenty of time. “Alright, I’m in. Sounds fun.”

“Perfect!” Sarah gave a little cheer. “Nikki offered to drive, so we’ll just pile into her van after closing and head over.”

The rest of the afternoon flew by in a blur of appointments, each client a welcome distraction. By the time our last client left, we had gathered our bags and walked out the back door, the last of us to go, and I chuckled as Nikki jingled her car keys. “Everyone ready? We’ll see if we can charm our way into a few freebies,” she winked.

As Nikki backed out of the lot and turned down Main Street, something caught my eye. Down by the pier, just across from the salon, was a boat tied up in the fading light. Sitting in the boat, almost blending into the quiet scenery, was a figure that looked strangely familiar. My breath caught, and for a moment, I swore I recognized his slouched, casual posture, the way he held himself like he belonged there.

No… it couldn’t be.

I shook my head, laughing at myself inwardly.

You’re seeing things, Elena. Cory is the last thing you need on your mind right now.

I forced my gaze forward, chalking it up to wishful thinking or maybe just the nerves he’d stirred up all day.

“Hey, Ellie,” Nikki’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She glanced back at me in the rearview mirror, smirking. “Don’t tell me you’re already daydreaming about your lunch with Luke.”

I laughed, brushing it off. “Just excited for a night out. It’s been a while.”

Sarah nudged me from the front seat, grinning. “Oh, I bet. Watch out, folks, Ellie’s back on the social scene!”

As Nikki continued to drive down Main Street, the view of the lake faded behind us, and with it, the image of the man in the boat drifted away. I took a deep breath, resolving to focus on the here and now.