Chapter 24

Ryan

The dahlias were a refreshing sight after working in the garden all morning. Their soft blush pink petals seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight. I was satisfied as I clipped off a finished bloom, thinking of how the flowers had persevered despite the recent cold snap.

Amy popped into my mind, her blonde hair and warm smile as bright as the dahlias. I felt my cheeks grow warm at the thought of her. Clearing my throat, I pushed the image aside and gathered my tools to head inside.

After scrubbing the dirt from my hands and arms, I hurried upstairs to shower and change. As the hot spray soaked into my sore muscles, my thoughts drifted back to Amy. It had been a week since the harrowing trip to the hospital. I recalled her ashen face and the deep worry lines that framed her mouth as the doctors described her mother’s condition.

I walked to the bedroom with a towel around my lower body to plug my phone into the charger, the brochures I had reviewed yesterday after my extensive resea