Page 25 of Taken By the Pack

“Not even close,” Miles says, looking out the window to where the girl’s already in her car. “You won’t find much of the city hustle here. People come for the peace. And the beach, of course.”

He smiles again, but his eyes flick back to the door. “This place? It’s kinda like its own little world. You don’t get the rush, the noise. People are real friendly. Real chill.”

I nod, listening but kind of not. My mind’s stuck on that damn girl.

“And, uh, who was that?” I ask, trying to sound casual, like I’m not interested, even though I totally am. “The one who bought the chocolates.”

Miles looks at me like he can’t help but smile at my awkwardness. “Oh, you mean Grace?” He chuckles. “Yeah, she’s… well, she’s Grace. Owns the flower shop here.”

He leans in a bit, like it’s some kind of secret. “She’s one of the sweetest people you’ll meet. She’s hard to miss, right?”

Yeah, hard to miss, for sure.

I try to keep my voice steady, even though there’s a stupid grin on my face. “Flower shop, huh? Sounds like a real chill gig.”

Miles shrugs, a bit of pride in his voice. “Yeah, she’s been running it for years. Her place is on Main Street if you’re interested.”

I try to keep my composure, but inside? I’m definitely interested.

I’ve got a lot of things running through my mind—I could check out that shop tomorrow or just… figure out a way to bump into her again.

I clear my throat, focusing back on Miles. “Cool. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I pay for my shit, trying to get out of there before I end up asking the kid about Grace’s life story. No need to go that far just yet.

Once I pay, I walk out, head still buzzing. I climb into my car and start the engine. The old motel I’m supposed to stay at is somewhere around here.

I’m not exactly thrilled to be spending the night in some rundown joint, but it’ll do for now.

I drive through the winding roads of Driftwood Cove, the smell of saltwater stronger now. I don’t know what I’m expecting.

Maybe nothing at all, but the town’s already growing on me, and it’s not something I was prepared for.

I make a couple turns, glancing around for the motel. Finally, I spot it—the Sleepy Shore Motel, with its neon sign flickering in the distance.

Perfect.

I park in front and grab my stuff. The place isn’t much to look at. A couple of rooms, a cracked sidewalk leading up to the office.

A few old cars parked around, and a couple of lights hanging in the windows.

I don’t care about the place that much. It’s a roof over my head for the night, and that’s all I need right now.

My thoughts go back to Grace. I’m not interested in love, and I’m not even into chasing after girls, but something about her pulls me in.

The way she looked at me, the way she smiled.

I head into the motel, throw my stuff on the bed, and stare at the ceiling. Maybe this place won’t be so bad after all.

Now I just need to figure out what to do with this damn feeling. Because I haven’t felt such an instant attraction to anyone before. Not since Mia.

Fuck!

I distract myself, taking a quick look around the motel room. It’s exactly what I expected. It smells like mildew, but who cares?

I’m not here to hang out. I’ve got work to do.

I strip down and step into the shower. The water’s hot, scalding at first, but I stand under it, letting it soak into my muscles.

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