Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

Tobias' cheeks flushed a deep crimson in an instant, a clear sign he was caught off guard.

"Ye—yes, but Queena toldto zip it," he stammered.

Abner, eyebrow quirked, leaned on his cane and made a slow circuit of the scene.

The helping hands were all locals, born and bred in the village. The place was remote, tucked away so that even a trip to the

nearest town meant an afternoon's journey by bus.

Fishing was the lifeline here, with villagers drying their catches to sell as fish jerky. If they snagged something rare, they'd haul it to

town to hawk to the eateries that catered to tourists.

Abner's presence was magnetic; where he strolled, eyes followed. His stature alone was enough to pique curiosity, prompting

whispers and nudges directed at Tobias.

"Has your family always had such a handsrelative?"

"Nah, he ain't family. Queena's the one who fished him out of trouble. My dad brought him back."

As Abner stepped into the Temple family home, Queena's voice greeted him.

"You're still on the mend. Don't wander off now."

The interior was tidy, everything in its place, with a closed door at the far end—likely where the person Tobias mentioned was kept.

Abner had a simple plan: if he'd been brought to this fishing village, could his crew have been saved too? He was still clueless

about who had double-crossed him, and if it turned out to be one of his own, they'd have to answer to him.

cards close to her chest, and he didn't want to make waves while still

cooped up in Tobias' place gets stuffy. Just needed

venture further inside, instead stepping back out into the open where a gaggle of village

about his marital status, job, and

whose last voyage was on a cargo ship that had long since

"I hail from Greenfield."

That's a stone's throw from here," one of the

it! Look at you, so dashing. My granddaughter, bless her, is as pretty as a picture.

you're not

doorframe, Abner found himself barricaded by their enthusiasm, trapped

he managed

crowd of eager matchmakers deflated like balloons. "So young, and already taken,"

cough

closed, but Queena was the first to enter, carrying a steaming bowl of what was

his body too battered to move. Footsteps approached, and a strange

before him, a bowl of bitter brew in her hands and surprise in

"You're awake?"

sit

complied, swallowing

it been since the earthquake? Was he back

the bowl, he

old home.

"Thank you. And Maja?"

"Maja? Who's that?"

"My fiancée."

of her, a stark contrast to the fierceness he'd shown

expression chilled, though she had turned away,

His fiancée?

already had someone he

grip on the bowl tightened. Her mind raced through recipes of concoctions—was there one to erase