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.

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

up in Tobias' place gets stuffy. Just needed

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

questions about his marital status, job,

whose last voyage was on a cargo ship that had long

"I hail from Greenfield."

That's a stone's throw from

Look at you, so dashing. My granddaughter, bless her, is as pretty as a picture. You two would

if you're not

himself barricaded by their enthusiasm, trapped in a

he

deflated like balloons.

a cough from inside

the first to enter,

an unfamiliar ceiling, his body too

of bitter brew in her hands and

"You're awake?"

helped him sit

complied, swallowing the

since the earthquake? Was he back

he emptied the bowl, he asked, "Where

home.

"Thank you. And Maja?"

"Maja? Who's that?"

"My fiancée."

face softened at the mention of her, a stark contrast to the fierceness he'd shown in his last

expression chilled, though she had

His fiancée?

had

through recipes of concoctions—was there one to erase his memories, to make