Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

The village coordinator had just left after delivering his message. Dustin had considered inviting him to stay for a meal, but the guy seemed so jittery, he probably wouldn't have been able to relax even if he stayed.

The family of four took their sweet time finishing breakfast. Emma headed out to run some errands, leaving Dustin at home with the kids. He'd come prepared with a ton of toys this time, clearly planning to stick around for more than just a couple of days. By the time Emma returned at noon, Dustin had lunch ready. It gave her this funny feeling, like she was the one handling things outside while Dustin was holding down the fort at home.

They carried on like this, living in peaceful harmony for about two weeks. Since Emma took over directing the village's herb farming, she'd been swamped with work. One day, while she was out setting up a new farming area with some of the villagers, a snake bit her. And it was a poisonous one.

The villagers rushed her back home, shouting for help. "Mr. Lynch, Emma's been bitten by a snake, and it's poisonous!" By now, Emma's wound had turned a nasty shade of purple, a sign that the venom was spreading. Dustin was shocked but quickly remembered the old trick of sucking out the poison. He pressed his lips against Emma's knee, trying to draw it out.

Meanwhile, the villagers had fetched a local doctor from the neighboring village. After getting a description of the snake, the doctor left some medicine and noticed Dustin's swollen mouth from the venom. "Young man, you better take some of this medicine too, or that swelling won't go down for a week."

"Daddy, your lips are so puffy," they teased. Dustin,

thoughtful silence. Her feelings for Dustin had always been a tangled mess. She'd been interested in him initially, but after seeing his entanglements with another woman, she backed off. Then came a phase of self-doubt, where she decided to nip her budding feelings for him in the bud. Plus, the whole situation with Peyton was like a thorn in her side. She managed to coexist peacefully with Dustin, mostly for the

often felt tongue-tied Dustin noticed this, feeling like something was stabbing at his heart, leaving an unbearable ache. Emma, are you hungry? I go make some food," he offered. It had become his go-to phrase over the past weeks. Whenever things got awkward,

need to talk." Dustin tensed up, dreading what might come next. He feared

took

talk

But Emma was determined. "Dustin, I know this is selfish, but which child do you like more?" As a mother, she felt she should share the responsibilities of raising their children. Dustin had had a tough