Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 186

Camila Davis didn’t notice Dennis’s gaze—she was too busy playing around with Lightning, her golden retriever, who was bouncing circles around her feet in the warm beach sand.

Suddenly, she stopped short, wincing as a sharp pain shot up from the sole of her foot.

“Ouch…”

She sucked in a breath, freezing mid-step.

Dennis Williams, who had been watching from a few feet away, immediately called out, “Hey, are you okay?”

Camila frowned, shifting her weight to one side. “I think I stepped on something…”

She carefully lifted her foot, brushing away the sand. Sure enough, there was a tiny sliver of broken seashell lodged in her skin, and blood was already bubbling out.

Dennis spotted it too, his brows furrowing in concern. “That looks pretty deep. You’ll need to clean that out or it’ll get infected.”

Camila nodded, not about to argue.

“Aaron,” Dennis called to their friend nearby, “could you grab the first aid kit from the cooler?”

“On it!” Aaron spun around and jogged off toward their stuff.

With Aaron gone, Dennis turned to Camila, who was now balancing awkwardly on one foot. He hesitated, then offered gently, “Want to sit down on one of those chairs? Or… can you make it?”

Camila nodded quickly, trying to sound braver than she felt. “Yeah, I’m okay. I can walk—as long as I stay on my tiptoes.”

Dennis respected her space, just giving a nod. “Alright. Take it slow.”

Camila started hobbling toward the folding beach chairs, but the sand was soft and uneven. With every step the tide pulled more grains away, leaving her nearly stumbling.

Before she could fall, Dennis reached out, steadying her with a strong hand under her elbow.

She blinked in surprise, feeling the warmth of his hand. Dennis’s voice was calm and steady. “Let me help. No sense in you hurting yourself more.”

Aaron’s eyes widened in shock, like he’d just seen a unicorn. Dennis was the last person you’d expect to be playing beach doctor.

Camila felt awkward, knowing Dennis was a guest and not exactly the type to get his hands dirty. “Really, it’s fine—I can do it myself—”

But Dennis cut her off with a tone that brooked no argument. “Sit still. Don’t move.”

Something about his voice made her freeze—she wasn’t about to challenge him.

Dennis got to work, deftly removing the shell fragment, cleaning the wound, and wrapping it up with practiced hands. He was surprisingly gentle, and it was over in just a few minutes.

As he tied off the bandage, his fingers brushed lightly against her ankle, sending a strange, fluttery feeling up Camila’s spine.

Dennis didn’t seem to notice, standing up and giving instructions as if this was just another day at the office. “Keep your foot dry for now. Just relax here. Lillian can keep exploring on her own.”

Camila just nodded, grateful and a little flustered, while Lillian hovered close, not ready to leave her mom’s side just yet.