Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 431

Dennis Williams didn’t say a word. His expression stayed calm and unreadable, as if he hadn’t heard a thing Larry Adams had just said.

For a moment, no one could figure out what he was thinking.

Larry and Aaron exchanged glances, both looking completely lost.

So… was he interested, or not?

Dennis was just impossible to read sometimes.

Meanwhile, Camila Davis had no idea what the guys were talking about. She’d taken little Lillian to grab some juice, and when they came back, she handed everyone a cup.

The juice was cold and sweet, just what everyone needed. Once they’d finished, the group started making their way up the trail toward the summit.

The sky was cloudy, and with the recent cool spell, the weather was perfect for hiking—not too hot, not too cold, just that comfy middle ground.

Camila glanced over at Dennis, who was still carrying Lillian. She walked over and said, “Hey, you’ve been carrying her for hours. Why don’t you let me take her for a bit?”

She figured Dennis had to be getting tired. After all, these past weeks dealing with Lillian’s illness had already been a lot for him.

But Dennis shook his head, smiling warmly. “No worries. She’s as light as a feather.”

Lillian, hanging onto her dad’s neck, offered, “Daddy, if you’re tired, I can walk by myself!”

Dennis chuckled. “I’m really fine, sweetheart.”

Camila felt a twinge of guilt. They were all hiking the same trail, but Dennis had a whole extra load and still looked like he could go another ten miles without breaking a sweat.

People really do come in different strengths, she thought.

Dennis seemed to notice her concern and added, “Remember, we promised Lillian we’d be first to the top? Those two probably forgot, so we can’t lose now…”

Lillian giggled, covering her mouth, “Yeah! We have to win!”

Camila could only smile helplessly and let him be.

By around 1 p.m., they finally reached the summit. Just as promised, Dennis and Lillian claimed the “champion” title.

Lillian clapped her hands in delight, her little voice bright with excitement. “Daddy and I won!”

Larry shot him a look. “Aaron, are you itching for a fight? Let’s see how tough you really are…”

He lunged, and Aaron darted away, laughing as Larry tried to grab him.

Dennis just rolled his eyes at their antics, thinking how childish they were. He took advantage of the distraction to lead Lillian over to a quieter spot with a nice view, where they could enjoy the scenery. He pulled out a sketchpad and pencils, ready to teach her a bit of drawing—hoping to help her recovery through the calming activity.

Sarah watched from nearby and immediately understood what Dennis was up to. Not wanting to play third wheel, she quietly slipped away—only to realize Camila was leaving too.

“Not staying with them?” Sarah asked.

Camila shook her head. “I’d just be standing around. Besides, I noticed a bunch of wild herbs on the way up. This hill isn’t developed, so there’s a lot of natural stuff growing. Dennis has helped me so much lately, and I’ve been wanting to do something nice in return. Last time, I gave him a wooden bracelet with some calming herbs inside, but it’s probably lost its effect by now. Maybe I can find something even better up here—wild herbs are usually more potent.”

Sarah listened, impressed by the thoughtfulness. “So you two are actually here on a mission, and Larry and I are the only ones who thought this was just a fun hike, huh?”

Camila laughed. “Pretty much.”

“Alright, show me what those herbs look like—I’ll help you search. Since we’re here anyway, might as well!”

Camila pulled out her phone and showed Sarah some pictures, and the two women headed off together into the brush, chatting and searching as they went.