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.”

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