Chapter 24

Morning at home, Eloise does her habitual spins, clearly feeling she’s forgotten something, and her gaze drops to Jasper’s bare ring finger. Jasper recognizes she’s been looking for the ring since Blaze’s firing and his confession about the trashed divorce papers. He reflects that Eloise’s titanium band matches Samantha’s old ring and admits he’s resisted wearing it, but resolves to get it resized and start wearing it because the symbol matters to Eloise.

Jasper heads to Foster’s gym. Foster shares that a rising Vegas fighter called about Jasper, confirming Jasper turned down the job. Jasper reiterates he’s staying in Quincy, and he and Foster affirm their brotherhood. Jasper muses he needs purposeful work and decides, for now, to help Eloise through the hotel’s summer crush.

After training, Jasper experiences a flicker of dread at home but finds nothing wrong. He pockets the ring, stops at the jewelry store to resize it, then picks up coffee for Eloise at Eden Coffee, noting Lyla’s rush and professionalism.

Approaching the hotel, Jasper again senses unease and thinks of Blaze, whose absence since being fired feels threatening. In the lobby, Eloise’s welcome steadies him. They flirt, then Jasper proposes a date. Eloise suggests Knuckles or dinner at her parents’ ranch; Jasper, despite misgivings about families after his own parents, agrees to the ranch for Eloise’s sake.

Even as they kiss, Jasper’s wariness returns when he scans the sunny street, but he lets it go and asks Eloise to put him to work, choosing presence, partnership, and visible commitment—ring included—while the shadow of Blaze hangs in the background.