Page 34 of Finding Happily Ever After

But it clearly wasn’t.

“Hope? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. It’s fine. I’m just putting off the treatment for a bit is all.”

Shock reverberated through Steph at her sister’s words. She tried not to tense; with the baby in her arms, she didn’t want him to pick up on any stress, but she couldn’t hide the look on her face.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Hope jumped up from her seat at the kitchen table and busied herself at the kitchen sink, rinsing glasses. It was just the two of them with the baby in the kitchen while the others were in the barn across the yard, putting the final preparations on things for the party later. “The timing isn’t right,” Hope said, her voice almost lost with the running water. “I need to…”

“What?” Steph adjusted the sleeping baby and stood before walking closer to the sink. “What do you need to do that’s more important than treating your cancer?” She tried to keep her voice gentle, but what she really wanted to do was shake her sister until she ran, not walked, to her doctor’s office and started the treatments that were going to keep her healthy and save her life. “There is literally nothing more important than that, Hope.” Her sister turned and Steph could see the unshed tears in her eyes shining. “Nothing,” Steph said again. “You need to—”

“I need to look after my baby.” She wiped her hands quickly on a towel and moved to take her baby from Steph’s arms. “He’s hungry. I need to feed him.”

The baby was fast asleep and in no way looked hungry to Steph, but she wasn’t about to argue with a new mother. She let Hope lift Cole from her arms and waited while she tucked him close to her body and shuffled from the room, leaving Steph to watch after her. The niggling of concern she’d felt earlier exploded into full-blown worry. She needed to find Levi and see what was going on, because surely she wasn’t the only one to notice something was off.

Jeremy Davis was definitely considered to be one of Glacier Fall’s favorite sons, which was evident by the turnout for the ceremony that would officially make him the fire chief after Ed Walker, who was equally loved in town, retired. Stephanie was still pretty new to Glacier Falls, but just from looking around, it seemed as if everyone in town had made an appearance. The fire hall was standing room only as the chief officially handed over the role to Jeremy and the crowd applauded for both men.

It warmed Stephanie’s heart that she now called a town full of so much love home. She could hear Bella, sitting right up front, start cheering for her fiancé, who beamed brighter when he heard her support from the front row.

“This is all pretty incredible, isn’t it?” Faith, who stood next to her with Logan, shook her head in wonder. “I can’t believe I used to think this town was so lame.”

Logan wrapped an arm around her to squeeze her close. “See? Everything about this town, including everyone in it, is far from lame.” He kissed her on the side of the head and she giggled, but didn’t try to get away.

“I’ve changed my mind about a lot of things.”

Stephanie couldn’t help but laugh, but at the same time she was a little jealous. Faith and Logan grew up together, along with most of their friends. Sometimes Steph couldn’t help but feel a little left out because she didn’t even know she had sisters until a little while ago. Maybe if she had known, she would’ve grown up in town with the rest of them, too. It was a crazy thought, and one that didn’t even make sense because Steph had been adopted and had wonderful parents and a childhood that had been equally wonderful in a small town that, although it wasn’t the same as Glacier Falls, was pretty great, too.

And she wouldn’t have changed it. Besides, now that she did know about her sisters, she had the best of both worlds. And as soon as the cabins at Lynx Creek were finished up, she’d fly her parents down and show them her new home and why she loved it so much.

“I’m just glad you changed your mind about me.” Logan kissed her with a sloppy kiss that finally made Faith squirm out of his arms.

“Boys are so gross.”

Steph laughed, brought back to the moment at hand. “Maybe so, but your gross boy is pretty nice, too.”

Logan straightened his shoulders and grinned proudly. “Thank you, Steph. You are definitely one of my favorite sisters-in-law.”

She shook her head with a chuckle that quickly faded. “What about Hope?”

“I love her, too,” Logan said quickly. “She is also one of my—”

“No.” Steph cut him off. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant.” She looked to Faith, who was watching her carefully as well. “I meant, what is going on with Hope?”

Faith and Logan exchanged glances. Faith pressed her lips together and nodded slightly. Just as she’d suspected, she hadn’t been imagining things. Something was definitely up with Hope.

“What is it?” Steph asked. “What’s going on with her? Is it her—”

“Maybe we should talk about it later,” Faith said quickly. She glanced around the busy room. No one was listening to them, but she was probably right. It wasn’t the right time to be talking about private family matters. “But…” She made eye contact with Logan again. “We’re worried. Yes.”

Steph nodded. She wasn’t surprised, but it was good to know that at least she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed something was up with Hope. “Okay, let’s talk before I have to go back. Whatever I can do.”

“Definitely.” Faith hugged her impulsively, and Steph pulled her in tight.

She loved her sisters fiercely, and would do anything for them. She hadn’t known them long, but it was as if a piece of her that she hadn’t known had been missing was finally filled and she was whole again. She would protect that feeling with her life, if she needed to.

“But we should get back to the ranch now and help Levi get set up for the party later.”

“Let me know if you need anything. I’m going to stop by Lynx Creek on my way.”

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