Page 23 of Once Upon a Summer Night

Chapter Six

Hannah took ahurried step away from Chase, heart pounding and thoughts jumbled. Of all the times and places he could have picked to try and swoop in for a first kiss, he’d chosennow? With her entire family less than twenty yards away? Sure, his truck blocked most of the view, but really, what the hell was he thinking?

Del came walking toward them, seeming oblivious to what had just transpired. “Oh, hey, pard, since you’re still here, do you happen to have any more of that Jamaican Jams dark roast left? I promised Isaac, I’d let him try some if you did.”

“Uh, yeah, I think so.” Chase rubbed the back of his neck, which was suddenly red as a sunburn.

Yeah, heshouldbe embarrassed after that fumbled kiss. Definitely not how Hannah pictured that might go. Not that she’d ever admit to pondering such a thought.

“Great! If you can spare me a scoop or two, I’d appreciate it. If not, we’ll look online.”

“Sure, I’ll bring whatever I have left with me to work on Tuesday,” he said.

“Awesome, thanks!” She grabbed something from Mia’s Equinox then headed back inside.

The minute the backdoor closed, he looked to Hannah, his hands raised in defense. “Listen, before you say anything, that was—”

“Hey, Hannah?” They turned to see Mia at the back door. “Noah’s looking for you. Said something about a picture on your phone he wanted to show us of Swimmy the fish?”

“I’ll be right in,” she called. When the backdoor slammed shut a second time, Hannah pinched the bridge of her nose. “Speak now, or forever get interrupted.”

“It was an accident, I swear,” Chase said. “You looked up at the wrong time. Honest fireman.”

At the wrong time? So, he hadn’t meant to kiss her? Hannah worked to ignore the tiny sting of rejection that came with that revelation. “Oh, well,that’sgood to know. I mean, if that’s the best you can do, Redding, there’ve got to be a lot of disappointed women in the tristate area.”

His look of mortification turned to one of embarrassed amusement. Chase looked to the ground, smirking. “I suppose I deserved that.”

“You sure did. Now get out of here. You don’t want to keep your buddy waiting.”

She gave him a quick hug around the waist, blatantly ducking her head as she did. Chase’s chest shook on a chuckle.

“Brat,” he said.

She withdrew, ducking again just to rub it in, and winked. “See ya around, dork.”

Hannah watched him go, left with the hint of his cologne on her clothes and a tingling from whatever that disaster had been on her lips. Unfortunately, accident or not, her body was itching for a do-over. Darn it, that’s what she got for being on such a long dry spell. Maybe hugging him one last time hadn’t been the smartest thing in the world after all. On a sigh, she headed back inside.

Sorry, body, it ain’t happening.

Her imagination, though, started wandering. What would a real kiss from Chase be like? Was he the kind of guy who cupped your face and kissed you sweetly, or ran his hand up into your hair and gave it a good tug while he kissed you senseless—

“Everything okay?”

Hannah shrieked, not having seen Del in the pantry when she’d walked in.

Her sister smirked. “A little jumpy, aren’t we?”

Oh, crap. Had she seen? Did she know?

“Hannah!” Noah came running into the kitchen, sparing her from answering. “Come on, we have to show Grandpa the picture of Swimmy and me.”

Grandpa?“Uh, okay, sweetheart.” She offered Del a smile and followed him from the room, grateful for the diversion.

Thankfully, the rest of the day went without any further hiccups or hints that her non-kiss with Chase had been seen. And with him gone, both her brain and her body eventually shifted back into low gear. By the time the others had left and Noah was bathed and ready for bed, Hannah was spent. She sat with him on Del’s old bed to read him a quick bedtime story, savoring a quiet moment with her little man after such a busy day.

It was almost surreal, how well things had gone with her father today. Heck, with her whole family. Several times throughout the afternoon and evening, she’d caught herself questioning the decision to stay away so long. But something told her that had she come back sooner, without the custody mess looming, things might not have gone as smoothly.

Ironic, as the boy who was helping pull her family back together, was also the one whose pending arrival had been the springboard for her leaving in the first place.

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