Page 33 of Once Upon a Summer Night

He lay in his bed for a long while after that, worrying that she might not show tomorrow. After all, that kiss he’d planted on her this morning hadn’t been planned. Ithadsilenced her teasing, though, which was what he’d been after. And though he’d left her stunned and speechless, Chase didn’t get the sense that she was angry about the unexpected contact. Not with the way she’d gradually leaned into him, her fingers digging into his shirt.

It had about killed him to break that kiss. Now, all he could think about was picking back up where they’d left off. But she was bringing Noah with her to dinner, so Chase was determined to behave himself. Heck, he’d spent a lifetime of behaving around her until today. Had he felt no chemistry between them, he could have played it off as him getting her back for the teasing and let it drop. Instead, the immediate spark he felt between them only fueled the fire long burning in his heart. They were meant to be together—he’d known that since the day they met.

He just had to convince Hannah of the same.

Thankfully, his shift at OBF flew by on Wednesday. And, punctual as ever, Hannah arrived with Noah just before six. Her familiar knock sent a thrill through him as he headed for the front door; he’d been looking forward to showing her this place since the day he bought it.

But when Chase opened the door, he found himself at a temporary loss for words. Hannah looked completely different from when he’d last seen her, the fire department uniform replaced by a pink V-neck T-shirt, short denim shorts, and pink canvas sneakers. A matching clip held her dark hair back on one side, drawing his attention to the eyes he’d long ago decided he could stare into until the end of time. It was like an angel from heaven had been delivered to his front porch.

“Hi, Chase!” Noah’s exuberance broke the silence.

Chase grinned, his thoughts back on track. “Hey, buddy! Glad you guys could make it. Please, come in so I can give you a quick tour before we head over to the park.”

Noah crossed the threshold ahead of Hannah and instantly zeroed in on the gray kitten sitting atop its cat tree by the front room’s window. “You have acat? What’s his name?”

“I sure do. That’s Smokey,” Chase said, grinning. “Found an abandoned litter behind a dumpster last fall. Kenny scooped them up while we were fighting the fire next door and put them in a box in the truck. We were halfway back to the station before we heard meowing.”

Hannah laughed. “Oh no.”

“Yeah, your father wasn’t too thrilled about it. Told Kenny to drop them off at the shelter. Instead, we each took one home.”

“Cool,” Noah said, reaching for Smokey, who had flipped onto his back.

“Be careful of his claws, bud. He’s in play mode right now,” Chase warned as he pulled Hannah in for a quick hug and peck on the cheek. He’d have preferred to give her a hello kiss on the lips but resisted. For now. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Were you worried we wouldn’t?”

He shrugged.

“Come on, you know it’d take a lot more than a single fake kiss to scare me off.” She gave his ribcage a solid poke. “Though, wewillbe talking about that little stunt of yours. Not the smartest move at work, buddy.”

She thought it was fake? Interesting. “Oh, whatever. We were the only two there.”

She arched her brow. Chase grinned; he’d seen Mia make that same face countless times with Brooklyn.

“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “No more work talk. Tonight is about having fun and relaxing.”

They did a quick tour of his modest, ranch-style home, him promising to show Hannah before and after pictures of its renovation another time. He loved watching her take in each new space, eyes bright with interest. Loved even more that she let him hold her hand the whole time.

Noah, however, soon got bored with the tour. As did Smokey, who eventually decided he had a better view of their guests from atop the refrigerator. One look at Noah’s disappointed face, and Chase knew it was time to get outside and play.

“So, who wants to go to the park?” he asked.

“I do!” Noah held his hand high.

Hannah laughed softly. “I’m game. Who’s driving?”

“Driving?” Chase echoed, handing her a pre-packed bag of bottled waters and nerf balls. “Around these parts, wewalkto the park. It’s one of the benefits of small-town living.”

With a wink, he squatted to offer Noah a piggyback ride. The boy scrambled up his back and they headed out the door. It was a short walk to the neighborhood park, and the block and a half walk passed quickly. They were the only adults there; the handful of kids present likely lived close by.

“So, fill me in on the custody stuff,” he said once they’d found a vacant bench along the park’s perimeter and Noah had trotted off to try out all the new-to-him playground equipment. “Dinner went well?”

“It did. Mr. Wade seemed like he really knew his stuff. I told him about all the texts I was getting from Noah’s grandfather, wondering when they could see him next, and he advised against responding to them anymore. Said he would do the communicating from here on out.”

“Wow, so glad your dad could connect you with this guy. A shame it had to come to this, though.”

She shrugged. “They brought this on themselves. I was all playing nice, and then they go and try to block my adoption? That’s just shitty. I’m so grateful for my dad and Aunt Faye’s help. I’d be screwed, otherwise.”

---