Page 45 of Once Upon a Summer Night

Affection softened the chief’s voice. Chase turned to head back to the dining room and spied a fresh crayon drawing on the refrigerator, two stick figures standing beside a black-and-red checkerboard. Seemed the feeling was mutual.

“I think it’s great what you and Faye are doing, helping connect Hannah with an attorney. It’d be a damn shame if she lost him in all this legal mess.”

The chief nodded. “Bradley seems fairly confident he can block the Wiggmans’ application. They’re getting up there in years, and the missus has some heart issues. So long as Hannah keeps her nose clean and a steady income, this should be a no-brainer. But she’ll likely have to agree to let them see him from time to time.”

“Which is how it should be, right?” Chase said, dishing out their breakfast. “I mean, you wouldn’t want to be denied visitation with your grandchild.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” The chief arched a brow. “I also don’t like my daughter being harassed. This Stan had better watch himself. That last text of his was getting a little snippy.”

Chase grinned. “We don’t need you picking any fights in your condition, chief.”

“Eh, I’ll be out of this cast soon. Then it’ll be game on.” He looked to the meal Chase was sliding before him. “Speaking of which, you gonna tell me what this is all about or leave me guessing all through breakfast?”

“Can this really not be a simple meal shared between friends?”

Stephen studied him for a long moment, and Chase felt his cheeks warm. The chief’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do, son?”

There was simply no beating around the bush with this man. Chase swallowed hard. “I might have kissed your youngest daughter.”

The chief’s lips pursed. “Just once?”

“No, sir.”

The stare down continued.

“You planning to do it again?” the chief asked.

There was no sense in lying. “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Stephen’s features relaxed as he picked up his fork. “Maybe that will help convince her to stay.”

Chase sat there, stupefied. “So…you’re not mad?”

The chief chuckled softly. “Son, you’ve been smitten with Hannah from day one. It was bound to happen, and I couldn’t ask for a better future son-in-law.”

Son-in-law?“Whoa, now. I didn’t come here asking for—”

“Relax, Redding, I know that. But when the time comes, you won’t have to twist any arms to get my blessing.”

Would that day come? Until recently, he’d never really allowed himself to think much past their first kiss. But a wedding? Could that really be in their future?

Chase pictured Hannah standing in a simple white gown with a bouquet in hand, Noah beside her in a little tuxedo holding a ring bearer’s pillow. His heart swelled at the image. Damn, he wanted them to be a real family. Wanted it bad.

He just wished he had a better idea of how Hannah felt about it all.

“You sound a lot more confident that she’ll stay than I feel just yet,” he admitted to her father.

“I’m rarely confident with anything when it comes to my youngest,” the chief said with a wink. “But one thing I do know is that she needs love and support right now, and that’s exactly what we’re all going to give her.”

Love and support—Chase was definitely onboard with that. But would that be enough?

“Oh, and also?” The chief jabbed his fork in Chase’s direction. “No kissing at my station. I did not send Hannah to provide you lip service.”

Chase felt his cheeks catch fire. “Yessir.”

“Good. Now eat, before Gina Pickett’s biscuit-rolling hard work goes to waste.”

Chapter Thirteen

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