Page 5 of Once Upon a Summer Night

“Hannah, look—I found a fireman!”

Up ahead, the brunette across from Faye turned to face them. Surprise had Chase stopping in his tracks. It wasn’t just any Hannah who was opening her arms to welcome the little boy. It was their Hannah, all grown up.

“Han?”

Her eyes widened. “Chase?”

On a squeal, she ran to him and jumped into his outstretched arms. He swung her around, and for a moment they were kids again, the best of friends with their whole lives ahead of them. Lives they’d planned to stay connected in no matter what.

“Youknowhim?” the boy asked.

“Know him?” she said, laughing as Chase lowered her to the ground. “Are you kidding? This big oaf was my best friend growing up! We did everything together!”

God, she looked amazing. Vibrant. Full of life. Then again, Hannah always had.

“So, wait—the kid said you’re a fire captain, too?” he asked. Beside them, her aunt grinned and Chase’s jaw dropped. “And youknew?”

“Sure am. And don’t be mad at Aunt Faye. I had her sworn to secrecy,” said Hannah, laughing. “Besides, at least when I reached out to her, she wrote me back.”

What was that supposed to mean? Before he could ask, the little boy came to stand beside Hannah, clearly trying to make sense of it all. That’s when Chase realized who the boy looked like. He tipped his head to the little guy.

“Hannah, is that who I think it is?”

Her smile sobered. “Yep, this is Beth’s baby, all grown up. Noah, meet Chase. Chase, this is Noah.”

“Nice to meet you, Noah.”

“Hi.”

My real mom is in heaven now…

Oh no. No, no, no. Maybe he’d heard wrong. Maybe he’d misunderstood. “But where is—?”

“Gone six months next week.” Hannah’s grip tightened on Noah, whose gaze fell to the floor. “Ugly rare cancer, just couldn’t beat it.”

“Oh no. Not sweet Beth.” He stepped forward to pull her into a gentler hug. “Han, I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. Me, too.” She held on to him tightly with one arm, her other still holding on to Noah. Chase rested his cheek on her crown, wishing he could have seen Beth one more time. That he could have been there for them, even if it was only to visit. But after missing their runaway rendezvous point after graduation, the two girls had vanished into the night without a trace.

“So, you all lived together?” he asked, hoping to lighten the mood as he released Hannah.

She swiped a hand under each eye and forced a smile. “Sure did. Stayed in Indiana for a few years, worked a handful of jobs trying to find something I enjoyed. When Beth got tired of going fire chasing with me every time a siren rang out, she suggested I look at fire department openings. It only made sense. I mean, I’d grown up in a station, so my guess was I’d have a leg up on everyone. Turns out, I was right. Passed all my certifications in Kankakee, Illinois, when I turned twenty-one, so we found a cute little duplex on the edge of town near a small park and made that home these past five years.”

Ah yes, fire chasing. Hannah used to live for that. How many times had they hopped in his beater truck and sped after the fire trucks around here when they were in high school?

“Nice.” Chase met Noah’s gaze and asked in a whisper, “Does she still snore?”

A conspiratorial grin lit on the boy’s lips as he offered a sheepish nod.

“Hey!” Hannah jabbed Chase in the ribcage. “That’s the thanks I get for all those sleepovers? You making fun of me?”

“You know I’m only kidding.” He hauled her into a headlock, mussing her hair. “Besides, I haven’t been able to tease you in almost a decade. Have some catching up to—”

His cell phone came alive. On a soft curse, Chase realized he’d been gone a little longer than intended. He answered, hoping it was nothing.

“Hey, Mister Chief Wannabe, you planning on working today or just hanging out at the bookstore?” Joey asked.

“I’m on my way back, why?”

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