Page 57 of Once Upon a Summer Night

“No, but he might as well have. And it’s not exactly scolding lately. More like…strong advice with a disapproving tone.” She sighed. “I will never live up to that man’s expectations, Chase. Never.”

“I’m sure he’s offering advice because he cares, even if it doesn’t come out sounding that way.”

“I dunno.”

Chase paused and met her gaze. “There’s more that’s bothering you, isn’t there.”

“Maybe.” She stepped out of his embrace and ran a hand over her hair. “It’s about work. My work. Long story short, I spent the better part of a year advocating for them to create a new safety inspection slash training manager position. It’d be more pay and better hours, so I’d be home more with Noah. I’ve been doing all this research on how to structure the role, and had just finally gotten the higher-ups to agree that our area needed one before I came back to Bourbon Falls.”

Chase forced a smile as mild panic lit in his chest. “Wow, Hannah, that’s great. So, you’re upset because you don’t know if you should take it or not?”

“No, I’m upset because after all that work, I learned from a buddy of mine that they bypassed me for the interviews. Can you believe that? I worked my ass off to make that damn position happen and they didn’t even have the decency to offer me a courtesy interview.”

Relief washed over him. “Wow, that’s shitty.”

“Majorly shitty. So, I’ve been looking for something closer to Bourbon Falls. If they don’t appreciate me, then why stay?”

Why stay, indeed? “No kidding. Their loss, for sure.”

“Yeah.” She frowned. “Still stings, though.”

He pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her crown. “Stay with me tonight. I promise not to take you for granted like those bozo’s out west.”

“That would be a nice change. Hmm, will there be ice cream?”

She arched one brow, and Chase had to shift his stance to accommodate for what that look did to him.

“Sugar, I will stock the entire fridge with your favorite flavor if that’s what it takes to get you to stay over tonight.”

“Deal.” She tipped her head toward Mia’s house. “While you’re saying your hellos, I’ll share our updated plan with Mia. Oh, and we’re stopping at Frosty Falls on the way. My treat.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Tonight, she could have ordered him to drive across the country for an ice cream cone and he would have complied…and offered a wave of thanks to Kankakee along the way. He felt bad about her hurt feelings, but not that her old department had snubbed her—because that move might have just solidified her plans to move back for good.

Now all he had to do was get her father back in line and to help find her a job nearby. How hard could either be?

*

Even knowing anamazing, relaxing evening now lay ahead, Hannah felt guilty for leaving Noah with Mia that night. What if she didn’t win the custody case? Would she look back six months from now, wishing she’d been home more? Spent every minute with him that she could? Thoughts like this were beginning to eat her alive, and with each passing day, they seemed harder and harder to suppress.

The look of joy on her sister’s face when she welcomed them in went a long way toward easing that guilt, though. Mia wrapped Noah in a warm, elder aunt hug, then led him to her kitchen island where the ingredients for homemade sugar cookies lay in waiting. Instructions given to her little helper, Mia turned and pulled Hannah into a hug of her own.

“You’re looking stressed, mama,” Mia said softly. “Is it because of legal stuff or fatherly stuff?”

“I am.” Hannah offered her a half smile. “And both.”

“Ugh, I’m so sorry. What can I do to help?”

Chase’s laughter arose from the other room. If anyone could get her unstressed, it was him. What had he told her a while back about not being able to pour from an empty cup?

“Would you mind if I maybe stayed at Chase’s tonight? I’d planned to come here after our date night, but—”

“Go.” Mia held up her hand to halt further explaining. “Being a mom is hard work, even with a village supporting you. The tricky part is not losing yourself along the way. You kids have fun, and I can drop Noah off at the farm tomorrow.”

“Actually, Chase has to go into the station in the morning and offered to drop me off here before his shift. How about I help make breakfast when I get back?”

“Sounds like a winner to me.” Mia pecked a kiss to her cheek, then shooed her toward the door. “Now go on, get out of here. The Noah-meister and I have cookies to bake.”

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