Page 21 of Rose's One Night to Forever
“I feel the same,” Rose confessed. “So what do we do with this strange compulsion to be with each other?”
“Give in to it,” Chance said cheerfully. “Definitely get to know each other better. What we like, dislike. Get to know each other’s families.”
Everything was happening in a huge rush, yet Rose couldn’t seem to summon the words to slow things down. “That sounds like dating. I think I’d like that.”
“I’m invited to dinner,” Chance said, “at your parents’ house on Friday evening.”
Rose blinked. “Okay?”
He laughed. “No, I’m not asking, I’m telling. Your father rang me up yesterday and told me to be there by half five and to bring wine. Red, something suitable to accompany buffalo stew. Then he laughed for some reason.”
Oh, for heaven’s sake. Fern must have made some assumptions, then said something at home, and now her family was staging an intervention.
Rose straightened slightly, slipping her hands from his. “You’re going to my parents’ for dinner? This Friday?”
“I am, and I desperately hope you’ll be there. Because, from the glimpse I got of your father at the auction, I’d like you around as backup. And maybe Tansy, because your sister seems to have a deft hand at dealing with him.”
The thought that her father could intimidate this confident man made her smile. “Is this when I should warn you that it’s not the masculine side of the equation you need to worry about?”
“Your mum?”
Rose nodded and then smiled wider. “And my grandma if she’s there.”
“Mothers are always the most protective ones.” Chance dipped his chin. “I stand warned.” He glanced around the room. “It’s late, but it looks as if you’ve got a lot on your plate.”
She nodded. “It sometimes happens.”
“Can you use an extra set of hands?”
The offer was unexpected but so sincerely offered that Rose paused and considered. “I caught you in the middle of something. Painting, I think.”
He shrugged. “It can wait. Teach me what I need to do, and I’ll help with whatever busywork is appropriate.”
“Thank you. If you’re serious, I’d love your help.”
Chance was an eager student, and the arrangement was simple enough that with him helping gather and prep materials, the bouquets went together smoothly. They ordered a pizza so they could keep working through dinner.
The entire time they worked, they talked. Laughed. Shared.
The attraction between them was undeniable, but so was this. The easy way it felt to tell him stories. To share about growing up in a small town, about finding connections in their family that were made of choice instead of birth. She told him about her oldest sister and her brother-in-law, Ivy and Walker, and the entire family’s excitement about them having recently adopted three children.
Chance shared more about moving to Canada as a teen and how, after so many years of being a single child, Cody was added to his world.
“It took a bit, but after the first growing pains, I grew to appreciate him beyond measure. Family is everything,” Chance told her. “I traveled and lived away, but we always stayed in touch. Always thought of each other because we couldn’t imagine not. That’s what family means to me. A gift I didn’t expect to receive.”
“That’s not always the truth for everyone, but the Fields family is like that as well,” Rose agreed. “Of all of us, Tansy had the most trouble believing we were never going to give up on her, but now she’s the biggest family cheerleader.”
“She was older. That made it tougher?”
“Maybe,” Rose considered. “I do remember that when we figured out we had the same birthday, the same year, Mom decided that made us twins. I think that made us feel as if we had something special. Someone special. It was the start of us being friends. Sisterhood came later.”
“That’s lovely.”
When they finally closed shop four hours later, ninety percent of her tasks for the wedding were done.
He paused at her side as she reached for the light switch and prepared to lock up. He turned her in his arms then tucked his fingers under her chin. “I had a good time tonight.”
“Thank you for saving me,” Rose said. “Both from the glass and from having to work until midnight.”
