Page 23 of Rose's One Night to Forever
The question came out of the blue. Chance turned from the sweet domesticity and refocused his brain. It had to be a question about what kind of art he planned to display at his gallery.
He tossed back, “Modern. Classical. Digitally enhanced in some cases. Sometimes hand illustrated, sometimes computer generated. Sometimes good old-fashioned oil, acrylic, or watercolour.”
“Fascinating.” Rose’s father settled on the stool next to Chance. Malachi reached into the pot of peas and began helping pop the small green buds into the cooking pot. “Digital, you said. You’ll have to let Fern know. Amongst other things, she’s done background art for games.”
“That is interesting.” Ideas spun in Chance’s brain, but now wasn’t the time to get distracted because Malachi was already talking about books. Specifically, the store they owned and ran in town: Fallen Books.
“You’re welcome to come by anytime. I’m trying to start a men’s book club,” Malachi said. “The ladies were easy. We offered wine and dessert, and we’re filled to capacity every time.”
“It’s the kid-free evening that hooked them,” Sophie called from the other room.
Chance let his grin loose. “Beer and books could work just as well.”
“Possibly. Plus pie. Or pizza, but pie might work better.” Malachi looked thoughtful. He rose to his feet and paced away, muttering to himself.
For the first time since Chance had walked into the house, silence fell. A peaceful quiet broken by gentle laughter.
“You should see your face,” Rose teased.
He twisted on his chair to find her still at the stove. “I’ve only met four of you, but it feels like a lot more.”
“We can be intense, but we’re friendly. It’ll get quieter once Ivy shows up. We still tend to behave better when she’s around, and we’re trying to be good until her adopted kids settle into the family a little more.” Rose moved the pot off the burner and walked over to say hello. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” A hit of shock arrived when she wrapped her arms around him and pressed their lips together, but Chance got with the program fast enough. He kept his focus on the sweet gift of her greeting and ignored the thought that at least one family member had to be about to swoop in and interrupt.
“Kissing in the kitchen already? Damn, I’m impressed.” Tansy entered the room and cocked a hip against the counter beside them.
Chance liked her. He liked the way Rose talked about her sister, and it was clear they totally had each other’s backs.
Which meant teasing Tansy was an absolute necessity.
“I have a lot to live up to,” he said. “Miss I’ll Double the Money If You Toss in the Brother.”
She snickered. “You looked as if you’d be amusing.”
“Definitely. I live for danger.”
Rose laughed softly, stroking her fingers over the back of his neck. “A two-for-one sale is always a good idea.”
“Except the time two skunks decided to take up residence in the backyard,” Tansy offered helpfully.
“I hope Cody and I rank higher than that.”
Tansy pushed past them, peeking into the pots lined up on the stove. “Go show him the yard,” she ordered Rose. “I’ll take over here.”
“Don’t worry,” Rose assured him. “No skunks.”
He experienced another moment of shock when Rose took him by the hand and guided him outdoors to explore the garden. A few minutes later, he met the final sister, Ivy, plus her husband, Walker, and their three kids: Carter, Chloe, and Harper.
The next hours were a blur of conversation, eating, and being shown everything from the carrots the youngest child had dug out of the garden (three times) and then replanted, to Fern’s sketchbooks. Rarely was Chance with more than one member of the Fields family at a time, and he was never with anyone for more than ten to fifteen minutes before someone else interrupted and stole him away.
Three hours later he sat on the adult-sized swing set, Rose swaying beside him with a happy smile on her face. His stomach was full of good food, and his head buzzed from all the bits and pieces of information the family had shared. The questions they’d asked him had been thoughtful but always open-ended. As if politely giving him the opportunity to bow out at any moment.
He gazed thoughtfully at the woman beside him. “It’s been a wonderful evening.”
She swung a little harder, leaning back and lifting her feet. “I like my family, but we do tend to follow our own path. Because of Ivy’s social anxiety and health when she was younger, a family dinner has never meant massive gatherings around the table. Our more chaotic routine sometimes spooks people.”
“I liked it,” Chance admitted. “I got to have real conversations with each of them, instead of one person taking over or having to guide the topics.”
