Page 8 of Rose's One Night to Forever
Chance dressed then returned to the pub for one futile walk-through, searching for her. Nothing, as he’d expected. He returned to the cabin his brother had lent him for his brief visit and fell into bed.
What seemed to be minutes later, a lush kiss woke him, heating his body and bringing a smile to his face. “Rose.”
Chance rolled toward the goddess then jerked upright when he realized the sheets were cold and he was alone. No one was there except visions of his spectacular dream woman running through his mind.
Still, it wasn’t as if all they had was the one night. For now, maybe. But summer was coming. The thought of it brought a whistle to his lips as he got his few things together and loaded them into his car.
He knocked once then shoved through the door of his younger brother’s cabin.
“Give me tea before I go.” There was no one in the main room, so Chance paused outside the bedroom and pounded the door with his fist, hard. “Wake up, Cinderella.”
A muffled curse drifted back from the other side. “Go away.”
Chance chuckled before he made his way across the room to the small kitchen and went to work on their drinks. He put on the kettle, found a teapot, then searched for what he needed for the coffee maker. “I thought you ranch types were all about getting up at the crack of dawn. Snap to it, brother. I want to hit the road before the traffic picks up.”
Cody made it out of his bedroom a few minutes later, bleary-eyed and cranky. “I was up until three, and this was my one morning of the week to sleep in. You’re a jerk.”
“I’m your big brother. I’m supposed to be a gobshite. Want me to toss a couple eggs in the pan for you while I’m making my breakfast?” Chance hit the On button on the coffee maker and turned to gather supplies from the fridge.
“Sure. If you had to wake me, you might as well cook for me.” Cody moved into position by the coffeepot, staring at the liquid filling the pot as if willing it to move faster. “You’re annoying on many levels this morning. Cheerful, awake, all that sort of thing.”
Chance broke two eggs into the pan at the same time and grinned as they landed perfectly. “I had a good night.”
Even with that opening, Cody failed to take the bait. Useless until his first cup of coffee, Chance remembered.
“Sit down before you fall down,” he said with amusement.
Cody didn’t argue, which said something about how exhausted he had to be. “Sorry I couldn’t go out with you last night. Next time you come, give me more warning, and I’ll make sure we can hit the town together.”
“Next time I come, I’ll be moving here,” Chance reminded him, resisting the urge to ask if his brother knew Rose. There would be time enough for that later.
Cody folded his arms and frowned as if focusing hard. “You’re really serious about moving to Heart Falls? Not that I don’t want you around—I would enjoy the hell out of it. But this doesn’t seem like the art metropolis you usually gravitate toward.”
“I’m serious. Plus, I think you need to look around at how much your little town is changing,” Chance pointed out. “You might still do a lot of things with a handshake and a nod, but with how close you are to Calgary, and how many people are moving out onto acreages, it’s a different world. You know this. You’re working on a dude ranch that caters to serving visitors.”
“I guess.”
No, Chance had thought this through. “Having a gallery here would make it a destination stop, but more than that, with digital sales booming, setting up in Heart Falls means I get prime real estate without the costs associated with a big city.” He poured his brother a cup of coffee and placed it in front of Cody before prepping his own tea with a shot of milk. “I’ve enjoyed living in Europe and Ireland, but I’d like to return to Canada for good. Plus, for some unknown reason, I’ve missed being close to you.”
“Same, bro. Your damn accent has gone back to what it was when you first moved to Canada. Makes it feel as if you’ve been gone even longer than it was.” Cody took a deep drink of the scalding liquid before shaking his head. “I look forward to having you around. You’re not gonna miss the travel?”
“Nothing says I can’t travel still. But I want to settle, Cody. It’s time.”
Settling had nothing to do with tolerating reduced circumstances and everything to do with grabbing all the good things he’d postponed until now. The roots of a community and owning a home. The full-time companionship of his brother instead of passing moments.
Perhaps even a bold woman in his life to keep him on his toes.
He raised his cup at Cody. “I’ll be here for Canada Day. I can’t wait.”
His brother’s grin widened. “Want to jump into local life from moment one?”
“Of course.”
Cody’s eyes sparked with amusement. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Even though all the warning signs were there of something being up, Chance was too happy with his plans to ask. “Do your worst. I’m ready for anything.”
4
