Page 82 of Someone to Hold
“Ian and Eric and Iris’s fiancé, Jake, are all nice, but it isn’t the same as how you are with him.”
“It’s not hard to be nice to you and your kids.”
At the reminder of how little I expect from everyone in my life, I once again feel foolish. It isn’t hard to be nice, but it’s also easy to let people walk all over you when you feel you don’t deserve anything more.
“We’re almost finished, and I need to get cleaned up before the guests arrive.”
He grabs my hand for a moment before releasing it. Almost reluctantly, like he wants to keep holding on. Lord help me, I want him to.
“Ilikebeing nice to you and Luke and Laurel,” he says, moving his hand to Gumdrop’s soft neck. “Andnotbecause I’m paying off a debt. You understand this is…”
It’s what, I want to ask when he trails off. I want to ask if it’s the same for him as it is for me. This connection is something more than temporary or convenient. It feels real. It feels special.
But before he finds the words, Sadie calls for me from across the barn.
“Molly, can you make sure we’ve got the tables at the entrance set up the way you want them?”
“You bet,” I answer over my shoulder, then turn back to Chase. “Thanks again.” I hope he knows how much more I want to say.
“I’ll be here if you need anything,” he answers quietly.
Because it’s my default programming, I shake my head. “You don’t have to?—”
He holds up a hand. “I’ll be here, Molly.”
Emotion clogs my throat. “Thank you,” I whisper.
My friends and the guys are finishing up stringing lights along the edge of the white tent the rental company set up behind the barn. The flower fields are a sea of color on either side, with early wildflowers blooming in shades of pink, purple andorange. We arranged the tables in a crescent shape that follows the natural curve of the hills beyond the farm, covering them with white tablecloths and setting up folding chairs. Mason jars with the bouquets I carefully arranged sit at the center of each table. It looks elegant without being too fancy, and is everything I imagined.
“Is there more you need?” Taylor asks as the book club members gather around me.
I’m overwhelmed by how they’ve rallied around me today, transforming my anxiety into something that feels almost manageable.
“I think things are under control, and Chase will be here if I need anything. The catering company should arrive shortly, so I’ll have plenty of hands on deck.”
“Chase is different than I thought he’d be,” Sloane says. “Gentler than I expected from a bull rider. Maybe falling for Molly?—”
“No.” I hold up a hand. “We’re not talking like that.”
Avah snorts. “You can’t deny how he looks at you.”
“I don’t want to talk about that either.”
“Honey, part of living life on your terms is also living your love life on your terms,” Sloane says.
“I know, but it’s different for me. I have kids I need to think about.”
“I just watched him with your son,” Piper says, then makes a show of fanning herself. “It was disturbingly hot. I didn’t even know that maternal kink was a thing.”
I know she’s teasing, but the moment between Chase and Luke feels too precious to be turned into something casual. “It wasn’t any kind of kink,” I answer.
“You know what I mean.”
“Weallknow what you mean.” Sadie wraps an arm around Piper’s shoulders.
“We love you, Piper,” Avah adds, “but have you ever heard of the phrase ‘say less’?”
All of us grin at that, then Taylor reaches for my hand. “Don’t rule out a future because it didn’t start the way you thought it should,” she says. “Not all happy endings are straightforward, but a curved path can get you there just the same.”
