Page 1 of Wanting You

Chapter One

Chloe: Hey! Do you want to meet up for lunch?

Ash: Oh, damn. Sorry! I can’t.

Ash: Wait…I thought you were seeing Evan this weekend?

Chloe: Um…long story. But that’s over.

Ash: WHAT? When? Why didn’t you tell me sooner???

Ash: Reid surprised me with a weekend away, but we can totally turn around and come home if you need me!

Sighing with disappointment, Chloe Donovan stared down at her phone.

Chloe: No worries! I’m fine. I promise. Have fun!

Ash: Thanks! I’ll call you Monday!

She was about to put her phone down when she decided to reach out to her older sister and see if she was available.

Chloe: Hey! Do you want to meet up for lunch?

Billie: Hey! Thought you were seeing Evan this weekend?

Damn. She really did tell her sisters pretty much everything about her life.

Chloe: We decided to end things. And before you ask, I’m fine. Really. It’s all good.

Billie: Damn. I’m sorry.

Chloe: I’ll tell you all about it over lunch.

Billie: I’m sorry, I wish I could. I’m on my way to Richmond to look at some new baking equipment for the coffee shop

Chloe: Oh, no problem! Good luck! Maybe I’ll see if Jade is available…

Billie: She’s with me. Levi and Silas are having a boys’ day

Billie: Isn’t that sweet?

Billie: Did you ever imagine our brother being a dad and doing stuff like that?

Another sigh was out before she could stop it because…well, yeah, it was sweet, and she was totally happy for her brother, but it also made her sad. Everyone was busy having a life and she…wasn’t. Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it seemed like her siblings were all involved with great people or had jobs they were passionate about or were doing things that had them moving forward in life while she was just standing still.

“As usual,” she murmured before putting her phone down.

A few weeks ago, she thought she was going to be just like them—at least the part about being in a serious relationship. She had been dating Evan King casually for a couple of months and that had just ended—not that she was surprised. Evan was a super successful lawyer from a very wealthy family. He was worldly and handsome, and ultimately they had nothing in common. Still, it was flattering that he’d been interested in her at all, but now that was over and while she wasn’t surprised, she was bummed. Outside, it was a beautiful summer day and all she wanted to do was go outside, walk around, and simply enjoy it.

She just didn’t want to do it alone.

The plan had been to go on a picnic with Evan before going up to the ski resort, Summit Ridge, for dinner. Now she had zero plans and it sucked.

School was starting again in a few weeks, and Chloe had really been looking forward to enjoying the rest of her summer vacation with Evan.

The sigh was out before she could stop it. It wouldn’t be hard to fill her time if she really tried. There was always so much to do before the school year started. And this year, that was really true. With all the growth happening in Sweetbriar Ridge, the elementary school was expanding. Mobile classrooms had been set up on campus for grades four and five, and an additional class was being added for each grade because of the influx of residents. She’d been teaching kindergarten for three years and had been the only kindergarten teacher for that entire time. Now there was going to be a second kindergarten class, which meant a new teacher—a new partner—and she was excited about all the possibilities.

She’d met Kimberly Fairmont on a Zoom call and they had a lot in common. They had already started talking about joint projects and new curriculums, and Chloe actually found herself looking forward to going back to work.

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