Page 126 of Challenged by the Single Dad

“Thanks.” His cheeks were already ruddy, but they went even pinker as he smiled awkwardly and averted his gaze to the floor.

She grabbed Dex’s raincoat off the coat hook and took them both to the laundry room.

It was disappointing that the hostel was so slow. Apparently, even in the off-season it wasn’t this empty. But Hawke had been hit twice with bad things happening in his hostel in the last few months, and news traveled fast thanks to good ol’ social media and keyboard warriors.

If only there was something she could do to help drum up more business. All her reels, videos, social media posts stating that Joey and Orrin were gone, and even showing that she—the person whose privacy had been violated—was back, and it still didn’t seem to make much of a difference at luring people to the island and the hostel.

At two forty-five—fifteen minutes before her shift was supposed to end—Chloe got a call from Hawke. “I really hate to do this to you, Clo,” he said, the static between their phones from the weather making it almost impossible to hear him. “But is there any chance you can stay later? We’re slammed with emergencies. Trees all over the roads, Keturah Katz’s house wasn’t the only one that got hit by a tree. It’s absolute chaos here. I have no idea when I’ll be done.”

A foreboding sense of dread swirled in Chloe’s belly. Obviously, she wanted to help. And even though she wasn’t about to go lift logs off houses herself, she knew that by staying at the hostel and helping Hawke, she was in turn helping those on the island who needed it.

“Can I just call Logan and see if he’ll cover for me?” she asked, even though all she really wanted to do was get back to the McEvoy property where it was safe. Where Dom, Silas, and the rest of them were. She didn’t go home after yoga because she didn’t want to face him. Now, all she wanted to do was see him. To touch him. To have him wrap his arms around her and tell her that she was safe, the baby was safe, and everything was going to work out.

Even if it didn’t end up being true, she needed to hear it.

But she had to stop thinking about just herself. Dom was fine. She was fine. They were safe and dry. Which wasn’t the case for everyone.

Hawke grunted. “Yeah … sure.” Then the line went dead.

Did it godeador did he just hang up?

“Hello? Hawke?”

Weird.

She quickly dialed Logan, and luckily, he picked up after three rings. “Hey, Chloe.”

“Logan, Hawke’s asked if I could stay at the hostel. He’s in crisis-mode running from one emergency on the island to another. Are you able to cover my shift for me? Maybe Renée can help?”

“Yeah, sure. No problem. I got your back.”

The relief she expected to feel at his willingness to help wasn’t nearly as alleviating as she hoped. She still just wanted to get home.

Home.

It was still such a strange feeling to have a home again. And have a man and a child—a little boy—living in that home with her.

It didn’t feel like home yet, but she really hoped it would soon.

Maybe the reason it didn’t, and she was so reluctant to have any faith or optimism about the future was because having a family, with a partner and a child—or children—wasn’t something she thought she’d ever be okay with again. It wasn’t something she thought she’d everhaveagain. And yet, she did.

And now, she wanted nothing more than to be with them.

Swallowing down the need to just bail on Hawke and selfishly return home to Dom and Silas, she thanked Logan. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course. Drive safe when you do finally get back to the property. Don’t be a hero.” Then they said goodbye and she leaned back into her comfortable office chair, called Hawke, and let him know she could cover.

He was relieved, but was obviously in the middle of an emergency because after he said “thanks,” he hung up.

Great. Here she thought she had just one more hour left, and now she was going to be in this boring, exceptionally clean place indefinitely.

Even though Hawke had no issues with Chloe watching movies or reading while sitting at the desk, she didn’t particularly like it. It felt wrong, and like time theft. Sure, she did it, but only after she’d done absolutely everything humanly possible around the place first.

It was four o’clock when Dex, Azzy, and Kit came bounding down the stairs, all of them in dry clothes and with smiles on their faces.

“Do you know when Hawke is comin’ back?” Kit asked.

“He’s dealing with a bunch of emergencies on the island. So you’re stuck with me for a while,” Chloe said, taking a sip of the lemon-ginger tea that she brewed for herself. It was only lukewarm now and she’d left the tea bag in too long. It was way too strong.

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