Page 35 of Open Arms

“Okay, here goes nothing.” Chloe bit her lip, concentrating. She threw the ring, and it looped gracefully onto one of the bottles. “Oh! Did you see that?”

“Beginner’s luck,” I quipped, but damn if I wasn’t impressed.

“Try again!” Abby insisted, her wide eyes fixed on Chloe.

“Again?” Chloe laughed, but there was warmth in her voice. “Well, since you asked so nicely . . .”

She tossed another ring. Another hit. And then another. Abby’s cheers grew louder with each successful throw, and Chloe’s laughter rang out, genuine and bright. I couldn’t help but join in, the sound of their joy like a sweet melody against the backdrop of the Fall Festival.

“Seems you’re a natural,” I said to Chloe, shaking my head in mock disbelief.

“Who knew?” Her smile reached her eyes this time, and something in my chest tightened. This woman was full of surprises.

“Okay, Daddy, your turn!” Abby handed me a green ring, her expectation clear.

“Here’s to hoping some of that luck rubbed off on me.” I took aim, letting the ring fly. It landed snug around a bottle, and Abby jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

“Yay, Daddy!”

“Looks like we’re all winners tonight,” I said, feeling a connection to Chloe that seemed to stretch beyond the casual jests and shared smiles. There was something about her, something that made me want to keep her smiling like that—carefree and happy—for tonight, yeah. But every night, too.

As the laughter from the ring toss game began to fade, I watched Chloe’s shoulders relax further when Sutton and Caroline ambled over, their smiles as wide as the Montana sky.

“Chloe, we heard you’ve been settling into Sunshine Acres,” Sutton said, leaning against the wooden railing of the booth, her cowgirl hat tipping forward.

“Yep, it’s been quite the change,” she replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“It’s a lot quieter than city life, huh?” Caroline chimed in, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “No sirens or traffic keeping you up at night.”

“Definitely quieter,” Chloe laughed, “but I’m getting used to the sounds of nature. Crickets are my new lullaby.”

“Wait till winter,” Sutton teased. “The snow makes everything so silent, you can hear your own heartbeat.”

“Sounds . . . peaceful,” Chloe said, her voice dropping to a soft tone that made me want to lean in closer.

Watching her engage with the others, a sense of pride bloomed within me. She was finding her place here, in Whittier Falls, among people who cared.

“Come on, Daddy! Let’s go to the Ferris wheel!” Abby grabbed both our hands, her excitement catching like wildfire.

“Lead the way, jellybean,” I said, allowing myself to be pulled through the festival crowd.

“Abby, you’re going to wear us out with all these rides,” Chloe teased, but her eyes were bright with amusement.

“Isn’t that the point?” Abby responded, her grin infectious.

“Guess we better buckle up then,” I said, and I meant it in more ways than one.

The Ferris wheel lifted us high above the fairground, and as Abby pointed out the tiny figures below, I couldn’t help but notice how Chloe’s hand brushed mine. Accidental? Maybe. But when it happened again, I wasn’t so sure.

“Look, Daddy! We can see the whole town from up here!” Abby exclaimed, her face pressed against the safety bar.

“Sure can, Abs,” I replied, though my gaze drifted to Chloe, who was looking out at the horizon.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she murmured.

“Very,” I said, but I wasn’t looking at the view.

Our eyes met, and something passed between us—a current,electric and undeniable. I wanted to reach out, to touch her, but the ride jolted, reminding me where we were, who we were with.

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