Page 10 of Single Chance

Did I want more of this someday? Most days I couldn’t even think about it, but now, with this woman curled up against me, I could admit that, yes, someday I hoped to find love again. A partner. Someday later, when Sam was an adult.

Thoughts of my daughter awakened old habits, and I loosened my hold on Rowan enough to roll to my back and pick up my phone. Just to make sure Sam was still at Lacey’s.

I opened the app that showed me where her phone was, expecting the symbol to still be on Oriole Street.

Fuck.

My daughter’s phone was at home, which meantshewas at home.

I needed to get there right fucking now, not only to set a good example for her—yeah, that ship might’ve sailed about an hour ago—but to make sure she was okay…and alone.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I studied Rowan’s pretty face, considering my next move. I could wake her, but I suspected she’d been through a hell storm recently. She was here at the inn to escape. She didn’t have a clue I had a teenage daughter. There was no reason for her to know that. No reason to wake her with my problems. After tonight, she’d be out of my life.

When I was certain she was still asleep, I slipped out of bed, dressed as quietly and quickly as possible, and crept out of her room.

Chapter Four

Rowan

On my second full day in Dragonfly Lake, I emerged from my room a few minutes before I needed to leave for my meeting with Chloe Henry.

Yesterday I’d discovered the complementary muffins served in the inn’s common area were worth getting up for.

As I walked down the hall toward the lobby, the sweet aroma of baked goods hit my nose. A girl could easily get spoiled with fresh-baked breakfast every day.

“Don’t get too used to it,” I muttered under my breath.

My funds were severely limited. If I thought too hard about my financial situation, I could bring on a good panic attack. I was getting a slight discount on my room at the inn by paying for a full week, but the truth was, I didn’t know how many weeks I could stay here. I was on the brink of having to sleep in my car.

Once I’d quit my teaching job because my grandmother was no longer safe by herself, the two of us had ended up living on her social security income alone. There hadn’t been much left after paying the rent on her two-bedroom house.

All I had left to my name were my car, my few belongings, and the proceeds of selling everything she’d owned. She’d sold her car a few years ago. The furniture and decor items hadn’t netted much, but between jewelry my grandfather had given her over the years and his treasured vintage motorcycle that had still sat, unused for years, in the garage, I had a few thousand dollars to live on until I could secure a paycheck. It’d killed me a little to have to give up all but one piece of her jewelry, but I couldn’t let sentiment win over practicality.

Please let Chloe Henry be an answer to my immediate money problems.

“Good morning,” I said to Sadie, the girl behind the check-in desk who I’d met yesterday. I flashed her an attempt at a smile.

“Good morning, Rowan. Today’s muffin offerings are blueberry and chocolate chip.”

“Oh, hard choice,” I said.

“You can always get one of each.”

I laughed, feeling myself lighten up a little. “It’s good to have options.”

“Enjoy,” she said as I went into the adjoining room, which was like a giant, homey living room with a big stone fireplace, several large, comfortable sofas and armchairs, and a wall of windows with a view of the wintery but beautiful lake.

Next to the living room was a dining area with a scattering of tables. There was a kitchen attached to it, with a serving counter. That’s where the muffins were lined up, alongside a coffeemaker and hot tea setup.

I grabbed a chocolate chip muffin and a cup of coffee. I mixed in a packet of sweetener, then took my breakfast with me, back through the small lobby toward the door to the parking lot.

“Have a good morning,” Sadie said as I went by.

“Thanks. You too.”

If Chloe could offer me a job on the spot, I’d consider it a damn good morning.

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