Page 15 of Single Chance

Chapter Six

Chance

What a fucking day.

By the time my meeting at Henry’s Restaurant with Seth Henry and Kennedy Clayborne, the woman who handled the restaurant’s social media, was over, it was going on six p.m., and Rowan had left the brewery for the day.

Rowan. Our newest employee.

What were the chances the one hookup I’d had in more than two years turned out to be Rusty Anchor’s new hire? She was one of only eight people who worked here, including myself. There’d be no avoiding frequent, close contact with Rowan Andrews.

Compounding the problem was that, when she’d walked into my office this morning, I’d been just as attracted to her then as when I’d laid eyes on her New Year’s Eve. I could deny it all I wanted, but our night together hadn’t cooled the fire or gotten a damn thing out of my system.

I’d been shocked when she’d suddenly been standing in my office, and then what had I done?

Acted like I’d never seen her before.

Talk about a douchebag move.

It hadn’t been a conscious decision so much as a reaction. A guilty reaction, probably, though what did I have to feel guilty about? Our night together—okay, ourfew hourstogether—had been mutual, consensual, and pretty fucking amazing.

Sure, and then I ran away when I thought Sam was causing trouble.

Which was legit, but in hindsight, it probably hadn’t won me any points with Rowan.

Now that we were coworkers, I’d prefer if she didn’t have a bad opinion of me.

I made my way from Henry’s to the brewery to shut down for the day and grab my coat. The weather had turned nasty over the past few hours, with a freezing rain coming down. That wasn’t enough to prevent me from heading out to the Honeysuckle Inn. I owed Rowan an apology.

Back in my office, I slid my laptop into my bag, put my coat on, and headed out, saluting Kemp in the brewhouse as I went by.

Before taking off toward the inn, I checked my daughter’s location yet again. On the one hand, I didn’t like monitoring her so closely. On the other, more times than not, I discovered her not where she was supposed to be.

This time she was still in the right place, at our house. I had no way of knowing whether she was breaking any of our rules by having friends over when I wasn’t home, but for now I had to give her the benefit of the doubt. There was a fine line between micromanaging a teenager and developing a mutual trust that could still somehow keep her safe. I had yet to master where the fuck that line was, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

Only when I’d parked in the inn’s lot did I stop to wonder how a surprise visit to Rowan would go over. I didn’t have other options though. I’d had every intention to get her alone for a fewminutes at work, but she’d been shadowing Chloe every time I’d seen her in between my meetings and phone calls.

I didn’t have her phone number, so I didn’t know any other way to initiate a private conversation.

Without further waffling, I got out of my SUV, put my head down against the driving wind and sleet, and headed inside. I spared the guy at the front desk a quick glance and a friendly smile, relieved it wasn’t Ava or Anna, both of whom I knew well. They’d want to know what I was doing here. I preferred to keep my ties to Rowan private. It was nobody’s business but ours.

Outside her door, I paused, preparing myself to see her again. Then I knocked.

There was a peephole, and I could hear her using it, so when she opened the door, I was momentarily relieved.

“Hi,” I said. I offered a smile, part conciliatory and part an involuntary reaction to seeing her again.

“Chance,” she greeted, not smiling. “What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t know how else to contact you. I wanted to clear some things up. Can I come in?”

She glanced both ways, as if she too had thoughts of keeping our connection private. There was no one else in the hall.

Rowan opened the door farther and let me in. I took in the room for the first time with the lights on. It was a pretty average hotel room with an armchair, a desk, a TV on a long cabinet with drawers and a minifridge, and the bed. Just a glance at the bed had my memories flaring and my body going hot.

I did my best to shove those thoughts aside.

It appeared she’d been sitting on top of the made bed, reading a book, and eating a sandwich.

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