Page 86 of Single Chance

Okay then. If she was okay with this, then so was I. So fucking okay.

Now that we weren’t trying to hide her pregnancy, my guard was down. My body was confused. Or maybe my brain was,because actually, my body had a damn good idea of what it craved: the woman in my arms.

We remained entwined like that, with me more focused on Rowan than the music—her scent, the sway of her sexy hips to the beat, the way her body felt up against mine, as if it belonged there.

By about four songs in, I was hard as stone. I was sure Rowan could feel it. As she pressed even closer to me, she wove our fingers together. I took it as a good sign that she was as lost in the moment as I was.

Everly played for an hour. In the middle of her last song for the night, I leaned down to Rowan’s ear.

“Are you ready to get out of here?” I asked her.

She met my gaze briefly, a sparkle in her eyes, and nodded.

With a wave toward Chloe, Holden, Ben, and Emerson, we headed through the throng of people toward the door, her hand in mine. I was so hard it hurt to walk.

When we got outside, I breathed in the brisk night air and tried to shake off the spell I’d been under from having my hands on Rowan for the past hour.

As we made our way down the sidewalk, she wove her arm through mine and held on.

“That was the coolest thing ever,” she said. “Thank you, Chance.”

“I thought you’d enjoy it. I did too. Her new songs are different. Better. Deeper.”

“I read that one of the reasons she went indie was to write and sing what she wants. I still love her old stuff too, but I’d agree her new songs are even better.”

We turned onto Main, which was llamaless and a lot less populated now that the bakery had closed and the diner was closing soon. As we walked by the yarn shop, Rowan slowed and peered in the display windows.

“Looking for your next project already?” I asked.

She scoffed. “I’ll be lucky to get through one blanket before I’m fifty.”

When she and Sam had come home from their knitting lesson last Sunday, my daughter had been bubbling over with enthusiasm for the scarf she’d started. Rowan had cracked jokes at her own expense, claiming she didn’t apparently have the knitting gene. But she’d sung high praises to Loretta’s patience and had sworn she was determined to finish her baby blanket.

“Our baby might need that blanket for his or her baby by then,” I joked.

“I was looking for Purl, but surely Loretta takes the cat home at night?”

“I’ve seen photos on the Tattler. She has a modified baby buggy and wheels the cat the half block to her home each night.”

Rowan laughed and snuggled closer to me.

When we reached my SUV, I helped her into the passenger side. I was reluctant to let go of her because I didn’t know where the evening was heading, and I wasn’t ready for it to be over. She seemed as into our connection as I was. We’d had multiple conversations about friends only, yet here we were, crossing lines.

Not only was my dating game fifteen years outdated, but our situation was unique. On top of all the gray areas in our “relationship” was the fact that Rowan was pregnant. Was it wrong to want to take your baby mama to bed?

As I went around to my side of the vehicle, the only thing I was sure about was that I didn’t want our evening together to end yet.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rowan

By the time we pulled into the garage, my body was screaming for Chance’s. I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with pregnancy hormones and everything to do with feeling his body against me for the past hour. His solid,hardbody.

It went beyond knowing he was turned on…so far beyond that. I was beginning to suspect that, approximately three months ago when I’d landed somewhat randomly in Dragonfly Lake, decided on a whim to go to a New Year’s Eve party, and said yes to the handsome stranger who’d asked me to dance, the universe had thrown me right in the path of the man who might be perfect for me.

We climbed out of the SUV without speaking, both of us apparently lost in our thoughts. Between Everly’s music that resonated in my heart and Chance’s closeness, I was buzzing with contentment.

When I’d moved into his house, I’d planned to stay in my room most of the time, out of the way. I’d never intended tospend a lot of time with him or get to know him better. He’d been welcoming from the start though, including me in everything.

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