Page 14 of Once Upon a Summer Night

“Me, too.”

“I’d still love to hear the rest of the story,” he said, his gaze finding hers. “If you’re willing to share it with me. You know, for old time’s sake.”

Hope blossomed in her chest. For a moment there, she’d worried that their friendship had taken an insurmountable hit. But this was Chase, their bond able to stand the test of time. A good thing, as she could really use some caring souls to lean on right now. And who knew? Maybe he’d have ideas on how she could see Noah’s adoption through as well.

“How much time you got?”

Grinning, Chase stretched his legs out once again and hitched a thumb toward the quiet town below. “I’ve got until the alarm goes off or the sun comes up, whichever comes first.”

Chapter Four

Chase sat inhis lawn chair, wishing he’d thought to bring a blanket up with him. He’d much rather have stretched out beside Hannah on it and stared up at the stars like they had so many times as kids, holding hands to help the other heal from whatever hurt they’d faced that day. With her, it was usually something the chief had scolded her about. With him, it’d likely been something inflicted by his drunken father or abusive stepmom. No matter the hurt, Hannah’s presence and touch always had the power to wash it all away, if only for a while.

Though he’d been nearly nineteen when she’d skipped town, that didn’t mean he hadn’t missed her soothing touch. Then again, her leaving had forced him to find alternate ways to deal with the trauma: therapy, meditation, even yoga. He’d thought they worked just as well, but their last hug proved otherwise. Now, with her lilac fragrance mingling in the air around them, he was jonesing for another.

And he hadn’t just asked her to share the rest of her runaway story out of curiosity. No, his other reason for asking was twofold: one, he selfishly didn’t want his time with her to end, and two, he wanted to know if there was someone waiting for her back in Kankakee. Because that would guide how he acted around her going forward.

“We drove that night as far as her tank of gas would take us,” Hannah said, continuing her story, “which turned out to be Lafayette, Indiana, just like you’d suggested. Being next to a college town, we quickly blended in with everyone else. Beth had a little money saved up, so we found a tiny apartment and went about starting a new life. She got a job at a call center, me as a waitress. Which, by the way, sucked.” Hannah laughed. “But we made it work, and by the time little Noah arrived, life was starting to smooth out. We worked alternate shifts so one of us could always be with Noah, and everyone soon settled into a routine. No parents, no drama—it was kinda nice. When I turned twenty-one, I saw a call for fire department applications in Kankakee, Illinois. Beth knew I hated my job—retail clothing, at that time—so we headed farther west. Took me two tries on the physical test, but I was determined to pass. Like you, once I got in, I was hooked.”

“Plus, there were lots of hot guys.” At her confused look, he spread his arms wide. “Uh, hello? All firemen are hot at least some of the time. Some of us just get to look this good all of the time.”

Hannah laughed. “You’re a dork, you know that?”

“A hot dork, am I right?” He waggled his brows.

“An overgrown dork. Plus, if you saw the guys at my station?” She grimaced. “Let’s just say, neither Beth nor I dated any firemen.” She paused to think. “I dated a cop for a while, though.”

“Gah.” He clutched his chest. “A cop? Seriously? Every good firefighter knows—”

“Oh, trust me, I get it now.” She raised her hands in defeat. “I definitely get it.”

“Eh, don’t feel too bad. I tested the waters, too.”

“You don’t say?” Curiosity lit her eyes.

“Yep. Dated a deputy for about nine months, actually. Thought things were going well until she took my Valentine candy and hit the road last spring.”

Hannah frowned. “Well, that sucks.”

“I know,” Chase said. “That was my favorite kind of chocolate!”

He met Hannah’s gaze, and they both burst out laughing.

“I’ve missed you, ya big dork,” she said, giving him a fake punch to the arm.

“Missed you, too, angel.” God, he really had. And still no mention of a boyfriend back in Illinois, which let that flicker of hope remain in his chest. “So, back to the story?”

“Oh, right. But you have to go next—it’s not fair if I’m the only one on the hotseat tonight.”

“We’ll see,” he said. “I’m sure your story is far more interesting than mine.”

“Bet yours has a happier ending, though.”

At Hannah’s softer tone, Chase took her hand. Just like the old days, her fingers interlaced with his.

“Noah was almost four when Beth first started having strange bloating issues. At first, we just laughed it off, blaming hormones or spicy Mexican food. But when they didn’t go away, she sought help. Long story short, it was an aggressive form of ovarian cancer. Apparently, her great-aunt had had it, too. They rushed her into surgery, trying to get as much of it as they could see, then followed with two rounds of chemo. The first seemed to help; the second didn’t touch it. After that, she stopped with the treatments, wanting to enjoy as much of her time left as she could.”

Chase brushed his thumb across the back of her hand, hating that he hadn’t been there for them, and still struggling to picture a world that didn’t include Beth. “I’m so sorry, Hannah.”

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