Page 32 of Once Upon a Summer Night

Chase nodded. “Perfect. If you don’t already have dinner plans, why don’t you two come over tomorrow after you guys finish at the bookstore? Say, maybe, six-ish? I should be home from my shift at OBF by then, and Noah can see his masterpiece hanging on my fridge for himself. We can go to the park around the corner, then come back and hang out while I grill up some burgers.”

“Oh, Noah would love that,” she said.

He tipped his head. “And you?”

It all did sound wonderful…except for the park. Silly or not, she was still nervous about how the town would react to her return. Everything had gone fine at the bookstore yesterday because it’d just been her there. But the more the town saw of her out and about with a son and no father, the more the rumor mill would churn. Though, she supposed if Beth could get used to it back in Lafayette and Kankakee, Hannah could give it a try for herself here, too.

“I’d love that, too.” Unable to help herself, she grinned and added, “But I’ll make sure to keep my distance so there aren’t any more accidents.”

Chase’s groan was interrupted by the fire alarm.

Everything inside her screamed to run and get her gear.

Chase rose and shook his head. “I know you’re itching to get out there, but remember, you’re not here to go on runs. You promised your dad.”

He was right, of course. The department could get into trouble if she went out and got hurt. Even so, this was going to take some getting used to. Hannah gave him a single nod.

“Good,” he said. “And since I know today’s crew has it handled, I’m going to head out and try to catch a little sleep before my shift at OBF.”

“Okay, Chase. Good luck today.”

“Thanks.” He rose and headed for the door.

Hannah turned toward the window that overlooked Main Street, watching until Bourbon Falls’s fire engine number one raced past. Man, she missed the thrill of the run. Unexpected footsteps interrupted her thoughts. She turned to find Chase reentering the room.

“Forget something?” she asked.

“Nope.”

He strode past the tables and chairs full of paper, took her by the arm, and hauled her into his chest. Before she could ask what he was doing, his lips claimed hers in a full, firm kiss.

Hannah froze with surprise. Hadn’t she just spent the past few days convincing herself this very thing would never happen? But while her mind struggled to comprehend what was going on, her body reveled in the touch. Soon she was leaning into the kiss, fingers curling into his shirt. He drew back without warning, darkened pupils locking with hers.

“That, for the record, is what a first, nonaccidental kiss from me feels like.” He released her and headed for the door once more.

Hannah’s jaw dropped. Was he seriously going to get her all revved up and then leave her hanging? That’s when she remembered where they were—and what they most certainly should not be doing.

“If you forget and need another training session,” he said, pausing at the doorway, “just say the word.”

With that, he smirked and disappeared down the hall.

Hannah stood there, waiting for her pulse to come down out of the stratosphere, half worried he might come back for an encore performance and half hoping that he would.

Holy smokes, what a kiss!

No one had ever kissed her like that before. Not even close. That kiss left zero question whether it was intentional or not, which brought up a whole new question:

Why?

Chapter Eight

Chase spent Tuesdaynight the way no bachelor wanted to—cleaning his place from top to bottom. But with Hannah and Noah coming for dinner tomorrow, he wanted to make a good first impression. So, he made the most of his cleaning time—with his tunes cranked and a few cold brews from his stash in the fridge. That night’s musical selection was a mix of reggae that Pandora shuffled just for him. Nothing too heavy, nothing too light, and all working to help pass the time as he scrubbed, vacuumed, and laundered.

He texted her before bed, to ask how dinner with the attorney went. She responded a few minutes later.

Pretty well, we can talk more tomorrow. He thinks I have a chance.

Chase prayed this attorney could make it happen; she and Noah had already been through enough. He texted back that that sounded encouraging but she didn’t respond a second time, leaving him to wonder if she was just busy or avoiding him. Man, he hated texting. Back in the day, they would just show up at one another’s house, no matter the hour. Tempting as it was to drive over and get the scoop tonight in person, he resisted and gave her space.

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