Page 61 of Once Upon a Summer Night

“Hi, Hannah. This is Nicki Lancaster with the Kankakee human resources department. I apologize for the delay in contacting you, but apparently, we had an incorrect digit for your phone number in our system. I’m calling to let you know the fire chief and his team completed reviewing the applications that came in for the new safety inspection and training manager position, and they would like you to come in for an interview. If you’re still interested, please give me a call at your earliest convenience at five, five, five…”

Hannah dropped onto Mia’s front porch swing, stunned. So, shehadn’tbeen overlooked for her dream job? Did that mean she had a chance at actually getting it?

As her gaze scanned Mia’s quiet street, a bigger question now coming to mind:

Could she really walk away from Bourbon Falls again to chase it?

Chapter Eighteen

Hannah helped Miamake breakfast that morning, body moving but mind stuck in a fog. Why? Why had HR called just as she was beginning to accept that moving home was the right thing to do? When she’d finally started to open her heart and mind to the possibilities that awaited with Chase?

And why was the damn universe making it impossible to have both?

Rather than ask anyone for advice, she kept the dilemma bottled up. Because of course everyone here would advise her to stay and choose Chase, and Mick and the others back in Illinois would encourage her to pursue the career she loved in a town she’d grown to call home. If only she could find a way to take Chase with her that wouldn’t destroy he and Del’s landscaping business or piss off her entire family.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. Which meant she was back to choosing either or.

Dammit.

Her father didn’t help make the decision any easier when they got back to the farm, either. She and Noah were barely in the door before he started harping on her about some worksheet Bradley had sent over the night before that needed to be completed ASAP. When she countered that she’d received the same email, and Bradley had actually put a due date of midweek on it, he pushed back.

“Now is not the time to start procrastinating, Hannah. We need to stay vigilant if we’re going to win this case.”

“What case?” Noah asked as he climbed up to the kitchen table to receive the milk and cookies Aunt Faye had offered.

Hannah shot her father a warning look. “It’s something for work, honey. Nothing that needs to be talked about right now.”

“Talked about, no. Worked on, yes,” her father murmured.

Hannah planted a hand on her hip. “You know what, Dad? If you want it filled out so badly, then have at it.”

“Hannah, Stephen.” Aunt Faye’s soft warning fell on deaf ears.

“If it wasn’t a questionnaire that was all about you, I would. Butsomeonekept me in the dark for the past eight years.”

She threw her hands up. “And, gee, I can’t imagine why!”

“Please don’t fight,” said Noah.

Hannah looked to her boy, worry on his brow and a cookie paused mid-dunk. Guilt rattled her from head to toe. This wasn’t how she wanted to be remembered. Though it took all she had, Hannah stepped to her father’s side and put an arm around his shoulders. “Oh, honey, we’re not fighting. This is just how your grandpa and I talk through things sometimes.”

“That’s right.” Her father put an arm around her and forced a smile as well. “The Brooks family just gets loud when we get excited.”

“Okay.” On a wary look, Noah resumed his cookie dunking. “Maybe you guys should have a cookie, too. Aunt Faye says hers make everything better.”

Once upon a time, Hannah had believed that, too. Today, the cookie did nothing to ease her growing anxiety, especially not after she sat down to look over the questionnaire. Good Lord, there must have been a hundred questions on there, half of which she was going to need to dig out her paystubs and past tax returns to complete. It seemed a trip back to Kankakee was coming sooner rather than later.

Sooner would mean I could do my interview in person…

Only, she still couldn’t decide if that was a good idea or not. Because if they did offer her the job, Hannah didn’t think she’d be able to turn it down. It would crush her to be offered her dream job and not take it. And if she did take it, everyone else was sure to be mad at her.

So, she stayed mum on the topic all weekend, choosing instead to plug away on the parts of Bradley’s questionnaire that she could complete—in an attempt to minimize her father’s subtle, continued nagging—and soak up as much time with Noah and Chase as she could. Anymore, she wasn’t sure just how much time she had left with either of them.

And yes, she left the Jeep in the garage all weekend. Chase did the driving for their Sunday trip to Frosty Falls, and they all wore shades and ballcaps to go incognito. The Wiggmans’ private investigator drove up and down Main Street a few times while they were there, then disappeared. Hopefully, he’d give up soon altogether. And though it was an annoyance, having to sneak around to avoid the paparazzi, they still had a wonderful time out.

Heck, did they ever not have a great time when Chase was around?

See? This is why we need to stay.

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