Page 65 of Once Upon a Summer Night

Instead, a single tear slipped from her eye. This was her best friend, and she never wanted to hurt him. Yet here she was, about to do exactly that.

Please forgive me, Chase. I just can’t be who you need me to be here.

*

Chase paused loadingshrubs onto a trailer at Oak Barrel Farms to read Hannah’s response. A gust of cooler air blew through the alcove of trees around him as a rock formed in the pit of his stomach. Whatever she wanted to talk about, he knew it wasn’t good.

She’s leaving again.

No, he refused to believe that. Maybe there was just more drama at the farm, or a setback with her adoption. Lord, he hoped that wasn’t it, for her and Noah’s sake.

Hoped she wasn’t leaving for his sake.

Another gust of wind kicked up, bringing with it a heavier rain than the drizzle they’d had throughout the morning. He tucked his phone away and finished loading the trailer. Staring at his phone wouldn’t pass the work day any faster or clue him in as to what this talk would be about; only time would tell him that.

Unfortunately, with the rain and wind picking up, today’s deliveries got pushed back a day…which meant he had less work to do and more free time to think. And worry. By the time Del left, a decent storm was moving in. Chase moved the lighter, potted plants on the old cabin’s front porch into safer places, then went inside to wait the storm out. At six, he unplugged their little neonOPENsign and turned off half the interior lights.

At 6:15 p.m., Hannah’s Jeep pulled up out front.

She hurried from her vehicle to the covered porch, where Chase had the front door open and waiting.

“Thanks,” she said with a small smile as she stepped inside.

The smile offered Chase a smidgeon of hope that he’d jumped to conclusions. The awkward silence that followed quickly extinguished it.

“All go okay at the station today?” he asked.

“Yeah, pretty slow, really. No accidents, no fires. Well, none the rain couldn’t handle apparently.”

They shared a chuckle, then the quiet descended upon them once more. Hannah scanned the shop’s interior, her gaze landing on Del’s growing collection of Tillandsias—air plants. She walked over to get a closer look at the largest one.

“I have one of these back home. Beth got it for me when I became a firefighter, to go in my room at the station. Said I needed a touch of home there. When I asked why an air plant, she said because it didn’t follow the norm, it was different. Unique. Just like me.”

She offered Chase another small smile, and that rock in the pit of his stomach grew.

“Most times, I’m perfectly comfortable, being different. Doing things my way, on my time. Sometimes, though, I wish there was a way to fix me. To make me more normal, so the things I did made more sense to everyone else. Made more sense to me.”

“You don’t need to be fixed, Han.”

She shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Aunt Faye used to say being different made me special. All I really know is my differentness isn’t always a blessing. Sometimes, it feels more like a curse. Especially when I end up hurting people I never intended to hurt.”

Oh, God. Please, no. Don’t do this.

She looked to the front window, watching as rain pelted the porch railing outside. “This isn’t going to work, Chase.”

“What isn’t going to work?” he asked softly.

“Us. You and me, dating. I tried; I really did. And Lord knows I wanted it to work. But it can’t. We were meant to be friends, the best of friends, but that’s as far as it can go.”

“Bullshit.” Her brows rose at his outburst. “We’re perfect together and you know that.”

She offered him a sad smile. “I wish we were.”

Chase dragged a hand through his hair. What the hell was she talking about? Of course, they were perfect together. As friends, as lovers, hell, even as co-parents.

“What happened in Kankakee, Han?”

“Nothing.”

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