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“I love summertime,” I murmur before I open my eyes and take another bite. “I used to live for it. Every year, I got to come here to Bitterroot Valley and spend a couple of months with Aunt Paula, help her in the shop, and run around her property. I still say that summer here in Bitterroot Valley is the absolute best, but now I can’t help but wonder why she would agree to let me come stay with her every year.”
“Why do you say that?” he asks.
“Because now I know how busy she was. It’s the craziest time of year for the business, yet she never said no to having me underfoot for several months at a time.”
“She probably enjoyed it as much as you did.”
“I think so, too, but she must have been swamped.”
“What did your parents do while you were here for the summer?”
I clear my throat and shrug a shoulder. “The same thing they did when I was home. My parents are in politics, so they traveled a lot. It felt like they were constantly campaigning and running off somewhere. When Dad was in DC, Mom would go with him. I swear, they’re attached at the hip. He’s retired now, but they still like to schmooze with the who’s who of politics. They weren’t thrilled that I didn’t follow in their footsteps.”
“They wanted you to?”
“Of course. I was supposed to be the first woman governor of Montana. But I did not want to go to law school, and the political life didn’t interest me. They supported me through college, but once I’d graduated, I told them to stop sending money. I just wanted to be separate from them, in every way.”
“That’s a very different family life than what I grew up with,” he considers and watches and someone jaywalk across the street.
“Is that really illegal?” I shield my eyes from the sun with my hand.
“Yep,” he says with a sigh. “Walking outside of a designated crosswalk is a violation, and I can write a ticket for it.”
“Do you?”
“Not often,” he says with a shrug. “I don’t have time. But I have in the past, and I likely will again. Usually when it’s dangerous and the jaywalker is being stupid.”
“Makes sense.” I nod and can’t help but smile, remembering all the times I’ve done it myself. “I have to confess, I’m guilty of jaywalking.”
“I’ll cuff you and take you in.”
The idea of Chase cuffing me makes my mouth go dry, and I can’t help but look over at his mouth. It’s full and sexy, and he’s likely good at using it.
“For the first time in my life, I wish I could read minds.”
That pulls me right out of my reverie, and I laugh nervously. “And I’m glad that you can’t. Thank you for lunch. It was really nice of you.”
“I feel bad that I ate half of it.”
“Don’t. I offered.” I smile over at him, and he reaches out and tucks my hair behind my ear.
“I think we should hang out sometime, Blondie.”
“You do? Also, did you just call me Blondie?”
“It suits you.” His lips twitch with humor. “And yes, I do. What do you say? I mean, we’re friends, right? And friends hang out together.”
As friends. Well, that’s disappointing, but I nod slowly. “Sure. They do. That would be fun. How are things going out at the ranch for the wedding?”
“It’s busy out there,” he says. “In fact, I’ll be headed there in a little while when I get off work. I’m building the arbor, bar, and a few other things for Erin, and I spend my days off out at the ranch, working on those projects.”
“I didn’t know that you built stuff.”
“It’s a hobby.” He lifts a shoulder. “It takes my mind off things.”
“That’s how I feel when I’m designing flowers,” I agree. “I can just zone out. It’s my favorite part of the business.”
“Not all the taxes and math?”
