Page 81 of One Wild Chance

“Just thought you’d want to know.”

Summer probably said yes to a date with Blaine. She’s stubborn enough to do it just because I told her not to.

I push back my chair. “It’s none of my business,” I mutter to myself. “I don’t even care.” Then I head inside to shower.

I’ve never seen Golden Springs all lit up on a Friday night like this. It used to be a ghost town most nights, all the shops darkened and the sidewalks empty by eight. But now, string lights crisscross the street, a line snakes around a pulled-pork booth, and the Coosawhatchie band is setting up on stage, with a section cleared for dancing, right in the middle of Main Street.

Apparently, folks in this town do have a life after seven that doesn’t include falling asleep to the TV.

I’m barely out of the truck before Colleen asks me when I’m coming to the farmers market again, and Leroy from the feed store wonders whether the youth hockey team will win this year. Then Remi’s mom stops me to thank me for taking over the youth league, telling me that her daughter thinks I’m “the best coach ever.”

Considering she’s only had one other coach, that’s not a very high bar.

As I’m scanning the crowd for Summer, I almost walk right into Wanda Roy from the gas station, who’s holding a pork sandwich drenched in barbecue sauce.

“Well, hello, Jaxon,” she drawls. “I just ran into Summer. I assumed you weren’t here tonight.”

“You saw Summer?” I say, glancing around for her. “Where?”

“Somewhere close to the front,” she says, motioning with her sandwich toward the stage. “Ada Mae was talking to Summer about her mom. The entire situation is heartbreaking.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

She stares at me blankly. “She’s at Golden Haven.”

“The memory care facility?”

She looks at me with surprise. “You didn’t know?”

I shake my head.

“Summer had to move her there about a year ago after her mom wandered off when Summer was working. She couldn’t find her for hours. Summer was beside herself.”

I should’ve known this sooner. She probably thinks I’m an insensitive jerk for not asking.

“She visits her every Saturday after she drops off the extra bouquets at the hospital. Always saves one for her mom, even though she doesn’t recognize her own daughter.” She shakes her head slowly. “Can you imagine? Your own mother looking at you like a stranger?”

“No,” I say. “I can’t.”

“Miriam Chance was a godsend to that girl. Closest thing to family she had.” Wanda pats my arm. “Be good to her, Jaxon. She needs someone watching out for her.”

She disappears into the crowd as the music begins, and I’m left standing there, gut-punched by this news. Every time she’s argued with me or refused to budge on something, I thought it was because she was stubborn. But she was just fighting to hold on to the things remaining.

Which means I need to find her now.

I push through the mass of people, searching for every blonde head in the crowd until I find her on the dance floor. Her long hair is curling in soft waves down her back, and she’s wearing a light pink sundress that shows off her sun-kissed shoulders—completely changed from the woman who shows up at the barn every morning in worn denim. This version of Summer is stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful.

I freeze far enough away that she doesn’t notice me, thinking about what it would be like to hold her in my arms and sway to the lush twang of the steel guitar. But another man beats me to her side before I can even get the courage to ask. Blaine. He sets his hands on her waist, and my vision goes fire-engine red.

Five seconds pass before I start pacing the edge of the dance floor like an unhinged animal, watching Paralegal Boy touch the woman I want to be mine.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I stride across the dance floor, almost knocking over another man to get to her.

When I stop behind her, Blaine does a quick sweep of me before his lips flatten. “What are you doing here?”

I narrow my gaze. “I’m here to cut in.”

Summer whirls around. “Jaxon?” I thought she was pretty from across the dance floor, but up close, she’s absolutely stunning. Her sundress sets off her sky-blue eyes and soft pink lips so well that I can’t stop staring at her. She has no right to look this good after working on the farm all day.