Page 88 of Chasing the Sun

He opened the envelope and pulled out a card with a gift certificate inside. He read the card silently and then held up the certificate. “Dinner for two at Mario’s. Very nice.” Mario’s was an exclusive Italian restaurant that usually required reservations well in advance. He’d eaten there a few times and loved it, but he found it interesting that the certificate specifically spelled out dinner for two. He didn’t have to wait long for his mom to explain.

“I thought you might like to take Chloe there before she goes back home.”

He looked to Chloe for her reaction, and she smiled wide. “Sounds good to me.”

“It’s a date,” he said without thinking. Thankfully, his family was discussing how good the food was at Mario’s and hadn’t heard him say it.

“I’ll look forward to it,” Chloe said softly.

“My turn,” Seb said, standing and pulling a folded-up piece of paper out of his back pocket.

Bryce took it, unfolded it, and read aloud: “Enjoy nine holes of golf for you and a guest at Arrowhead Golf Course.” His family wasn’t known for their subtlety, and while he was a bit embarrassed, he appreciated their efforts.

“I heard you taught Chloe how to golf, so I thought you might want to take her there,” Seb said as he sat back down.

Angel slid an arm around his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “You’re so thoughtful,” she purred.

“Thanks, Seb. I appreciate it,” Bryce said, and he meant it. Even though his brother pissed him off at times, he knew Seb would always have his back and vice versa.

“It’s time for my present,” Molly said. She hopped off his dad’s lap and ran down the hall.

Seconds later, she returned and handed him a homemade card on a sheet of construction paper. At the top, she’d written Happy Birthday Daddy, using a different color crayon for each letter. He could tell she’d taken her time, because the letters were almost perfectly aligned.

She’d drawn a picture of a house, which he assumed was supposed to be theirs, and three stick figures standing in front of it. His throat constricted as he read the names above each figure: Daddy, Molly, and Chloe.

Chloe had leaned in to look too, and he felt her stiffen beside him. It seemed like even Molly was conspiring to bring him and Chloe together.

“Do you like it?” Molly asked, eyes bright. “I made it all by myself.”

He swallowed hard. “I love it.”

“Turn it around so we can see,” Mary said.

He turned it toward them and observed his family’s reaction.

“Oh, honey. That’s so sweet,” said his mom.

“Good job,” Don said.

Seb just smirked.

“I wanted Miss Chloe to be in the picture too so we’ll always remember her,” Molly said.

Bryce was at a loss for words, and for once, Chloe seemed to be too. They locked eyes, and in a surprise move, she reached over, took his hand, and gave it a squeeze.

He squeezed back, but instead of letting go, he kept holding it, and to his relief, she let him.

In that moment, he didn’t care that everyone was looking at them. He wasn’t worried that they could see how he felt about Molly’s nanny. He simply relished the feel of her soft hand in his, and he knew then that he could never let her go.

Chapter 29

Chloe was the first to leave Bryce’s birthday party, much to Molly’s dismay. The rest of his family was in on the surprise, so they didn’t make a fuss. After she’d thanked Mary for lunch and said her goodbyes, Bryce offered to walk her out.

Once they’d gone outside, they both started talking at once.

“You first,” he said.

“I was just going to say I enjoyed meeting your parents.”