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ChapterSeven
Chase
Such a simple and entirely expected question. Considering I was talking to the woman I was going to have a child with, it was natural to ask about family.
I had family, and I loved them, but things felt complicated lately. I bit back a sigh and glossed over the situation. “I grew up right here in Willow Brook. My father lives here, and I have a sister. She's not in Willow Brook now, but she’s planning to move back sometime. My mother passed away two years ago.”
“Oh, I'm sorry,” Hallie said quickly.
“Yeah, thanks.” I ignored the sharp twist of my heart and the familiar hollow feeling in my stomach. To say my relationship with my mother had been complicated didn’t accurately describe that shit show. I forged ahead. “Anyway, my dad's still here and doing well.”
“That's nice. What does your father do?” she asked politely.
“He’s an outdoor guide. He flies all over the state.”
“That’s cool. Alaska is definitely the place to do that.”
“He loves it.”
“It’s kind of like your job since you must fly all over the state too.”
She smiled, and I remembered I loved her smile. It was odd to see her again. I’d thought of her so many times in the past few months. I’d tried to convince myself the chemistry wouldn't snap and crackle like I'd recalled, and she wouldn't be as beautiful as I'd remembered. In a way, I suppose I’d tried to convince myself of that so I wouldn’t keep thinking I’d let a chance pass me by.
I'd been wrong on both counts. She was more beautiful than I remembered with her glossy brown hair and chameleon-like hazel eyes. This sultry sweetness to her grabbed me like a fist around my heart. She set my nerves on fire. I belatedly realized I hadn’t replied to her comment.
“I suppose, except I have to put out fires.”
“There is that. Being a hotshot firefighter is kind of dangerous, isn't it?”
I shrugged. “Yes, obviously. But we know how to handle it.”
“Being a firefighter suits you.” She cocked her head to the side.
“You know that from one night?”
Her cheeks flushed pink. She pressed her lips together before pushing her glasses up on her nose. She’d been wearing glasses that night, and I loved them on her. “It’s just a feeling really. Plus, I'm seeing you now, so it's not just one night.”
Just then, Janet arrived with our sandwiches. I knew she was curious. She set the two plates down, looking at us. “I hope you love your sandwich,” she said to Hallie.
“I'm sure I will.”
“Let me know if you need anything else,” Janet added.
I chuckled as she walked away. “What's funny?” Hallie asked.
“Janet. I love her dearly. I've known her since I was a kid. You can't grow up here without knowing Janet. I'm sure she's dying to know how I know you and what you're doing here. So what is the plan for how we talk about this?”
“You can tell whoever you want,” Hallie said with a little shrug. “I'm already showing. I'm wearing a loose jacket, so it's not that obvious to anyone who doesn't know me.”
“What about us?”
“Us?” she chirped, her eyes going wide.
“Yes. I wanted to see you again,” I said bluntly.
Hallie cleared her throat and took a swallow of her tea. “I don't know. I wasn’t even sure how you’d feel about this. Chase, this is all—”
“A lot,” I offered helpfully, repeating what she had said earlier.
