AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His blue-grey eyes sparkle. "I could come back and cook you and your mom dinner tonight. Just have to check with my family first."
He's giving me an out. I respect that. But I smile over at him and nod. "I would love to have you back--as long as Miss Hart is okay with it."
Chapter thirteen
Evan
It'shardtoresistkissing Sam goodbye when she drops me and Alex off at Tasha and Chance's place, but I somehow manage to survive. My brother and his wife are waiting inside with a pot of coffee, their kid--Lyra--toddling around with chaos on her mind while Tasha gets ready for work. Tasha manages the diner in town, while Chance stays home with their kid most days that he's not working with the family, and today is one of those days.
Once it's just the two of us watching the kids run around in the yard--with Alex's new puppy, of course--me and my brother settle in with our cups of coffee and enjoy the crisp mountain air. I can't deny that it's beautiful out here, and it makes me understand why my family relocated to be here.
Plus...there's just something about this town.
Fern Hollow makes you fall in love.
"How are things over at Sam's place?" Chance asks, totally innocent. I'm sure my mother knows something's up...but Chance has never been one to assume. He's a good guy like that.
"They're--" I pause, unsure of how to respond without giving away the fact that I had some of the best sex of my life last night. "--her place is cute. Too small for all those dogs, but she makes it work."
Chance laughs quietly. "You should have seen her duplex in Seattle before she moved out here. All those dogs crammed into one tiny little place with rent skyrocketing...it was nuts."
"You moved her out?" I ask. "Why didn't she stay there?"
Chance hums. "She didn't have anyone out there after David passed. Their families weren't great growing up, so all they had was each other. I think it's one of the reasons they got together."
I understand that. My mom was great, yeah--but my dad was the devil himself, and it was hard growing up with him. My siblings mostly clung to each other and our mom, surviving through love.
I was the one who ran away.
God, I was such a piece of shit.
"She's still grieving," I say. "There are pieces of her husband all over that house. Still wears his ring."
"I don't know if she'll ever stop," Chance says. I can see the pain flicker across his face when he talks about it, and I wonder just how close those two actually were. If I tell him about Sam and I...will he be angry?
"Tell me about him," I say. "David, I mean. I've been afraid to ask because well...I don't want to make her cry."
Chance's eyes go vacant for a second and he looks past my shoulder--like there's someone back there. It's unnerving; I almost glance behind me, but I think better of it and give Chance a second to think.
Then he sighs and flashes me a small smile. "Dave was awesome," he says with a shrug. "It's hard to remember details after...you know. But he was really, really great. We did two tours together, and he was slow to open up about his interests because he was a huge nerd. Like, he loved video games and fantasy and shit like that."
"Really?" I ask. It's hard for me to see Sam with someone like that; she doesn't seem to share those interests.
"Yeah," Chance nods. "I'm pretty sure she's still got a bunch of gaming stuff stashed away in a box somewhere, just waiting to give it to Alex when he's old enough to enjoy it without breaking it. One of the times I was home on leave, I came out to visit them and Dave took us all through this really elaborate tabletop game."
I get that spooky feeling that someone is standing behind me again.
Maybe it's David's ghost, whispering in my ear how I'm totally wrong for his wife.
"Gotta say that surprises me," I laugh, trying to shake the sensation.
"Why?"
I shrug. "Sam just seems real...I don't know. Down to earth? Interested in the here and now."
Chance's smile drops and his brow furrows. "One time I heard her tell Tasha that...fuck, I shouldn't share."
"No, please do," I say.
