“What will people think when they see us together?” Joy asked.
“Whatever they want.” Chase took her hand and slipped it inside his elbow. “Are you afraid of what they might think?”
Her heart skipped a beat at his touch, but she didn’t pull away. She loved the feel of being close to him. It brought back a summertime of memories—and this time, they were all good.
“I suppose they’ll learn the truth about the girls eventually.” They walked so close together, she had to look up at him to meet his gaze. “Does that bother you?”
“I couldn’t be more proud to be known as their father.”
Her heart expanded at his words and she smiled.
They walked along a path that led them over a footbridge, past the fountains and into the pavilion. It sat close to the water and offered a perfect view of the magnificent waterfalls, which gave Timber Falls its name. The waterfalls had attracted Chase’s ancestors to choose this place to build their large sawmill in the 1890s, and it was the abundance of timber in the area that had inspired the name.
Strings of white lights dipped from the corners of the pavilion and met in the middle. They sparkled and swayed in the breeze. Joy knew dozens of people who had gathered, but she hardly noticed anyone as Chase took her hand and walked her onto the dance floor.
The orchestra played “The Way You Look Tonight,” the stringed instruments humming with the beautiful song. The sound filled the space and wrapped around Joy as Chase turned to face her.
“May I have this dance?” he asked.
She nodded and stepped into his arms. He put his right hand on the small of her back and she had to remember to breathe. She put her left hand on his shoulder, and then they clasped their free hands. They stood close—closer than necessary, but she didn’t want to move away.
He was a graceful dancer and he waltzed her around the dance floor with more experience than she had expected. She had taken a ballroom-dancing class in college for her physical-education credit and she was happy she had paid attention. It wasn’t hard to let him lead her—he was strong and athletic, but his movements were smooth and easy to follow.
Everything else faded away as she danced with Chase. He smiled down at her and she felt more beautiful than ever. She didn’t know how he did it, but he made her feel like there was no one else in the world and he only had eyes for her. It was a heady feeling and she forced herself to remember that this was not a date—yet she’d never felt this way in the presence of a friend before.
They danced through three songs, and when the third song ended, the orchestra conductor announced that they would take a break for the fireworks.
“Should we find somewhere to sit?” Chase asked, indicating the riverbank.
They left the pavilion and walked down the crushed-gravel path, taking their time finding a spot. The willow trees were the only hindrance to their view of the fireworks. Here and there, people were already sitting, so it took them a few minutes to find just the right place.
“How does this look?” Chase asked, finding a spot near one of the willows. The branches opened up just enough to give them a clear view across the river.
“Perfect.”
“Here.” Chase took off his jacket and set it on the ground.
“You want me to sit on your jacket?”
He smiled. “Isn’t it gallant of me?”
She smiled and nodded. “Very.”
After she sat, he joined her, sitting closer than she had expected.
Again, she didn’t pull away. It felt good having his attention—and seeing the curious eyes of her friends and neighbors as they passed by.
Quiet conversation hummed around them. Even though there were people close by, somehow it felt like they were alone.
“I’m having a good time,” she said softly.
The breeze made the long hanging willow branches sway all around as he turned to look at her. “Me, too,” he said just as softly.
He smelled of cologne and fresh laundry soap. He was so close, their shoulders brushed.
“Are you sure this isn’t a date?” she asked, her attention caught on his lips.
It took him a moment to answer. His chest rose and fell a few times. “I’m not sure anymore.” His gaze moved to her mouth. “Do you want it to be a date?”
Every nerve in her body came alive and hummed with anticipation. What was she doing? Hadn’t she warned herself not to fall in love with Chase again? But there was something about him—the same qualities that had made her fall hard last time were now more prominent than before. And this time, he was the father of her twins—the handsome, kind and selfless man who would forever and always be Harper and Kinsley’s daddy.
“Chase,” she whispered as she leaned closer, “I—”
Several bangs ripped through the air and the dark sky filled with the light of colorful fireworks.
Joy tore her focus from Chase and took a deep, shuddering breath.
She had almost kissed him—despite all the doubts and fears that still plagued her.
Chase reached through the dark and took her hand in his.
Catching her breath, she allowed him to run his thumb over the back of her hand. She tried to focus on the fireworks, but she couldn’t see past the sensations tingling up her arms.
But as the fireworks continued, each bang felt more and more like a fist to her chest. Memories started to assail her, unwanted and unwelcomed. The banging of the front door as her mom walked out and left her alone, the banging of the fists against flesh in the first foster home she lived in, the banging voices of countless children mocking her in school, making her feel worthless—and the banging of car doors as boyfriends broke up with her when they learned who she was.
But the worst memory was the one where Chase’s father had made her feel inferior and dirty—and then she’d been forced to listen to the front door bang again—and the car door bang again—as Chase left, knowing he’d finally realized it, too.
How long until he remembered why he’d left her the first time? How long until his father showed up and belittled her again? How long until Chase walked away, like so many others in her life? Because it wasn’t a matter of if—but when.
Suddenly feeling cold and shaky, she pulled her hand away from his.
He turned questioning eyes to her. “What’s wrong?”
Joy wrapped her arms around herself and tried not to feel ill. The fireworks shot up into the sky, one after the other, while the crowd oohed and aahed. “I can’t do this,” she whispered.
Chase leaned closer. “You can’t what?”
“I can’t do this,” she said a little louder.
He sat back and nodded, understanding and empathy in his eyes—but his compassion only made her more upset. Why did he continue to be so good and kind to her when she was a mess?
Anger started to build inside her chest—but it wasn’t anger at him, it was anger at herself. Why couldn’t she be a normal person who could put her trust in people? Why did she always expect the worst? Yes, some people had proven that they couldn’t be trusted—but there were others like Morgan Asher and Mrs. Thompson, who had shown her what true, unconditional love looked like. Why didn’t she think Chase could do the same?
She wanted to lean into him again—throw all caution to the wind—but life had taught her to protect herself at all costs, and keeping her distance from Chase was the only way to do that.
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head.
“It’s okay, Joy.” He touched her cheek with his thumb and moved a piece of hair off her face. “I’m not going anywhere. We don’t need to rush.”
She closed her eyes at the feel of his hand and leaned into it.
The fireworks continued to boom over the river and she forced herself to take a deep, steady breath.
When she open
ed her eyes again, Chase offered her a slow, promising smile.
He was still beside her—but for how long, she didn’t know.
Chapter Thirteen
Joy hummed as she ran the vacuum cleaner over the carpet in the master bedroom. Her arm was sore from the thousands of square feet she had already vacuumed that morning, but her heart was light. A half-dozen women had shown up that morning from church to help clean and prepare the house for the festival the following day. The same women would return tomorrow and help give tours of the mansion in period clothing they had rented from a costume shop.
All week, Joy, Mrs. Thompson, Chase and the kids had worked on the festival preparations. They had cleaned, cooked and cleaned some more. Today they would do last-minute chores like vacuuming, dusting, food preparation and various other tasks.
Joy would be up way past her bedtime in order to get everything ready, but she didn’t mind. Chase would be by her side.
Outside, Chase and several men from church were mowing, weed whipping and blowing off walkways and driveways. After they were done on the grounds, they would set up various tents, awnings and white lights in the circle yard in front of the mansion. The forecast for the next day was sunny and hot, and they could use all the shade they could get.
For the moment, Joy was alone with her thoughts. A couple teenage girls from church had come to spend the day with Harper and Kinsley, and Chase had the boys busy helping outside, so Joy was free to let her mind wander while the vacuum hummed in her ears.
It had been over three weeks since Chase had taken Joy out to dance. Every day since then, they had found small pockets of time to spend alone together. At first, Joy thought it was by accident—but then she realized that both of them were seeking that time with each other. It might be cleaning up the kitchen for Mrs. Thompson, sitting on the pier to watch the sunset, taking a walk through downtown in the evening when all the stores were closed or just sitting in one of the parlors with a cup of coffee at the end of a long day. Joy had come to cherish those moments with Chase and looked forward to them every day.
It was during one of those evenings that Joy shared with Chase that the judge had legally revoked parental rights from the boys’ mother. They were now orphans and she had started the official adoption process. Chase had let her talk out all her emotions that evening and offered her a shoulder to cry on as she mourned the boys’ loss.
But today, there were no tears, only smiles as she ran the vacuum under one of the chairs in her bedroom. Though he never once pressured her, or pushed her to go faster than she was ready, she could no longer deny that she wanted a future with Chase Asher—had always wanted a future—and she was finally willing to admit the truth to herself.
A movement outside her bedroom window caught her eye and she paused to watch. Chase had all three boys at his side, each one wearing safety glasses. They stood in a line and walked around the circle drive with hand-held blowers. Kodi was so small, he struggled to hold his blower, but Chase was patient, because Kodi would hate to be left out.
Her heart warmed at the scene. It would be so much easier and faster to get the work done if the boys weren’t under his feet, but Chase never once complained. On the contrary, he often called the boys to his side, knowing how much they loved to help.
She continued to vacuum, pondering all her feelings, until someone tapped her shoulder.
Joy jumped and turned—only to find Tom Winston standing behind her.
Turning off the machine, she placed her hand over her racing heart. “You scared me half to death!”
“Sorry about that.” He was impeccably dressed in a dark gray suit, tie and shiny black shoes. “I only have a few minutes between appointments this morning and wanted to run something over to you.”
He handed her a piece of paper. A picture of a large, charming farmhouse was in the upper-right-hand corner and beneath it were the details on the property. It was a five-bedroom house with three bathrooms, a new furnace and roof and ten acres of land.
But it was the price tag that caught her eye. Though it wasn’t cheap, it was well within the range of possibility, especially with all the grants and donations she’d already received.
And she wouldn’t need Chase to take out a mortgage for her.
“It just hit the market this morning,” he said with a grin. “My buddy emailed it to me and said it’ll go fast. I canceled several appointments this afternoon and scheduled a showing for us at four o’clock.”
“This afternoon?”
“If we don’t jump on it today, we’ll lose it for sure. This house was recently renovated and the yard is immaculate. When I called the Realtor she said she already had two other showings scheduled this morning.”
“I can’t go this afternoon.” Joy’s shoulders slumped. “There are about fifteen people here today helping—I can’t leave all of them to do my work.”
“The farmhouse will go fas—”
“Joy?” Chase’s voice called to her from the hall.
“I’m in the master bedroom,” Joy answered.
Tom’s jaw tightened and he shook his head. “Why does he always have to interrupt us?”
“We finished the mowing,” Chase said, coming into the room, “do you want us to put up the ten—?” He paused when he saw Tom standing in her room.
Neither man spoke, so Joy stepped forward with the paper Tom had given her. “Tom stopped by to show me this property that just went up for sale. It’s on the outskirts of town.”
Chase frowned and took the sheet of paper. After a moment he said to Tom, “It was nice of you to come all the way over here to hand deliver it when you could have emailed the information.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
“I knew Joy wouldn’t get a chance to check her email today.” Tom stood with his arms crossed as he narrowed his eyes. “And I didn’t want her to miss out on this property. If she likes it, she will need to make an offer by the end of today.”
“Today?” Chase met Joy’s gaze. “What about Bee Tree Hill?”
“Let’s be real,” Tom said in a no-nonsense tone. “Bee Tree Hill is a fantasy you’ve been dangling in front of Joy’s nose to get what you want. As soon as she’s hooked, you’ll pull it out from under her. I’m just saving her the time and embarrassment and offering her something real and tangible.”
Joy blinked several times at the unfair accusation. “Tom—”
“Why should Joy settle for second best when she has the opportunity to have something much better?” Chase asked.
“What you’re offering is a pipe dream,” Tom said. “There’s nothing substantial and promising. You’ve allowed her to put her hopes and dreams into something that cannot possibly happen.”
“We’ve put a lot of hard work into this dream,” Chase countered. “It would be foolish to give up now.”
“Stop,” Joy said, as if she was interrupting an argument between the kids. “I think I’m old enough and smart enough to know what I want.”
Each man offered something completely different. Tom represented stability and realism. He would only promise her what he had to give. He would offer no more and no less. Chase, on the other hand, represented adventure and romanticism. He promised that he would fight with her to reach for her dreams—even if it wasn’t within his ability to give them to her. He would offer her as much as they could achieve together.
“Your volunteers will understand if you need to leave for an hour,” Tom said impatiently. “I’m not asking you to come away with me for the entire day. But if you want to be guaranteed a home for you and the kids, you’ll need to make this small sacrifice.”
“We have hours of work ahead of us,” Chase told her. “If we don’t get everything ready by tomorrow morning, we could miss the opportunity to make enough money to buy Bee Tree Hill.”
Joy swallowed the uncertainty as she looked from one to the
other.
“Think about the children,” Tom said. “If you don’t have a home for them next week, you might lose the boys.”
On paper, the house that Tom presented to her was ideal. It was realistic and attainable, and as much as she loved Bee Tree Hill, and wanted to stay for the kids’ sake, it wasn’t as realistic and attainable.
“Don’t give up on Bee Tree Hill,” Chase pleaded. “This house was meant for you and the kids.” The house was Chase’s legacy—and now it was Harper and Kinsley’s legacy, too. If she couldn’t fight for that, what could she fight for?
“Joy?” Mrs. Thompson entered her bedroom with a rag in hand. “Oh, my,” she said when she saw the men. “What’s going on here?”
“I came to tell Joy about a house that went up for sale today.” Tom took the sheet of paper from Chase and handed it to Mrs. Thompson. “I made an appointment to look at it at four. If she likes it, she’ll need to make an offer right away. She can’t hesitate.”
Mrs. Thompson glanced at the paper. “I know this house. It’s beautiful. You should go and look at it, Joy.”
“What about all the volunteers? I can’t leave them now.”
“Oh, pish-posh,” she said. “I was just coming up here to encourage you to get out of the house for a couple hours and take a deep breath. I have a shopping list that needs to be taken care of and I was going to send you to the store. We’ll be working late tonight and getting up early tomorrow. We have everything under control here for now.”
“You don’t think—?”
“Go,” Mrs. Thompson said, nodding. “Don’t hesitate. Check out the house, pray about it and see if you have peace about making an offering.”
Chase stood near Joy, watching her for her answer.
Joy took Mrs. Thompson’s advice as often as possible and had never gone wrong. So then why did she feel like she was betraying Chase?
“I’ll be back to pick you up in a couple hours,” Tom said as he started to walk toward the door. “I’ve cleared the rest of my afternoon and evening, so I can run you to the grocery store when we’re done looking at the farmhouse.”
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