Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chance
The following Saturday night, circumstances lined up for me to treat Rowan to some fun that had nothing to do with work or babies.
Sam was at Kinsley’s for a sleepover, and this time my talk with her dad was trust-inspiring instead of the hints of concern I’d experienced on New Year’s Eve with Lacey’s mom.
Rowan had napped before dinner, so she was more likely to have energy for an evening out.
And I had insider info on a downtown event Rowan would love.
As we climbed into my SUV after dinner at home, it almost felt like a date, except it wasn’t.
We weren’t carefree singles. We weren’t exploring a harmless attraction.
We were expectant parents with a truckload of challenges to navigate.
But I was ready to help her set the tough stuff aside for a few hours.
“Now are you going to tell me where you’re taking me?” Rowan asked as I backed out of the driveway.
“Not far,” was all I said, grinning because I knew that wasn’t what she was looking for.
“You’re mean. I’m not good with surprises.” She pretended to pout.
“I’m learning that.” I laughed. “Can you trust me?”
She eyed me across the front seat, dark except for when we passed under a streetlight. “I don’t know. Can I?”
“Of course.” When we hit Main, I turned toward downtown. “We’re going to the Fly.”
“That’s next to Humble’s, right?”
“Right.”
“So we’re going to a bar? Are you planning to get your pregnant roommate roaring drunk or…?” She left the nonserious question hanging.
I laughed again. “Last time we drank together, it was life-changing.”
“True story,” she said, laughing with me. “It’s a good thing I won’t be drinking tonight.”
I didn’t even try to find a parking spot on the square. I could see from a couple of blocks away, traffic was backed up, and there were people everywhere, which wasn’t surprising. It was early March, and the weather had been springlike all day, luring the people of Dragonfly Lake outside in droves.
“I’ll have to park on a side street a few blocks away,” I told her. “Do you want me to drop you off at the door?”
“I can walk. I need to walk. Especially after that delicious dinner.”
“It was just enchiladas. Nothing special.”
“Someone cooking my dinner while I napped? I felt like a spoiled princess. Of course, now I know you were scheming to get me out of the house.”
“Busted. You must be tired of sitting at home every night though.” I found a parking spot along the curb on a side street about a block from Main.
Rowan and I had been cooking together most evenings, then hanging out until bedtime. But today, on our day off from work, I’d taken pleasure in giving her extra time to relax.
“Generally speaking, I’m just plain tired,” she said. “But depending on what we’re doing tonight, it might be fun to get out. If only I knew what that was…”
I killed the engine, got out of the car, and strode around to Rowan’s door.
“You want the surprise spoiled?” I asked when I opened her door.
“Yes, please.”
I offered my hand to help her out, pretending I was only assisting her because she was pregnant and not because I liked to touch her. “You’re a fan of Everly Ash, right?”
“I was even before I lived in the same small town as her,” Rowan said of the country singer once she was next to me on the sidewalk.
“She’s doing a pop-up acoustic show at the Fly.”
Rowan whipped her head toward me, her mouth open, her brows raised. “Really?”
“I wouldn’t make that up,” I said with a laugh.
Everly had made headlines as the Nashville country starlet turned runaway bride around the time Sam and I had moved to Dragonfly Lake. Long story short, she was now married to Holden’s brother Seth and had taken her career indie. Her impromptu performances around town were crowd-pleasers.
“Oh! This is exciting. Is the Fly very big?”
“It’s big for a bar, but not for a concert. They don’t often have live music.”
“How do you know about it if it’s a pop-up?”
I peered down at her.
“Oh,” she said, answering herself. “Because she’s Holden and Chloe’s sister-in-law.”
“Bingo.”
“So no one else knows?”
I checked the time on my phone. Nearly seven p.m. Everly was starting around 7:30, before the big Saturday-night rush of twentysomethings hit the bars. “I’m sure some people do. Her friends and family. It wasn’t advertised though.”
As we reached Main Street, the scene was even more chaotic than I expected. Sheriff Lopez was directing traffic, and people had gathered in front of the bakery.
I let out a howl of laughter.
“What is going on?” Rowan asked in alarm.
“Looks like we got a llama on the loose,” I said.
“See that van over there?” I pointed across from the bakery at the older-model van.
Emerson had hired Lexie North, another of Holden’s sisters-in-law, to paint a giant portrait of Esmerelda and Betty on the side, as well as the word Llamamobile in a fancy script.
“Llamamobile,” Rowan read. “You have got to be kidding me. This is the oddest town ever.”
“Where else is the second-most-famous resident a furry white llama?”
“Nowhere,” she said, laughing. “Where’s the llama?”
As we got closer to the scene, I spotted Ben coming from the back of the van after shutting the llama hatch.
“It looks like they just got her loaded up.”
“This is my second near miss. I’ve never officially met this llama, only dodged her.”
“Hey, I’ve got connections. Come on.” I took Rowan’s hand and headed into the street that was now deserted of cars except for the sheriff’s and the llama van.
“She’s in the van?” Rowan asked. “I’m not going in that van with her.”
“We’ll say hi from outside.” As we neared the van, I called out to Ben, “When are you going to get that llama under control?”
Standing at his open driver’s door, Ben shook his head.
“This fucking llama. I can’t for the life of me figure out how she gets out.
I’ve fixed multiple spots in the fence. Every time I think I’ve got it, I get a call that she’s out and about.
Hi,” he said to Rowan, holding out his hand. “Ben Holloway.”
“Rowan Andrews. Nice to meet you.”
“She wants to meet the llama,” I explained to my friend. I leaned over to see into the passenger seat. “Hey, Emerson.”
Ben’s wife had just climbed in the other side. She stretched toward the driver’s seat. “Hey, Chance. Would you like to buy a llama?” She grinned, then turned her attention to Rowan. “You must be Rowan.” She leaned even farther, and the women shook hands.
I wondered if Ben had told her about Rowan or if our pregnancy news was filtering through town. On second thought, I was better off not knowing the details. I deliberately hadn’t opened the Tattler app for the past week now that our secret was out.
“I am,” Rowan said. “You’re the llama mama?”
“I’m the wife of the llama softie,” Emerson said, laughing with the rest of us. “I’m adopting Ben’s human kids, but we haven’t started proceedings for any of the furry creatures yet. This one is last on my list.”
“What she means to say is that she loves this high-drama llama,” Ben said. “Meet Esmerelda.”
Rowan angled to better see the white llama, who was enclosed behind a mesh metal partition. The llama checked her out with her big, astute eyes, her ears angling forward in interest. “Hi, Esmerelda. Aren’t you a pretty girl?”
“Or funny-looking, as our six-year-old says,” Emerson said. “She kind of grows on you.”
“The llama,” Ben clarified. “The six-year-old is easier to love. What are you two up to tonight?”
“Heading to the Fly,” I said.
“To see a certain someone who shall remain nameless?” Ben asked.
“Worst-kept secret, huh?”
“Chloe clued me in,” Emerson said.
“But first we’ve gotta take care of the cookie fiend.” Ben peered in at Esmerelda. “Yes, I mean you.” His voice dripped with affection.
“Question of the hour,” I said, “did she get a cookie?”
“How do you think we got her in the van?” Ben asked, laughing.
“If I ate as many cookies as she does, I’d weigh twice as much,” Emerson said.
“At least she gets a workout walking to the bakery, huh?” I joked. “So you’re taking her home, then coming to the Fly?”
“That’s the plan,” Ben said. “Bertie has the kids tonight, so we just need the animals to behave.”
“We’ll hope to see you there.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Rowan said.
Sheriff Lopez came toward the van. “You got her all tucked in?”
“Sure do. We’ll get her out of here and locked in the barn,” Ben said. “Appreciate your help. Again. Sorry for the trouble. Again.”
The sheriff laughed. “If Sugar’s cookies weren’t so good, I might not be so understanding.”
“Blame it on Sugar.” I grinned and nodded at the sheriff. “Good luck getting her home,” I said to Ben as I ushered Rowan beyond the van.
It felt natural to put my arm around her and rest my hand on her waist as we headed down the sidewalk.
“I feel like I’ve earned official resident status now that I’ve met Esmerelda,” Rowan said.
“You’re one of us.”
“It’s crazy, but”—she peered up at me, looking invigorated and so damn pretty—“I sort of love it.”
Affection and happiness shone in her coffee-brown eyes, making me wish for a moment those feelings were aimed at me.
I knew I should shut down on thoughts like that, but I was tired of fighting them.
Tonight felt special. We didn’t have to guard our secret anymore, and so far Rowan was okay with me touching her in public.
Why not just relax and savor this rare evening out together?
“Told you it’s a special place,” I said.
I opened the door to the Fly and kept my hand on her…
possessively? Maybe. I wasn’t okay with some other guy trying to win her affection.
Obviously that was something I’d have to get over in the long run, but for tonight, she was here with me.
Knowing she wasn’t up for entanglements, I intended to stick close and provide a layer of protection from any assholes who thought they could win her over.