Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
CHASE
I followed Harper up the path to Helen’s house, feeling like I was crossing some invisible line. She was wearing a flowered dress that hugged her hips and a teasing smile that suggested she was aware of my nerves.
She paused by the porch swing, a bright look in her eye. “Relax, Chase. It’s a family dinner, not an execution.”
Easy for her to say, when it wasn’t her future being weighed and measured with every glance and comment. My collar suddenly felt too tight. I adjusted my tie as I stepped into the warmth of the Coleridge world.
Helen’s house smelled like roast chicken and fresh bread.
A line of family photos led into the living room, creating a breadcrumb trail of Coleridge history.
I brushed a hand over my freshly shaved jaw, already imagining Helen’s curious gaze sizing me up as more than just Eli’s friend or the resort partner.
Eli sent me a text earlier stating he had to fill in tonight leading a night dive.
Should I have been relieved or disappointed that he and Jules wouldn’t be here as buffers? Probably both.
As we entered the kitchen, Helen smiled at us. “I hope you brought your appetite.” She took the wine I’d brought and gave me a once-over that felt like both approval and a silent evaluation.
“It smells incredible,” I replied with a smile.
When we walked into the back family room, Harper stayed close, her hand lightly brushing my arm in a way that steadied me more than I wanted to admit. I surveyed the room—worn furniture that spoke of years of use, soft light, and the kind of warmth that was simultaneously welcoming and muffling.
Ben was there, more cleaned up than usual and wearing a shirt that didn’t have paint or grease stains. “Chase. Harper,” he said with a nod, his tone almost amused. “Good to see you both here.”
I nodded back. “Glad to be here.”
Austin was by the sliding door to the back patio, a beer in hand.
He wore a fresh T-shirt that clung to his frame, his dark hair still damp from a recent shower.
But his stance was classic Austin, quiet and watchful.
He acknowledged us with a lift of his beer, his expression somewhere between friendly and skeptical.
Before I could attempt conversation, Finn barreled through the room and launched himself at me. “Chase! You’re here!” He was beaming, his face a mix of joy and mild sunburn.
He pulled me over to the couch, talking a mile a minute about a drawing he’d done of a dinosaur. Lying on the coffee table, it was a glorious tangle of crayon lines and enthusiasm. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s the most awesome dinosaur I’ve ever seen,” I replied, and a bit of the tension melted away under the force of his excitement. Finn’s uncomplicated joy had a way of doing that.
I glanced back at Harper, who gave me a reassuring smile as if to say I was doing fine.
Ben cracked a beer and handed one to Harper. Then his green eyes lifted to meet mine as he held out a can to me.
“Sure,” I replied and took the offered beverage. “Thanks.”
“Welcome,” he said with humor lurking in his eyes. “We’ll try not to rake you over the coals too much tonight.”
That made me laugh. “Got to admit, tonight feels a little different than past Sunday dinners.”
I drifted over to Austin, standing just out of the main current of Coleridge activity. “Catch any big ones lately?”
“Not as much as usual,” he replied as he studied the leaves of the trees outside the slider. “Wind’s been kicking up. Maybe it’ll die down next week.”
I nodded, glancing at Ben and Harper’s conversation, aware of the small but significant ways these people were already fitting me into their lives.
It was strangely comforting and worrisome all at once.
I took a sip of my beer and glanced at Austin again.
“Maybe I’ll take you up on that trip sometime. ”
Austin’s eyes glinted with interest, and I couldn’t help but feel like I’d passed some minor test. “Offer still stands. Just let me know when.”
The dive trip with Eli and Jules had been a strong reminder of how much I loved being on the water—on it or under it.
And Austin was regarded as one of the best fishing guides in the area.
Too bad we were entering several critical phases of the resort reno.
“It might be a while, though. After the dust settles a little here. Literally.” We shared a laugh, and my shoulders loosened more.
Harper ducked out to help Helen with dinner.
When the two women came back with steaming dishes, I immediately jumped in to help.
I was the new guy, long-time presence in this family or not, and wanted to make damn sure I made a decent impression.
And the difference tonight was profound, like seeing everything in high definition, the colors more vivid, the details sharper.
I was here as Harper’s… boyfriend? At our ages, the word practically made me cringe. But I sure wasn’t here as Eli’s friend.
We sat around the large dining table, the spread a feast of roast chicken, roasted potatoes, and vegetables fresh from Helen’s garden.
The plates of food went around like clockwork, a rhythm to the meal that felt practiced and intimate.
I tried to take part in the easy flow of conversation, hyper-aware of my own presence and the new role I occupied.
Finn sat beside me, asking endless questions about my new office and if we could build a treehouse there.
“Depends,” I said, sharing a smile with Harper as I filled her water glass from a pitcher on the table. “What’s the zoning like for treehouses, do you think?”
“Huh,” Finn replied seriously. “Not sure. You can figure out that part. But we’ll need blueprints and a crew.”
“Do you have those too?” Ben teased as he loaded his plate.
“I’m pretty sure I know someone,” Harper said with a soft laugh.
Despite the lightness, I was constantly aware of Helen, of the careful way she included me, never excluding but never letting me off the hook, either.
As the platter of chicken made its way around again, she caught my eye.
“Things seem to be moving along quickly at the resort, Chase. I admit I wasn’t thrilled about taking on that loan, but you’ve been managing the expenses diligently.
” She paused, taking a sip of her wine, her gaze steady over the rim of the glass.
“Keeping everything balanced with a project this size, especially with the partnership structure… that takes real skill.”
The compliment landed with surprising weight, and a flush crept up my neck.
“Thank you, Helen. I appreciate the support. It’s definitely a complex project, but we’re tracking everything closely.
” I decided to offer a bit more, sensing this was more than just polite dinner chat.
“I made sure to build a healthy contingency fund into the budget right from the start, and it should cover most typical overruns, which is important since we made the strategic decision to phase the work on Room Block One to manage upfront costs. That’s a risk when working on old buildings.
But as long as nothing completely unforeseen pops up, I’m confident we can keep things on track financially. ”
Helen nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with the answer, though a flicker of that inherent Coleridge caution remained in her eyes. “Good to hear. We’re all counting on this renovation paying off.”
The we hung in the air, encompassing family, legacy, and the future tied up in those resort walls.
“We’ve had plenty of hiccups and none have derailed us or the budget,” Harper added. “Jules warned us that the upcoming quarter is tight, but by then the biggest expenditures should be finished.”
I shot her a smile, staying quiet about the fact that I’d been on plenty of jobs where something blindsided us last minute.
Usually, the skeletons in the closet were uncovered during the demo phase, but there were plenty of exceptions to that rule.
I resisted the urge to cross my fingers and took a sip of wine instead.
“You must be so busy with the new firm,” Helen said as she passed a bowl of potatoes to Austin. “I’m impressed you have time for a distraction like this meal.”
“I’ll make time,” I replied as I filled her wineglass. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to dinner here. Besides, a man’s gotta eat.”
“He skips way too many meals,” Harper said, not missing a beat, and I wasn’t sure if that was a vote of confidence or just her amusement at my floundering.
“Commitment is so important when you’re starting out. It must be a challenge to keep focused.” Helen’s eyes were warm, but I sensed a depth to her words.
“He’s always been a pretty focused guy,” Ben added, amused, but I noticed a hint of camaraderie in his tone.
I couldn’t help wondering if her subtle question was a probe as to how well my new venture was going. “I’ve taken on several new projects besides the resort remodel, but I’m used to juggling. If it gets to be too much, I’ll just hire Finn to help out.”
A round of laughter went around the table as he high-fived me.
Ben smirked at us. “Did Eli put you through the ringer before giving you his blessing? Sounds like him.”
Harper laughed. “I hardly heard a peep from him about it. Chase wasn’t quite so lucky, but he pulled through just fine.”
I shrugged, pretending not to care. “I think he’s just mad he’s not here to harass me tonight.”
“His loss is our gain,” Helen said with a warm smile that made me hope the interrogation phase of dinner was over.
Indeed, the conversation moved on, and we discussed Ben’s classes and how things were looking up. “Got pretty good grades on my midterms,” he said and made eye contact with both Harper and me. “I wanted to thank both of you for the help.”
“Happy to do it,” Harper said, glancing at me.
“It was nothing,” I added. “You’re doing all the hard work.”
The Coleridge brothers were all hard workers. It was obvious in their hands and their shoulders and their stubborn attitudes.
Austin talked about a canceled charter due to a storm, and Finn piped in about how he saw the biggest wave ever at the beach. I listened and contributed, trying not to come off as overly cautious.
Dinner wound down, and Harper leaned in close, whispering, “You okay? You look like you’re holding your breath.”
“I’m good.” Despite the intensity, I felt grounded. Like I was already part of something important. “I was a little tense when we first arrived, but nobody’s eaten me alive yet.”
We moved to the patio for coffee. Outdoors, it was cooler, a breeze rustling through the trees.
Harper talked with Ben, both of them laughing over some shared joke about an old boat they used to own.
I liked seeing her like this, at home and at ease with her family.
It was all so different from what I’d known growing up.
But I could see the appeal, even with the expectations and uncertainties that came along for the ride.
Helen refilled my coffee, her hand resting on my shoulder for an extra moment. “It was nice seeing you here tonight.”
“I’ll have to stop by more often,” I said, though it came out more as a question than a promise. “Think I might explode from eating that much, though.”
“I wouldn’t accept anything less,” she said. “And we’re not so bad once you get to know us. Then again, you already do.”
I grinned. “Tonight hasn’t quite been the same.”
She patted my shoulder before letting go. “Maybe it’s just a new chapter of the same book.”
I let one hand rest on Harper’s arm as I sipped my rich coffee.
It was easy to imagine this becoming routine, but the thought of it came with a thousand what-ifs.
What if Harper decided I was too much of a distraction?
What if I let Finn down? What if I was in over my head with a family this tight-knit?
And most importantly, what if I didn’t have a clue how to navigate any of this?
Harper caught my eye. The look she gave me was full of confidence, both in me and in us, and I knew then that this wasn’t just some temporary detour in our lives. It was bigger than that.
She poked me in the side. “Survived, did you?”
I quickly patted myself for injuries. “Pretty sure everything’s still there.”
“And what do you think?”
I considered her question, the way it felt to be part of this. The easy camaraderie. The scrutiny. The high stakes if I messed up. “I’d say tonight was a good start.”
“More than that.” Her voice was light, but I knew she understood the layers beneath my answer.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, feeling more connected to this family and to Harper than I ever thought I could. “We’ll see.”
Harper rested her head against me, and her warmth, her trust, the steadiness that came with having her in my life engulfed me. It felt like home or at least what home should be like. The kind of home I’d never known.
The night wrapped around us, stars scattered across the sky like a blueprint I couldn’t quite understand yet. Finn had fallen asleep on the couch, and soon we’d have to wake him and take him home. But for now, this moment of quiet felt sacred.
I’d spent my whole career planning for the future. Blueprints, timelines, projections—all of it focused on what was coming next. And here I was, finally feeling like I belonged somewhere, with someone, and I couldn’t stop wondering if this was a future I was ready for.