Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chance
T he 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.
The bar wasn’t crowded, as it was still a good two hours before people normally packed themselves in. That made it easy to spot Holden and Chloe, sitting at the bar in the front room, their backs to us.
Taking Rowan’s hand, I led her toward them, weaving us between tables and people.
“Hello,” I said, sticking my head between Holden and Chloe, who had an order of fries in front of them.
They both turned and greeted us. Chloe and Rowan hugged, and Rowan sat on the stool next to Chloe. They easily fell into conversation.
“Romantic night out, huh?” I teased Holden.
He laughed. “With a little one at home, you take what you can get. You might not remember what that’s like, but you’ll have a big refresher soon. Chloe didn’t want to miss Everly.”
“Where’s Sutton tonight?”
“At her grandparents’. My dad and Faye’s house has become like a weekend bed-and-breakfast service for the under-ten crowd. They love it.”
“The kids or the grandparents?”
“Both,” he said with a laugh. “They’ve got Mason and Eliza’s three as well this evening, so Sutton’s having cousin fun.”
I’d met Mason and Eliza North a few times. The North family and the Henrys had become one big clan when Holden’s sister, Hayden, had married Zane North, and then the Henry patriarch, Simon, and the North matriarch, Faye, had fallen in love and gotten hitched as well.
“You’re lucky to have that kind of support,” I said, unable to imagine what my life would’ve been like if my parents had ever doted on Sam.
I’d been so hopeful, when Erin was pregnant with our daughter, that my parents would be won over. It’d taken them nearly a week after we got home from the hospital to stop by and meet their only granddaughter. That lack of priority had finally drilled into my head that my parents truly didn’t care.
“Faye and my dad are a godsend,” Holden said.
“They’re at seven minutes,” Chloe announced excitedly, reading from a message on her phone.
“Ava’s flirting with labor,” Holden explained. “Contractions started a couple of hours ago.”
“Cash is working tonight, trying to finish his shift before things get serious. Anna’s with Ava, sending me updates,” Chloe said.
“That’s… I can’t even imagine,” Rowan said. “Terrifying? Exciting?”
“All the above,” Chloe confirmed. “She’s doing a home birth, so at least her husband won’t have a chance to crash his car in a panic to get to the hospital.” The look she sent Holden was full of both love and laughter.
“Top of the list for things I’ll never live down,” Holden said.
“You wrecked on the way to the hospital?” Rowan asked.
“Not exactly,” he replied.
Chloe laughed. “It’s worse.” She explained how it’d been during Rusty Anchor’s first evening event, where we’d highlighted some seasonal brews. She’d had contractions throughout the day and had pleaded with their unborn baby to give them a few more hours so Holden could finish the event.
“Baby didn’t agree?” Rowan asked.
“Of course not. Sutton was stubborn even then. My water broke, so I had to tell Holden. He freaked out so much he put his precious car into gear instead of reverse and accelerated right into the concrete loading dock at the brewery.”
I laughed even though I’d heard the story multiple times before.
Rowan’s eyes went big, and she covered her mouth with her hand, holding in a laugh at the guy who signed her paycheck.
“Presley ended up driving us to the hospital for obvious reasons,” Chloe said.
“Presley to the rescue,” Rowan said.
“My brother only has to get from Henry’s to their house behind the inn,” Holden said. “Not even a mile.”
“I can’t believe he’s working.” I shook my head.
“Zinnia, the sous chef, had something in Nashville tonight,” Chloe explained, “so he’s at least trying to get through the dinner rush. So far their baby’s going along with it.” She checked the time on her phone again.
“Are you going over there to be with her?” Rowan asked.
“Ava decided just Cash and her midwife,” Chloe said. “A private family thing, which I totally get. Even if I will be dying to see that baby!”
“They deserve their calm before the Henry-North storm, just like we had,” Holden said.
“So true.” Chloe pointed to an area against the wall, close to where we were. “There’s Gin. She’s Everly’s producer. She’s handling sound tonight.”
It took less than ten minutes for Gin to set up a microphone, a stool, and some other equipment. As she worked, I pulled my phone out and checked Sam’s location. When I saw she was exactly where she was supposed to be, I let out my breath. Maybe we’d turned a corner now that Lacey was out of the picture.
Everly made her way to the stool, introduced herself unnecessarily since everyone in town and most of the country knew who she was, and started singing and playing her guitar.
Within seconds, Rowan abandoned her stool and came to stand in front of me as the space filled up seemingly from nowhere with people gathering closer to Everly. Raphael, the manager of the Fly, stood to one side, ensuring people gave Everly plenty of space. Ben and Emerson joined us, only missing the first song.
A few songs in, Rowan leaned her back against me. Without thinking about it, I put my arms around her from behind, then kissed the top of her head. As soon as I did it, I wondered what the fuck I was doing. Trying to play it off, I kept my arms where they were and waited for any reaction from Rowan, holding my breath.
She turned her head to the side, and I thought she was going to say something. Instead she nuzzled it into my chest, just for a second, then rested her hand on one of mine.
Okay then. If she was okay with this, then so was I. So fucking okay.
Now that we weren’t trying to hide her pregnancy, my guard was down. My body was confused. Or maybe my brain was, because actually, my body had a damn good idea of what it craved: the woman in my arms.
We remained entwined like that, with me more focused on Rowan than the music—her scent, the sway of her sexy hips to the beat, the way her body felt up against mine, as if it belonged there.
By about four songs in, I was hard as stone. I was sure Rowan could feel it. As she pressed even closer to me, she wove our fingers together. I took it as a good sign that she was as lost in the moment as I was.
Everly played for an hour. In the middle of her last song for the night, I leaned down to Rowan’s ear.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” I asked her.
She met my gaze briefly, a sparkle in her eyes, and nodded.
With a wave toward Chloe, Holden, Ben, and Emerson, we headed through the throng of people toward the door, her hand in mine. I was so hard it hurt to walk.
When we got outside, I breathed in the brisk night air and tried to shake off the spell I’d been under from having my hands on Rowan for the past hour.
As we made our way down the sidewalk, she wove her arm through mine and held on.
“That was the coolest thing ever,” she said. “Thank you, Chance.”
“I thought you’d enjoy it. I did too. Her new songs are different. Better. Deeper.”
“I read that one of the reasons she went indie was to write and sing what she wants. I still love her old stuff too, but I’d agree her new songs are even better.”
We turned onto Main, which was llamaless and a lot less populated now that the bakery had closed and the diner was closing soon. As we walked by the yarn shop, Rowan slowed and peered in the display windows.
“Looking for your next project already?” I asked.
She scoffed. “I’ll be lucky to get through one blanket before I’m fifty.”
When she and Sam had come home from their knitting lesson last Sunday, my daughter had been bubbling over with enthusiasm for the scarf she’d started. Rowan had cracked jokes at her own expense, claiming she didn’t apparently have the knitting gene. But she’d sung high praises to Loretta’s patience and had sworn she was determined to finish her baby blanket.
“Our baby might need that blanket for his or her baby by then,” I joked.
“I was looking for Purl, but surely Loretta takes the cat home at night?”
“I’ve seen photos on the Tattler. She has a modified baby buggy and wheels the cat the half block to her home each night.”
Rowan laughed and snuggled closer to me.
When we reached my SUV, I helped her into the passenger side. I was reluctant to let go of her because I didn’t know where the evening was heading, and I wasn’t ready for it to be over. She seemed as into our connection as I was. We’d had multiple conversations about friends only, yet here we were, crossing lines.
Not only was my dating game fifteen years outdated, but our situation was unique. On top of all the gray areas in our “relationship” was the fact that Rowan was pregnant. Was it wrong to want to take your baby mama to bed?
As I went around to my side of the vehicle, the only thing I was sure about was that I didn’t want our evening together to end yet.