Chapter One
“Sorry I’m late,” said Marianne as she came rushing toward the bar where Chris was sitting.
Chris smiled as her sister took a seat beside her. “There’s no need to apologize. I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
Marianne shrugged. “We are what we are. You’re always early. I’m always late. If we don’t know each other well enough by now…”
“Not so long ago I would’ve said that I know you better than anyone else on earth and I love you just the way you are. Now, I’d hazard a guess that Clay knows you even better than I do, and we all know he loves you just the way you are, too. Where is he? I thought he might come with you.”
Chris loved the way her sister smiled at the mention of her fiancé’s name. “He sends his best and said to say he’ll see you at the weekend. He has work he wanted to catch up on, and besides, I wanted you all to myself.”
“Aww, you know I don’t mind when he joins us. I think the world of him. I hope he doesn’t think he wouldn’t be welcome. I know the two of you seem to do everything together these days.”
“No! He knows he’s welcome. In fact, if it were down to him, he would have joined us.” Marianne smiled. “If you must know, I told him I wanted you all to myself.”
Chris laughed. “Let me guess, the novelty of spending every waking moment with him is wearing off?”
“Not at all!” Marianne shook her head emphatically. “I thought it might have by now, but it really hasn’t. We get along so well, it’s so easy. It’s just wonderful, Chris!”
“Aww.” Chris reached across and squeezed her sister’s arm. “I’m so happy for you and for him. You two are just perfect together. So, tell me, how was Nashville?”
“It was wonderful. I’m starting to really feel at home there. Shawnee is wonderful. She sends her regards and asks when you’re going to come visit her, and everyone else is so friendly and welcoming, too. I thought I’d struck it lucky when I moved here. This is such a wonderful place filled with such lovely people. It’s hard to believe that now I have a second place and a second group of people that are just as welcoming.”
Chris nodded. “We sure landed on our feet here. I’m so pleased that the kids found this place and moved here and I’m even happier that they wanted us to join them. I’m happy here. It’s a good place. Of course,” she laughed, “I’d be even happier if I could follow in your footsteps and meet an amazing guy like Clay.”
Marianne made a face. “Sometimes, I feel bad that I—"
Chris wagged a finger at her. “Don’t you dare go saying that you feel bad about any of the wonderful things that are going on in your life. Especially, not if you were about to say what I think you were, that you feel bad that you found love and I haven’t.”
Marianne shrugged. “I can’t help it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful for Clay. It’s just that I want the same for you.”
It was Chris’s turn to shrug. “And don’t you get me wrong I’m not sure I’d even want it; I’m fine just the way I am, but I’m so happy for you.”
“Hey, Marianne. What can I get you?” Kenzie, the bartender, smiled at them. “If you’re having lunch, you can choose any table you like, and I’ll bring your drinks and menus over.”
Chris led Marianne over to one of the raised booths and took a seat.
Marianne chuckled as she sat down opposite her. "It's a good thing that we're so different in so many respects."
Chris smiled. She knew exactly what she meant. While Marianne preferred to turn her back on the restaurant and focus in on the conversation they were having, Chris preferred to sit where she could keep an eye on the whole place. She was just as focused on the conversation with her sister, but she liked to know what was going on around them.
"We complement each other well."
"So," said Marianne, "tell me what's been going on while I've been away."
"You know me; I've been a busy bee. I seem to be spending most of my time at the women's center. Except, of course, when I'm watching little Isabel for Jack and Emma. Oh, and last week, I was helping Scott with a project for school."
Marianne gave her a puzzled look. "Forgive me, but Scott is so smart, I have to ask what you were helping him with."
Chris had to laugh. "That's what I thought when he first asked me to help him. I had no clue what I would be able to do that he couldn't figure out for himself. It turns out that he needed to interview old people for some project on the aging population."
Marianne's hand came up to cover her mouth, but it couldn't contain her laughter.
Chris gave her a rueful smile. "It's a good thing that I can see the funny side.”
“It is funny, but it’s not as though you’re old enough to really be his grandma.”
Chris scowled. “As far as I’m concerned, I really am his grandma.”
“Yes, but you know what I mean. I only meant age-wise.”
“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to jump down your throat. I just get so defensive about him. I love him to little pieces, and come on, he couldn’t be more like Dan’s son if he were Dan’s son.”
“That’s true.” Marianne frowned and looked at the wall above Chris’s shoulder.
“What’s up? Am I boring you? You just drifted away on me.”
Marianne gave her a guilty smile. “I think I have to let you in on a secret.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“You think that when we sit here, I’m oblivious to everything else that’s going on. I’m not. Those pictures on the wall behind you are mirrored and every now and then I take a peek.” She gave Chris a guilty smile.
Chris had to laugh. “You sneaky little … And what did you see in the mirror that had you looking so concerned?” Chris scanned the restaurant but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Well, I thought I saw Chance.”
“That’s right, Missy mentioned that he and Hope might be visiting sometime soon.” She couldn’t figure out the weird smile on Marianne’s face. “What are you looking like that for?”
“Did Missy say who would be coming with him?”
“Hope, of course, why? Who else …? Oh!” Chris stopped scanning the room and dropped her eyes. “Is he here? Did you see him?”
Marianne laughed. “Yes, I did. I thought you’d be thrilled that he’s here. But, look at you! What’s up? You can’t tell me you don’t want him to notice you? You’ve talked about him for the last couple of years. And I know you’ve been hoping he would come up here ever since that night in LA.”
“Of course, I want him to notice me. Just not right now. Look at me! I’m a mess!”
Marianne laughed again. “You don’t have it in you to be a mess. You’re always so well put together. And you’re beautiful. I should turn around and wave at Chance if you’re not going to.”
“No! Don’t you dare!”
“Why not? Don’t you at least want to find out how long he’s going to be here?”
“Of course, I do. But I can ask Missy.”
Marianne started to turn around, but Chris hissed at her. “Don’t you dare!”
It was too late. Chance and Hope were standing at the bar, and Seymour was standing with them. Chris’s heart fluttered in her chest at the sight of him; he was just as handsome as she remembered. Well, it wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen him in the last couple of years; he showed up on TV every couple of months or so. Usually, though, that meant he was dressed in a business suit and was talking about stocks and shares and investments—about his world, a world she knew next to nothing about.
There was no mistaking that the man standing at the bar was the same man, but he looked so very different. If it were possible, he might be even more attractive, dressed casually as he was in jeans and a light blue sweater.
She watched as he leaned over the bar to tell Kenzie what he wanted to drink. She smiled to herself wondering if it would be the same bourbon he'd been drinking that night they met in LA. That seemed so long ago now.
As if he felt her gaze on him, he looked up, directly at her. For a moment, her heart seemed to stop beating. Then he smiled, and it started again with a thud, feeling as though it wanted to beat out of her chest.
She smiled back, and in that moment, it felt as though the distance between them and everything around them melted away. It felt just like it had that night when they talked. They'd been in a busy nightclub, but it felt as though they were all alone in the world.
"I guess you won't need to ask Missy now."
Marianne's voice got through to her but couldn't break the moment. Chris still couldn't tear her eyes away from Seymour's.
"Are we going down there? Or … Never mind. I think it's time for me to go and powder my nose."
Chris smiled as she sensed Marianne getting up from the table. She couldn't say she saw her go because her gaze was fixed on Seymour, who was now making his way across the restaurant toward their table.
Her mind raced with a dozen thoughts. Her practical voice was telling her to be calm. But most of the other thoughts were chattering in excitement.
When he was just a few feet away, he smiled, and she smiled back.
"Chris! It's great to see you."
She got to her feet, not knowing if she planned to shake his hand or quite what she was going to do. "It's wonderful to see you too. I'm glad you finally made it up here."
She felt foolish when his smile faded. She shouldn't have said that. He'd told her that he would come to Summer Lake, but that had been part of a bigger conversation, a conversation about the possibility of the two of them getting to know each other better.
"I mean … I know Chance and Hope have been wanting to get you out here. You work so hard. That's all I mean."
His smile was back. It softened his features. He was one of those men who looked kind of imposing, if not intimidating. But when he smiled …
"Is that really all you meant?" He held her gaze for a long moment, and there was no way she could lie to him.
She shrugged and gave him a rueful smile. "No, it just seemed like the more socially acceptable thing to say."
He laughed, a low deep rumble that made Chance and Hope turned to look in their direction. "That's more like it. That's the Chris I thought you were."
She felt foolish. She held out her hand to shake with him, not knowing what else to do or say. "Either way, I'm glad you're here."
"So am I." Instead of shaking with her, he held his arms out just a little way to his sides. "I know I'm supposed to be the formal one around here, but is there any chance I could get a hug?"
The way her heart was hammering in her chest, she knew he must be able to feel it as she all too briefly leaned against him. His arms closed around her in what must have looked like nothing more than a friendly greeting, but just for a moment, he tightened his arms holding her close, and she squeezed him back. It felt like they had an entire conversation in that one brief embrace.
She stepped back and smiled at him. "How long are you here for?"
He laughed again. "I don't have a fixed plan. The kids want me to stay until next weekend. Maybe, now, I will."
Chris heard herself sucking in a deep breath. He couldn’t mean that the way it sounded; he couldn’t mean that seeing her might be enough to affect his plans.
He was holding her gaze. “I know it’s been a long time, but I said that when I came up here, I might have reached a point where I’d be able to ask you out to dinner.”
She nodded, not knowing if he was actually asking or just reminding her of their conversation.
He smiled, and she loved the way the lines creased around his eyes. “If I were to ask, would you say yes?”
“I would.”
“May I have your number?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at her expectantly.
She watched him type in her number as she told it to him.
“Okay.” He closed his phone and looked up at her. The imposing businessman was nowhere to be seen. The look in his eyes was raw, uncertain, she almost wanted to hug him again to reassure him, though of what she didn’t know. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” She leaned toward him and for an all too brief moment, he placed his hands on her hips and bent his head to drop a kiss on her cheek.
“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long,” he said before turning and walking away.
Her heart raced as she watched him go. Had he really just said that? Or was it just her imagination, wishful thinking on her part?
His daughter, Hope, caught her eye and gave her an encouraging smile.
~ ~ ~
Seymour shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked back across the restaurant to Hope and Chance. Well, he’d done it. Part of him wished he had more time to prepare. He’d thought that he would look her up while he was here, not that he’d run into her the moment he arrived. But still, part of him was glad that it had worked out this way. This way, he didn’t have time to talk himself out of it yet again. He’d been doing that for such a long time now.
Hope reached out and squeezed his arm when he reached her. “Are you okay, Dad?”
He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile and nodded. “I am.”
“What did you say? Did you ask her out to dinner?”
Seymour had to smile at the way Chance frowned at Hope. He didn’t say a word; Seymour doubted that he ever had or would reprimand her. He didn’t need to. The two of them had such an understanding, Hope immediately knew what he meant.
She came and slid her arm around Seymour’s waist. “I’m sorry, Dad. I don’t mean to be nosy or pushy. I’ll shut up and back out. I can’t help it; I’m just excited for you.”
“That’s okay.” Seymour smiled at Chance. “It’s all good.”
Chance smiled back at him. “Good. I just don’t want you feeling under any outside pressure. I know you’ll be putting enough pressure on yourself.”
Seymour shrugged and picked up the glass of bourbon he’d left on the bar when he’d gone over to see Chris. “I’m here to get away from the pressure for a while. Didn’t you say that we could go and sit outside on the deck? I’d forgotten how beautiful this place is.”
They made their way outside and took a seat. Seymour leaned back and took in the amazing view of the lake and mountains that surrounded it. He hadn’t been back here since Chance and Hope’s wedding. It was a good place. He was hoping that it would do him and his life good to spend some time here.
