Chance jumped up from his seat on the deck when he heard a car pull up outside the cabin. He’d been back a while and was starting to get a little concerned about Hope, even though he knew he shouldn’t. He could have called her if he really wanted, but he’d resisted, preferring instead to let her do her own thing and come back when she was ready. He’d gone with Renée up to her place to see Gabe. He’d been tense on the drive up there, concerned that it would be hard to revisit that place and all the memories it held. It hadn’t been like that. The old house was gone. Renée told him that they’d torn it down before it fell down. The place they’d built was beautiful and gave Chance a few ideas about what he’d like to do when he and Hope built a place. Gabe had given him another idea, too; he’d joked that Renée had made him live in the crumbly old house for far too long because she was too proud to let him buy or build her a new one. Renée had reminded him that she didn’t have a penny after her ex was arrested for defrauding the charity they both ran. She hadn’t wanted Gabe to spend a million on a house that she couldn’t contribute to. It turned out that she had been able to contribute though. She owned the land where her family house had stood and as the market had recovered, it was a very valuable lot. In the end, she’d put up the land and Gabe had put up the house. Chance loved it. It made him feel that he could do right by Hope, after all. He should let her build as much house as she wanted; he could contribute the land they built it on.

He hurried inside and met Hope just as she was letting herself in through the front door.

“Oh, hey. I didn’t think you’d be back yet.”

“I’ve been back a while. How was your afternoon?”

She grinned. “Missy and I had a great time. I think we’re going to become good friends.”

“I’m going to need to watch myself then.”

“Yep. Anyway, how was your afternoon?”

He nodded. “It was good, better than I expected.”

They went through to the kitchen and he poured them both a lemonade. “Do you want to come sit outside for a while and tell me about your day?”

“Okay.” She followed him out and took a seat. “I can’t get enough of this view. It’s almost as good as sitting out on the back porch of the cabin looking at the mountains.”

“It is. I love that view, but I love this one as well.”

“Would you ever want to move back here?”

“I don’t know. Renée asked me that this afternoon and I automatically said no. I’ve never thought it was an option. I never wanted to. Plus, I’ve got even more reason to stay in the valley now.”

“You do? Why’s that?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Hmm, let me think what it was again. Oh yeah, I remember. I met this chick and she grew up there. She just moved back and so did her dad. Even if I wanted to move away—which I don’t—it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to.”

“Maybe it would be fairer to ask her, than to just decide for her. She might love it here.”

“Seriously?”

She shrugged. “Not really. At least I don’t think so. I do love it here, but like you said, I just moved back to Montana, and I love it. And Dad’s there too now, it’d hardly be fair to move away. But,” she stared out at the lake for a few moments, then looked back at him. “maybe we could have a vacation home here?”

Chance pressed his lips together. He was finally managing to wrap his head around the fact that he should let her pay for as much home as she wanted, and here she was suggesting they should have two! “Maybe.”

She held his gaze for a moment and he could tell she knew what he was thinking. “I don’t mean right away. We’re going to need some time to get used to everything, to each other and to our life in Montana, but maybe in a year or two it’ll seem like a good idea. It’d be nice to do it while …” She stopped herself short and he had a nasty feeling he knew what she’d been about to say—while your dad’s still around. “We don’t need to worry about it yet. A more pressing question is whether you want to go out tonight. You know Missy wants us to go.”

He nodded. “I know. I’ve been thinking we should, if you want to.”

“I’d like to, but I don’t want that to feel like pressure on you. If you don’t want to go then I’m sure we can think of something to do right here.” She came around and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and nibbling his bottom lip.

His arms closed around her and pulled her closer. She felt so good with her soft warm body pressed against his—especially her soft warm ass pressed against his now hard cock. “Maybe we should do both?” He slid his hand inside her top and pushed the cup of her bra aside. He loved her plump, soft breasts, and loved the way her nipples tightened into hard peaks whenever he touched her.

She sighed. “Yes, please.”

He smiled and rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb, making her gasp. “Right now?”

She nodded and ground her ass against him. “Right now.”

“Right here?”

Her eyes widened and she looked at him and then all around them. “You mean, right here? Out here?”

He nodded and shifted his hand to her legs, pushing her skirt up around her thighs. “I do.”

She looked excited at the prospect. “Do you think it’s okay?”

“Yeah. There’s no one around. These cabins are set up to be completely private.” Even as he said it, he got a bad feeling and stopped himself, just before his fingers found their way inside her panties. “But you’re right, we should probably take it inside, just to be safe.”

“Oh.” She looked so disappointed it was comical. “But …”

He shook his head. “We can’t get reckless, just because the press has left you alone since Matt, it doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten you completely. It would be just my luck for someone to snap some photos of us going at it out here.”

She laughed. “Going at it?”

He nodded and let go of her so they could get up. “Yep. I’m going to take you inside right now and we’re going at it like bunnies.”

She laughed again. “You mad romantic fool, you.”

He shrugged. “I never claimed to be one of those.” As he took her by the hand and led her inside he sensed a tension that hadn’t been there before. She wasn’t laughing anymore. Did she want him to be more romantic? His mind went straight back to the fact that he hadn’t asked her to marry him yet. He hadn’t done it because he wanted to come up with something that was romantic, but was also him. He couldn’t think of anything that would fit both. He stopped when they got to the kitchen. He didn’t want to take her to bed when she seemed to have lost her excitement. He turned to her and smiled. “Do you want to save it for later, when we get back?”

She nodded. “Maybe we should.”

~ ~ ~

Chance took hold of her hand when they got close to the Boathouse. The place looked to be packed. There was a band set up outside on the deck and most of the tables were taken already.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked.

“I am, are you?”

“Yeah. I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

“That’s good.”

“It is. This, you and me, us being here together, it feels right.”

Hope smiled, but didn’t say anything. Part of her had been worried that once he came back here, he’d feel that he couldn’t be with her, but the opposite seemed to be true. He confirmed that with his next words.

“It might have taken me a long time to get over Chloe, but I’m glad it did. I know now, especially after talking to Renée today that, not only am I ready to move on, but I already have moved on.”

Hope looked up at him.

He nodded and squeezed her hand. “I told Renée this afternoon that I feel like everything I’ve clung to about Chloe and me was just a bunch of superstitions I built up. Chloe’s gone. I wasn’t trying to hold on to her, even though I thought I was. I was just trying to hold on to my feelings for her.” He looked down at her and dropped a kiss on her lips. “My feelings for her were the feelings of an eighteen-year-old kid. My feelings for you are so much more than that.”

Hope’s eyes filled with tears.

He shook his head. “Don’t cry, honey. You should be happy. I am. I’m happy that I’ve finally figured it out. I was a kid back then. Now I’m a man and you’ve helped me become a better man. I want to keep getting better and become the best man I can be, for you.”

“You’re the best man I’ve ever known.”

“I want to be. I love you, Hope.”

“I love you.”

“Hey, Chance!”

They both looked up to see Pete Hemming coming across the square with a woman Hope assumed must be his wife.

Chance squeezed her hand and spoke quietly out the side of his mouth. “And so, it begins. I’ll warn you now, if I reach my limit I might just grab you and hightail it out of here. And if you reach your limit, you should do the same. Okay?”

“Deal.”

“Hey, Pete. Holly.”

“I’m glad you came,” said Pete. “Hope, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Holly.”

Hope shook hands with Holly. “It’s nice to meet you. You seem familiar for some reason.”

Holly smiled. “We’ve never met, but we’ve been at a few of the same fashion shows over the years. I own a boutique in LA …”

“Hayes!” exclaimed Hope. “Oh, wow! You’re Holly Hayes.”

“I am.”

Pete grinned at Chance. “I suggest we get them inside before we let them start talking. Otherwise we’ll be standing out here all night.”

“Watch it, Bigshot.” Hope laughed as Holly slapped Pete’s butt. “How about you go get us a drink while we talk and then you come find us with it?”

“Yes, ma’am, anything you say, ma’am.” Pete looked at Chance. “Come on, you’ll get used to being dismissed by the womenfolk. We’ll probably find some of the guys at the bar already.”

Hope caught his eye. She hated for the moment they’d just shared to be broken up this way. She was worried that he might not want to go with Pete and possibly be dragged into a big group conversation with the other guys. But he winked at her and smiled. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. She was used to networking with women in the fashion industry. She wasn’t worried for herself, just for him. “I’m fine. I’m sure Holly and I will have plenty to talk about.”

“You can say that again, girlfriend,” said Holly and slipped her arm through Hope’s. “Let’s go find a quiet corner so I can have you to myself for a minute before everyone realizes you’re here and descends on you.”

Hope looked back over her shoulder at Chance as Holly led her through the bar. He turned back too and they smiled at each other. That helped. It made her feel that whatever they were about to be subjected to individually, they were at least united in the face of it.

Holly slid into an empty booth in a quiet corner and Hope sat down opposite her. “Sorry I dragged you away like that, but I just have to tell you how much I adore your clothes.”

“Thank you, but I can’t really take the credit for them. We hired a couple of young designers last year and they’re the ones coming up with the great new stuff.”

Holly waved her hand. “Don’t be so modest, you’ve been designing the best workout gear there is for years.”

“Thanks. What about you? Do you have your own label?”

“No. I’m not a designer. I know great clothes when I see them, but I can’t come up with them myself.” Holly looked up. “Uh-oh, it doesn’t look like I’ll get you to myself for long, here come Missy and Emma.”

Hope looked around. She was curious to meet Emma after what her husband had said yesterday.

“What are you two up to?” asked Missy. “I thought everyone was meeting out on the deck?”

“We are,” said Holly with a smile, “but I took the most of the opportunity to get Hope to myself for a minute.”

Emma laughed. “Well, sorry, but your minute’s up.” She smiled at Hope. “Hi, I’m Emma. I believe you met my husband, Jack, yesterday.”

Hope made to shake hands with her, but Emma slid into the booth beside her and wrapped her in a hug. “Sorry. I’m a hugger. I’m sure everyone’s told you how nice it is to meet you, but I am soooo happy to meet you. I really am.”

Hope couldn’t help but like her. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you! Poor Chance has been so sad for so long, and now he’s finally happy and it’s all down to you. I think you’re my new favorite person.”

Hope laughed. Chance wasn’t joking when he’d said Emma was a sweetheart.

Missy slid in next to Holly. “Don’t mind our Em, you’ll get used to her. I’m just glad she’s not scratching your eyes out.”

“Missy!” Emma’s cheeks were bright red and Hope felt bad for her. “I’m not like that.” She met Hope’s gaze. “I’m sure someone’s about to tell you, if they haven’t already, that I have a teeny crush on Chance.”

Holly and Missy laughed loudly. “Make that a huge crush that she’s had for at least twenty years.”

Emma hung her head and Hope put a hand on her arm, wanting to make her feel better. “Well, if anyone understands that it’s me. I had a crush on him the minute I met him. We just have good taste in men, don’t we? Your Jack’s a hottie, to say the least.”

Emma smiled at her. “I think so.”

Hope made a face at Missy. “You don’t understand because he’s your brother, that’s all.”

Emma nodded. “See, I’ve been telling you that for years. Hope gets it.”

Chance and Pete arrived at the booth. “Sorry ladies,” said Pete. “We only got Holly and Hope a drink.”

“That’s okay,” said Missy. “Jack and Dan got ours, they’re outside on the deck. Are you coming?”

Hope looked up at Chance. He was smiling and didn’t seem uncomfortable. He raised an eyebrow and she nodded. So far, she liked everyone she’d met. She was looking forward to meeting the others.

~ ~ ~

Once they were seated outside, Chance looked around at everyone. They’d had to pull three of the big picnic benches together to accommodate everyone. That made him smile. He remembered when people had started moving back here and Missy had been so happy about it. He’d come for her birthday a couple of years ago and at that point their gang of friends had all fit at one picnic bench. It made him wonder if he and Hope might come to live here one day, like so many others had.

He rested his hand on Hope’s knee beneath the table. He wasn’t sure if she’d like him keeping his arm around her in front of everyone, but he wanted her to know he was watching out for her.

She turned and smiled at him.

“Are you okay with this?”

She nodded. “I am. I’m having fun. Are you?”

“Yeah.” He smiled realizing that he was having fun. He raised a hand when he spotted Gabe and e making their way out onto the deck. Hope had said she wanted to meet them. He hoped she still felt that way. “Are you sure you’re okay with meeting Renée?”

“I’m looking forward to it. Is that her?”

“Yeah.” He was about to get up to introduce them, but Hope beat him to it. She got to her feet and went to greet Renée before she reached the picnic table. Chance scrambled after her.

“Hi. I’m Hope.”

Renée smiled. “I know.”

Chance watched the two women standing there facing each other for a long awkward moment. He wanted to do something, say something, to break the silence, but he couldn’t. He just stood there transfixed, feeling as though he was watching his past come face to face with his future. He knew everyone else had stopped talking and was watching. He felt like his fate hung in the balance, as if the outcome of this encounter would define how he moved forward in life. He thought Hope moved first, but it might have been Renée. He didn’t know; it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they both stepped forward and hugged each other. There was genuine affection in that embrace. Both women closed their eyes and Chance just knew that they were both hiding tears. He had to swallow and blink a couple of times himself. When they let go of each other, Renée said something he couldn’t hear and Hope nodded. They turned and walked away into the crowd.

Gabe met his gaze with a smile. “Do you mind if I join you? Looks like they’re going to take a while.”

“I hope they do. Come on, let’s go to the bar.” He’d barely started his drink, and Gabe had a full one in his hand, but Chance needed to escape. He knew all the eyes turned in his direction were filled with concern, but he couldn’t stand so much attention focused on him.