A flutter of surprise rippled through her.
“If that’s okay with you,” he added, his voice softer now. “We’ll eat out by the dock.”
Her heart did a strange little flip, her pulse quickening.
Inside, his home was just as breathtaking—vaulted ceilings, exposed wooden beams, and warm lighting that cast everything in a golden glow, and it’s only the kitchen. It was masculine but inviting, like him. She watched as he moved effortlessly through the space, rolling up his sleeves, pouring them each a glass of wine. His movements were confident, sure, like this was just another ordinary evening. But nothing about this felt ordinary.
“You cook now?” she teased, trying to lighten the air between them.
He glanced at her, amused. “I always have.”
“That’s debatable.” She mocked.
He handed her a glass, the corners of his mouth tugging up in a smirk. “Sit tight. Let me impress you.”
She asked if she could help, his response was calm and demanding. “No, just sit there—look beautiful, and talk to me.”
Her brows raised. “Well damn,” she thought, heat curling low in her stomach.
“Can I at least know what you’re cooking?”
Turns out, it was—Seared salmon, perfectly seasoned, a lemon-dill sauce that melted over the top. Roasted vegetables, crisp and golden, and a risotto so creamy it wasalmost sinful.
Once dinner was finished, Chase plated the food and asked her to grab the wine and join him out by the dock. As he pushed open the screen door, Savannah followed—only then realizing that his house sat right on the sound. The sight took her breath away.
The water stretched endlessly beyond the backyard, calm and shimmering under the last light of dusk, reflecting the sky like melted gold. A dock jutted out over the glassy surface, and at its edge, beneath a pergola wrapped in soft, flickering lanterns, a table was set for two. It was intimate, secluded, like something out of a dream.
As they sat, the sound lapped gently beneath them, the air thick with something unspoken, something more than just shared history.
The conversation started light—old memories, laughter that came easy. But then, somewhere between the lingering glances and the glow of the lanterns, it deepened.
They spoke of the past. Of regrets. Of the people who had come before.
“I didn’t treat them right,” Chase admitted, his voice quieter now, laced with something raw. “The women I dated. I was always looking for something that wasn’t there.”
Savannah studied him, noting the weight in his words, the honesty in his expression. “Something you could never find,” she murmured.
His eyes met hers, holding them. “Yeah, you could say that.”
Her chest tightened—because she knew exactly what he meant.
After a moment, she asked softly, “Why haven’t you settled down, Montgomery?”
Chase exhaled, setting his wine glass down before reaching for her hand. There was confusion in her gaze, but she didn’t pull away as he guided her toward the fire pit at the end of the dock, where chairs circled around a bed of unlit wood. He pulled one out for her before striking a match, the fire flickering to life between them.
Then he asked, “Are you ready to know?”
Something in his tone made her pulse quicken. “Yes,” she whispered.
He took a breath. “People don’t see this side of me, Savy. What I’m about to tell you—it’s probably the most reckless thing I’ve ever said.”
Her heart skipped at the name. She hadn’t heard him call her that in years.
“Close your eyes,” he said gently.
She did.
“Listen to the wind—the way it brushes against your skin,” he continued. “Listen to the water drifting to shore. The way the seagrass rustles in the salt air. Now—listen to your heart. The rhythm of it. The way it moves with the tide.” A pause. Then, his voice softer now—“This is my second favorite place in the world. Do you hear it?”
