The late afternoon sun cast golden light over the resort, highlighting the areas of busy activity. The visible progress. Landscaping was taking shape, and the freshly painted building gleamed like a promise waiting to be fulfilled. Everything was buzzing with potential, and I felt like I was, too.
I let myself enjoy the sensation. I’d spent too long denying it.
I headed home, where Finn met me at the front door. He glanced up at me, his face shining with expectation. “Is Chase here yet?”
“Not yet, sweetheart. But soon.” I kissed the top of his head. “Think you’ll have room for pizza?”
He nodded, a sticky smile spreading across his face. “Uh-huh. We got pepperoni, right?”
“And extra cheese,” I confirmed.
Muffled sounds drew my attention to the kitchen, where my mother emerged. Her hair was pulled back in a loose braid, and she had that familiar look of satisfied relief that came from quality time with her grandson, now over.
“Well, I’ve got all the dishes in the dishwasher, and there’s fresh lemonade in the fridge,” Mom said, coming over to kiss my cheek. “You guys have a good night.”
“Thanks for watching him, Mom.” I squeezed her hand, grateful as always for her unwavering support. “I hope he wasn’t too much of a tornado today.”
She laughed, ruffling Finn’s hair. “Wouldn’t be the same if he wasn’t. Good thing he’s an angel too.” With a wave, she shut the front door behind her.
Finn bounced ahead of me into the living room, full of questions about when Chase would arrive. I watched him, imagining nights like this stretching far into the future.
I set down my things and glanced around the cozy space, envisioning where we’d sit, eat, and plan. In my mind, I saw the three of us curled on the couch, Chase with an arm around me, Finn asleep against his chest. The image made me feel like I was floating, like the old anchor of fear had loosened its hold at last.
I straightened the coasters on the table, aligning them precisely with the corners. “Why don’t you put your toys away? Chase and I need to look at floor samples.”
“Can I keep the LEGOs out? Chase said we might finish the spaceship tonight.” Finn’s eyes were wide and hopeful, a miniature negotiator in training.
“Fine. Just the spaceship pieces, though, not your entire collection.”
“Yes!” Finn pumped his fist in the air and raced to his bedroom.
I smiled after him, then moved to the kitchen to check on dinner preparations. The pizza was ready to heat, salad prepped in the fridge, and I’d even picked up a tiramisu from Sweet Dreams—Chase’s favorite. Nothing fancy but thoughtful. A comfortable family evening that felt both significant and perfectly ordinary.
My phone buzzed on the counter. Chase’s name appeared on the screen, and I smiled as I answered.
“Hey. Are you on your way?” I nestled the phone between my ear and shoulder as I arranged three plates on the counter.
“Harper.” Something in his tone made me stop. “A situation just came up.”
The plate in my hand stilled. “What kind of situation?”
“The Franson project.” He sighed, the sound heavy with frustration. “The county inspector came by this afternoon for the pre-drywall check on the guest suite addition, and we failed. Badly.”
“Oh.” I set the plate down. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not. There are issues with the electrical installation. If we don’t get this fixed immediately, it pushes back drywall, which pushes back everything else, and the Fransons are hosting a family reunion in two weeks.”
I leaned against the counter, a cold feeling settling in my stomach. “That sounds stressful.”
“It’s a nightmare.” His voice was tight with tension. “Marilyn tried handling it—she’s been on the phone with the electrical contractor all afternoon—but I need to be on site for this. I’m there now.”
The cold feeling spread. “So you’re canceling.”
A beat of silence. “I’m really sorry, Harper. I have tostay here until this is resolved, and I’ll probably need to be here first thing tomorrow too, to make sure everything’s ready for the re-inspection.”
“Well, we need to get together soon. What about the flooring samples? We have to choose something by Friday to keep the Room Block One schedule on track.”
“I know.” The strain in his voice was evident. “I was thinking maybe we could meet for lunch tomorrow to go over them. Or I could drop them off in the morning for you to look at, and then we can discuss by phone?”
