Chapter Twenty
HARPER
The bonfire crackled merrily,spitting embers that danced like rogue fireflies against the black sky. Laughter drifted on the breeze, mingling with the scent of woodsmoke, and the salty tang carried in from the darkening sea. I leaned back against the smooth driftwood log, the warmth of the fire pleasant on my face, the rough fabric of Chase’s flannel shirt—loaned when the evening air turned cool—a comforting weight around my shoulders.
Beside me, Chase stretched out his long legs, looking utterly relaxed. He caught my eye and offered a slow, easy smile. Things felt… good. Almost normal, if anything about falling for my brother’s best friend, our business partner, could be considered normal.
The past few days since our charged conversation in my office had been surprisingly smooth. He’d thrown himself back into work, resolving the Franson crisis with focused efficiency, but he’d also made a point of checkingin and communicating clearly about schedules. He’d come over for a spaghetti dinner as he’d agreed and yesterday, he’d even managed a short visit to witness Finn’s latest rehearsal. Now that the play was quickly approaching, Finn practiced every chance he got, including muttering about parrotfish to his cereal. Chase wasshowingme he could juggle it all, that he was reliable. And I wanted desperately to let go of the breath I’d been holding since… well, since Jarod.
But deep down, beneath the surface of this newfound comfort, a tiny sliver of sharp doubt remained. I couldn’t quite shake the memory of that fractional hesitation before he’d reassured me he didn’t want to cool things between us. He’d denied it, yes, his words firm, his lips and hands even more so. Yet, that split second of uncertainty I’d perceived had lodged itself in my mind, a tiny burr under the saddle of my cautious hope.
He said what I wanted to hear… but did he really mean it?
I pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the scene around me. Eli and Jules were huddled together on a blanket nearby, Eli whispering something that made Jules laugh and swat his arm playfully. They looked so effortlessly content, their earlier relationship drama resolved into a comfortable, established partnership. Brenna and Hunter were sharing a bag of popcorn, Hunter’s large frame a protective presence beside my sister, their easy affection a quiet counterpoint to Eli’s more outgoing charm. Braden was enthusiastically explaining the nuances of hop varieties to a slightly glazed-looking Chase. It was… relaxing. My family, starting to feel likeourfamily.
“Prepare for galactic domination!”
Finn’s excited call cut through the general murmur. He burst into the firelight circle, proudly holding aloft the LEGO spaceship he and Chase had painstakingly assembled.It was ridiculously complex, all gray bricks and transparent blue engine parts, far beyond anything I could have managed.
“Whoa, check it out!” Eli abandoned Jules momentarily to admire the creation. “Does it have hyperdrive?”
Finn puffed out his chest. “Yep! And laser cannons! Chase showed me how to make the wings fold back for atmospheric entry.” He turned expectantly to Chase, who had stopped listening to Braden mid-sentence about pilsners.
“It’s a masterpiece, Finn,” Chase said with pride. He pointed to a small lever. “Show them the secret escape pod.”
Finn giggled, demonstrating the feature with a flourish. “It’s for emergencies!”
I watched Chase interact with my son, my heart doing that familiar ache-and-swell thing. He didn’t talk down to Finn—he engaged with him, respected his imagination, celebrated his enthusiasm. He kneeled beside Finn now, pointing out different parts of the ship, listening intently as Finn explained the function of each imaginary component. Seeing them like this, heads close together in the flickering firelight, Chase’s usual focused intensity softened by easy affection… it was the exact picture of the future I secretly craved, the one I was terrified to fully believe in.
Later, after the LEGO ship had been sufficiently admired and s’mores had been distributed—Eli predictably burning his marshmallow to a blackened crisp, Chase achieving perfect golden-brown toastiness—Finn snuggled beside me on the log. He leaned his head against my arm, smelling faintly of smoke and graham crackers as he drowsily watched the flames dance. Chase had moved to another log, drawn into a conversation with Hunter, something about local building regulations, leaving me andFinn in a small bubble of quiet amidst the surrounding chatter.
The fire popped, sending a shower of sparks toward the starry sky. Finn reached for the LEGO spaceship at his feet, his small fingers finding the tiny lever that activated the retractable wings. With careful precision, he pushed the mechanism, making the wings fold back with a satisfying click. The blue transparent pieces caught the firelight, glowing almost magically.
“This is my favorite part,” he murmured, more to himself than to me. “Chase says real spaceships need to change shape for different kinds of flying.”
I smiled, smoothing his hair. “I imagine he would know.”
Finn shifted, turning his face up toward mine, his blue eyes serious in the dim light. He burrowed into my side and whispered so only I could hear, “Mommy?”
“Hmm?” I murmured, smoothing his already messy hair.
“When Chase finishes all the new buildings…” He paused, his brow furrowed in thought. “Will he be my dad then? For real?”
The air rushed out of my lungs. The crackling fire roared in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. Finn’s innocent question, spoken so matter-of-factly, landed like a punch, striking that precise point where my deepest hopes met my most profound fears.
Finn sees it. He expects it. He’s building a future in his head based on sandcastles and LEGO spaceships.
Cold panic clawed its way up my throat. I pulled my son closer instinctively, needing his solid warmth against me to counteract the sudden chill spreading through my veins. I glanced frantically toward Chase. He was still deep in conversation with Hunter, oblivious to the emotionalearthquake that had just occurred beside the firepit. Thank God.
“Oh, sweetie,” I managed, forcing my voice to sound light, casual, even as my heart hammered against my ribs. “Chase is… Chase is our very special friend. He cares about us very much.”
“I have a friend at school, Jason. His mom had a special friend and now he’s Jason’s dad,” Finn persisted, his logic crushing me further. “And Chase builds stuff like dads do.”
“We’ll see what happens, honey,” I murmured against his hair, hating the vague non-answer but unable to offer more. “Right now, isn’t it nice that he helps you build such amazing LEGO spaceships?”
“Yeah, that’s awesome.” Apparently satisfied for the moment, Finn snuggled back against me and returned his attention to the mesmerizing flames. But his question echoed in my mind, amplifying the doubt sown by Chase’s hesitation in my office.
He admitted feeling overwhelmed. And I didn’t imagine that pause before he said he was all in.
