Page 4 of An Unexpected Chance

She smiled, running a hand over her hair. “It’s comfortable. I’m saving for a house, but it will be a while. I want one by the water.”

“You like the beach,” I said, indicating the shells and driftwood.

“I love the beach and the water. I sit and sketch or walk for miles. I love collecting stones or shells and making things with them.”

“Mia would love that. She’s starting to get into doing things with her hands. She draws really well.”

“Maybe we can do it together one day,” she offered, looking nervous.

I grinned. “Maybe.” Without thinking, I held out my hand. “Lunch?”

She slipped her palm against mine with a smile. I wrapped my fingers around hers, liking how they felt in mine.

“Sounds good,” she replied.

* * *

The restaurant was fairly deserted. It was large, light, and open, overlooking the water. We got a table by the window, and Amy chatted to the server, obviously a regular. We ordered drinks, and I looked over the menu.

“What do you recommend?”

“The lobster and shrimp roll is spectacular. The grilled halibut is great too.”

I shut my menu. “The roll for me.”

She grinned. “Me too.”

We ordered, and I lifted my wineglass, clinking it with hers. I sipped the cold white wine in appreciation and looked at the expanse of water through the window, feeling a smile tug on my mouth.

“What?” she asked, tilting her head to the side, studying me.

I shrugged, leaning my elbows on the table. “If someone had told me a few months ago that I would be living in Nova Scotia by the water, drinking wine at two o’clock on a weekday, sitting across from a beautiful lady, instead of my usual work from sunup to sundown, I would have laughed.” I sat back, opening my hands. “Yet, here I am.”

She smiled. “Change is good.”

“It is.”

She picked up her wine, studying her glass. “You think I’m beautiful?”

“Incredibly so. I thought it the moment I saw you at Evan’s place. Even more so the last time.”

“I thought you were incredibly sexy,” she admitted.

I felt a glow of satisfaction. “Did you?” I murmured.

She lifted her eyes to mine, the blue almost silver in the sunlight. “You were laughing with Evan, and you looked so…virile and alive.”

The glow became a fire.

“I think I was starting to fall in love with this place. Cliff’s Edge is such an amazing little town. The people, the scenery, all of it. I hadn’t expected to feel the way I did about it, but it felt as if I had found something I was looking for, if that makes sense.”

She nodded. “I grew up in Halifax, but we often came out to Cliff’s Edge, and I loved the vibe. I was working in Halifax when I saw the post for the position here. I applied and was thrilled to get the job.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Five years.” She sipped her wine. “Holly told me you brought Mia here to meet Evan.”

I sat back, surprisingly relaxed, considering the subject. “I did. She wanted to meet her uncle. I never expected to find what we did. A family that opened their arms to us. A new life. But I’ve never seen Mia so happy or settled. I haven’t felt this positive in years.”