Page 11

CHAPTER 11

DELANEY

The call came during lunch. We’d spent the morning finishing up our nature journals, and I’d planned an afternoon full of games in the clearing behind the park office. While the kids chatted and laughed, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and glanced at the number. I didn’t recognize anything but the New York area code. Assuming it was a telemarketer, I let it go to voicemail.

I was struggling to get by on just a couple of hours of sleep thanks to Jace. Just thinking about last night made my cheeks flush with heat. I ducked back inside the building to grab my own lunch before one of the kids caught me blushing like a teenager with a crush.

My phone beeped, signaling a new voicemail. I unlocked my screen so I could confirm it was nothing but froze when the first few seconds played. It was a woman from an environmental nonprofit I’d worked with on a project during grad school. They were looking for an outreach coordinator for their wildlife programming team. Full-time hours, a nice salary, and competitive benefits.

Hands shaking, I called back. The job was even better than I imagined. I could work out of their office in Albany. I’d have the opportunity to travel to national parks across the country plus plenty of room for advancement. It was the chance of a lifetime, and she was handing it to me on a silver platter.

“What do you think, Miss Hart?” the woman asked. “We’re eager to fill the position and would love for you to start as soon as possible.”

My heart stopped beating. I bit back the “yes” on the tip of my tongue. I already had a job through the end of the summer. It’s not like I could just walk out.

“I’ve got a commitment through the end of August. I’m running a nature summer camp in Tennessee and can’t leave the kids without a counselor.”

“I understand. Would you be able to start right after Labor Day?”

“That would be great.” Excitement bloomed in my chest. I’d be able to finish camp and not leave Jace high and dry. Oh my god, Jace. I was so excited about the offer that I didn’t think it through all the way. It was the kind of job my parents would finally brag about, but for the first time, that wasn’t what I cared about most. “Actually, I’d like to take the weekend to think about it. Can I give you an answer on Monday?”

“Absolutely. I’ll go ahead and draw up the offer package so you can review it over the next couple of days. We’d love to have you join our staff. Have a good weekend.”

“Thanks. You too.” I’d barely hung up when Jace’s voice came from behind me.

“Hey. I wondered if I’d find you in here.” He swept through the doorway and closed it behind him. Then he rushed over, gathered me into his arms, and kissed me like we hadn’t seen each other in weeks.

My knees buckled, and he pulled me closer.

“You okay, Delaney? I’ve heard of guys sweeping women off their feet before but never thought that would be me.” His smile sliced through the fog in my head.

“I’m good. Better than good, actually.” That little flutter in my chest wasn’t just excitement, it was nerves. Because the words I should have said got tangled somewhere behind my ribcage. I needed to tell him about the job offer, but something held me back. He looked so happy. I’d never seen him with such a wide smile, and I didn’t want to ruin it.

“I just stopped by to make sure last night wasn’t a dream.” His arms slipped around my waist, and he slid his hands into the back pockets of my pants. “And to let you know that I’ve got a crew heading over to repair the bridge by your cabin this afternoon.”

“Thanks. I was wondering how I was going to get my car out this weekend.”

“The kids and I can come pick you up for dinner tomorrow night. Five o’clock okay? That gives us time for a round or two of yard dice before I fire up the grill.”

I reached up and adjusted the collar of his green park ranger shirt. “Sounds good, but I can drive myself over.”

“You sure?”

At my nod, he kissed me again, leaving me breathless and wanting so much more. “I’ll see you then.”

Before I could say a word about the job offer, he was out the door. It was probably for the best. We could talk about it tomorrow night after dinner. It wasn’t the kind of news to spring on a man at work. Especially not after spending all night long in his arms.

When I pulled into Jace’s driveway the next day, I grabbed my bag and tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. I’d been up half the night trying to figure out how to tell him about the job offer. One that would take me hundreds of miles away from Big Wood.

I knocked on the door and he opened it, standing there with a huge bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. “These are for you. Wren and Eli helped me pick them earlier.”

I looked over his shoulder to see the twins running up behind him. There wasn’t time to ask him what he’d told Eli and Wren about us. They stopped just shy of crashing into me and wrapped me into a hug.

“Here, let me take that before it lands on the floor.” Jace took the bag out of my hand.

“What did you bring for dessert?” Eli asked.

Wren tapped her brother on the nose. “It’s rude to ask.”

“It’s okay.” I put a hand on each of their shoulders and guided them down the hall to follow in Jace’s footsteps. “What do you think about making our own trough for dessert?”

“Banana splits?” Eli yelled.

Jace had set the flowers down and was unpacking the bag I’d brought. “Keep it down, son. If you let everyone in the neighborhood know we’re having banana splits for dessert, there won’t be any left for us.”

“Trust me, there’s plenty.” I laughed, loving being part of the easiness between him and his kids. It felt so good. So easy. Like I'd finally slipped into the space I’d been created to fill, which made it so much harder to think about what might come next.

“Miss Delaney, do you want to come see my sketchbooks?” Wren tugged at my hand.

I looked over at Jace whose shrug seemed to say it would be okay with him. “Sure. I’d love to see them.”

Wren led me up a wide set of stairs to the second floor. We passed a room decked out in blues and greens that looked like Eli’s, then entered a room painted light pink with a butterfly lamp on the dresser. She pulled out a half dozen sketchbooks and sat down at the foot of the bed.

“These are amazing.” I slowly flipped through the pages full of drawings of plants and flowers. She had real talent. “Have you shared these with your dad?”

Her dark hair bounced as she shook her head. “Not all of them.”

“How come?” Since camp had started, I’d been encouraging Wren to open up more to her dad. He and Eli were two of a kind, but I could see how Wren might feel a little left out since her interests and talents didn’t quite align with her brother’s and dad’s.

She shrugged. “He likes doing stuff more than he likes looking at stuff.”

“He might surprise you,” I said. “Even though you both don’t love the same things, it doesn’t mean that you can’t appreciate each other’s interests. Did you finish that picture you drew of the camp entrance?”

Wren bit down on her lower lip. “Almost, but not yet.”

“Well, I bet he’ll love it when he sees it.” We’d worked on it together in secret as a surprise for her dad. Wren had made great progress on her own and just needed a few tips on how to perfect her shading.

“I’m going to do it right now.” She got up and pulled another sketchbook out of a drawer.

“You’ve got this. I’m going to check and see if your dad needs help with dinner.” I gave her a side hug then got up to head back downstairs.

Jace stood at the kitchen counter smashing ground beef into patties while Eli worked on a crossword puzzle I’d passed out at the end of camp the day before.

“What’s a tough tree that’s sometimes used for signs?” Eli asked.

I looked over his shoulder. “Five letters?”

“Yeah. It goes right here.” He tapped his pencil on the blank square for number ten down.

“Try ‘cedar.’ Looks like it fits,” I suggested.

Eli filled in the letters. “You’re good at this.”

“Delaney’s good at lots of things.” Wren stepped into the kitchen holding a sheet from her sketchbook. “Look, Dad. She helped me with this picture I drew for you.”

Jace looked up as Wren flipped the piece of paper around. She’d added quite a bit to the drawing since I’d last seen it. Not only had she perfectly captured the entrance to the Big Wood Park, she’d added people to it. I recognized Jace and the kids but wasn’t sure who the woman standing next to him was supposed to be.

“Wow. Wren, that’s amazing.” Jace’s smiled widened as he stepped closer. “You’ve got all of us there.”

“Yeah, you, Eli, me, and Miss Delaney.” Wren set the picture down on the counter and bent over it, pointing out all the flowers and trees by name.

Something cracked open inside me. Wren had added me into their world, right into the center of it. I’d spent my whole life trying to prove my own worth and fit in somewhere by chasing goals, jobs, and titles. There I was, my image created in colored pencils, belonging in a way I’d never let myself dream of.

Since camp had started, I’d come to love Eli and Wren. I was honored Wren felt so safe with me. And Eli… he cracked me up with his undeniable enthusiasm for the great outdoors. I could see myself with them. My gaze snagged on Jace. I could see myself with him .

A scratching noise came from the back door, interrupting my internal crisis. I looked over as Eli opened it just in time to see a huge dog bounding toward me.

“Brutus, no!” Jace’s fingers snagged on the dog’s collar as it jumped into the air.

Instead of knocking me over, I ended up with a couple of giant paw prints on the front of my white jeans and a slobbery kiss across the chin.

“That’s Brutus,” Wren said.

“I’m sorry. Let me get him back outside.” Jace got the dog through the door and closed it. The burger patties he’d left on a tray on the counter now sat on the floor. He looked up with an apologetic smile. “How do you feel about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner?”

“That sounds delicious. Where’s the bread?” I pushed my sleeves up and opened drawers until I found a knife.

Jace brushed past me, leaning in to whisper, “I could kiss you right now.”

My heart warmed. I hadn’t just fallen for him. I’d fallen for all of it, the sticky-fingered twins, flying pillows, Brutus’s muddy paws, and the quiet joy in Jace’s eyes when he looked at his daughter’s drawings and ran his hand over his son’s head.

With Wren’s help, we stacked half a dozen sandwiches on a plate while Jace set out the coleslaw he’d picked up from Hog & Hickory and tossed a few bags of chips on the kitchen island.

After dinner, the kids went up to Jace’s room to watch a movie. Brutus decided I wasn’t a threat and zonked out on his pillow in front of the fireplace. Jace poured two glasses of whiskey and joined me on the comfortable sectional.

“I know it’s a lot,” he said as he handed me a glass. “I’m used to it, but I forget how chaotic it can be for someone who’s not.”

“It’s okay. I thrive on chaos,” I said. The first sip of whiskey burned as it slid down the back of my throat. It was time to bring up the job offer. We’d find a way to make it work. But before I could find the right words on how to start, he held out his glass to clink against mine.

“To new beginnings, Delaney. To the start of you and me.”

I clinked my glass against his, but the toast lodged like a splinter under my skin. I wanted to believe it. To let myself live in the moment. But the words I hadn’t said weighed on me like a ten ton boulder. Words with the power to change everything.