Page 38 of Mended Fences

JASPER

Look at that. Doubled his word count in just a few minutes. There’s hope for him yet.

KAI

EMMA

I’ll be right down!

KAI

No

He’s ok

Just needs a minute alone

I got him

EMMA

Thank you, Kai.

Kai Callaghan hearted a message.

This was all my fault.

Chase hadn’t even been home for twenty-four hours, and I was already threatening his sobriety with my poor decision-making. I’d found out about the baby after we’d split—just before his accident and rehab—and I’d made my choice then, alone. I was keeping her, no matter what a paternity test mightsay. No matter how she came to be. She was mine, and I refused to let Peter—or the circumstances—taint that. But now, with Chase back, I couldn’t shake the feeling that avoiding him these past weeks had been a mistake. That my silence was starting to look like shame.

The baby kicked again, harder this time, as if sensing my distress. Or maybe protesting the sudden movement as I practically ran for the door.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, one hand pressed against my belly. But I wasn’t sure who I was apologizing to—the baby, or Chase, or maybe both of them. All I knew was that I’d managed to hurt the one person who’d only ever tried to protect me, and I had to fix it.

Somehow.

Chapter Eleven

CHASE

Then, January 2024

I wasn’t lettingElena’s silence deter me.

In addition to working as a ski instructor—which I was fucking crushing, by the way—Tessa and Elliot had agreed to let me work construction with Mike and his crew on the cidery. The extra income would help, because I had my eye set on an apartment.

Iwouldget my shit together. For her.

“Good work today, Holly.” I’d just finished up a session with a local teenager and was done for the day. The work was fun as hell, but it could also be exhausting.

“Thanks, Chase! See you next week.”

Back in the ski shop, I tucked all my gear away, clocked out, and waved goodbye to Jeff before I headed over to the lodge for a hot cup of coffee.

“Hey, Vick,” I said to the barista when I rolled up to the counter.

“Hi, Chase.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. We saw each other almost daily now that I worked here, but every time, she blushed. “Your usual?”

“Please.” I spun around to people watch while I waited for Vicki to pour my coffee. The sight of long dark hair, big brown eyes, and teal scrubs stole the breath from my lungs.