Chapter 5

5

MARIGOLD

C hance paid for our food, and I helped carry everything to a nearby picnic table, where we joined another family.

Chance nodded at the father, Don, and said, "How are you enjoying the festival?"

Don nodded. "It's a beautiful day for it."

Chance shifted his attention to the kids. "How about you guys? Having fun?"

The little girl, Abigail, said, "We're going to get cotton candy after we eat lunch."

Chance winked at her. "You have to save dessert for later, right?"

Everyone laughed, and then we turned our attention to our food.

Chance helped Joey get the barbecue sauce for his chicken. He was sweet and patient with him.

I wondered why Chance felt like he had to be in uniform at town events. That he could never just be himself. "You ever attend community events as yourself?"

He blinked at me before dunking a fry in ketchup. "What do you mean?"

I waved a hand. "You know, wear plain clothes. Not always be Sheriff St. Claire."

He shifted on the bench. "Not really. It just makes more sense to have police presence at an event like this."

"You don't think they'd appreciate seeing you in street clothes every once in a while, just being a regular person?" I asked him, watching his expression carefully.

"People want to feel safe."

"You don't think the other deputies working the event accomplish that?" I wanted to know what was going on in Chance's head, but I was distracted by Joey sitting next to him. They looked like father and son. They had the same messy brown hair and blue eyes. My heart contracted at the idea of raising a boy with Chance. He'd be an amazing father, but would he ever let himself have a family for himself?

Chance's shoulders were rigid. "It's not the same thing as being the sheriff. It's a big responsibility."

"He's the boss," Joey said.

I smiled at him. "You're right. He is. But it's important for the boss to take breaks sometimes too. When you rest, you come back feeling more refreshed."

"That's what my teacher says about the weekends. We're supposed to relax and come back bright-eyed on Mondays."

We all chuckled at his recitation of his teacher's voice. Joey was adorable, and I loved that Chance got to play uncle. I just wished he had more opportunities like this one to be himself. To be an uncle, a brother, or even a boyfriend or father.

"Your dad was married and had you and Scarlett. So it must be possible to have a family."

Chance's eyes shuttered. "Trust me; it wasn't easy."

I frowned and thought back to my memories of staying over at the St. Claires. Dinner was always on the table at six. We never waited for Bart because he never knew when he'd be home. But Pam hadn't seemed upset about it, had she? I couldn't remember. It was just so different from my family. The home was so full of love. If there were bad feelings, I didn't notice. Maybe Chance saw something different.

Chance turned his body slightly toward Joey. "What are you working on in school?"

Joey talked about playing football in PE, and I knew the conversation was over. Chance didn't want to talk about his family's issues in front of Joey. But I wanted to know more. I wondered if Scarlett ever saw anything. Sometimes, I think she was so focused on not fitting in that she missed other things.

In her mind, she'd never live up to her parents' expectations. I never heard her talk about her parents being unhappy with each other. It was more about Scarlett disappointing them.

When I went home, it was just me. It was lonely. I had a lot of time to read and do whatever I wanted. But I longed for something more like the St. Claires' home. And I vowed to fill my home with light and laughter one day. Now, I was starting to think it wasn't going to happen.

"Marigold, how are you today?" Johnny O'Shrine stopped by our table. I assumed he was here in his official capacity as a county representative, where he went by Johnny O.

"We're great. Are you working today?"

John smiled. "When I'm in the community, it's always work. Right, Chance?"

Chance looked from me to John. "That's right."

"But I still make time to have a personal life."

"That's important." I wasn't sure what else to talk about with him. He stopped in at the library occasionally, and I'd see him around town. He always stopped to talk to me, but I thought it was more in his capacity as a local politician than any interest in me.

"I'll see you around, Marigold. Nice to see you, Sheriff." He nodded at the other family who was gathering their things to leave.

When John walked away, Chance asked, "John talks to you a lot?"

I frowned. "He seems to talk to everyone."

"I think he likes you."

My gaze swung from John, where he was talking to an elderly lady, to Chance. "What?"

"He likes you. I think he wanted to talk to you alone. He was irritated I was sitting here with Joey."

"That's ridiculous." I laughed, but then I thought back to the other times I'd run into him. Had he ever made any overtures? The invitations were usually to town events or charities. I didn't think it was anything more than being seen with the librarian for the sake of the community.

I'd always turned him down because I preferred a quiet night at home rather than going out. But now I wondered if I'd missed him asking me out.

"Marigold and John sitting in a tree…" Joey began singing.

"That's enough of that," Chance said sternly, and Joey stopped. "Adults don't like to be teased any more than kids do."

Joey sighed. "Fine."

"Are you almost done? I was thinking of taking you to the games area."

"We have time?" Joey asked.

Chance looked at his phone. "We have twenty minutes before I have to get you back to your dad."

Joey's mother wasn't around often, but his uncles more than made up for her absence. Joey had so many people looking out for him.

"Yay!" Joey hurried to finish his fries, and then we gathered our trash.

"You want to come with us?" Chance asked.

I shrugged. "Why not? I have more time on my break."

Chance smiled, and Joey said, "Yay!"

We walked toward the games area where there was a maze of hay bales, a ring toss, and a tractor to climb. Joey took off as soon as we neared the maze. We could just see the top of his head as he made his way through.

Chance crossed his arms over his chest. "Would you go out with John if he asked?"

"He has already, now that I think about it. I just didn't see it as a date. I've always said no before."

"But now?"

I stared off in the distance, aware that Chance was watching me. "I don’t think he’s my type.”

"What is your type?"

"Smart. Kind." I sighed. I'd dated responsible guys before, and they were boring. "I want to be with someone who wants a family as much as I do. I just haven't found someone who desires the same things." I wondered if my criteria were too broad. I should have more specific ideas of my ideal partner. But it had always been centered on creating a different future than my past. "What about you?"

His face was pinched. "I'm not looking for a partner."

"You don't think you'll ever change your mind?" I asked him as Joey ran out of the maze, then immediately went back in.

"This job isn't conducive to a family and kids."

"You might meet someone who doesn't want to have children."

"I wouldn't subject her to my job. The late nights. The stress."

"Your parents seemed happy."

Chance looked away. "Maybe to you. But I saw the strain when he didn't come home until late or he missed one of my football games."

"I wonder if you could have more of a work-life balance. That it's not one or the other."

Chance sighed. "This job is all-consuming, and it's what I've always wanted."

I could have said things change, but he wasn't receptive to that.

Joey ran up to us. "Can I get cotton candy?"

"Sure. Let's sugar you up before I hand you over to your father."

"Sugar me up. Sugar me up," Joey chanted as we made our way over to the stand.

Chance got a blue one for Joey, then a pink one.

When he handed it to me, I said, "Oh, I didn't need any."

Chance tipped his head toward it. "You know you love it."

I slowly unwrapped it as we walked toward the Wilde Ski Resort's booth. "I haven't had cotton candy since I was a kid."

"That's more of a reason to taste it." Chance took the plastic and threw it in a nearby garbage can.

I pulled a hunk off and let it dissolve in my mouth.

"It's still as sweet as you remember?" Chance leaned closer to ask, and my breath caught.

"More so."

Chance took a hunk for himself. "So good."

"You're just a big kid, aren't you? You don't want anyone to know, and that's why you're always seen in your uniform."

Chance chuckled. "I can't resist cotton candy, even though it's awful for your teeth."

"You have to live a little."

He grinned at me, and he looked so young like this, so full of life and energy. His job was stifling the boy I used to know. The one who had so much hope for the future.

We shared the cotton candy, our hands occasionally brushing each other's. Each time, a tingle ran from my fingers to my elbow.

What would it be like if we were dating? Would Chance take time at events to spend with me? Or would he dig deeper into his job? He was so resistant to meeting someone.

I should have been thinking about meeting someone new and not fixating on how good it felt to be here with him like this.

"You returned him to me in one piece," Oliver said.

Joey crawled under the table and presented his sticky hands to his father who reached for nearby wipes to clean them. "Cotton candy, huh? I can't wait until you have kids. I'll get them sugary treats and loud toys."

"Can you imagine if he had a girl?" Eli shook his head. "He wouldn't let her date until she's forty."

Chance shook his head. "You know I don't want kids."

Joey went to the back of the tent to sit on the curb and play with his trucks.

Oliver raised a brow. "You're so good with Joey though."

I enjoyed the back-and-forth with Chance and his friends. It was an interesting dynamic.

"Are we going mountain biking next weekend?" Chance asked the guys, probably to divert their attention from his personal life.

"Can't. Scarlett wants to see a play in a nearby town. She's scouting the competition, I guess. Or she just misses it." Eli might have acted like it was a chore, but he looked pleased to be taking Scarlett to a show she enjoyed.

"Joey has soccer practice."

"No more adventurous outings, huh? Everyone's busy." Chance kept his voice light, but I could tell he was disappointed.

Xan winked at me. "I'm taking a group of twenty-somethings on a hike. Should be a good time."

I couldn't help but laugh at him. He didn't take anything seriously.

"We'll figure out a time eventually," Eli said like it wasn't a big deal, but I sensed that it was for Chance.

He wanted to spend time with his friends because he wasn't creating any other kind of connections with people.

"Let me walk you back. Then I'll check in with my deputies." Chance placed a hand on my lower back, and the heat of his palm seared through the material of my light jacket.

I was impressed he'd taken an hour away from his duties to spend with me and Joey. "If the guys can't go biking, do you go by yourself?"

"Yeah, I probably will."

"Would you like company? I haven't been out on my bike in a long time."

Chance paused near the rescue table. "You really want to go with me?"

I enjoyed biking, and the weather was perfect. It was unseasonably warm for November. If it stayed like this, Eli would panic about the ski season. But it always got cold here. He didn't have anything to worry about. "Yeah."

"I'll pick you up at seven. Is that too early?"

"Not at all." Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. This felt like a date, even though it wasn't. And I didn't have to argue with him about picking me up because his truck would fit our bikes.

"Great. See you then."

I showed off Oakley to prospective adopters for the rest of the afternoon, but I couldn't stop thinking about my upcoming outing with Chance. I couldn't believe we were going biking together.

When I dated, I usually suggested drinks or dinner, but I was more excited about biking. It was time for me to get out more. To have more experiences. I wasn't going to meet anyone staying home. I vowed the next time John asked me to a community function, I'd go.

I needed to put myself out there more. Chance was my best friend's brother. He'd never see me as more than a sister. I needed to move on from this silly crush and be more serious about finding someone who suited me. Someone who wanted a serious relationship, a family, someone to share their life with. I was confident there was someone out there for me.