And Then One Day Read online

  And Then One Day

  Samantha Chase

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW

  About the Author

  Also by Samantha Chase

  Copyright 2019 Samantha Chase

  * * *

  All Rights Reserved.

  * * *

  No part of this book, with the exception of brief quotations for book reviews or critical articles, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by an means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  Editor: Jillian Rivera

  Cover Design: Uplifting Designs/Alyssa Garcia

  Praise for Samantha Chase

  “If you can’t get enough of stories that get inside your heart and soul and stay there long after you’ve read the last page, then Samantha Chase is for you!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Melanie Shawn

  * * *

  “A fun, flirty, sweet romance filled with romance and character growth and a perfect happily ever after.”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips

  * * *

  “Samantha Chase writes my kind of happily ever after!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Nicholas

  * * *

  “The openness between the lovers is refreshing, and their interactions are a balanced blend of sweet and spice. The planets may not have aligned, but the elements of this winning romance are definitely in sync.”

  - Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

  * * *

  “A true romantic delight, A Sky Full of Stars is one of the top gems of romance this year.”

  - Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK

  * * *

  “Great writing, a winsome ensemble, and the perfect blend of heart and sass.”

  - Publishers Weekly

  * * *

  “Recommend Chase to fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Well-written and uniquely appealing.”

  - Booklist

  1

  “You know it’s not going to be so bad.”

  “Yes, it is and you’re the worst best friend ever.”

  Rolling her eyes, Courtney Baker leaned over and rested her head on her best friend Scarlett’s shoulder. “I think the pregnancy hormones are making you more and more ridiculous every day. When is this baby coming?”

  Sighing, Scarlett replied, “Not soon enough. We’ve got another ten weeks.”

  “Ugh, poor Mason.”

  Shoving her away, Scarlett cried, “Poor Mason?! How about poor me? I’m the one whose emotions are all over the damn place! I swear, I cry at the drop of a hat!”

  “You’ve been doing that practically since this baby was conceived. We’re all used it by now.”

  “Well I’m not, and the fact that you’re moving so far away isn’t helping.”

  Yeah, she knew this was going to be an issue–particularly the timing–but Courtney knew if she didn’t do this now, she never would.

  “Scar, we’ve been talking about this for months now. You know it’s something I have to do.”

  “Oh, please. You’ve been threatening to move for years! Why did you wait until I was about to have a baby to do it? And you know you don’t have to move right now. You don’t have a job waiting for you, so what’s the rush? Can’t you wait until after my little peanut is born?”

  “I thought we were calling him a bean?”

  “And I thought I told you that no one knows the sex of the baby yet so ixnay-on-the-imhay.”

  “We’ve got to get this baby out of you,” Courtney said blandly. “It’s like I don’t even know who you are anymore. No one says ixnay at our age so…stop that.”

  And then the worst thing happened.

  Scarlett started to cry.

  Like…ugly cry.

  “Oh, God…oh, no…just…I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you!” She muttered a curse and reached across the table for a napkin and quickly began wiping her friend’s face. “Dammit, you have got to stop being so sensitive!”

  No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Mason, Scarlett’s fiancé, was right there beside them, his attention fully on Scarlett. “Hey,” he said softly, “What’s going on? There’s no crying tonight. It’s our wedding rehearsal party and only smiling is allowed.” He kissed the tip of her nose before looking over at Courtney. “Everything okay here?”

  “She’s upset about the move again.”

  “Ah. Well, you have to admit, the timing’s not the greatest,” he replied.

  “I know, but…for me, this is the way it has to be and she’s going to have to understand. It’s not my fault that Dr. Curtis had to retire abruptly and no other local dental practices are hiring. I need to work, Mason.”

  He gave her a patient smile. “I know, but you have to understand how hard this is on Scarlett. The wedding’s tomorrow, the house we’re building is behind schedule, and the pregnancy’s really kicking her butt…”

  “I am right here,” Scarlett interrupted, looking first at Mason and then to Courtney. “You know you don’t have to move so far away to find a job, Court, and it’s not like you have to find something right this second. Why not take a couple of weeks and look some more?”

  With a weary sigh, she looked at Mason and said, “Can you…give us a minute?”

  Nodding, he kissed Scarlett before standing and walking away.

  “What’s so secretive that you can’t say it in front of Mason? You know I’m just going to tell him whatever it is later, right?”

  “And that’s fine, but…” She groaned. “Okay, here it is. You know how my folks have always been into paranormal hunting?”

  “Yeah…”

  Another sigh. “Well…they’ve both taken some extended vacation time to go on some sort of cross-country trip with a group they belong to.”

  “O-kay. I still don’t see what this has to do with you moving away though.”

  “When I lost my job and realized the best thing for me to do was move, they decided to list the house as an Airbnb for the time they’re away as a source of income.”

  “What? But…”

  “That means I don’t have a place to live for the next three months. They leave on Monday, which is when I need to be out as well.”

  “Is that all?” Scarlett said, suddenly all smiles.

  “Uh, yeah. It’s kind of a big deal. I’m going to be homeless on top of already being jobless, sooo…”

  “So stay at my place! You know we haven’t decided what to do with it yet and it’s just been sitting vacant for months! This is perfect! Now you can stay and…”

  Courtney held up a hand to stop her. “Scar, I appreciate the offer, but I can’t do it. I really…” She looked around the room and spotted one of the main reasons she was opting to move away. Forcing her attention back to Scarlett, she continued. “It’s just time for me to have a fresh start someplace that isn’t Magnolia Sou
nd. I can’t do small-town life anymore. I just can’t.”

  Tears began to well up again in Scarlett’s eyes, but Courtney wasn’t having it.

  “And you cannot keep crying to get your way,” she said with a small laugh. Jumping to her feet, she looked down at her friend and grinned. “This is going to be a good thing for me and you should be happy! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab a glass of wine.”

  Walking across the room, Courtney smiled and waved to people she knew but did her best to get to the bar as quickly as possible. Once there, she smiled at the bartender. “Moscato, please.” Once she had her glass in hand, she thanked him and walked out onto the back deck of the Magnolia on the Sound–the new B&B that Mason’s aunt owned. The house was over a hundred years old, recently renovated, and it was quite possibly the most magnificent house she’d ever been in.

  The weather was a little cool and she wished she had grabbed a sweater, but…it was peaceful outside and the perfect spot for a little quiet reflection.

  Leaning on the railing, she looked out at the Sound as she sipped her wine. She’d never admit it to anyone, but she really loved it here. Not the B&B–although it was beautiful–but the small coastal town where she’d lived her whole life. She loved the beach and her friends and family, but…nothing was happening for her here. Not only was her job gone, but she hadn’t had a date in months and the men she did want to date–or rather, the man she wanted to date–was off-limits.

  And it sucked.

  If it weren’t for the fact that the dentist she was working for had to retire immediately therefore leaving her unemployed, she probably wouldn’t have opted to move away. But considering the downward spiral her life was currently in, it seemed only logical to pick up and move someplace new and start over.

  But yeah, the timing did suck.

  While Courtney was glad that she would get to see Scarlett marry Mason, the thought of not being here when her best friend had her baby was a little harder to deal with. They had always talked about having their kids close together so they would grow up to be best friends too.

  Hard to happen when no man has even attempted to touch me in almost six months…

  That depressing thought had her taking a long drink of her wine and she was thankful no one was there to witness her guzzling the whole thing down.

  “Hey, Court.”

  Or so she thought.

  Turning, she saw Scarlett’s brother Kyle walking her way. He was super sweet, a total flirt, and completely harmless. There was zero attraction between the two of them and she considered him to be a good friend.

  “Hey, yourself. Having fun?”

  Standing beside her, he leaned against the railing as well and stared out at the beach. “I know this is just supposed to be a casual dinner after the whole wedding rehearsal, but I swear Mason’s mother has me feeling like I’m a kid trying to sneak a spot at the grown-ups’ table.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “You know my family’s not fancy like the Bishops. This all feels a little weird. Why couldn’t we just have a cookout in the backyard at home or something?”

  Turning her head, she looked at him and laughed. “Kyle, can you imagine the sophisticated Bishop family hanging out in your dad’s backyard? Come on!” Then she motioned toward the inside of the massive house. “And are you telling me you’re not enjoying the food here? The menu is spectacular! I’m already planning on putting about a dozen crab cakes in my purse for later.”

  “Classy,” he said, still laughing. They stood in companionable silence for several moments. “So I hear you’re moving to Raleigh.”

  She nodded. “Yup.”

  “Why so far?”

  “It’s only three hours away.”

  “You know my sister is freaking out over it though, right?”

  “Yeah, I know,” she said sadly, her eyes never leaving the Sound. The sun was going down and it was her favorite time of day. “Once the baby’s born, she won’t even notice I’m gone.”

  “Somehow, I doubt that.”

  It wasn’t Kyle who spoke, but his older brother Dean.

  As in…the man she wanted most in the world and couldn’t have.

  Why did he have to come out here? I specifically came out here to escape!

  Both Courtney and Kyle turned and looked at him and she did her best to appear calm and cool–and not at all like her heart was ready to beat right out of her chest at the sight of him.

  Tall, shaggy dark hair, blue eyes, and dimples. Honestly, every time she was near him, her ovaries sighed. Why did he have to be related to her best friend? If he were anybody else she wouldn’t even be giving this a second thought, but because Scarlett meant the world to her, there was no way she wanted to jeopardize their friendship over a guy.

  Even if said guy was her ideal man.

  Smiling at her, Dean raised his beer as he commented, “It doesn’t matter how much time my sister spends with the baby. Nothing can replace a best friend.”

  And he was sweet too, damn him.

  When he continued to stare at her expectantly, she realized she probably should respond. “Nah. I think between the baby, Mason, and everyone coming to see the baby, Scarlett’s going to be just fine. And it’s not like I’m moving to another country or anything. I’ll only be a few hours away.”

  “Still not the same,” he said mildly before looking at his younger brother. “Can you believe our baby sister is getting married tomorrow?”

  Kyle shrugged. “Considering she’s just about ready to give birth, I’m kind of happy she’s getting married tomorrow.” He winked at Courtney. “Am I right?”

  “Look, I firmly believe in the institution of marriage,” she said evenly, “but it’s not like they had to get married. No one has to do that anymore.”

  “Still,” Kyle replied, “I just think it’s the right thing to do.”

  “What is this, 1950?” Dean asked with a small laugh.

  “On that note, I’m going to get a refill,” she said, stepping away from the railing and raising her glass. “I’ll see you two later.” She sashayed away and got a brief whiff of Dean’s cologne–all fresh, clean, and masculine–and she just wanted to rub up against him and inhale deeply.

  Yeah, it was definitely time for another drink.

  Or two.

  As she made her way back toward the bar, she caught a server walking by with those mini crab cakes she loved so much and grabbed a few. At the bar, she had her glass refilled while she noshed and then caught another server who had a tray of chicken satay. She grabbed some of them as well. She figured if she was going to slam back some cocktails, it would be smart to keep eating.

  Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Dean walking back into the room with Kyle and sighed.

  It wasn’t fair. She’d been crushing on him since she was fifteen and because he was six years older, it was completely inappropriate. Now? Not so much. But he was her best friend’s brother and, as such, that meant Dean was completely off-limits. There had never been a conversation between her and Scarlett about this–mainly because she was too embarrassed to admit how she felt. For some reason, Courtney felt her friend wouldn’t have a big problem if she had crushed on Kyle or even Hunter because they were closer in age. Dean was…well…not only was there a bigger age gap, but he was way more serious and levelheaded than his brothers. He didn’t do casual relationships, and for a long time, Courtney wasn’t looking for anything long-term.

  A fact Scarlett would have brought up as a way of discouraging this crush.

  Too bad it didn’t work.

  No matter how many times she tried to tell herself.

  Dean Jones was Courtney’s ultimate man and she knew the main reason she never wanted a serious relationship was because he was always right there–small-town living meant they ran into each other a lot. And every time she saw him, it just reinforced why no other man measured up and how it was never going to happen for them.

  And now she had to move on with her life.<
br />
  He caught her eye from across the room and smiled. The weak smile she gave him was forced and rather than think about it, she turned her attention back to the bar and ordered a second glass of wine.

  Everything felt…off.

  Glancing around the room, Dean Jones saw how everyone was laughing and smiling and having a great time and yet…he felt like he didn’t belong.

  No, that wasn’t it; he felt envious.

  And how pathetic was that?

  His baby sister was getting married in the morning and also getting ready to have a baby of her own. She was six years younger than Dean. He glanced over at his brother Hunter, who already had a kid, and who happened to be two years younger than Dean. Granted, Hunter and his on-again-off-again girlfriend never married, but they started a family. Kyle was next and wasn’t in any kind of relationship so there wasn’t anything there, but…dammit, Dean felt like his family was passing him by.

  Frowning, he took a pull of his beer and continued to scan the room. He knew everyone here–literally everyone. True, this was an intimate dinner for thirty, but he knew each and every face here. That came with living in a small town. As he continued to look around, he realized they were all doing things with their lives like getting married and having kids, or for the older couples, they were traveling and enjoying their grandkids. And where was he? Nowhere, with no one and no prospects of there being a someone.

  Yeah, pathetic.

  He caught a glimpse of Courtney from across the room and realized they were the only two people in the room who didn’t look like they were having any fun. Dean knew why he wasn’t, but was curious about why she wasn’t. If there was one thing he knew about Courtney, it was that she liked having a good time. She was usually the life of the party–always loud and boisterous and full of laughter.