A Hope and a Chance(85)
Author: Jennifer Foor

When I pulled into the driveway I noticed that the living room light was on. Without waking Hope I managed to reach into the passenger side and lift her into my hold. She wrapped her arms around me, but it was obvious she was still half-asleep. Mark met me at the door and held it open while I carried Hope upstairs to her room. I received some curious looks when they saw her disheveled hair and blanket. I knew as soon as I sauntered down the stairs I would be drilled by the sergeant himself.

Sure enough, I hit that last step and he was there waiting. “What happened to you two?”

“Hope thought she hit something so she pulled over. We both jumped out of the car, but one of us must have somehow hit the damn lock button. When we went to get back in, we were locked out. Our phones and everything were in the car. I had to break the window to get us inside.” I confessed, although only half was the truth.

“I assume it was already raining?” He asked.

“Yep, it had just started. Anyway, Hope said she had a blanket in the trunk, so once I got her safely into the heat I grabbed it, and made sure she was warm enough.”

“Thank you, Chance. You are always keeping her safe. I really appreciate it.” He gave me a pat on my shoulder. “So come in here and tell me how it went today. Did you see anything you liked?”

“Do you mind if I grab some dry clothes?”

“Not at all,” he replied.

I ran out to get changed and came back in feeling much better.

We met in the kitchen, and I started pouring myself some tea immediately. “It was really nice. The fields are great there. Seems like they have a lot to offer.”

“What about Hope? Did she seem interested?” He asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Some things she really liked, but you know Hope. She hates school. I don’t know what she wants honestly. Maybe giving her a goodnight’s sleep will help.”

“So, have you made up your mind?”

“I don’t know yet, Mark. I mean, I haven’t played in a while. I don’t even know if I’ll still be good enough,” I admitted.

“I don’t mean to keep pushing you about it. I just want Hope to get a degree in something. She has no clue what she wants to do with her life. I feel like if she has you there, she won’t feel so reluctant about it. You’re friends, and you could be a mentor to her like you are here at home.”

If he only knew how I mentored his daughter.

“I will talk to her tomorrow about it,” I announced.

“Thanks for taking her today. She never would have gone with me,” he admitted.

I laughed. “Probably not.”

I took my drink and headed out to the pool house. Hope was already waiting for me in my bed.

“Hey, how did you get in here?” I asked as I crawled in beside her.

“I went out the garage door while you and dad were talking. I locked my bedroom door and he already thinks I’m sleeping. I just wanted to be close to you. I’m still sort of cold,” she confessed.

I cuddled my body up to hers. With one final kiss to the top of her head, I easily fell fast asleep knowing she was right where she belonged.

50

Waking up in Chance’s arms was something that I wanted to do every day for the rest of my life. It didn’t matter where we were as long as it happened. His strong hold wrapped tightly around me and I’d never felt safer.

Knowing I needed to get back inside of the main house before I was detected missing was getting easier. When I snuck out I would wear my running clothes. Exiting Chance’s pool house from the rear was simple, and I would return to the house without my father knowing any different. Most of the time, he didn’t even notice me coming in anyway.

I kissed Chance on his perfect nose. “Good morning.”

He kept his eyes closed but gave me a welcomed smile. “Morning.”

Chance nestled his face into my hair. I actually think he enjoyed smelling it, since he did it often. I let him hold me close, because I was not ready to get out of his warm bed.

“What are your plans today?” I asked.

“Well I would love to stay right here in this bed and hold you tight all day, but I guess that isn’t very feasible.” He sighed. “I need to run out and get this Christmas shopping done so that I’m not out there with all the crazies.”

“Can I come with you? I have to get something for my mom, and I also wanted to pick out Dad and Buff’s wedding gift.”

I felt little kisses on top of my head. “Of course we can go together, after I get your window fixed. I almost forgot about it happening.” He was quiet for a second. “Do you want to get them something from the both of us?”

Chance knew I didn’t have much money. I had saved some when I was in school and even worked a small job as cashier at Rylee’s mom’s consignment shop, but it was dwindling away. My father was always leaving me twenties and since Chance and I are a couple he never let me use them, so I had a stash from that.

“Yeah, what do you have in mind? I don’t have a whole lot to spend,” I confessed.

Chance started running his hand over my arms. It felt good but gave me goose bumps immediately. “I was offering to pay for all of it, Hope. We’re a couple. Plus, I don’t think you realize how much money I made when I went away. You know I was working almost eighty hours a week and forty of that was double time? I saved almost every cent I made. I will buy the present from both of us.”

“I don’t want you to have to do that.” I felt like I was worthless, and I certainly didn’t want him to feel like I’d ever use him.

Chance turned me around and looked directly into my eyes. We were so over the morning breath issues, in fact we never even discussed it. “Hope, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I’m completely okay taking care of you and our children. If you decided that you don’t want to finish school, I will be fine with that too. I’m in this for the long haul and I want to take care of you.”

His words were perfect, but one thing stuck out. They were actually shocking to me. “Children, as in more than one? How many do you want exactly?”

“We can start with nine boys. After that you can have your girls,” he teased.

I picked up a pillow and hit him with it. “Do you know what my body would look like if I had more than nine children?”

“It doesn’t matter, because I will still love you. Besides, your body would only have changed because we created so much perfection. Every stretch mark will remind me of that.” Chance’s words made me want to cry. They were beautiful.