Wanting You, page 1
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
Epilogue
Looking for your next small town read?? Go back to where it all began!!
One
Also by Samantha Chase
About Samantha Chase
Copyright 2024 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 any 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.
Cover Design: Kari March Designs
Edits: Jillian Rivera
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
Chapter One
Chloe: Hey! Do you want to meet up for lunch?
Ash: Oh, damn. Sorry! I can’t.
Ash: Wait…I thought you were seeing Evan this weekend?
Chloe: Um…long story. But that’s over.
Ash: WHAT? When? Why didn’t you tell me sooner???
Ash: Reid surprised me with a weekend away, but we can totally turn around and come home if you need me!
Sighing with disappointment, Chloe Donovan stared down at her phone.
Chloe: No worries! I’m fine. I promise. Have fun!
Ash: Thanks! I’ll call you Monday!
She was about to put her phone down when she decided to reach out to her older sister and see if she was available.
Chloe: Hey! Do you want to meet up for lunch?
Billie: Hey! Thought you were seeing Evan this weekend?
Damn. She really did tell her sisters pretty much everything about her life.
Chloe: We decided to end things. And before you ask, I’m fine. Really. It’s all good.
Billie: Damn. I’m sorry.
Chloe: I’ll tell you all about it over lunch.
Billie: I’m sorry, I wish I could. I’m on my way to Richmond to look at some new baking equipment for the coffee shop
Chloe: Oh, no problem! Good luck! Maybe I’ll see if Jade is available…
Billie: She’s with me. Levi and Silas are having a boys’ day
Billie: Isn’t that sweet?
Billie: Did you ever imagine our brother being a dad and doing stuff like that?
Another sigh was out before she could stop it because…well, yeah, it was sweet, and she was totally happy for her brother, but it also made her sad. Everyone was busy having a life and she…wasn’t. Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it seemed like her siblings were all involved with great people or had jobs they were passionate about or were doing things that had them moving forward in life while she was just standing still.
“As usual,” she murmured before putting her phone down.
A few weeks ago, she thought she was going to be just like them—at least the part about being in a serious relationship. She had been dating Evan King casually for a couple of months and that had just ended—not that she was surprised. Evan was a super successful lawyer from a very wealthy family. He was worldly and handsome, and ultimately they had nothing in common. Still, it was flattering that he’d been interested in her at all, but now that was over and while she wasn’t surprised, she was bummed. Outside, it was a beautiful summer day and all she wanted to do was go outside, walk around, and simply enjoy it.
She just didn’t want to do it alone.
The plan had been to go on a picnic with Evan before going up to the ski resort, Summit Ridge, for dinner. Now she had zero plans and it sucked.
School was starting again in a few weeks, and Chloe had really been looking forward to enjoying the rest of her summer vacation with Evan.
The sigh was out before she could stop it. It wouldn’t be hard to fill her time if she really tried. There was always so much to do before the school year started. And this year, that was really true. With all the growth happening in Sweetbriar Ridge, the elementary school was expanding. Mobile classrooms had been set up on campus for grades four and five, and an additional class was being added for each grade because of the influx of residents. She’d been teaching kindergarten for three years and had been the only kindergarten teacher for that entire time. Now there was going to be a second kindergarten class, which meant a new teacher—a new partner—and she was excited about all the possibilities.
She’d met Kimberly Fairmont on a Zoom call and they had a lot in common. They had already started talking about joint projects and new curriculums, and Chloe actually found herself looking forward to going back to work.
But I’d also been looking forward to spending time with a nice guy…
A nice guy who found her to be too boring, too sheltered, and too committed to her small town. Again, it wasn’t anything new. Chloe had always been the quiet Donovan, the shy Donovan.
The boring Donovan.
Maybe no one said it to her face, but she knew they were all thinking it.
At least…no one until Evan.
“We’re just too different,” he’d said. “You have to admit that we don’t have much in common. Every time I try to convince you to come to Baltimore, you’re not interested. There’s nothing to do in Sweetbriar. Things are growing, but there’s no real…culture. I don’t understand why you don’t want to broaden your horizons, but…I need more. I’m sorry.”
The conversation had been brief and mildly crushing, but he was right. And as much as he said he needed more, so did she. She wanted someone who shared her passion for the simple things in life and who didn’t feel like they had to be on a constant adventure to be happy.
So far, she hadn’t met anyone like that.
Her sister—her fraternal twin—Ashlynn, had a wonderful fiancé, a new hair salon of her very own, and was constantly out doing fabulous things. Her brother Levi recently married Jade and was in the process of adopting her son Silas. And her big sister Billie was living her dream of baking. She’d left the stress-filled world of finance and bravely moved on to something she was passionate about, and she didn’t care that she had to take a major pay cut to do it.
Actually, all three of her siblings had gone through major career crises and boldly moved on to bigger and better things.
“And I’m still gluing popsicle sticks together and finger painting.”
Okay, that was the last negative comment she was going to make about herself today. Just because her family was busy didn’t mean she had to sit around feeling sorry for herself. There were plenty of things she could do—even by herself—that would put her in a better mood than she was currently in.
Standing, she walked over to the massive window in her living room and looked out. There was a small park directly across the street and right now, a couple of families were over there laughing and playing and having fun. Moving into the renovated craftsman bungalow had been a major thing for her last month because she was tired of apartment living. She was only renting it, but was working on her finances to figure out a way to eventually buy it.
Technically, she could get approved for a mortgage thanks to the teacher home loan program, but she didn’t want to just make enough to cover her monthly payments; she wanted to be able to actually live and enjoy her life too.
“Baby steps,” she said with another sigh, thinking of her little side hustle. Art was something she’d always been good at and lately she’d been creating paintings that she sold in an Etsy shop as well as custom costumes for cosplay. She didn’t tell anyone about it—not even her family—but that was only because she knew they’d encourage her and tell her everything was great. And while that was one of the things she loved most about them—their unwavering support—sometimes she wanted to try something on her own and test the waters first. So far she hadn’t put a whole lot of stuff out there, but maybe if she upped her inventory in her online shop, she could buy her house sooner rather than later!
Inspiration hit and she made her way to the smaller of her two guest rooms that she turned into a craft room and began rummaging through her supplies in search of inspiration. Thirty minutes later, Chloe decided on her theme for her classroom this year—Pixar’s Inside Out—and discovered that she needed to order more fabric for some half-finished costumes as well as more paint and canvasses. That led her to happily strolling back out to her living room and sitting down with her laptop to shop online.
“I should probably reach out to Kimberly and see if she wants to share classroom themes. I can easily make double of everything I’m going to use.” And after she did all her shopping, she quickly tapped out an email asking her new coworker what her plans were for her classroom. Knowing she wouldn’t get a response right away, she closed the laptop and found that all she’d managed to do was kill an hour.
There was still an entire weekend to get through.
“Drats.” But she refused to simply sit home alone and let the beautiful day pass her by. “I can do some shopping and maybe run into someone in town to have lunch with.”
Changing out of her yoga pants and sweatshirt, Chloe chose something a little trendier—dark skinny jeans, a sleeveless floral blouse, a pair of hot pink strappy sandals, and matching crossbody purse. The colors were a little bolder than her usual palate, but she was excited to finally wear it.
Smiling at her reflection, she felt good about herself, confident even. She felt like someone who could go out and spend a day on her own without feeling self-conscious about it.
“At least…that’s what I’m hoping to do!” she cheerily reminded herself. “But only after I fix my makeup.” Slipping her purse off, she walked into the bathroom and decided to actually do more than her usual minimum. Ashlynn always said that wearing a full face of makeup made her feel like she could do anything. As much as she loved her sister and her advice, Chloe lacked the skills to pull off that kind of artistry.
A little more concealer, a touch of eye shadow, bronzer, blush, a hint more of mascara, and some soft pink lip gloss had Chloe smiling at her reflection. “Okay, I might not conquer everything, but I kind of feel sassier. Yay me!”
And with that, she walked back out to her bedroom and pulled her purse back on. Grabbing her phone, keys, and sunglasses, she headed out the door and was ready to tackle the day.
The drive into town was short and she opted to park in the first available spot so she could take her time, walk along the street, and take in all the new shops that had opened up. Two years ago, this street looked very different. There were empty storefronts and nothing exciting to see. Now, besides Jade’s new shop, Books & Beans, there was a nail salon, a craft store, a wine bar, and a bougie little bath shop filled with every kind of sweet-smelling soap and bath bomb you could imagine. Most of the owners were locals and there was something incredibly charming about walking down Main Street and seeing all the growth while still keeping the original vibe of their small town.
She stopped at the corner shop and smiled at the window display. Very Vintage was the newest addition to the local businesses. The thrift shop had everything Chloe loved—lots of antique jewelry, clothing, and furniture. Sometimes she swore she was an old soul who was born too late.
At least, that’s what many people had told her for most of her life.
Not that she took it as an insult, but it certainly made her feel a little like she didn’t fit in.
Stepping into the shop, she pushed all the negative thoughts aside and decided to embrace her old soul self and simply browse to pass the time.
“Hey, Chloe!” Abby Winters called out from behind the jewelry display case. “We just got a bunch of really cool stuff from an estate sale Dave and I went to last month. I’m setting up the jewelry now, but there’s some great furniture in the back room, if you’re interested.”
“Thanks, Abby! Ever since moving from my apartment and into the house, things are still a little sparse. I’d love to look for some new stuff for it.” Glancing at a few dresses as she made her way over to Abby, she smiled. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had to buy any furniture, and I’m not sure what exactly I’m looking for, but it can’t hurt to look, right?
“Ooh…I didn’t know you bought a house! How exciting! We moved into our first place last year and I love it. We lived in apartments for the last ten years, so it was a real treat to be in a house of our own. You’re going to love it.”
“Well, I’m just renting it for now,” Chloe replied. “My cousin Marissa, well…she’s actually my cousin’s wife, but I consider her to be my cousin too…she convinced me to rent first while I figure out my finances so I can make an offer to buy.”
“Marissa handled our house too! We adore her. I’m sure she’ll help you find some great financing deals. What kind of house are you looking for? Or did you mean you were going to buy the one you’re renting?”
“Um…”
“Who’s buying a house?” someone called out from the back room.
Chloe looked around for a moment and then spotted her friend MacKenzie Holland walking toward her. “MacKenzie! Hey!”
They hugged for a moment before MacKenzie pulled back and gave her a huge smile. “You’re house hunting? Why didn’t you mention it the other day when we were hanging out?”
“Oh, uh…it’s actually the house I’m renting. Ultimately, I’d love to buy it. Renting first seemed like a way of testing the waters and all that. Marissa thinks I can get financing because I’m a teacher, but I’m afraid to take that step.”
MacKenzie’s eyes went wide. “Wow, seriously? This is huge! And, no offense, a little out of character for you. I never pegged you for wanting to take on such a big responsibility.”
With a small shrug, she said, “I never thought I would either, but the apartment walls were closing in on me. It was time for a change. I know we’ve talked about that.”
“Devin and I were talking about looking at houses just the other day. His place is awesome, and he’s put a ton of work into it, but it’s small if we decide to start a family right away.”
All Chloe could do was nod.
Another person living the dream while I’m basically house hunting solo…
“From everything he’s told me, Sweetbriar Auto Care has doubled its profits this year,” MacKenzie went on. “I love working with him and being a part of the success—even though I’ve only been there for less than six months—but I’d like to find something of my own so I can contribute to a house. You know, when the time comes.”
Yeah, MacKenzie was still new around here, but she totally fit. It had practically been love at first sight for her and Devin, and they’d been inseparable from the moment they met.
The sigh was out before she could stop it, but fortunately that’s when Abby came over to show them both a beautiful beaded purse she was about to put on display. If there was one thing Chloe had gotten good at this last year, it was smiling even when she didn’t feel like it. She was always optimistic and always the first one to offer congratulations or an encouraging word. Basically, she was a happy person.
It just felt like more of an effort lately.
“Hey, any chance you’re free for lunch?” she asked MacKenzie.
