“Why does everyone assume that? Do I look that motherly?”

“Not even a little,” Chase said before she could stop herself. “Not how I would describe you, at least.”

A brow arched this time. A light brown, nearly blond brow that set off her eyes perfectly. “Hmm. Now I’m curious.”

“Some other time,” Chase said. Sarah was watching the conversation with slightly too much interest. She’d gotten pretty good at hiding her feelings, but her older sister had always been able to read her, and she didn’t really want Sarah thinking she had any interest in her oldest friend. Sarah made it all too clear how she felt about Chase’s love life, or as Sarah called it with a fair amount of sarcasm, her fickle sex life.

“Lily,” Sarah interjected, “is our camp medic for the season.”

“Dr. Davenport, then,” Chase said. “Apologies.”

“Lily is fine,” Lily said, back to her neutral tone and unrevealing expression.

“I expect I’ll see you around, then,” Chase said, looking for any hint of interest and not seeing one.

“I was just giving Lily the tour,” Sarah said in a way that suggested Chase was dismissed.

“I’ll go see what Clara’s cooking while I wait on Natalie.” Chase bounded up the stairs and paused by Lily’s side, close enough she could catch Lily’s scent—something citrusy and cool. Lily’s eyes widened, and Chase smiled inwardly. “I’ll see you, Lily.”

Chase disappeared inside, and after a second, Lily followed Sarah down the stairs. “I can’t believe that’s Chase. She was so skinny and shy.”

“She grew up,” Sarah said abruptly.

Lily shot her a questioning glance. Sarah was very rarely anything but sunny and optimistic, and the hint of anger in her tone was unexpected.

Sarah caught the look and shook her head. “Sorry. It’s been hard. Chase was so young then, and I wasn’t really ready to be a parent, and with first Dad going and then Mom just a few years later, she ran a little wild.”

“She seems to have turned out pretty responsible. From the way you described it, being a DEC officer is demanding.”

“That’s true, and for her it’s been doubly hard.” Sarah shook her head and her smile returned. “That’s Chase’s story. I’m really happy that she’s found her place.”

Lily remained silent. There was more to the story, and she wasn’t going to hear it from Sarah. She’d heard so many stories, often sad ones, and witnessed so many more tragedies in the past few years that she thought she’d grown immune to them. The sudden desire to know more about Chase Fielder surprised her.

Chapter Three

“So what do you think?” Sarah said.

“Hmm?” Lily said absently, moving around the inside of the surprisingly spacious clinic. Chase Fielder. Of course she wouldn’t have recognized her. Chase’d been a child the last time she’d seen her. Not only that, the circumstances had been nothing any of them likely wanted to remember. Sarah and Chase’s mother had just died, six years after their father had been killed in a climbing accident. Sarah had been devastated, and Lily could only imagine the impact on a ten-year-old of losing both parents so young. Chase certainly had changed from the pale, withdrawn girl she remembered, replaced by an imposingly confident, exceptionally good-looking woman, radiating no-nonsense vibes and a raw sensuality she obviously made no attempt to hide. And then why should she. Eligible women like Chase probably had all the attention they could want, and more, in a resort area like this. Assuming she wasn’t already attached. Big assumption there. Although the vibes said no. And there had definitely been vibes.