Chasing Romance (Welcome To Romance)

by Liwen Y. Ho

  Izzy wasn’t hanging up without more answers. “How did you meet Chase?”

  “At the store. He was trying to hide behind his shades and baseball cap, but I recognized him as soon as he started talking. I mean, who wouldn’t, right? He has the dreamiest voice. He was buying some apple cider and I overheard him asking the store clerk if they had any cinnamon sticks. Isn’t that the cutest thing? He wanted real cinnamon sticks to stir the cider with.”

  This girl’s description of Chase, right down to his love of cinnamon sticks, sounded legitimate. “Yeah, real cute.”

  “He’s meeting me today, and I’m so excited,” she squealed. “I got my hair and nails done. I hope he likes it. Does he like the color pink?”

  “I-I have no idea and frankly, I don’t care,” she lied, trying hard to control her wavering voice. “You two have a nice time.”

  “Thanks! Oh, did you want to leave a message for him?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.” Izzy had heard enough, but there was one thing she was still curious about. “By the way, how old are you?”

  “Me? I’m nineteen. Why?”

  “No reason.” Choking back a sob, she ended the call.

  Izzy looked down to find Thor’s paw on her lap and his big brown eyes staring into hers. Great, even her dog pitied her. “I know, boy, I should’ve known better. It’s bad enough there’s another woman, but he had to pick such a young one. All that talk about age not mattering—what a bunch of crock!”

  Woof!

  “Right? I bet he said those things just to get close to me. He saw me as a lonely woman he could manipulate. It was all a ploy to get me to write him a song. He buttered me up, made me fall for him, then took what he came for. And now that he got it, he doesn’t want me anymore.” Hearing her own words out loud seemed to solidify the truth for her. Izzy gave in to her tears and broke down crying.

  Thor’s high-pitched whines accompanied her cries, giving her comfort and drowning out any other sound in the house. She hadn’t realized her phone had rung and beeped several times with incoming calls and texts until she wiped her tears away an hour later.

  Twelve missed calls? As many unread messages flashed across the phone screen, all from Chase. Not wanting to deal with him, she hit the power button on her cell and turned it off. It was time to move on. She’d given him a piece of her heart with that song she’d written, but thankfully nothing more.

  10

  Chase

  Chase stepped on the brakes as the cars in front of him came to a sudden stop. The freeway looked to be backed up for a mile or more. At this rate, he’d never make his flight. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, itching to move. Should he call Izzy again? But after more than two dozen unanswered calls and texts, it was clear she wasn't going to talk to him. Could he blame her? Based on the knowledge she had, he was turning out to be exactly like the man she didn’t want: unfaithful and untrustworthy. If only she’d let him explain his side of the story.

  But, wait! He sat up in his seat so quickly, the top of his head bumped the car’s roof. He straightened his baseball cap, then reached for his phone. She wouldn’t take his calls, but she would certainly take her daughter’s. He searched through the list of outgoing calls, squinting to see the black digits behind the shattered screen. When he located the number with a 503-area code, he dialed it.

  A bubbly female voice answered, “Hello?”

  “Grace? This is Chase Lockhart. I don’t know if you remember me, but we talked a few weeks ago.”

  “Of course I remember you! How are you?”

  Chase sighed in relief, happy to have finally reached a live person. “I need your help. Have you heard from your mom today? Do you happen to know where she is?”

  “I talked to her about two hours ago. She said she was going to call you. Did she not?”

  “No—well, yes, she did. It’s a long story, one I’d love to explain if she would give me the chance, but I’m sure by now she thinks I’m a jerk … or worse.” This day was not turning out like he’d hoped. The surprise weekend trip he’d planned to Romance was already off to a late start with the detour he’d made to retrieve his phone. “Look Grace, she’s not picking up my calls or responding to my texts. Will you see if she’s okay? And please have her call me. It’s important.”

  “I don’t understand what’s going on, but my mama was going to give you a chance, so I will, too.” She paused before asking, “Mr. Lockhart?”

  “Please call me Chase.”

  “Okay, Chase. Can you do me a favor?”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “My mama says I was the best thing to happen to her, but the truth is, she’s the best person there is. I couldn’t ask for a better mom. All I want is for her to be happy. Please be good to her.”

  His stomach dropped. Being good to Izzy was all he’d ever wanted to be. He’d never intentionally hurt her. He prayed it wasn’t too late to win her back. “Of course, Grace. You don’t even have to ask. The truth is, your mom is my best thing. She deserves the best. I promise to give her that.”

  “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. Thanks, Chase. I’ll go call her now.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  The traffic began moving as soon as he hung up. He quickly maneuvered his car down the freeway to Bob Hope Airport. When he arrived, he parked in the long-term lot, grabbed his things, and rushed to make his flight. He reached the gate right before the attendant closed the door. Once he sat down, he pulled out his phone to find a new text from Grace confirming she’d reached her mom. Chase finally breathed easy, relieved to know Izzy was all right and he’d be seeing her soon. As he was about to turn off his phone, another message popped up on the screen.

  Don’t contact me anymore, Chase. Don’t call Gracie either. Go on with your life and have fun with your girlfriend.

  What—no! He typed as quickly as his fingers could move, sending a final text—Don’t believe everything you hear. I’ll explain soon—before the flight attendant directed him to turn off his phone.

  The following hour dragged on, making him increasingly anxious and giving him too much time to worry. Would Izzy believe his story? If the places were switched, he admitted he’d have a hard time accepting what had happened. If only he had some proof of where he’d been the past twenty-four hours. Wait, he didn’t, but he knew where to find some. He turned on his phone and pulled up the search engine. He had long ago stopped Googling himself when the paparazzi made him tabloid fodder, but for once in his life he was grateful to have his every move caught on camera.

  By the time he landed at Portland International Airport, he had what he needed.

  He booked a rental car and sped to the town of Romance as fast as legally possible. On the way, he stopped by Valley Market to pick up a bouquet of flowers. The orange, white and pink arrangement was like the one Izzy had bought that day they met.

  Smiling, he remembered how happy he’d been when Mrs. Cooper pointed her out to him in the store. Even from a distance, he saw something in Izzy that intrigued him. And the way her cheeks flushed when they spoke confirmed he had caught her eye as well. If they could just get back to that moment ...

  He stepped on the gas, eager to reach the inn. Although he hadn’t been back in almost a month, the roads seemed all-so familiar for some reason. When he pulled up in front of Interlude Inn, he understood why. Romance, with its fond memories of finding love, was like home to him.

  He had come home.

  Releasing a long breath, he ran to the front door and knocked. “Izzy! Are you there? It’s Chase. Please open up.”

  After a good five minutes with no response, Chase lay the bouquet on the front step. He dug out his phone, determined to call Izzy until she picked up. Tenacity was the one thing his mom always said he had. He knew what he wanted and he didn’t stop until he got it. That was his intention when he went into music, and this was his intention now. He needed Izzy to hear him out.

&nbs
p; On his ninth try, someone finally picked up. “Izzy? Hello?”

  “Stop calling me, Chase.”

  The wariness in her voice tore at his heart. “I'm sure you think the worst of me right now, but please let me explain. I would never—”

  “There’s nothing to explain. You got what you wanted. Now leave me alone,” she demanded before hanging up.

  He raked his hand through his hair as he stared out into the yard. Gone were most of the bright and beautiful foliage that had been on the tree a few weeks ago. Like those leaves, any hope he had of making up with Izzy had dried up and fallen to the ground.

  He stuffed his phone back in his jacket pocket and started walking to his car. If she wouldn’t take his call, he’d find another way. Maybe he could leave a note …

  Woof!

  Loud barking interrupted his thoughts. Squinting against the afternoon sun, Chase glanced to his right. A block away, a woman was walking her black-haired dog. The moment he saw her long strawberry blonde hair and curvy figure, he recognized her.

  He took off running down the sidewalk. As soon as Izzy spotted him, she froze. At least she wasn’t going the opposite direction; that had to be a good sign. However, the closer he got to them, the louder and more insistent Thor’s barking became. The barks turned into a growl by the time Chase reached them, resounding throughout the neighborhood like the low noise of a bass guitar. The only thing holding the dog back from attacking him—because that’s exactly what he looked like he wanted to do—was the leash wrapped around Izzy’s white-knuckled hands.

  “Chase!”

  “Izzy, let me explain.”

  “What in the world are you doing here? Don’t you have a date”—she spat out with contempt—“to go on?”

  “It’s not what you think. I dropped my phone at the store yesterday. A fan picked it up. I just got it back from her a couple of hours ago.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know what she told you, but there is no date. There’s nothing going on between her and me. I didn’t cheat on you, Izzy. The only woman I want is you. You have to believe me.”

  “Are you serious? You dropped your phone?”

  “It’s not the first time it happened, that’s how I cracked the screen before. I also have photos of me at the store; ones the paparazzi took. Here, I can show you.”

  As soon as Chase reached for his pocket, Thor charged forward, jerking the leash out of Izzy’s hands.

  “No, Thor! He’s our friend,” Izzy cried. “Your cap, Chase! Take off your cap!”

  Black fur flashed before his eyes. His feet flew up as Thor knocked him back with what felt like two tons of canine muscle and passion. Bam! His body slammed into the sidewalk right before his head hit the cement. The hot, pungent smell of dog breath overwhelmed his senses as everything went black. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was Izzy’s face above his.

  11

  Izzy

  “Chase, wake up! Come on,” Izzy pled as she knelt next to his motionless body. He had gone down like a felled tree, fast and hard, and she was powerless to help him.

  If only she’d reminded him to take his cap off earlier, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Now that his cap had fallen off, he was being showered with wet doggie kisses. Oh, why had she let Thor assume he was the enemy? Izzy sighed. Because she had assumed he was one of the bad guys. But only a good man, an honest and trustworthy one, would fly 700 miles to try to win her back. And risk being tackled by a seventy-pound dog. She didn’t need further proof of his love. She only needed him to wake up.

  She took his hand in hers and clutched it against her chest. “Chase, I believe you,” she confessed, her voice trembling with emotion. “Please wake up. I need you.”

  “Is … that right?”

  He had mumbled his question so softly she wasn’t sure if he’d really spoken it. But soon after, he squeezed her hand. His eyes opened, revealing a small sparkle in his baby blues. Struggling to swallow the lump in her throat, she smiled for the first time that day. “Chase! I was so worried. Are you okay?”

  The corners of his mouth curved up into something resembling a happy grimace. “I’m good, just sore. That was some tackle.”

  “I’m sorry, I should’ve told you to take off your cap.”

  “It’s okay.” He propped himself up on one elbow and faced her. “Just remind me to burn all my caps. I’m never wearing another one again. Or at least not until Thor realizes it’s me under it.”

  Woof! Thor barked as if in agreement, his tail wagging as he watched their back-and-forth exchange.

  Izzy shook her head. “All this craziness over a cap!”

  What a silly dog. But the funny thing was, she understood Thor’s struggle. Both of their past experiences had caused them to view people through a lens of suspicion. As if her mistrust of men wasn’t enough, there was also the added factor of Chase’s identity as a pop star. There were several “caps” to look past to see the man she’d fallen in love with. The Chase she loved was not a celebrity, but a warm, genuine person who shared her passion for music. “He’ll come to realize who you are, just as I’m starting to. I can’t believe you flew all the way here.”

  “I missed you so much. I finished recording yesterday and bought a ticket right away. After what happened with my phone though, I didn’t think you’d want to see me again.”

  “It’s okay, Chase. I believe you.”

  “I know. I heard you earlier.”

  “What? How long have you been awake?”

  He shrugged innocently. “It depends on what your definition of awake is.”

  “Chase Lockhart!”

  The grin on his face widened as he sat up. He cupped her face with both hands and stared into her eyes. “Let’s just say I heard enough to know you’re madly in love with me.”

  “Madly in love? I said no such thing.”

  “Then what did you say?”

  “I said I believed you about what happened to your phone.”

  “And?”

  “And I … I wanted you to wake up,” she stammered, finding it hard to talk with his face an inch away from hers. “I was worried about you.”

  “Worried about me? Were you worried you wouldn’t get”—he leaned in and murmured against her lips—“to kiss me again?”

  The heat from his mouth sent tingles up her spine. Her whole body warmed at his touch, and she wondered if it was her turn to faint. Her arms instinctively went up around his neck, drawing him close as their kiss deepened. The moment needed no words, yet she felt it important to answer Chase’s question. She pulled back to rest her forehead against his, then revealed the words weighing on her heart. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to tell you I need you. I do need you, Chase, more than I’ve ever needed a man, and it scares me. But it scares me even more to not have you in my life.”

  “You don’t need to be scared, Izzy. I’m here for you. I’m here.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Do you remember what you said to me that day we met at the market?”

  She shook her head.

  “You said, welcome to Romance.”

  “I did? That’s the town’s name.”

  “And rightly so. I had no idea at the time how much truth was in those three words. You did welcome me to romance. You welcomed me to a place of connection and belonging. You welcomed me into your life and your heart. Coming back here today, it was like coming home. That’s because you’re my home, Izzy. You’re my best thing. I’ve been waiting a long time for you. And now that I’ve got you, I’m never going to let you go.”

  “A long time? You’re too young to be talking—”

  “Hey,” he interrupted with a raised brow, “no more talk about age. Like I said before, me, man. You, wo—”

  Laughing, she placed a hand over his mouth. “I got it, Mr. Caveman.”

  “Good.” His expression turned thoughtful as he continued, “The truth is, any day without you is too long. That’s why I’ve decided …”r />
  “What have you decided?”

  “I wonder if there’s room for another songwriter in Romance?”

  Izzy’s jaw dropped. “You’re moving here? But what about your work?”

  “I’ll split my time between here and L.A. I’ve got lots of frequent flier miles to use up. And I happen to know of a cozy inn around here with an insanely gorgeous and talented owner. I’m hoping she’ll keep a room open for me. Would you put in a good word for me?”

  “Hm …” She tried to keep a straight face as she considered his question. “We might be able to make it work.”

  He pulled her in for another kiss. “I'm sure we can. Because there’s no better place to fall in love—”

  “Than this town,” she finished for him. For once, she believed it. The best things in her life had happened to her here. And there was no other place she wanted to be, and no other man’s arms she wanted around her. She gazed into his loving blue eyes, ones that longed only for her.

  “Than our town,” Chase smiled. “This is my home now, Izzy. You’re my home.”

  “And you’re mine,” she sighed happily. “Let me be the first to say this—again. Welcome to Romance, Chase. Welcome home.”

  Bonus Content: An Interview with Chase Lockhart

  Deejay: Hey, hey, hey, you’re listening to 96.1 with A. J. McCay. Have I got a treat for you on this New Year’s Eve. We have America’s newest pop sensation, Chase Lockhart, in the house! Chase, welcome to the Beaver Jam. Thanks for taking time out to chat with us.

  Chase: Sure thing. Thanks for having me.

  Deejay: So, the word on the street is that you’ve made Romance your new home. How do you like it here so far?

  Chase: It’s great. Everyone’s so friendly. The mayor, Mr. Walker, even stopped by to welcome me.