Conquering the Heart of the Bad Boy

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Conquering the Heart of the Bad Boy Page 7

by Nomi Summers


  Emma shifted on the picnic bench to face him, a serious look on her face. “There’s something that’s been bothering me that I want to talk to you about.”

  “You can always talk to me, Em. What’s up?” He turned his body toward her to give her his full attention, and now they were facing each other, eyes locked.

  “I’ve been trying to find the right words. I actually considered not saying anything at all, but I have to get this out. I realize it might cause some issues between us, but it needs to be said.”

  He couldn’t believe it. She had been feeling it, too. He hadn’t just been imagining things. Emma was feeling the same way and she was about to tell him. He couldn’t wait to hear those words and to tell her he’d been feeling the same. He took her hands in his and held them. “Just say it,” he whispered.

  She looked down at her hands in his and took a deep breath before she spoke. “You really hurt me when you left.”

  He could feel his expression fall. “Huh?” he tried to say, but his voice cracked. Those were not the words he was expecting.

  “I’m sure you had your reasons for leaving the way you did, but you left me at a time when I needed you most, and it hurt me. Badly,” she added.

  “Emma,” is all he could manage to muster up. He stood up and faced the river, rubbing at the back of his neck. What was happening?

  “I just want to know why you left and why you couldn’t have stayed a little longer.” He could feel her standing behind him now. “It was the hardest time in my life, and the person who was always there for me disappeared. No phone call. No letter. No explanation. Do you have any idea how bad that hurt me?”

  He always carried guilt for leaving right after her parents’ funeral, but he’d had no choice but to leave when he did. How would he ever make her understand? He wanted to turn around and take her in his arms and apologize, but that wasn’t the solution. He had to be honest with her.

  “Chase, look at me.” Her voice was closer now.

  “Em.” He turned to face her, still searching for the right words. They were staring into each other’s eyes now, Emma’s face filled with hurt and confusion. Just come out with it. Just tell her the truth. He took a step toward her and rested his hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. That was never my intention.”

  “But I want to know why. It just doesn’t make sense, Chase. You were always there for me. It was always you and me against the world. And then for you to up and leave when I needed you most, with no explanation? It just hurt, you know?”

  “Emma, please sit with me.” He walked back to the picnic table and took a seat. He was going to come clean. She followed him and sat down beside him and waited, giving him the space he needed to find the right words. “I had to leave when I did, and I don’t expect you to understand since you didn’t get an explanation from me. I know it’s coming eight years too late, but I hope you’ll hear me out.”

  A beat of silence echoed between them. “Go on,” she said quietly.

  “My father kicked me out the night after your parents’ funeral. I came home to a bedroom full of boxes. He’d had Jeffrey, our butler, pack all my things. He’d said I was eighteen now and had graduated high school, and it was time to get out on my own. He’d said since I refused to work in the family business and hadn’t applied to college, I was no longer welcome in his home.”

  “Oh my, Chase. I didn’t know.” She reached out and placed a hand on his knee. “Still, I wish you had just told me.”

  “I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. Even you.”

  “Well, thank you for telling me now.”

  He let out a long, exasperated breath. “That’s not the end of the story.”

  “He told me I’d never amount to anything.” Emma watched the pain manifesting in Chase’s face. “He’d said that I was the biggest disappointment he had for a son. That out of all of us Knox boys, I was his greatest letdown. He basically told me to get out of the house and out of his life until I’d made something of myself.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “You have to understand, to hear that from your father at only eighteen, it did something to me.” He pushed off the picnic table and began to pace. “I felt worthless, humiliated. I vowed right then and there that I would get as far away from Arbor Shores as possible, and I wouldn’t come back until I’d made something of myself.”

  “Chase, you’re not worthless.” She wanted to get up and wrap her arms around him. She wanted him to see himself through her eyes, even for a moment, but instead she sat there, frozen by his words.

  “I wanted to come say goodbye to you, but I made an impulsive decision to buy a bus ticket that night and get out of Michigan. I threw only the necessities in a duffel bag and went straight to the bus station. I wanted far away from this town and everything that reminded me of it. I figured if my father felt that way about me, it must be true. I figured everyone here must feel the same way about me. Even you.”

  “Chase, I never felt that way about you. And I never gave you any reason to think that.”

  He walked over and stood in front of her, lowering his voice. “I know, Em. But try telling that to an eighteen-year-old boy who didn’t have a future and had a father who was ashamed of him.”

  “I understand, and I’m sorry I brought it up. I just had to know.” Emma looked down and drew a circle in the dirt with her shoe. It was too hard to look at him. Too hard to see the pain in his expression.

  “I want you to know something.” He sat back down next to her. She looked up and met his eyes. “It killed me to leave, to know you were hurting and alone. I missed you, Em. For a long, long time. But I couldn’t reach out. I was too ashamed to reach out to anyone until I’d made something of myself."

  “But it’s been eight years, and you’ve done so much now. How come you didn’t call or come back sooner?” She still had burning questions inside. He could’ve kept in touch.

  “Because look at me.” He threw his hands up in the air. “What do I have to be proud of, huh? What do I have to show for myself? I still haven’t made anything of myself. I didn’t want to come back until I could prove my father wrong. And now look. Here I am, and I have to go face him today with nothing to show for the past eight years. No wife, no children, no career, nothing.” He got up and faced the river again, and Emma could have sworn she saw his eyes gloss over before he did.

  “Chase, who cares about those things? That doesn’t define you as a man.”

  “My father does, for one. Look at my brothers. All three of them are successful. And then there’s me,” he said, his voice clogged with emotion.

  Hearing Chase’s words, she could feel the pain and humiliation he was holding inside. She never would’ve guessed that he had any insecurities; he’d always seemed so strong and sure of himself. And here he was, struggling to be back in Arbor Shores and dreading facing his father. There was no way she was making him go to that barbecue alone.

  “Well, I don’t know if this counts for anything, but I think you’re pretty special.” She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his back. He didn’t turn around, and she knew that was because he didn’t want her to see the emotion streaming down his face.

  In that moment, all she could do was hold him, and hope it was enough to show him how she truly felt about him.

  Chapter 9

  Chase and Emma got to the city, picked out the paint and stain, and made their way back toward Arbor Shores so they could get to the barbecue on time. They had stayed at the cider mill longer than anticipated, and it was now nearly 3 p.m.

  Chase’s admission at the mill had changed something between them. The awkwardness that seemed to exist earlier that morning was gone, and Emma felt closer to Chase than ever. She’d decided she’d let go of the hurt and resentment she’d held for him leaving and try to understand where he was coming from. Still, she’d never forget the hole it had left in her heart, and she�
�d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t fear it happening again. After finding out the way he felt about being home, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t be staying in Arbor Shores, and depending on how the reunion went with his father, he might even be gone sooner rather than later, and that scared her.

  Since she was now more certain than ever that he’d be leaving again soon, she made a promise to herself that she would extinguish any flames building inside for Chase. It was unrealistic to develop feelings for someone who would be gone soon. That was a sure path to a broken heart, and one she wasn’t willing to take. Besides, she and Chase had just gotten close again, and she wasn’t going to ruin it. By the time they got back to Arbor Shores, she’d decided that “just friends” was all her and Chase could ever be.

  “Do you want to stop at home and drop off this paint?” he asked as they stopped at the light on Main Street.

  “Yeah, I should probably let Zeke out, too,” she said.

  “Hey, I have an idea.” He looked over and smiled.

  “What’s that?”

  “Let’s take my motorcycle to Hunter’s. It’s a beautiful day for a bike ride. I think I saw an extra helmet in the garage you could wear.”

  “That was probably mine from when my dad would take me out on his.” The memory of taking motorcycle rides with her father tore at her heart. She had loved exploring the winding country roads on the back of her dad’s Harley.

  “So, what do you say?”

  She didn’t have to think twice. “Sounds like fun.”

  They pulled into the driveway of Hemlock House and Emma let Zeke out for a few minutes while Chase unloaded the paint. Then, he fetched the extra helmet out of the garage, and cleaned it up for Emma.

  Holding it out for her, he smiled as she approached the bike. Man, she looked beautiful, and there was no one he’d rather have behind him on this ride.

  He straddled the bike first, and held it stable so she could climb on the back. Emma put her hands on his shoulders to brace herself as she settled in behind him.

  “Hang on,” he told her as he powered on the bike, flexing the throttle to roar the engine before making their way onto Main Street.

  Emma slipped her arms around his waist and held tight, and he could feel the warmth of her body on his back. It felt so good having her arms wrapped around him, just like it had back at the cider mill. He was feeling a bit foolish for opening up as much as he had, but that was the thing about Emma. She didn’t judge him, and she was a great listener. She really was the best kind of friend.

  They took Pine Ridge Way south of town toward Hunter’s lake house. As soon as they got out of the town limits, the evergreen-lined road opened up to a long stretch of winding asphalt before them. Each time they would come to a twist in the road, Emma would lean with the bike, making it a smooth ride. She was a natural back there, and now Chase was convinced more than ever that’s where she belonged. Just when he thought she couldn’t get any more perfect, she turned out to be a rider. She wasn’t scared to get on his bike and had been up for it right away. She was always up for anything.

  As they snaked down the coast, parallel to the Great Lake to the right of them, it became clear—Emma was his dream girl.

  After a couple of miles, Emma pointed out Hunter’s driveway up ahead, and Chase slowed the bike to turn in. After making their way down a long driveway, a massive nautical-style house perched on the shore of Lake Michigan appeared before them. Several cars were already in the driveway, and it was apparent that they might be the last to arrive.

  Getting off the bike, they placed their helmets on the seat and headed for the house. Chase paused at the front door and took a deep breath.

  “You ready for this?” she asked.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.” He forced a smile.

  As he did, she looped her arm through his. “Don’t worry. I got you.” She offered him a reassuring wink, and they made their way inside. Something about having Emma by his side was comforting to him; with her, he could take on the world.

  “Hello,” Chase called out, but he could see right through the open concept home and the wall of glass on the backside of the house that everyone was out back on the veranda. His brother had sure done well for himself. Hunter’s home was large and immaculate. He scanned the crowd through the windows as they made their way through the house. Was his father out there? If so, he couldn’t place him. Did that mean Carter hadn’t wanted to see him? His heart plummeted at the same time he was hit with a wave of relief. As much as that would hurt, it was also ideal. Nothing could prepare him for coming face to face with Carter Knox after all these years.

  As soon as they slipped out the sliders off the back, everyone stopped what they were doing to greet them.

  “Hey, you finally made it. We were beginning to think you weren’t coming to your own barbecue,” Shane said, giving his brother a one-armed hug as his fiancée, Avery, hugged Emma and then turned to Chase.

  “Good to see you again, Chase. Welcome home,” Avery told him. He hadn’t seen her since they were teenagers. She was Shane’s high school sweetheart back then, and he could see why his brother had recently reunited with her. She was still as kind and as beautiful as ever.

  Hunter closed the top of the grill and walked over. “Welcome. Make yourselves at home.”

  Rylee came around from behind the outdoor bar she was stocking with ice and wiped her wet hands on her shorts before giving them both a hug. “Chase Knox, it’s been far too long,” she told him, then hugged Emma before making her way to Hunter’s side. Those two made a great couple. Chase never would have guessed they’d end up together, but it worked.

  After the inviting welcome, Chase noticed his father and his stepmom, Valerie, sitting off to the side of the patio, under the shade of an umbrella table. Hunter must have followed his gaze.

  “Come on; Dad’s here,” Hunter said. Chase followed his brother as his pulse quickened with each step. Thankfully, Emma didn’t leave his side. Somehow, she was making this reunion manageable.

  “Dad, Valerie,” Hunter announced, “Chase and Emma are here. You remember Emma Woods, right?”

  “Of course. Hello, dear,” Valerie was the first to speak. She stood up and held out her dainty hand for Emma to shake. Emma said her hellos to each of them, and then Valerie turned to Chase and enveloped him in a hug, which was a bit awkward. He’d never cared for Valerie, especially since she was the reason his father and mother had gotten a divorce when he was a teenager—a nasty and public divorce causing his mother to flee to Florida. Not to mention the humiliation his mother had experienced when all of Arbor Shores learned of Carter and Valerie’s decade-long affair. Carter had moved her into Knox Estate, and Chase was forced to live out his teenage years with Valerie taking his mother’s place inside their family home.

  “Valerie, nice to see you,” Chase said as they pulled apart. It was a stretch from what he was really thinking, but he would do his best to be polite. Chase couldn’t help but notice his father hadn’t moved.

  He turned to his father. “Dad,” he said, holding out his hand across the table for his father to shake.

  Carter looked at his son’s hand for a moment, and then extended his own. “Chase, welcome home, son.” Carter’s words were a shock. He’d not only welcomed him home, but he’d called him son?

  “Thank you,” was all Chase could say. Seeing his father was stirring up all sorts of emotions inside of him.

  “Sit down and tell us what you’ve been doing with yourself these past few years,” Valerie said, motioning to the seats across from them. Great. The inevitable conversation he’d been dreading.

  Chase and Emma both took a seat. “You know, just traveling a lot. That’s why I couldn’t come sooner. I was out of the country,” Chase started. He was hoping there wouldn’t be an interrogation of where exactly he’d been or what he’d been doing there. Where he’d really been was someplace he never wanted his father to know, or Carter would surely disown him onc
e and for all. He needed to change the subject, and quickly. “Are you feeling okay, Dad?”

  “Ah, it’d take more than a heart attack to take out a Knox,” he said, swatting at the air with an aged hand. Chase was sure his words were meant to sound tougher than they’d actually come out. It was odd seeing his father like this. He was older now, and somehow, he seemed smaller, weaker. Chase remembered him as a powerful, middle-aged businessman, always in a suit and tie. Now, his father wore a light pink polo shirt and white shorts and had deep lines etched on his face. He looked to be about twenty pounds thinner than Chase remembered him. Still looked like his father, but perhaps not as intimidating. Maybe the heart attack had aged him a bit. Or perhaps Chase had just been gone too long.

  Valerie broke the awkward silence that had surfaced. “Emma, it was a terrible tragedy to learn about your parents. I never got a chance to tell you how sorry I was to read about their accident in the Beacon.”

  “Thank you,” Emma said, and took a sip of iced tea that Rylee had brought over.

  “I noticed you closed the old Hemlock House. Nobody could blame you at the time. Any plans to reopen it?” Chase was relieved Valerie had changed the subject.

  “I don’t think so,” Emma said. “But Chase is fixing it up for me in case I decide to sell it.”

  “Is that so?” Carter asked.

  “Sure am,” Chase responded, looking over at Emma and giving her a wink.

  “Well, I sure hope you’ll consider reopening it. It’s a beautiful home and was so popular in its day,” Valerie added.

  “It’s just too much for one person.” Emma looked down at the straw she was twisting in her glass.

  “Well, perhaps Chase could stick around and help you,” Valerie’s words jolted Chase from his gaze on Emma.

  “How long are you in town, anyway?” his father asked before Chase or Emma could reply to Valerie’s idea. Helping Emma reopen Hemlock House sounded enticing to Chase, but he wasn’t sure if he was willing to stay long enough to make it happen.

 

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