Ready To Love Again

by Annalyse Knight

  “I’ve missed doing that,” he whispered.

  She couldn’t catch the embarrassing sigh of contentment that escaped her, and his smile widened. Chase pecked her lips once more before releasing her. “How about some dessert?”

  Dessert?

  Katie’s brain was in an addled fog, and she had a hard time deciphering his question. Chase chuckled and got up to retrieve the cheesecake. She shook off her confusion and chastised herself for letting a kiss put her into such a state. Standing up, she was pulling out two plates and forks when Chase stopped her.

  “We only need one.”

  She couldn’t help but tease him. “I don’t know if I want to try it if you’re too scared to eat your own dessert.”

  He rolled his eyes and pointed to her chair. “Sit and be quiet. You’re ruining the moment.”

  Chase served up a huge slice and brought it back to the table with a proud smile. When he brought the fork to her lips, Katie closed her eyes to enjoy the texture of the rich dessert. She savored the flavor, and when she opened her eyes, she found Chase’s mesmerized stare focused on her lips.

  “You’re too tempting,” he whispered in a husky voice.

  She smiled to herself, glad she wasn’t the only one having trouble focusing. Katie snatched the fork out of his hand and stabbed the cheesecake, bringing a bite to his lips. Chase’s eyes widened in surprise when he tasted his creation.

  “That is really good,” he said, sounding shocked, and gave her a proud grin.

  After they’d devoured the dessert and cleared away the dishes, they made their way to the living room to talk. Katie put on a CD of her favorite Italian tenor and sat next to Chase on the couch, lying against the arm and bringing her feet to rest in his lap.

  Katie wasn’t comfortable talking about certain topics, but she knew she needed to be upfront about her expectations, so she dove in head first. “We need to take things slow when it comes to the children. I’ve been thinking a lot about this. We should ease them back into seeing us date again and how much affection we show one another. I don’t want to make Liz uncomfortable and have her go back to hating me.”

  Chase raked his hands through his hair, and with a groan, he swiped his hand over his face.

  “It’s going to be impossible for me to keep my hands off you.”

  She laughed, pulling her feet off his lap and curling into his side. “If I can do it, then you can, too.”

  “If you say so,” he said with a disbelieving look. She rested her head on his chest while her fingers played with the buttons on his shirt. “Gina’s wedding is coming up, and I was wondering if you’d like to be my date.”

  Katie looked up and smiled. “I’d love to go with you.”

  Chase stroked her hair while she embraced the calm stillness that surrounded them. After a while, he said, “I have a surprise, but I need a few things.” Katie’s eyebrows rose in question. “I need a couple of blankets and a few pillows.”

  Standing up, he pulled her off the couch and led her to the linen closet.

  “Why exactly do you need blankets and pillows?” Katie handed him two old comforters, and he headed back into the living room, not answering her question. For good measure, she grabbed all the pillows off her bed, too. When she returned to the living room, the front door was wide open. Katie walked outside and found Chase spreading both comforters atop one another in the grass.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He waved her over and took the pillows, laying them on top of the blankets. “Get comfortable.”

  Katie sat down, but instead of joining her, he darted back into the house. All the lights in the house went dark, including the porch light, before he reemerged.

  “So what are we doing?” she asked.

  Chase pulled her down so they were on their backs, looking up at the stars. He slipped his arm under her head and pulled her closer while they looked into the sky.

  “Just watch,” he replied. It wasn’t long before Katie saw a white streak flash through the sky. Within a matter of minutes, there were several more. She’d never taken the time to watch a meteor shower before. Although she had seen shooting stars before, and even a comet and solar eclipse, she had never lain under the stars and watched them streak through the sky.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

  “Not as beautiful as you.” Chase’s breath blew across her ear, and she turned to find him staring at her. The moon, peeking out from behind the trees, cast a shadow across his chiseled jaw. Even with the small amount of light, his eyes were crystal clear, and there was no denying the desire she saw there.

  Chase pushed up onto his elbow and brushed his finger across her cheek before he leaned down to kiss her. The restraint he’d shown with their first kiss was now gone, and he gripped her hip, rolling her toward him. Katie’s breath caught in her throat while their bodies pressed together and he continued to ravish her mouth. With a small groan, she broke their kiss. Undeterred, Chase moved to place wet kisses, and the occasional nip, along her neck.

  Running her fingers through his hair, Katie enjoyed the intimate moment even though she knew she needed to rein it in. As if he sensed her thoughts, Chase placed one last kiss under her ear and lifted himself to look down at her. With a heavy sigh, he placed his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. “See? You’re too damn tempting.”

  She giggled when he collapsed next to her and brought her back into the crook of his arm. Grasping one of her hands in his, Chased held it to his chest while they continued to watch the celestial show. Streaks of light illuminated the firmament, and Katie gazed in awe until her eyes began to droop and she fell asleep.

  When she felt Chase pick her up, her eyes popped open, and she curled into him with a whimper.

  “Shhh, I’m taking you to bed.”

  Katie buried her face in his chest while he pushed the door to her bedroom open with his foot. He laid her on the bed and knelt next to her, placing a small kiss on her forehead.

  “Good night, sweetheart. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good night, Chase.”

  “Sweet dreams,” she heard him whisper before she drifted back into unconsciousness.

  Chapter 23

  For the rest of the summer, Katie assumed the role of caretaker to Chase’s children while Gina was wrapped up in wedding planning. Mia took Shawn and her grandchildren during the day, and Katie made dinner every evening at Chase’s home, regardless of whether he was there.

  “So how do you make chicken cordon bleu?” Chase asked on one of the rare evenings he was home.

  “It sounds more complicated than it is. I think even you can make it,” Katie said, bumping her hip against his.

  “Hardy har har.” He rolled his eyes, then turned on the iPod sitting in the dock on the kitchen window. When he was satisfied with the music selection, he came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and looked over her shoulder. “Show me. I want to learn how to cook so I can make dinner for my beautiful girlfriend.”

  Katie chuckled while she pounded out the chicken, explaining each step as she went. “See? It’s fairly simple.”

  Music from the eighties floated through the kitchen, and Chase nuzzled her neck while she finished dinner. Katie hummed along to a song, her hips swaying with his. He took her hand and held it over her head, making her twirl around until she faced him. With an impish grin, he pressed his hips into hers until she was trapped against the counter.

  “You’re a little playful tonight,” she murmured with a giggle.

  He kissed her in response. Katie’s arms wrapped around his neck, and she caressed the hair at his nape. When Chase broke free from their kiss, a slow song began to play. He moved her into a smooth glide across the kitchen floor, but their bubble was broken when they heard a gasp come from the doorway.

  Liz was there, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head, turned, and fled from the room. Katie stiffened in Chase’s arms and pulled away, an
d he gave her an apologetic smile.

  “I don’t know why she’s upset,” he said under his breath when he turned to go talk to his daughter. “She’s been fine with us dating. This shouldn’t be anything new.”

  “Maybe I should talk to her,” Katie said.

  “No, I need to find out what’s wrong.”

  “Chase,” Katie said. Her stern voice prompted him to stop and turn. “I love her, too. I want to help, if I can.”

  He was surprised by the authority in her tone. It was obvious Katie would fight for what she believed was best for Liz, and he loved her all the more for it. Yielding to her request, he nodded as they both took the stairs up to Liz’s room.

  Her muffled cries could be heard through her bedroom door. Chase knocked once, and when there was no response, he turned the knob. Liz lay on her bed with her back to them, her shoulders shaking. Katie stayed by the door, trying to give them space just in case Liz didn’t want her around. Chase placed his hand on Liz’s shoulder, and she let out a large hiccup.

  “Baby, what’s the matter?”

  It soon became clear she didn’t want to talk about what was bothering her, but Chase wouldn’t let Liz push away her feelings and remain quiet anymore. They had been silent for too long in their house. The tantrums for the most part had stopped, although she still had random moments when she would break down and cry.

  “Liz, we need to talk about what’s upsetting you. Do you remember what Sayid said? Holding your feelings inside only hurts more.” Liz sniffed into her pillow and nodded. “I think we should talk about what happened downstairs.”

  She wiped her tears away and rolled over to face her father. When eyes landed on Katie, her lip quivered, and she looked back at Chase.

  “I can go if you want me to,” Katie said quietly.

  Chase glanced over his shoulder, and Katie looked torn over whether to stay or give Liz her space.

  “It’s okay, Liz. If you want to just talk to me, Katie can go downstairs.”

  Liz considered this before shaking her head. “No, she can stay.”

  He motioned Katie over, and she sat on the edge of Liz’s bed.

  “What happened, sweetheart?” he asked.

  She looked nervous when her eyes darted from Chase to Katie. He could tell Liz was uncomfortable talking about whatever was on her mind, and she sat up to hug her knees to her chest.

  “I remember you dancing with Mom in the kitchen like you did with Katie.”

  Chase tried to remember to when she might have been referring, but he couldn’t remember any instance that might bother her. He glanced over at Katie and saw the worry etched across her features.

  “What do you remember?” he asked, turning back to Liz.

  “Mom’s laugh,” she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek. She buried her face in her legs.

  Katie’s hand reached out and touched her knee. “I think I need to tell you the same thing I told your dad.” Liz lifted her head and rested her chin on her knee. “Even though you see me doing things your mom did, I would never want to replace her. She’s a part of this family, and her love has molded each of you into who you are. I love you and Tony, and there will be times I do something like your mom. It’s okay to feel sad and miss her. Don’t ever think that by loving your mom you’re in some way choosing her over me or vice versa.”

  Liz stared at Katie for a moment before she pulled herself up and crawled onto Katie’s lap. Katie wrapped her arms around Liz and rested her chin on the top of her head. Now Chase felt like the intruder while Katie stroked Liz’s back and whispered soothing words in her ear. After several minutes, Liz pulled away and turned to look at her father.

  “I love you, Daddy.”

  Chase reached out to run his fingers through her hair. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  ~*~

  Things with Liz were better after the “incident,” as Chase had dubbed it. However, life in the O’Donnell house wasn’t always sunshine and roses. They had several times when things got tense and Liz would break down in tears over something that was said. The upside was that she learned to express her emotions and not place blame when she felt vulnerable.

  The days leading up to the wedding were excruciating, but it wasn’t because of Liz. Gina had lost her temper on more than one occasion, and most of the time it was over the smallest, most insignificant detail. Chase made the mistake of contradicting her opinion of the flowers and had to endure her ranting in Italian for the rest of the day. He told Katie that he’d been relieved when Gina banished him from helping with any wedding details.

  Gina had taken Liz to the spa in the afternoon to get ready for the ceremony, so by the time Katie and Shawn arrived at Chase’s house, the air of contention had lessened considerably.

  “Hey, beautiful.” Chase stepped from the house and greeted her with a kiss. Turning to Shawn, he held out his fist for a bump. “Hey, you’re looking pretty handsome there, kiddo.”

  Shawn rolled his eyes. Katie had a horrible time convincing him that he needed to wear the white shirt and tie she’d bought him for the wedding.

  “Shawn,” Katie called out when he ran for the stairs to go find Tony. “No dirt and no critters. I want you clean when we leave.”

  He nodded once and ran up the rest of the stairs.

  “I’m sorry we’re late. It was Victor’s day to call Shawn. We waited as long as we could, but he never called.”

  Chase shook his head, and she recognized the disgusted look on his face. It was the same one Shawn had worn before they left the house. “I don’t understand that man.”

  “Yeah, neither do I.”

  Chase’s eyes traveled down her body, and she felt a heated blush rise to her cheeks. “You look amazing.”

  Katie glanced down at the dress she had picked up the week before. It was lavender and much more formal than anything she had worn in the past—even her own wedding dress. The strapless bodice made her feel sexy, and she loved how the silk draped across her body to fall to her feet.

  “Thanks. You don’t look half bad yourself.”

  He had on everything but the jacket from his crisp black tuxedo. Instead of the traditional bowtie, he wore a solid black silk tie that disappeared under the high-cut vest. Katie noticed he was sporting a new haircut, but it didn’t look right—it was too perfectly coiffed. She stepped closer and brought her hand up to run her fingers through his hair.

  “You tried too hard,” she murmured. When she was done, she pushed up on her toes and kissed him, and Chase let out a contented sigh.

  “We’d better get going. I can’t imagine what Bridezilla will do if we’re late.”

  Katie laughed, and Chase called the boys downstairs. A soft aw escaped Katie’s lips when Tony came down wearing a tuxedo that matched his father’s.

  When the boys hit the bottom stair, Katie walked over and knelt in front of Tony. Reaching for his tie, she tightened the knot and patted his chest. His eyes lit up, and his arms went around her neck.

  “Thank you, Katie.”

  She squeezed him a little closer and kissed his cheek. Tony was always such a good kid, and she felt guilty that he was sometimes forgotten in the midst of all the other family drama.

  “Look, Mom. Tony’s a penguin. Maybe you can take him to the aquarium and feed him fish.”

  Katie scowled at Shawn and was about scold him when Tony pulled away, and she bit back her reprimand when she saw the grin on his face. She harnessed Mama Bear and gave Tony’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

  The excitement of the wedding had the boys wound up, and they talked nonstop in the backseat of Chase’s car. Chase took her hand and brought it to his lap while they drove out of Carmel and down the Pacific Coast Highway toward Big Sur. Eventually the boys settled down, which allowed Katie and Chase to enjoy the serenity of the dramatic ocean views. Chase’s grip on her hand tightened. Dragging her eyes from the ocean to see what he needed, she realized he wasn’t paying attention to her. His eyes were focused
on the road, and his jaw was clenched tight.

  Katie ran her thumb over his hand, wondering why he was so tense. He pulled his eyes from the road and gave her an apologetic smile, loosening his grip.

  “Are you okay?” She wasn’t sure what had gotten into him.

  Chase nodded and gave her a halfhearted smile. “I’m fine,” he said before bringing her hand up to kiss. He didn’t seem to want to talk about what was bothering him, so she let it go.

  They pulled into the parking lot at the restaurant Nepenthe, and Chase hurried to open Katie’s door while the boys scrambled out of the backseat. He took her hand as she stepped out, then wrapped it around his arm before kissing her cheek.

  Katie marveled at the beauty of the location. The restaurant was situated on a high cliff, overlooking the ocean. There was a small gift shop and a stone path that led to beautifully landscaped grounds. Chipmunks darted between the wildflowers before they disappeared up the Cypress trees.

  “Have I told you how stunning you look?” Chase asked, his nose brushing her ear.

  She shivered then shook her head. “Stunning? No. Beautiful and amazing? Yes.”

  He chuckled and led her toward the garden patio where the ceremony would take place. The guests occupied most of the chairs, but the front rows were open for close family. When they approached the front, Katie was struck by the majestic scene that lay before her. The tree-covered canyon sloped downward until it dropped off to a small beach. The dark depth of the ocean made Katie feel small in comparison. This was why she’d become a marine scientist. She loved everything about the ocean—the smell, the beauty, the freedom it represented, and the unpredictability.

  Chase’s hand pressed the small of her back, guiding her over to their seats. Mia was already settled on the left side of the aisle, and she took Katie’s hand in greeting once she, Shawn, and Chase sat down.