“Sangria?” Chase said as he offered her a glass, then sat down next to her.
“Yes, thanks.” Kate took a sip. Red wine, lime, and… was that brandy? Whatever it was, it ran down her throat in a wave of heat to her belly. “Yum,” she said.
“Yeah, that’s Sallie’s special recipe.”
“This, too? After the brisket, potato salad, and pie, I thought she’d be out of special recipes.”
“Oh no, not Sallie. She lives for a good barbecue.”
“She’s good to have around, then.”
“Definitely.”
Kate and Chase sat together looking out at the evening light. Bo and Sallie were sitting in another set of chairs closer to the grill, and their kids were running around in the grass. The little one was on his belly, patting the grass with his hands in wonder. Kate got a sudden pang in her stomach, remembering her own family. She could still remember how wonderful nights like this could be, even if they were on the neighborhood block in the city instead of here in the country with open sky and crickets chirping.
Kate turned to Chase. “This is certainly not what I expected when I hunted you down today.”
Chase turned his body towards her and feigned surprise. “What? Don’t you know this is how we treat all our guests in Oklahoma? We wear them down with kindness and a great dry rub until they are putty in our hands. That’s how the West was won.”
“Well, then consider me putty.”
Chase grinned. “Oh, I will.”
He gazed at her for a moment, looking a bit conflicted. “Kate, I have to apologize. I was not the nicest person when you got here.”
Kate raised her eyebrows in response.
Chase continued. “I’ve been a little on edge, as you can imagine.”
Kate instinctively reached out and touched his leg. She saw a spark of desire and surprise in his eyes and immediately withdrew her hand. “That’s alright,” she said. “I give you a pass for the first day.”
Chase rubbed his hands roughly against his thigh where Kate’s hand had just been. “In my own defense, I had good reason to be skittish when we met on the road.”
“Oh, really? Why’s that?” She lowered her head and looked up at him with a scowl. “Did I look dangerous?”
“No, actually…I hate to admit it,” he said, “but just a few days before you got here, I found a truly crazy person on the road.”
Kate laughed. “What do you mean?”
“Seriously. I was on my way to the office and he waved me down. I thought he had car trouble.”
“Okay…”
“So, I get out and he’s just real fidgety. Keeps checking me out and checking out my car…” Chase stopped for a moment and looked down. “I can’t believe I’m even going to tell you this part.”
“Go on.”
“Well, it got pretty strange. He was a little guy, I asked him if he needed help, he looked around and then…well, he shoved me.”
“What?”
“Yeah, weird, right? He shoved me. I took a step back and he lunged forward and he shoved me again. Finally, I pushed him back. He fell on the ground and I got in my car and drove away. There are crazy people in the world, so, like I said, I had good reason to be wary when I saw you parked on the side of the road.”
Kate felt the hairs raise on her arms. “Lone guy. Side of the road, and you pushed him to the ground.”
Chase looked at Kate and realized she didn’t think the story was funny. “Yes, Kate, because he pushed me, like a crazy person. I pushed him away from me and got in my car and drove away.”
“Was he alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
“What? Yes. I mean, I didn’t see anyone else.” Chase shook his head. “Is this how it’s going to be now, Kate? Everything I do will be questioned and second guessed?”
Kate saw that old look returning to Chase’s eyes, the one filled with suspicion and distrust. Dammit, she thought. I’m losing ground. “No, of course not.” She forced herself to smile in a casual way. “That is a crazy story. What a weirdo.”
Chase studied her for a moment, then exhaled and nodded. “Yup. Not just in Boston, huh?”
“Guess not.”
There was a moment of silence and Kate willed herself to take a deep breath of the evening air and relax. She had almost forgotten who she was and why she was here. She didn’t get evenings like this; surrounded by friends and fun, and a great looking man she could barely breathe around. She would go back to her real life tomorrow. Right now, she felt protective of this moment.
She looked over at Chase and he turned his eyes on her. Kate thought they must have both been thinking the same thing because they both smirked at each other. She heard herself giggle and raised a hand to her face. Just then, a quick flash of light enveloped them. They looked over at Tommy, kneeling on the grass. He was holding his camera before his face. “That was a good one,” he said before running off.
“We’re caught,” Kate said, “having too much fun.” She nodded towards Tommy. “Does he always carry that thing around?”
“Yeah, ever since Bo gave it to him about three years ago, I’ve never seen him without it. He’s got a lot of talent, actually. Wants to be a professional, some day.”
“That’s nice.”
Chase turned his gaze on Kate. “I would’ve loved to have seen you as a kid, Kate.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. Little Katie Piper.” He gazed at her curiously “What were you? Daredevil? Know-it-all?”
Kate shook her head with a laugh. “God, no. I was a scaredy-cat.”
“No way.”
“True. I was terrified of everything.”
“I don’t believe it. Like what?”
“Everything. Storm clouds. The ocean. One time we went to the mall and I had a fit, insisting my parents make everyone get off the escalators. I would have been very happy to curl up in a dark room and never leave.” Kate smiled, remembering. “But my mom was having none of that. Oh, no. You’re scared of the water, Kate? Swimming lessons. You’re scared of the vacuum? Well, now you're in charge of vacuuming the house.”
He stared at her in mild disbelief. “Your mom sounds amazing,” Chase said.
“She was,” she said as she gazed off into the distance. “My mom always said, ‘Kate, be true to yourself, do the right thing, and everything will always work out’.”
“Good advice.”
Kate nodded. Those words always ran through her head, but so far, she hadn’t found them to be true. She still hoped, though.
Chase moved closer to her and Kate watched as his hands reached out and touched hers. She could feel his eyes on her face; her mouth, as she looked up at him. He searched her eyes as he drew closer, then his lips were on hers. She felt herself surrender to the pull of his body against hers as a rush of desire washed over her. “Wait,” she said, pulling back in shock. “No, no, no. Bad idea.”
Chase leaned back, but didn’t let go of her hand. “Why, Kate?” He looked deep into her eyes. “I like you. And,” he lifted her chin to meet his gaze, “I think you like me, too. What’s the harm in getting to know each other better?”
“Is that what we’re doing?” she said, fear surging suddenly in her veins. She shouldn’t have told him that story. What was she thinking, opening herself up like that?
Chase sighed and pulled back slightly, a look of caution in his eyes. “I don’t know, Kate. Maybe this is a bad idea. You are a pain in the ass. And bossy.” He reached out and grazed the back of her fingers softly with his. “But, you are also amazing, and sexy as hell, and I just don’t see the harm in spending some time together.”
Kate felt a fizzy warmth rising in her body, mingling with the fear. She tried to squash the desire and concentrate on the danger. “But everyone can see us.”
Chase looked around at the other bungalows, soft lights glowing in their windows. “Well, I’m not sure if you’ve picked up on this, but the local pe
rception of me is that I can be a little uptight. Hell, they probably think a little fun would do me good.”
Fun, Kate thought. Right. That’s what this was. And fun would do nothing to get her closer to her goals. She had been on her own for half of her life and learned that depending on others only brought her heartache. She felt a terror that letting herself kiss Chase again, to fall into the abyss of his arms, would only cause her pain.
Kate took a breath and pulled away. “Wrong place and time, I think.” She patted the back of his hand. She could see that the patronizing gesture hurt him, but that was probably for the best.
She watched as Chase’s eyes changed from confusion to determination. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s make it the right place and time. How do people normally meet these days?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No, seriously. On-line dating? Grocery store?” He smiled boyishly. “Clearly a barbeque didn’t do the trick,” he said with a wave of his hand.
For a fleeting moment, Kate wanted to change her mind. She wanted to say okay and fall back into his arms. How wonderful that would be, she thought, if only for a few days. He did make it difficult to say no.
“Afraid not,” she said, trying to sound as certain as possible. “Another life, maybe.” She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes and hoped Chase couldn’t see. If he did, he would break her.
“Oh, I get it,” Chase said, with a nod of his head. “You want a love story. A prince, and a ball, and everything.”
Kate wanted to say don’t be ridiculous, but deep in her heart she did want a love story. She just knew she was never meant to have one, and to even try was a recipe for disaster. She gave him a shrug. “Guess so. Hard to please. Better for you just to slide that glass slipper on another girl’s foot.”
Chase stood and looked down at her as he sunk his hands into his pockets. The night stood still for a moment. Kate could hear crickets chirping and saw the fireflies glide in and out of the trees. He was gorgeous here in the moonlight, and Kate vowed if she couldn’t have love, at least she would always have this moment. She could live on this moment for years. Chase made no move to leave, so Kate said, “Goodnight, then.”
Chase nodded. She could swear she saw a smile playing at the corner of his eyes.
“Be careful what you wish for, Kate Piper.” He bent down and kissed her on the cheek and walked away.
Chapter 8: Chase
Early Monday morning, Chase closed the door to his bungalow with a soft click and padded down his front steps and across the lawn. There was a low buzz in the trees and grasses of rural Oklahoma as a soft, low light awakened the earth. Tiny droplets of water began to slowly evaporate on the blades of grass surrounding the walkways and flower buds stretched to life.
Chase loved this time of day. He felt like anything was possible―that each morning gave him a chance to start again, and today, he felt particularly hopeful. He practically pranced across the compound to Kate’s house and tip-toed up her steps. He didn’t see a light on and wondered if she was awake or still curled up inside the bedsheets. He avoided the temptation to knock on the door, knowing he would see her soon enough.
From his jacket, he withdrew a small, cream colored envelope labeled simply, “Kate”, on the outside. He smiled at himself, gave the envelope a little tap for good luck, and then slid it beneath her door.
Chase was used to going after what he wanted, and he didn’t often lose. Last night, he decided that what he wanted was Kate Piper. He wasn’t accustomed to chasing after women, and the whole prospect made him a little uncomfortable, but after that kiss, he couldn’t allow himself anything else.
As he got into his truck to drive to work, he replayed that kiss over and over in his mind, just as he had the whole night before. He remembered how the soft pads of her lips slid over his, her tongue touching his tongue, her arms slung around the back of his neck as her body pressed onto his. He wanted that again, and more. As he played it over again in his mind, he tried to put his finger on another simmering sensation, lingering deep inside the kiss. The way her skin seemed to melt into his and how he felt them both being totally transported to another place. He had never felt anything quite like it.
He admitted to himself that he was stung by her rejection after the kiss, and how vehemently she pulled away. He couldn’t blame her, though. Her job was to disintegrate entanglements, not create them. Plus, he had only known Kate for two days. He didn’t know if becoming involved further would intensify or relieve his stress. And, at the end of their work together, he knew Kate would be gone. The idea already pained him. He didn’t know what would happen with Kate, but he knew couldn’t let her leave without investigating these feelings he had for her.
Chase pulled into the KinCo parking lot and made his way to his office. He always drove around the back way so he could see the manufacturing plants spring to life; steam gently trailing into the sky, and trucks beeping as they backed into the loading docks. Even though it was early, many workers were already there, loading trucks and turning on computers. Employees waived as he drove past.
As he entered his office, he looked across at the chair Kate had sat in during their first meeting. He shook his head and smiled. What a crazy few days it had been. First, he found Kate on the road, worried she was some kind of spy. Then, he had turned her into a simple fantasy, before finding out she was to be his new reputation manage, after which, she admonished him like a child.
Then they shared that kiss, that wonderful kiss. Chase felt like he had whiplash. Three days ago, he thought his whole life was on track, and the machine of the IPO would propel him into next month unscathed. Perhaps it would be better not to have captivating Kate Piper thrown into the mix, but part of him felt a tug he couldn’t deny. A desire to wrap Kate back into his arms and sink back into that faraway place together. He didn’t know how he had been so overcome by his feelings in just a few short days, but he wanted to take a long, warm bath in whatever made up this amazing, surprising woman named Kate Piper.
Chase turned on his computer and brought up his calendar in an effort to clear his head. He had to find a way to segment Kate―to relegate her to one corner of his mind, or he would never get anything done. He struggled to concentrate on the screen before him. Peggy would be here first thing for a meeting to go over the latest financial projections, so he boned-up on a couple of spreadsheets before the meeting began. Chase knew it was never wise to let Peggy see you come to a meeting unprepared. He learned years ago that Peggy was more on top of her game and her job than anyone else at the company, except maybe him. She worked hard, and if she found anyone else not putting in appropriate effort, she considered it a personal insult.
Chase understood Peggy. She had given up her own life to the KinCo machine. She had never married, and had given her youth to catapult KinCo to the national brand that it was. Most people found her bitter, but Chase just found her to be dedicated. He sometimes wondered if they were destined for the same fate.
There was a knock on the door and Peggy entered.
“Good morning, Chase.”
“Good morning. Coffee?”
“No, already had four. Ready to go over some numbers?”
“Absolutely. Have a seat.”
Peggy sat and crossed her long skinny legs beside the chair like a gazelle. She laid a portfolio full of documents on the desk, with tabs and sticky notes sticking out in uniform fashion along the edge. “Before we begin, I have a couple of housekeeping items I’d like to discuss.”
“Go for it.”
“First, the Governor has asked key members of the board to meet with him before his gala next week. We will need to arrive in the morning. I’ve made all the arrangements.”
“What’s that about?”
“Good news, I think. The governor is rolling out a new jobs agenda before the launch of next year’s re-election campaign and it looks like he’s going to pitch a KinCo partnership.”
“That’s fanta
stic.”
“It is. Great exposure. We’ll learn more when we get there, although I’m preparing a myriad of data so we will have whatever he needs available.”
Chase smiled and folded his hands on the table. “I’m sure you are.”
Peggy continued. “Also, I have invited our Investment Bankers to the Gala. They will be here from Japan, and I think the Gala will illustrate how strong we are in our community, and in partnership with our local government.”
“I agree.”
Peggy took her eyes off her notes and gave Chase a fiery look. Uh-oh, Chase thought. Something is brewing. She’s gearing up for a fight.
Chase prodded her. “And? What else is going on?”
Peggy un-pursed her lips and exhaled with a slight shake of her head. “Some new information has come to light about our temporary Reputation Manager.”
“Kate?”
“Yes, Kate,” Peggy sneered. “I know that Cal usually has a good eye for these things, but I took it upon myself to do a little digging after her unexpected appearance Friday. After all, we didn’t know anything about this woman. I’d never heard of her, had you? Then she just pops up here and expects us all to trust her with the biggest deal of our lives.”
Chase sat silently, ready for the assault he felt sure was coming.
“I will try to be as kind as I can,” Peggy continued, “but suffice it to say, she has a shady history.”
“Shady? In what way?”
“Well, apparently, she almost destroyed one person’s athletic career after exercising astoundingly poor judgment during his ordeal. She has been described to me as a loose-cannon with questionable ethics. Some say she slept her way up to her last job. I believe that, too, because she also, apparently, has a criminal history. If she didn’t sleep her way to the top, how else could she have gotten a pass to work with so many successful people and companies?”
Chase sat perfectly still and watched Peggy spew out accusations until all of the air left her like a spent balloon. Then he responded. “Hm. That’s strange, Peg, because Cal said she came highly recommended.”
Chasing Kate (An American Dream Love Story Book 1) Page 5
