Chase waved a hand. “That’d be great.”
“Have a good day.”
“You too.” He climbed in his truck and headed to work, telling himself not to worry about his neighbor’s matchmaking ideas. Out of all the girls he’d dated, not one of them had ever been a redhead. They weren’t really his type.
* * *
Chase tucked the bright colored sign Miss Janie made for him in between the airport’s vinyl chairs. His idea of a sign didn’t entail sparkling glitter. He didn’t plan on using the sign, not when he could just as easily text, but Miss Janie was so excited about it he knew he had to at least bring it inside. As it was, he left the balloon bouquet in his truck.
Since Miss Heywood’s plane wasn’t due for another ten minutes, Chase leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He might as well catch a few Z’s while he waited. The performance the night before had been great and they’d played until two in the morning. Before going to his hotel room, he’d stayed up even later talking with a pretty girl. Chase called it a night when the girl invited him for a sleepover.
Even if he had been tempted—which he hadn’t been—his mama raised him to respect women. With four sisters, Chase took it upon himself to protect them from guys that usually had only one thing on their mind. Luckily, two of his sisters were happily married. The other two—the twins—were the youngest and were making him crazy. They were beautiful. They knew it, and they knew everyone else knew it too.
He couldn’t wait for them to graduate high school in a few months. Although he wasn’t a proponent of marrying young, he sort of hoped the twins would find good husbands their first year in college like his other sisters had.
He shifted in the hard seat and tried not to think of where that would leave him—the oldest and not married. His parents, especially his mother, would be all over him like a tick on a hound dog, harassing him for being single and trying to set him up with every eligible girl in the state of Georgia.
No thanks. Being the only son in a houseful of girls made him leery of marriage. His sisters’ emotions were all over the place. He was an expert on PMS and he’d had to buy more feminine products over the years than any guy should ever be subjected to. In spite of Jackson’s insistence that the benefits of marriage far outweighed the hormonal mood swings, Chase was content focusing on his career for now.
A mother with two young boys took the empty seats next to Chase. Right away, an unpleasant odor wafted up from one of the kids. Chase decided to skip his nap and quickly vacated his seat. He walked over to the monitors and was surprised to see Miss Heywood’s plane landed early.
A few minutes later, an influx of passengers approached the baggage-claim area. Chase moved toward the one designated for the flight number Miss Janie gave him. He leaned against a column and studied the passengers, looking for a redhead. He doubted he would be able to identify Janie’s niece by sight, especially since he’d been too busy worrying about work and whether or not the talent scout was going to show up at their performance last night to even track her down on Facebook.
If his phone’s battery wasn’t in the red zone, he could’ve done a search while he waited. Hopefully, it would hold out long enough for a text message—otherwise he’d be holding up the girly-looking poster board. He glanced back by his seat and saw it was still tucked in between the chair. His phone better not die.
As soon as the luggage started circulating, the passengers crowded around the conveyer belt. They were all crammed in so close together it made it difficult for anyone to remove their bag once they spotted it.
Chase watched the process over and over, but noticed one girl was having a hard time getting close enough to reach her bag. She was cute, at least from what he could tell. She sure looked good in her jeans and a turquoise colored top that hugged her generous curves. Under the airport lights, her long hair looked thick and shiny. The color was similar to his sister’s chestnut mare Roxie.
He squinted, wondering if he could call the hair red. To him it looked more brown than red, so he doubted it was Janie’s niece. Her hair color was something he could never forget. Whenever she’d teased him about being taller than him, he’d made some wisecrack about her fire engine red hair. She hadn’t liked that very much.
Another surge of passengers flooded the already crowded space. Chase knew it was futile but he still scanned the newcomers, hoping to spot Janie’s niece. So far the only woman he’d found with red hair was very pregnant and holding the hand of a little boy.
Deciding he better let Miss Heywood know he was here, he pulled out his phone and quickly typed in a message that he’d wait for her at the base of the escalator. He sent the message and was frustrated when a second later the screen went blank and his phone powered off. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten to pack a charger. It was stupid to not have an extra one in his truck.
Hoping the message had actually been sent, he continued to people watch. Once again, he spotted the girl in the turquoise shirt. She’d made progress, and Chase watched as she inched forward and squeezed between two men, reaching out to grab a large roll-on duffle bag with a bright pink ribbon tied to it.
She struggled to get the piece of luggage off of the carousel, but was unsuccessful as she lost her hold and stepped away. A big linebacker-looking guy moved in, and Chase thought he was going to help her. Instead, he about knocked her over as he snatched up a mammoth boarding case.
Shooting the man an annoyed glance, the girl held her position as she watched her bag slowly circle around. Figuring he had some time to find Miss Heywood, and since his mama raised him to be a gentleman, Chase made his way over to the girl and hovered directly behind her.
As they waited for the bag to come full circle, she slowly glanced around, like she was looking for someone. Chase swallowed and tried not to stare. She was more than cute. She was beautiful.
Her gaze briefly passed over his face, and his mouth lifted up at the corner when her light brown eyes came back and took a second look at him. He noted a spark of awareness flicker in her eyes before she returned her attention to the revolving bags.
With her back to him, the duffle bag moved into view. Hopefully Chase would be able to offer his assistance. He might even be able to find out where she was visiting, and, if he was lucky, get her phone number too.
* * *
Addie could feel the handsome stranger’s eyes on her, and she desperately wanted to steal another peek at him. She might have sworn off men, but she hadn’t sworn off looking at them. And this one was very nice to look at.
She fidgeted with her purse strap, forcing herself not to look back over her shoulder. His medium blond hair, with natural highlights women pay big money for, was cut for that just-crawled-out-of-bed look guys could get away with. His eyes were a light mossy green color framed by thick, dark lashes.
As a photographer, she was drawn to faces and could pick up details quickly. She’d had only a cursory glance, but it had been enough to know he was a pretty boy. Generally, she didn’t like to date men who were prettier than her. If she hadn’t boycotted the idea of dating, she’d have made an exception for this guy.
Remembering her purpose, Addie spied the hot pink ribbon on her bag as it drew closer. If she couldn’t get the duffle off this time, she’d have to try to find an airport worker to help her. So much for southern gentlemen living here—not one person had even glanced at her while she struggled to retrieve the heavy bag.
Maybe Aunt Janie’s friend from her church could help her. That is, if he’d even showed up. She had no idea what he looked like, but Aunt Janie said not to worry about it because she’d given him her cell phone number, plus she’d made a lovely yellow sign with pink glitter. The man would also be holding a bunch of balloons. Since Addie hadn’t noticed anyone with those items, she figured he wasn’t here yet.
Actually, she hoped he wouldn’t show up. It was going to be so awkward driving two hours with a man she didn’t know. She would much rather rent a car and
make the drive herself, but Aunt Janie wouldn’t hear of it. She called late last night to say her car was acting funny and she’d made arrangements to have an old friend of hers pick Addie up since he had business in Atlanta.
The person next to Addie stepped in front of her and snatched up a backpack. With the coast clear, Addie braced her legs and reached for her bag. She yanked as hard as she could but her bag didn’t seem to move. Ugh. She shouldn’t have packed so many shoes. She tried again and let out a frustrated moan as the strap slipped from her fingers.
Suddenly she felt someone reach around her to grasp the handle of the bag. A citrusy male scent swirled around her, making her a little dizzy. Her rescuer smelled really good.
“Let me help you with that, ma’am,” a nice tenor voice said in a perfect southern drawl.
His voice melted over her like butter on a bowl of piping hot grits. Addie turned slightly to see who it was and almost started to hyperventilate. It was the pretty boy with the incredible green eyes. He smiled at her, revealing straight, white teeth. At this close proximity, Addie smelled the minty gum he chewed.
She wanted to put her hand over her heart and murmur something like, “I declare” and then swoon. Instead, she backed out of his way so he could get her bag for her. “Thank you,” she managed to mutter.
He lifted it effortlessly, and she noticed his well-developed biceps strain against his short sleeve. “This is the only one, right?” he asked, giving her another heart-stopping smile.
“No. I mean, yes. Just the one. Thank you.”
He flashed his teeth again. “You’re welcome.”
They moved to the side, and Addie found herself staring into his green eyes, unable to think of anything else to say. The corner of his mouth lifted. “Do you need help carryin’ this to your car?”
Wow, she loved the way he talked. He should be wearing a sign, warning women that his slow, southern drawl was lethal. Of course the women here probably didn’t appreciate his accent the way a girl from Idaho would.
“I don’t have a car.” She nervously moistened her lips. “I’m hoping a man is going to pick me up.”
One of his eyebrows crept upward.
That didn’t come out right.
“Not pick me up as in pick me up.” She gave a short little laugh. “Just pick me up for a ride…to my aunt’s…the guy she, um, asked to pick me up.” She sounded like an idiot.
“Ahh. So I’m guessin’ you don’t know who this man is?”
“No.” She bit her lip. “He’s supposed to be holding a yellow sign my aunt made and carrying a bunch of balloons. So far, he’s a no-show. I guess I can always rent a car and drive to Mitchel Creek.”
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Did you say Mitchel Creek?”
“Yeah. I take it you’ve heard of it?”
A small grin edged up one side of his mouth. “I sure have.” His smile broadened. “Actually, I’m headed that way. Would you like a ride?”
Wow, he was smooth, but still…she wasn’t that kind of a girl or that stupid. “Uh, no thanks. I’ll just wait until my aunt’s friend comes with the sign.”
“You sure?” he asked. “I don’t mind.”
His sexy accent was so tempting that she actually considered accepting before coming to her senses. “Yes. Thank you, though.” Besides, the man was a complete stranger. He could be some creepy guy who tried picking up unsuspecting women at the airport. “Thanks for helping me with this,” she said, gesturing to her bag.
His eyes crinkled slightly, and he gave her another great smile. “You’re welcome.”
She followed him with her eyes as he walked off. Most creepy guys weren’t that cute. Maybe he was just the Boy-Scout type who liked helping others. Once he disappeared behind a crowd of people, Addie searched the busy airport for her would-be ride. Feeling slightly worried, she slipped her phone out of her front pocket to check for messages. One look at the blank screen reminded her she forgot to turn it back on.
A lock of hair fell across her eyes when she dipped her chin to power up her phone. She tucked the errant piece behind her ear as someone moved in front of her. She eyed the cowboy boots, peeking out from jeans and scanned up the mystery man’s jean-clad legs. He held a yellow sign with her name written in pink glittery letters. Finally. Her ride was here. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.”
The sign lowered, revealing the pretty boy. “So am I,” he drawled.
Chapter Three
“You?” Addie said in disbelief. “You’re the friend my aunt sent?”
A slow, mischievous grin tipped his mouth. “Yes, ma’am.”
She stared at him, wondering if he was telling her the truth. “But…she said an old friend of hers was coming to get me.”
“I am an old friend of hers.”
Addie made a quick perusal of her surroundings, searching for an older gentlemen holding helium balloons. For all she knew Pretty Boy here could’ve stolen the sign since she’d mentioned it earlier. “If you are who you say you are then where are the balloons?”
“I left them in my truck.”
A likely story.
He started to laugh. “Look, I didn’t knock anyone off, if that’s what you’re thinkin’.”
It had been what she was thinking. “Then where did you get that sign?”
“From your Aunt Janie.”
“How did you know her name was Janie?”
That little smirk was back on his handsome face. “Because she’s known me since I was a kid.”
“Oh, really.” Addie leaned in close. “Then what’s her last name?”
“Caldwell.”
Drat. How did he know that? Unless, of course, he was telling the truth. “I’m going to need to call my aunt just to be sure. Could you give me your name?”
“Are you sayin’ you really don’t remember meeting me?”
“Well, yeah. You just helped me get my bag but I don’t remember us exchanging names.”
He grinned. “I meant before today. Chase Nichols? That doesn’t ring a bell?”
Addie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re Chase Nichols?” Her eyes skimmed over every inch of him. He was a lot taller and so much hotter. “You used to be short.”
Again, the smirk. “I had a late growth spurt.”
Obviously. Still stuck at five four, Addie hadn’t grown another inch since her thirteenth birthday. She had, however, increased in other areas that men usually found attractive. She had to hand it to Chase since his eyes hadn’t once drifted down below her neck.
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“I hadn’t figured it out until you mentioned Mitchel Creek.” He shrugged. “Sorry, but I couldn’t resist teasin’ you.”
“Are you telling me you really didn’t know it was me and you just decided to help me out of the goodness of your heart?”
“Yeah. Besides, you’ve changed since I last saw you.” This time he did look her over. But it was quick, and he didn’t linger on any particular part of her body. “I remember your hair being a different color.”
“Yes, what was it you used to call me? Flame Brain?”
His lips pressed together, like he was trying to hold back a laugh. “I was fourteen and you kept referrin’ to me as Frodo.”
Okay, her name calling had probably hurt much more than his taunts. Guys were pretty sensitive about their height and she actually liked her red hair, especially now that it had darkened to a gorgeous shade of auburn her sister tried to mimic from a bottle.
“If I promise not to call you anymore names, do you think we could leave? My feet are killing me.”
His eyes slid down to her four inch heels. Shoes were her weakness, well, that and sugar.
“I don’t know how you can walk on those things.” He reached out and easily took her bag, then weighed it with one hand. “This thing is heavy. Are you hiding a dead body in here?”
“Yes, because security would have never picked up on that.”
; He laughed and slung the bag over one of his solid shoulders. Addie followed close beside him. “You know you don’t have to carry it. It has a handle and wheels.”
“I’m good.”
Yes he was. Which is why—despite his handsome looks and that killer accent—she wasn’t looking for a spring fling…or any kind of romance. The point was she wasn’t interested in dating. Still, looking, just looking, wouldn’t hurt.
Walking alongside of him, she covertly studied Chase’s profile. Nice jaw line and nose. Her gaze traveled down, noticing his tan, muscled arm, sprinkled with light brown hair. The contrast against the white tee he wore only seemed to emphasize his masculinity. Hmm. She still couldn’t believe this was the same annoying boy she’d known as a child. Her Aunt Janie hadn’t been kidding when she’d said Chase was incredibly handsome.
Before she could look away, he glanced at her. Shoot, she hadn’t meant for him to catch her ogling him. “I can take my bag now, if you need me to.”
A smug grin crossed his face. “I got it, but thanks.” They came to a set of automatic doors that slid open to the parking garage. Chase paused. “After you.”
“Thank you.” She slipped past him and caught the scent of his yummy cologne. For some reason it made her feel all jittery inside. She tended to say stupid things when nervous. Which might prove to be a problem since in a matter of minutes it would be just the two of them. Alone.
Addie told herself she had nothing to be nervous about as they both moved steadily toward a crosswalk. Chase was her aunt’s neighbor. An acquaintance. No big deal.
They paused while a couple of cars crossed in front of them. Chase looked down at her. “Miss Janie’s pretty excited to see you.”
“I can’t wait to see her. I wish she could’ve picked me up.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she realized how ungrateful they sounded. “Not that I’m not glad you picked me up, because I am. Grateful that is. You know, since her car broke down and all.”
“Her car broke down?”
“You mean it didn’t?”
Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1 Page 3
