Chase captured her hand as it fell away. “Hey, nobody has to see the pie if you’re really stressed out about it.”
The soft tone of his voice, coupled with their entwined fingers, vanquished any stress about the marred pastry. “It might not look the greatest but Aunt Janie made the crust and the pie filling and that’s what counts, right?”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad, but how about I serve the pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream right in the center?”
“You would do that for me?”
His lips curved into a soft smile. “Yeah.” He tugged on her hand, bringing her much closer. “I’d do that for you.”
She lifted her eyes and met his gaze. He studied her for a few seconds, as if trying to discern her thoughts. She hoped he couldn’t actually read her mind or he’d know how much she wanted him to kiss her. Heat flared between them and his focus shifted to her mouth.
Addie wasn’t sure if she felt disappointed or relieved when Chase’s sister, Ashlee, came back into the foyer. “Y’all coming to supper or what?”
The spell broken, Chase glanced over at his sister. “We’re coming.”
Addie swallowed as he led her into the dining room, suddenly feeling very nervous. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but she wanted Chase’s family to like her.
Chapter Eleven
The aroma of baking bread wafted through the screen door of the Caldwell home as Chase climbed the porch steps. He read a note taped to the door, and followed the instructions to walk right in. Every Monday morning, Janie invited some men from the Senior Citizen Center to come to her house for coffee and some home baked goodies. Today it smelled like Miss Janie’s famous cinnamon rolls. Addie should be happy.
The deep southern voices of the older gentlemen echoed from the dining room as Chase entered the house. His empty stomach rumbled involuntarily as he followed the delicious scent coming from the kitchen. The moment he stepped into the dining room, a few of the men looked up to see who the latecomer was.
Miss Janie sat next to Harry Burns, a retired postman Chase had known his whole life. Janie’s eyes lit with surprise when she spotted him. A small smile formed on her lips as she raised a welcoming hand. “Well, good morning, Chase. This is a nice surprise.”
He smiled, doubting her surprise was genuine. He and Addie made it fairly obvious they liked each other during and after supper last night. Chase didn’t know how much of their flirting was real—at least on Addie’s part. He didn’t need to pretend he liked her.
“Morning,” he said, crossing the room. He felt a stab of disappointment when he didn’t see Addie.
“Ain’t you a little young to be here, son?” Mr. Burns asked. Then he grinned widely and winked. “Or are you here to see that little gal with the red hair?”
Janie pushed back from the table. “Addie’s hair isn’t red. It’s auburn. And of course Chase is here to see her.”
This elicited a few cackles from the other men sitting around the table. Janie pointed to the kitchen. “She’s icing the last batch of cinnamon buns. Go on in, sugar. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”
“Just don’t go and eat all those rolls up. We’re still hungry,” Harry called as Chase exited the dining room.
He found Addie drizzling icing over the hot bread. She had her hair pulled up in a ponytail and wore a pair of jeans and a fitted light blue tee. When his shoes hit the tile floor, Addie lifted her face and her eyes widened with surprise. “Chase. I wasn’t expecting you.” She appeared truly astonished to see him this morning, staring at him and unconsciously dribbling icing onto the dark granite countertop.
He pointed his finger at the puddle of white confection. “Uh, Addie…”
She blinked and looked down at the mess she’d just made. “Oh, shoot.” She stopped squeezing the bag and laid it down on the counter.
“Sorry,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t mean to distract you.”
A faint blush colored her face. “I thought you were coming by after work.” She looked down at her blue shirt and tugged at the hem. “I must look a mess.”
“I think you look cute.”
That earned him a glare. “Liar.”
He moved closer to the bar. “Okay. You look gorgeous.”
She gave him an exaggerated eye roll and reached for a spatula. “Flattery will get you nothing but a cinnamon bun.” She lifted an iced roll from the pan and deposited it on a plate. “You did come in for one of these, right?” she asked, sliding the plate over to him.
“Well…” His eyes made a lazy perusal of her face. “Among other things.”
The color in her cheeks deepened, making him wonder if she remembered the moment he would’ve kissed her last night if Ashlee hadn’t interrupted them. “Do you want anything to drink?”
Chase wished he could play hooky from work and hang out with her all day. He could hardly wait for their first official date tonight. “I better not. I’ve got a meeting with a new client in an hour. I brought by Claire’s bike for you.”
“Oh, thanks.”
He laughed at the look of dread on her face. Last night she’d told him about the photo contest and how she liked photographing landscapes, but usually found her best settings off the beaten path. Since Addie was afraid of horses, Chase suggested riding a bike to give her a scenic view of the area. “You did say you’d rather ride a bike than a horse.”
“That’s true, but you also remember I haven’t ridden a bike for like ten years, right?”
“They say you never forget how to ride a bike.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” She bunched her brows together. “Did I tell you I don’t like to exercise?”
“No.” He laughed again. “You don’t have to ride the bike, Addie. There are other ways to explore the back roads.”
She shook her head. “No, riding a bike is a good idea. It’s hard to get inspired about an area if I’m in a car.” Glancing up at him, she offered him a smile that showed off her dimple. “Thank you for bringing the bike over.”
“You’re welcome.” The kitchen clock chimed once on the half hour, reminding him he needed to get going. “Can you walk with me out to the truck?”
“Sure.” She lifted the pan of iced cinnamon rolls. “I just need to take these out. Apparently, Harry likes these as much as we do.”
“He did seem a little territorial.”
Addie raised an eyebrow. “A little?” She walked a few steps and then looked over her shoulder. “Let’s just say I’m glad Aunt Janie only does this once a week.”
All eyes turned to them as they entered the dining room. Janie took the pan from Addie. “Thank you, darlin’. These look wonderful.”
“Yes, thank you,” one of the men said, reaching for another roll.
“You’re welcome.” Addie stepped away from the table, motioning for Chase to follow her. “I’m gonna walk Chase out to his truck. I’ll be back in just a minute.”
Mr. Burns snorted. “I bet it’ll be longer than a minute.” He wiggled both of his eyebrows up and down.
Miss Janie gave Harry a playful swat. “Hush, or no more rolls for you.” She glanced back over at Addie and Chase. “Y’all just take your time.”
Chase held the door for Addie, and ignored the other comments from the men as he closed the door behind them.
They walked toward his truck, and Addie pointed to his cinnamon roll. “You haven’t eaten that yet?”
“I’ll take it to go and bring the plate by later on.”
“Just make sure it’s clean,” she joked, “I also get dish duty.”
Chuckling, he opened the passenger door and put the plate on the seat. “I promise to return it clean.” She followed him to the back of the truck, stopping beside him as he lowered the tailgate.
“You better let me do this.” Addie placed her hands on the back of the truck. “I don’t want you to ruin your clothes.”
Chase tucked his tie in between the buttons of his shirt. “Nah,
I won’t get dirty.” He nimbly climbed up into the bed of the truck and pulled the bike to the edge.
She reached for the back tire. “Well, at least let me help you get it down.”
Together they managed and Chase jumped back down. He clapped his hands together to get rid of any dirt. “I hope this works out okay. I made sure the tires were good.”
Addie balanced the bike. “It’ll be perfect. Thank you. Tell your sister I’ll take good care of it.”
Chase smiled. “Claire’s expecting a baby, so she won’t be using it anytime soon. Plus, she and her husband live in North Carolina so she left it at home on purpose.”
He reached back inside the truck bed, pulling out a bike helmet. “This is Taylin’s. She never used it and I have no idea if it’ll fit, but she said you’re welcome to use it.”
“That was sweet of her.” She took the helmet and hooked it on one of the handles. “Tell her thanks.”
“I will.” He lifted the tailgate and Addie moved over to help him click it in place. They turned and faced each other. Addie was near enough that Chase caught the scent of cinnamon and sugar. “Are you still up for dinner tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah, what time should I be ready?”
“Syd is expecting us at six. I’ll come by around five-thirty if that’s okay?”
“Sure.” She gave him a soft smile. “I’ll see you then.”
Chase really didn’t want to leave, but he needed to get to work. Before backing away, he noticed tiny crystals of sugar clinging to Addie’s bottom lip. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed a few of the crystals away with his thumb. “Looks like someone’s been into the sugar this mornin’.”
Her eyes were filled with apprehension, wonder and something else he couldn’t quite define.
Lowering her lashes, she shrugged. “I can’t seem to help myself.”
He knew the feeling. “Ah, something I can definitely relate to.” She lifted her eyes again and offered him a shy smile. Before he gave into the temptation to sample her sugary lips, Chase backed away. “Have a good day, Addie. I’ll see ya later.”
* * *
Trembling inside, Addie watched him drive away. She felt as warm and gooey as the inside of a cinnamon roll. Sighing, she licked her lips and tasted the evidence of her poor self-control. And speaking of poor self-control—that was twice now that she would’ve let Chase kiss her.
Careful, Addie, she reminded herself. This is only pretend.
Sighing again, she made her way to the back porch, the wheels of the bike crunching in the gravel as she steered it behind the house. After securing the bike on the back porch, she entered the kitchen.
Feeling a little out of sorts, she started washing dishes and tried to erase the memory of the look in Chase’s eyes when he’d brushed his warm thumb across her bottom lip. Did he know what he was doing to her? For that matter, did she even know what was happening to her?
Slipping another plate into the hot water, Addie wished she could wash away her feelings as easily as the white frosting disappeared from the dish. She didn’t want to like Chase. A new relationship, long-distance or otherwise, wasn’t in her plans. Obviously, Chase wasn’t looking for anything either. So why were they going out tonight as a couple to hang out with a married couple?
It’s not like they were in danger of blowing their cover or anything. Aunt Janie hadn’t threatened to set her up since orchestrating her ride home from church with Chase. As far as she knew, Hayden wouldn’t be seeing Chase until his gig on Saturday, and Addie would be there as his date so they were covered there.
Reaching for another plate, she dunked it into the water. She needed to remember Chase was her pretend boyfriend. She needed to stop thinking about him as anything else and concentrate on her goal of starting her own studio. Just because her breath caught whenever she thought about those incredible green eyes, his great smile and his sexy southern accent…well, none of that mattered, right?
She let out a sarcastic laugh and shook her head. Who was she kidding? Looks like she was interested in chasing Chase—maybe even catching him.
After finishing the dishes, Addie went upstairs to her room and grabbed her camera. She knew she could spend the next couple of hours seeing more of her aunt’s property. Her bike riding exploration would wait another day. Quietly, she slipped past the dining room. Aunt Janie and her gentlemen friends seemed to be having a great time and she didn’t want to interrupt them. She also didn’t want any more embarrassing comments about her love life from Mr. Burns.
Addie left a note on the counter for her aunt, letting her know where she would be. Instead of going to the gardens near the gazebo, Addie made her way to the edge of the property that abutted a forest of Georgia pines. As a child, the woods had seemed spooky to her and she’d avoided this side of the property the few times she’d visited her aunt. Even now as an adult it still seemed eerily quiet.
Amongst the tall pine trees, Addie noted a variety of flowering shrubs that were in full bloom. Careful not to trip on the thick ground cover, she made her way toward the large holly tree. The uniquely shaped green leaves were heavily laden with bright red holly berries. She’d always thought this would make the perfect Christmas tree since all the decorating you’d need was a string of white lights.
She took several shots, including a few close-ups. When she backed up to get a wide view, she was excited when a male red Cardinal landed on one of the branches. The bird held still for a few seconds, giving Addie plenty of time to get some great pictures.
She spent the next thirty minutes in the wooded area before venturing back to Aunt Janie’s yard. Near the south end of the property sat a tiny cabin that had been the temporary housing of her uncle’s family when they’d first settled the property before the Civil War. Now it was used to store garden tools.
The little cabin was more dilapidated then she’d remembered, but it had character and she got some great pictures of it, especially on the side with a flowering dogwood tree. After spending another hour traversing the yard, she made her way back to the house for lunch.
Although the temp was in the low seventies, Addie was hot and sweaty from all her exploring. She entered the kitchen for a drink of water and was surprised to find a stranger seated at the kitchen bar. The woman, who appeared to be as round as she was tall, stared at Addie, her eyes filled with distrust. A frown puckered her already wrinkled dark skin.
“Who are you?” the woman questioned hotly.
Addie briefly looked for her aunt before answering the demanding question. “Hi, I’m Addie Heywood. Janie’s niece.”
The woman’s gaze narrowed. “Hmmph. Your hair’s changed color. I remember a little red headed gal that likes to eat sweets.”
Obviously this woman knew her well. “That would be me.” Addie smiled. “And you are?”
“Hazel Morris.”
The name sounded vaguely familiar. “Nice to meet you, Hazel.” Addie held out her hand.
“That’s Miss Hazel to you, young lady,” Hazel said, her frown deepening.
Oh, that jogged her memory. The last time Addie saw Hazel the woman had been thirty pounds thinner and had shiny black hair instead of short curly gray hair. But she had been just as grumpy back then as she was now.
“That’s right,” Addie said, dropping her hand. “I remember you now. You used to make the most amazing fudge.”
The woman snorted. “And you used to eat it as fast as a hot knife in butter. She eyed Addie critically. “I’m surprised you’re not fat.”
That was a compliment, right? “Thank you, Haz…uh, Miss Hazel.”
“I suppose you’re looking for your aunt.”
Addie moved to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of water. “Actually, yes. Where is she?”
“She had to take that rowdy bunch of men home since that old coot Harry Burns left his lights on and killed his battery dead.” Hazel pushed her chair away from the bar. “I’m supposed to feed you dinner.”
&n
bsp; Addie knew by the tone of Miss Hazel’s voice that feeding her was the last thing she’d like to do. Hungry or not, her lunch could wait until Aunt Janie was back. “Oh, please don’t get up,” Addie said, before the grumpy lady could heave herself out of the chair. “I really appreciate the offer but I’m not hungry right now.”
Instead of being grateful, Hazel sank back in her chair and glared at Addie. “In my house you eat when it’s dinner time whether you be hungry or not.”
Good thing I’m not in your house. Addie kept the snarky reply to herself and tried to use diplomacy. “Before I go take a shower, is there anything I can get you, Miss Hazel?”
Wow, while the woman didn’t actually smile, she at least wasn’t frowning any more. “Yes, thank you. I’d appreciate more of Janie’s sweet tea.”
Addie opened the fridge and found the pitcher of tea. She poured Hazel a glass, and was surprised when the woman thanked her again. “Anything else?” Addie asked.
Hazel looked to be contemplating another request, but finally shook her head. “No, thank you. You go on and take your shower. You look a mess right now.”
Biting her tongue, Addie hurried out of the kitchen. Honestly, she didn’t know how her cheerful aunt could be friends with such a grouchy person. On the way to her room, Addie noticed the cord hanging down from the attic stairs. Since she was already dirty, maybe now would be a time to look through the attic for old photos. Maybe one of them would inspire her to take the winning picture.
After putting away her camera equipment, Addie went out in the hall and stood beneath the attic entrance in the ceiling. She tugged on the string, and the aged stairs groaned as they unfolded. A cloud of dust swirled in the air, making Addie sneeze. Before climbing up the narrow staircase, she waited for the dust to settle.
“Girl,” Hazel said, making Addie jump. “What’re you doing?” She stood in the foyer with her hands on her hips, a deep scowl on her face. “You nearly scared me to death.”
“Oh, sorry. Before I shower, I decided to look for some old photographs Aunt Janie thought might be up here.”
Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1 Page 12
