“Me.” She stopped next to the bikes. “Miss Hazel doesn’t like the way I’m dressed.”
Chase stepped back, keeping a hold of her hand and slowly scanned her from head to toe. He squeezed her fingers and gave her a wicked grin. “I like the way you’re dressed, Miss Attitude.”
“Thanks.” She held onto the bike for support. That delicious southern drawl of his made her knees weak. “My sister gave me this shirt. Do you think she was trying to tell me something?”
“Probably.”
“Hey!” She pulled her hand out of his and playfully tapped him on the arm. “Since when have I shown any attitude?”
He lifted an eyebrow and took her camera bag. “I don’t know. I seem to recall you and Sydney having a conversation about hormonal men.”
“Your memory is a little sketchy, Nichols,” she said, as Chase secured her camera in a backpack containing their picnic. “We admitted women are hormonal. You men just have to deal with it.”
He chuckled. “Like I said…attitude.” He removed the bike helmet that hung from the handle of her borrowed bike and held it out in front of her. “Do you need any help with this?”
While Chase had looked completely adorable wearing his helmet, she knew she would probably look like a dork. She took it anyway, not sure what end was the front. “Which way does this thing go on?”
His mouth hooked up on one side as he took the helmet out of her hands. “Like this.” After placing it on her head, he tipped up her chin to clasp it together. She probably could do this part by herself, but decided not to say anything, thoroughly enjoying the close proximity and the yummy scent of his cologne. Dipping his head, he bent closer. “I don’t want it to pinch you.”
She probably wouldn’t feel it if he did. Her body felt as if she floated on air as his fingers brushed against her throat. Her hand itched to caress his jaw, wanting to feel the shadow of whiskers growing there. His mouth was just a breath away and suddenly her heart went haywire.
A sound from the house reminded her they were not alone. Then she heard Hazel whisper loudly, “Are they kissing?”
Oh good. Commentary from two old women was just what anyone wanted. She held her breath and hoped they wouldn’t say anything more.
“I can’t tell from here,” Janie said.
Chase snapped the clasp shut and moved slightly back. Catching Addie’s gaze, he smiled and whispered, “It’s not a bad idea, though.”
“What’s not a bad idea?” she asked coyly.
His eyes crinkled and he chuckled. “You know exactly what I’m talkin’ about, Miss Attitude.”
She did know. And even though it would make things ten times more complicated, kissing him sounded like an absolutely wonderful idea. However, hearing two grown women giggling from inside the house sorta put a damper on the whole thing. “We have an audience,” she whispered.
“I know.” He stepped away and grabbed his helmet. “Wanna help me?”
Addie didn’t think her heart could handle another close encounter. She gripped the handle bars and tapped the kickstand out of the way. “We better not give them anything else to speculate about.”
He laughed and put on his helmet. “Ready?” he said, strapping on the backpack.
“Lead the way,” she said, pushing off to follow him.
The two of them pedaled leisurely onto the road. The late afternoon sun warmed the air sliding over her skin. The high temp topped out at seventy two with a few clouds here and there, making it a perfect day. It felt great to be outside, and riding a bike was fun and relaxing.
At least until they came to a hill.
Addie’s breath became labored and embarrassingly loud as they pedaled up the incline. The nice leisurely bike ride had just changed into something that resembled exercise. The hill wasn’t that big but she had serious doubts as to whether or not she would make it up without dying. How could she be this out of shape?
“You okay?” Chase questioned after they crested the top of the hill. He wasn’t even winded.
Addie tried to slow her breathing down. “Fine,” she huffed. “I’m just not used to the altitude.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Nice try. I hate to break it to you, but the altitude here should be helpin’ you out.”
Some gentlemen he was!
“Well, then it’s the humidity. It can’t possibly be that I never exercise and I’m out of shape.” This was completely mortifying.
He didn’t even try to hide his amusement. “You’re right—it has to be the humidity.” Glancing over at her, he had that wicked gleam in his eyes again. “Because there is nothin’ wrong with your shape.”
She felt her cheeks go hot, probably making her already flushed face even redder. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but it’s clear I need to get out more.”
“You’re doing great.”
Yeah, right. The road leveled out for a good half a mile, and Addie thought she might just make it. She still couldn’t hold a conversation with Chase, which he found amusing. Luckily he was nice and didn’t ask too many questions, only pointed out different landmarks.
They came to another hill and Addie adjusted her gears, hoping to find one that would magically make it easier. Nothing helped. Her breath became more labored, and sweat trickled down the sides of her face. Her extra strength deodorant better work or this whole date would be ruined. Despite her efforts, she fell a little more behind with each second.
Chase looked back over his shoulder, concern written all over his handsome face. “We’re almost there. You’re gonna make it, aren’t ya?”
No! Her thighs were on fire and her chest hurt. “Yes,” she wheezed, “but please tell me you brought your cell phone. I may need you to call my aunt to come and pick me up.” At this point, she had no pride left.
“I brought it,” he assured her with a wry grin.
He could laugh all he wanted, but there was no way she was coming back the same way.
Her foot slipped on the pedal and she seriously considered just stopping right there to die.
“It’s downhill the rest of the way,” Chase said, slowing down to let her catch up.
Positioning her foot again, she pumped for all she was worth, cresting the top just when she couldn’t go another inch. Stretching out her aching legs, she took advantage of the momentum, coasting the rest of the way.
Chase pedaled backward, coasting alongside her. “I sure know how to show a girl a good time, don’t I?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, sucking in another breath. All she could think was he better have packed something really good to eat.
After a few minutes, Chase pointed up ahead. “There’s the park.”
Finally. They pedaled the last few yards and stopped. Addie planted both feet on the ground and straddled the bike. She wondered if she could walk. Her legs felt like Jell-O.
“Chase?” she said, taking off her helmet and hanging it on the handle bars.
He swung off of his bike, barely breathing hard at all. “Yeah?” He turned to look at her as he removed his own helmet.
“I cannot go back up that hill.”
He snickered and shrugged off the backpack. Reaching inside, he pulled out a bottle of water. “Do I need to call my friend? Jackson’s always willing to help.” He offered her the water.
Her fingers curled around the cool bottle, wet from condensation. “Are you kidding? He’ll never let me live this down.” She twisted off the lid, taking a long drink. But they were going to have to call someone because there was no way she was getting back on that bike.
“Can’t we call my aunt?” she questioned, swinging her leg over the middle bar and engaging the kickstand. Setting the water on the ground, she removed the band from the ponytail and finger-combed her hair. Her head was all sweaty and the slight breeze felt wonderful.
“We’ll figure somethin’ out.” He ran his hand through his own hair. It wasn’t fair. The guy looked incredible.
“I know
what my next New Year’s resolution is going to be,” Addie said, twisting her hair back into a ponytail. “Start an exercise program.”
“You do realize it’s the second week of March. January is ten months away.”
She flashed him a smile. “I know. That’ll give me plenty of time to work up to it.”
He chuckled and lifted the backpack up, slinging it over one shoulder. Together they walked to a secluded area shaded by a tree. Chase pulled a blanket out of the pack and spread it on the ground.
The first thing Addie did was take off her shoes and socks. She dumped some of the water to cool off her feet, grateful they didn’t stink. “Sorry I’m so pathetic.” She sat down on the blanket, wiggling her toes blissfully. “Ahh, that feels so amazing.”
Chase joined her on the blanket, his eyes dipping down to her bare feet. “You’re not pathetic.” He lifted his gaze, giving her a crooked smile. “You’re just not accustomed to the altitude,” he said dryly.
“Very funny.”
“I brought food. Will that help?”
“Let’s hope.”
“Do we need to start with the dessert?” he asked, unzipping the cooler. He pulled out a clear plastic tray with fat, flaky croissants, stuffed with a delectable chicken salad.
Her mouth watered and for once she opted for the main course instead of dessert. “I think I need the protein more than sugar right now.”
Chase placed a croissant on a plate, along with Sun Chips and a small cluster of red grapes. “Thank you. This looks delicious,” she said accepting the plate. “Did you pack this all by yourself?”
He started to fix a plate for himself. “I did. With the help of Kroger’s deli.”
“I’m impressed.” She took a small bite of her sandwich.
“Well,” he said, raising the croissant to his mouth. “That was the goal. Of course, I probably should’ve gotten us here by another means of transportation.”
She grinned at the teasing note in his voice. “But I made it, didn’t I?” Barely. But unlike her former fiancé, this man seemed to find her apathy for exercise sorta cute.
He laughed and dug into his food. Addie enjoyed watching him eat so enthusiastically. She hated to keep comparing him to Brandon, but her previous boyfriend was so obsessed with the quality and type of food that he rarely enjoyed anything he ate. Come to think of it, food had become such a source of contention between the two of them Addie was surprised she hadn’t developed an eating disorder.
With Chase, it was different. She loved how comfortable she felt around him. It was like they’d been friends forever. He was fun to be around, easy to talk to and so cute he made her breath catch whenever their eyes met.
They talked about his work, and his upcoming performance on Saturday. He wasn’t too stressed about the music rep, only hopeful he’d actually show up. Neither of them brought up Hayden, which was fine with Addie. She was still eating and didn’t want to ruin her appetite.
Chase finished his meal first, and put his hands behind his head, stretching out on his back while she told him about her day of washing windows and thoroughly dusting all of the wood furniture. He listened with his eyes closed. When she stopped talking and he hadn’t moved, she wondered if he’d fallen asleep.
Taking a drink of water, she watched his chest rise and fall evenly. Reaching out with her foot she nudged him in the side. “Are you asleep?”
He kept his eyes shut and grinned. “No. I’m just resting my eyes.”
“You were asleep.” She tapped him with her foot again. “Am I that boring?”
He captured her foot with his hand and opened one eye. “You? Boring?” He gave a deep chuckle. “Hardly.”
The warmth from his hand sent her heart into overdrive, even more so than the arduous bike ride had.
Chase kept a hold of her foot and turned on his side, resting on his elbow. “You have cute feet.” He ran a thumb across her skin, leaving a trail of heat and shorting out her brain.
“Thank you.”
He tickled the bottom, making her pull away giggling. “Stop that.”
“That’s for waking me up.”
She threw a grape at him. “You said you weren’t asleep.”
“I’m kidding.” He sat up beside her, their shoulders touching. “Ready for dessert?”
“I honestly don’t know if I could eat another bite right now.”
One eyebrow lifted.
“I’m serious. Can we save it for later?”
“Sure.” He pointed to a small bridge next to a covered pavilion. “We could take a walk, maybe see if you can find something worthwhile to take a picture of.”
The late afternoon sun shone behind a set of wispy clouds, making the lighting perfect for outdoor photography. “Good idea.” They cleaned up, and Chase took care of the trash while Addie put her shoes and socks back on.
Although her legs felt like rubber, she stood up, shook out the blanket and then folded it. Chase handed her camera bag to her before stuffing the blanket inside the backpack. He slipped his cell phone in one of his pockets and used the bike lock to secure the pack to the bikes.
“Ready?” He reached for her hand and slid his fingers between hers.
Oh boy. One touch from him and her thoughts scattered like the seeds of a dandelion in the wind. She hooked the strap of her camera bag over one shoulder, and nodded. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Fifteen
Heading toward the pond, Chase slowed down his pace, sensing Addie may not be very steady on her feet. “Are your legs feeling any better?” He still felt bad about forcing the bike ride when he knew she wasn’t that excited about it.
“I’m still a little wobbly.” She looked at him with a wry expression on her face. “Clearly I need to start exercising more. My sister is always after me to go on power walks with her. I guess when I get home I’ll start going with her.”
His stomach tightened when she mentioned home. He didn’t want to think about what would happen when she left. Something had shifted in their relationship the night before, making it feel more than just an agreement between friends. He remembered the words of the song he’d started writing last night when couldn’t sleep.
It was only supposed to be make-believe but nothing’s felt more real.
Your laugh, your touch, each moment we’ve shared;
I know what they make me feel.
The rest of the lyrics hadn’t come that easily, probably because he felt so conflicted about what was happening between them. The timing was all wrong.
“Well,” he said wryly. “If not power walks, you can always take up bicycling.”
“Shut up.” She laughed, and bumped his arm with her shoulder. “I know I’m pathetic.”
“No you’re not.” He cut her a sidewise glance. “Cute, yes. Definitely not pathetic.”
“Flatterer.”
“I have to do something to make up for the torturous bike ride.” He grinned, and gave her fingers a squeeze. “Besides, truth is never flattery.”
“Ahh, thanks, but you’ve already redeemed yourself by promising me dessert.” She glanced up at him. “By the way, what is for dessert?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“It must be good if you’re holding out on me.”
He laughed. “I believe we’ve already established your love affair with sugar, so you’re kind of easy to please.”
“You know me so well.” She let go of his hand and opened up her camera bag. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Go get the dessert right now?”
“No.” She pointed toward the pond. “Look at how the trees surrounding the bridge filters the sunlight.”
Chase followed her line of sight. Towering poplars banked the bridge, allowing just enough light to make the water appear as if it had shimmering gold sprinkled across it.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, attaching the lens to her camera. “The only thing left to do is to find some hot-looking guy to pose for me.”
/> Glancing around, Chase lifted one shoulder. “Sorry, I don’t see anyone.”
She smiled and aimed the camera right at him. “Oh, wow. I just found one.”
While Chase had never been shy in front of an audience, posing for Addie seemed intimidating. “Now who’s the flatterer?”
“Remember,” she said, lowering the camera. “Truth is never flattery.”
He shook his head. “I’m not really dressed for pictures.”
“Actually, it’ll appear more natural, and with the angles I’ll be taking, the focal point won’t be your clothes.”
When he hesitated, she gave him some kind of look that must have made her father spoil her rotten. “Come on, please? Pretty, please? With sugar on top?”
It was the smile and the dimple that did him in. “Oh, all right. Tell me what to do.”
Addie was surprisingly good at what she did. Artistically, she knew what she was looking for and directed Chase in various positions on the bridge and down by the water’s edge. Most of the pictures were of his profile. They ended with him on the bridge. Addie had him looking out over the water while leaning on the railing.
“Okay, this last one try to look contemplative and brooding.”
He didn’t have to reach very deep for those emotions. The more time he spent with this girl, the more his goals of Nashville blurred.
“Perfect.” She moved in for some close-up’s. After taking several shots, she lowered her camera. “Done.”
“Hey, don’t I get to see them?” Chase asked when she disassembled the lens from the camera and stowed the equipment in the bag.
“Not yet.” She slung the strap over her shoulder and joined him on the bridge. “Let me upload them on my computer first so I can edit them.” She leaned against the railing with him and looked up into his eyes. “I think I got some amazing shots. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.” Part of him wanted to ask about the photography studio she hoped to open one day, but then it would bring up her inevitable departure for home. He didn’t want to ruin the moment—because they were having a moment. A regular occurrence each time they made eye contact. “I hope you get your winning photo, with or without me in it.”
Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1 Page 16
