Chasing Love (Mountain Creek Drive Book 3)

by Kayla Tirrell

  Chasing Love

  Mountain Creek Drive: Book Three

  Kayla Tirrell

  Copyright © 2018 by Kayla Tirrell

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  ***

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  Thanks for reading!

  Acknowledgments

  Let’s Keep in Touch

  Also by Kayla Tirrell

  All The Things We Lost Preview

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Keep Reading!

  ***

  ***

  Welcome to Mountain Creek Drive, a new series written by the YA Inklings.

  The YA Inklings is a collaboration of three YA/NA authors who write romances for the young and young at heart.

  Sign up here to find out when it releases and to get a free monthly newsletter full of great YA/NA suggestions that will keep your heart fluttering.

  to anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t fit in

  Chapter One

  “Not again,” I groaned as my dog ran off with another sneaker.

  This was the second time this had happened this summer, and I wondered where she kept finding the stupid things. Seriously, who left their shoes lying around downtown Marlowe Junction? And why did my labradoodle have a sixth sense about them?

  The first time it happened, I had been running downtown to avoid an end of summer cookout on the Drive. A lot of kids from school and their families had thrown it together. I didn’t feel like I belonged with any of them, and most definitely didn’t want to be running near them as they all ate. Nothing like a sweaty teenager to make everyone lose their appetite.

  So, I’d loaded up Meatball, and we drove the short distance to town.

  There was a small, grassy park in the center of town, with mostly empty sidewalks. It was the perfect place to get some energy out. We were walking through one of the rare crowds, catching our breath when it happened the second time.

  I hadn’t been paying attention, distracted by a couple from school. They were walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand. I was wondering what it must feel like to have a boyfriend when my dog gave a hard tug on her lease. It slipped through my fingers. When I looked up, Meatball was running down the sidewalk, dodging in and out of the small crowd of people who were out shopping.

  I ran block after block trying to keep up with my crazy dog as she raced like she caught a whiff of juicy steak. We raced past Petal Pushers (the local florist), past the salon where everyone got their nails done, and past the gift shop that sold tacky Marlowe Junction souvenirs.

  As Meatball continued to run, we started moving away from the downtown area, into a more secluded area. We were hitting the open road at this point. My breathing was becoming more labored, I felt a cramp on my left side, and my tolerance level had just hit an all-time low.

  I was seriously considering giving up and letting Meatball find her own way home when she finally stopped. She plopped herself on the sidewalk and started chewing happily on the shoe in her mouth.

  “Bad… dog…” I said to her between breaths. “You cannot… keep… doing this. You aren’t… a puppy anymore.”

  And I wasn’t used to running so fast for so long.

  I walked up and sighed as I grabbed her leash in one hand. With my free hand, I wrestled the shoe out of her mouth. Not only was it slobbery, but the tread was almost completely separated from the sole. Meatball looked unremorseful as she looked up at me, panting hard. It was almost as loud as my breathing.

  I groaned as I mourned the loss of yet another paycheck. I would be expected to pay for these shoes, just like the first time it had happened with Mrs. Kuguar.

  “Hey!” a male voiced cried out, and I looked up to see a guy walking toward me, only wearing one shoe.

  It was embarrassing enough on its own, having your dog take someone’s shoe. But it didn’t end there. Of course, it didn’t. The shoe belonged to none other than Chase Saunders, hottie extraordinaire.

  Chase had graduated this past spring, only one year ahead of me. He was gorgeous, popular, and had a gaggle of girls in love with him. It was no wonder, really, the dude was perfect.

  As he got closer, I could see his blond hair stuck to his forehead, a result of running after me, no doubt. His smile was as dazzling as always. A perfect smile, the result of years in braces. That’s right, I remembered.

  And his eyes.

  They were light blue, like the ocean, and I stared at them like an idiot as he got closer. When he stopped in front of me, I realized I still hadn’t said hi. Was there a time limit on stuff like that? Like, if you didn’t say some kind of greeting within a certain number of minutes after spotting someone, did that mean you should skip it altogether?

  “Is this your shoe?” I blurted. Nice one, Nicole.

  He smiled and looked down at his feet. One foot had the partner to the shoe I held in my hand. The other one only had a white sock covering it. Chase wiggled his toes, and I could see the movement beneath the fabric.

  “You guys are fast. I almost lost you back there,” Chase said, and I looked up. He was still smiling.

  “Yeah, sorry about that. Meatball loves to run. I try to take her out at least a couple times a week to get all of her energy out, but it never seems to be enough.”

  “Wait. Your dog’s name is Meatball?” A corner of his mouth lifted in the most beautiful half smile.

  I nodded. “I was eight when we got her. With all that curly, brown hair, I thought she looked like a meatball. Plus, I think that’s what we had for dinner that night. Call it a name of convenience.”

  He chuckled, his eyes bright. “If it makes you feel better,” he started as he leaned in and lowered his voice. “I have a white German shepherd named Snowball.” Knowing this detail of Chase’s life made my stomach flutter.

  “You’re kidding!”

  “Nope.” Chase shook his head slowly. “Bet you can’t guess what time of year we got her.”

  I lifted my finger to my lips, pretending to think hard on his question. All the while, I fought a smile. It was weird. It almost felt like flirting.

  With Chase Saunders.

  “She was a Christmas present,” he answered.

  “Very original. Maybe parents shouldn’t let their kids be in charge of naming pets.”

  “No?” He bent down and started scratching behind Meatball’s ears. She made happy sounds, and for the first time in history, I felt jealous of my dog. Chase looked up. “I think Meatball suits her.”

  I snorted. “I don’t know about that. I think Brat would be more appropriate, especially after her behavior today.” It was then I realized I was still holding Chase’s shoe. I stuck it out toward him awkwardly.

  “It’
s okay, she doesn’t know better. She just saw an awesome toy.” An awesome, expensive toy, is what he meant. Chase grabbed the shoe from me as he stood back up, then tipped his head toward town. “Should we head back?”

  “Probably.” Meatball acted like the perfect pet as we walked side-by-side. She didn’t tug on her leash or get distracted by scurrying creatures. “How did she get your shoe anyway?” I asked.

  “I was going for a run and felt something in my sock. I thought I could stop and get it out before continuing on. As soon as I got my sock back on, your dog was snatching my shoe and running off.”

  I looked back to his feet. He still only wore the one shoe. Like it was completely natural to walk down the street like that. He was so confident—so carefree.

  “I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for it.”

  “Nah, don’t worry about it. It was time to get a new pair anyway.” It was a lie. I’d seen the tread on the bottom. Even with bite-marks, I could tell they were practically brand-new, but it was nice of him to pretend otherwise.

  “I’m Chase, by the way.”

  He was introducing himself, even though we’d been going to the same schools for as long as I could remember. We’d both grown up in Marlowe Junction, but ran in different circles. Him, with the popular jocks, and me with… well, myself until recently.

  I sighed, not because I was surprised he didn’t know who I was, that was the story of my life. My feelings weren’t hurt, not really. I was used to being overlooked.

  No, it was a sigh of resignation, because now I would have to say something like “I know,” and he then he would respond with an equally eloquent, “You do?”

  I didn’t want to do that.

  I was having fun flirting with Chase, even knowing it wouldn’t go any further than this one afternoon. I didn’t want to ruin it. What could a little fib hurt? Especially since he’d be going off to college any day now. I turned my head to meet his gaze. “Nicole.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted again, and dang it if it didn’t do weird things to the beating of my heart. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you here for school?”

  I assumed he meant college since UC Boulder was so close to Marlowe Junction.

  “Yep. Totally.” It wasn’t not true. I was here, and I went to Rosemark.

  “Cool.”

  We didn’t talk much as we got closer to town, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable either. It felt natural, and I hated how giddy that made me feel. Is that what that couple felt as they walked down the sidewalk?

  Soon we hit Main Street, and I spotted my bright red Mustang, parked parallel to the curb. “Well, this is me.” I pointed to my car and was thankful I hadn’t put my parking pass on my rearview mirror yet.

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you around, Nicole.”

  In the next couple of weeks before school started? Unlikely, and yet I still played along. “Okay.”

  I opened the passenger door, and Meatball happily hopped inside. Smiling, I got into the driver’s seat. All the while, Chase stood on the sidewalk watching me. His running shorts had pockets, and both hands we shoved into them, like a little kid, giving him boyish charm. I gave a little wave as I started the engine and drove off.

  I couldn’t help but notice Chase was still standing on the sidewalk, facing me, as I turned off of Main and made my way toward Mountain Creek Drive.

  That brief interaction was probably the most thrilling thing to happen to me all summer, and it only lasted fifteen minutes. What was wrong with me?

  And more importantly, what was wrong with my life?

  Chapter Two

  There were many times I wished I had siblings. A brother, a sister. I didn’t care which. I would have been happy with either. Or both. Or a couple of both.

  Even at seventeen, I secretly wished my parents would get pregnant or adopt a child.

  It was lonely being alone. My parents were always working, and I never seemed to find someone to click with the way they always did on TV. I had no Willow to my Buffy, no Dawson to my Joey. And without any cousins my age, I grew up surrounded by adults. I didn’t know how to talk to people my age. Amy was the closest thing I had to a best friend, and we hadn’t really started talking until after the Homecoming fiasco the previous year.

  It started out as us sitting together during lunch, neither one of us saying much. Before long, she was inviting me to come to her house after school, and I was inviting her to the movies on the weekends.

  We ended up spending a lot of time together last year, and the first time she introduced me to her mom as her best friend, I was shocked—in a good way. It took me a little longer to get used to the word. Now, I had no hesitations.

  As my best friend, she was the first, and only, person to hear about what happened to me that afternoon. I went upstairs to my room and picked up the cordless phone my parents had given me last Christmas. With it, came my own number. No more waiting for Dad to get off the internet or trying to get Mom to hurry up her phone conversations with my grandma.

  I dialed Amy’s number and waited for someone to pick up. She, unfortunately, still only had one line at her house. It was always super awkward having to talk to her parents who picked up the phone nine times out of ten.

  “Hello?” Her mom’s voice greeted me through the receiver.

  “Hi, Mrs. Ferrera. Is Amy home?”

  “Is this Nicole?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I answered.

  “How is your summer going?” Amy’s mom asked. She was nice enough, but I never understood why she wanted to talk to me every time I called. Certainly, she had more important things to worry about than the boring lives of teenagers.

  “It’s good.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that.” Even over the phone, I could tell she was smiling. We talked for a couple of minutes before she finally said, “I’ll go grab Amy.”

  I paced back and forth in my room waiting for Amy to get on the line. I couldn’t wait to tell her about what happened.

  “Nicole?” she said shortly after her mom had set the phone down.

  “The one and only.”

  “Let me get to the other room.” I heard the distant chatter of a television and a slam of a door. “I’m on the back porch, so my mom won’t eavesdrop. What’s up?”

  “You are never going to believe what happened today!” I squealed.

  She laughed into the receiver. “You’re right. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

  “I talked to Chase Saunders!”

  There was a beat a silence before Amy spoke again. “At work?”

  “No, downtown Marlowe Junction.”

  I gave her a rundown of what happened. When I was done, I was met with silence again.

  “Amy?”

  “Sorry, that just seems so… weird. Like, how did he know who you were? No offense, Nicole, but we aren’t exactly the kind of people who make it onto Chase’s radar.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, well, he didn’t know who I was.”

  It was silent for several seconds before Amy spoke. “What does that even mean?”

  “He introduced himself, and I kinda pretended I was going to college here?” I scrunched my face up as I admitted lying to Chase.

  Amy laughed again.

  “It’s not that funny!”

  “Of course, it is. What happens when he finds out you’re one year younger than him and used to go to the same high school?”

  I flopped down onto my bed. “Please just be happy I got to flirt with the hottest guy to ever grace the halls of Rosemark.”

  “I am, but aren’t you a little offended he didn’t know who you were?”

  “Considering I don’t plan on seeing him again, I’m not too worried about it. We didn’t exchange numbers, and he’ll be off at school soon. It was fun.”

  “Um… Nicole?” Amy’s voice was hesitant. “You do know Chase is going to UC Boulder, right?”

  Actually, I didn’t know that. And more importantly, why did Amy? I was tempted to a
sk, but the conversation already felt so awkward with my mention of him.

  Besides, it wasn’t like I’d ever see him around town. High school and college circles didn’t run together. “So?” I said, trying to sound like that tidbit of information didn’t catch me completely off-guard.

  “What if he bumps into you again? What are you going to say?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe we’ll have another round of introductions.”

  “Guys like Chase are so clueless.” I could see her point. We had been in school together forever. We’d been in the same class for crying out loud.

  “Are you ready for school?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “I guess.” Her voice was suddenly flat. All trace of humor gone.

  “Nervous?”

  “I still don’t know how I’m supposed to act, you know? Winning Homecoming queen last year really messed with my head. I mean, of course, it was fun to win and have the spotlight for a short time. But everyone knows Erin was supposed to win. And all the drama of everyone else kind of overshadowed it. I feel in limbo.”

  I knew how she felt.

  I hadn’t won Homecoming queen or Prom queen. I hadn’t even had a date to either dance. My parents indulged me in so many ways, but that didn’t give me a boost on the social ladder at school. I was still off the radar.

  In that, Amy and I were the same. Those quiet girls who were just there. How many times had I been called Nikki? Even after twelve years together, some people still couldn’t get my name right. It’s Nicole, thank you very much, I wanted to say to them all (but never managed to).