Found My Love [Learning to Love 3] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Alison Mello

  I’m shaking because I have never put my feelings out there like that before. I like Chase a lot and although I’m not sure I love him yet I can see me falling for him hard and fast. We arrive at my mother’s house, and he unbuckles his seatbelt, grabs my chin, and pulls it toward him.

  “T, I can understand where your fears come from, and I’ll do my best to rid you of them as quick as I can, but to be honest I adore Katie. I’ve always liked kids, but Katie is special. She’s sweet, fun, well behaved, and easy to like. I have no intention of hurting either of you and I’m doing my best to deal with my Kyle issues.”

  I nod. “Let’s go meet Mom and Dad,” I say as I open the door to the truck.

  Chase follows me up to the front door. I open it to let myself in and give a shout. “Mom, Dad, we’re here!”

  Katie comes running from the back of the house. “Mommy, Chase, you’re here!”

  I scoop her into my arms and give her a huge hug.

  “How was your day, sweetie?” Chase says as he tickles her in my arms.

  “Well if it isn’t the famous Chase,” my mom says, coming into the room.

  He sticks out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.” He gives her his full-on heart-stopping smile.

  “Please call me Patty,” she says shyly back to him. She tells me my dad is napping and will be disappointed to have missed out on meeting Chase.

  “I’m not napping,” we hear as my dad slowly makes his way down the stairs.

  “Daddy, are you okay?” I ask him, full of concern.

  “I’m just feeling a bit run-down. I’ll talk to the doctor about it on Monday when I go for my physical. Now how is my baby girl?” he says, sounding winded from climbing the stairs.

  “I’m good, Daddy. By the way, this is Chase,” I say, pointing in my boyfriend’s direction.

  He approaches him and says sternly, “I may be old, but if you hurt my baby girl the way her good-for-nothing ex did, I’ll hire someone to hunt you down and take you out,” he says as he shakes Chase’s hand.

  “I wouldn’t dream of hurting her, sir. I adore both your daughter and your granddaughter,” he says with pride.

  “Glad to hear it. I expect you to take good care of them for me then.” He sits in a chair to catch his breath.

  “Yes, sir. I promise I’ll do just that.”

  Chase is so confident with them it’s so great to see that he isn’t nervous or worried about being around them. Kyle hated to be around my parents no matter what the occasion. We head out the door on our adventure to the mall but we needed to grab a bite to eat first because we are all starving.

  “Did you see what I mean about my dad?” I say, unable to shake the tired, run-down look from my head.

  “Well, baby, I don’t really know your dad, so it would be hard for me to say. I can tell you he looked tired, but like he said he’s getting older,” he says and I can tell he feels bad.

  Katie wants to go to the local fast-food joint so she can get her toy, and I hate that place, so we compromise and agree on the food court at the mall. That way we can all eat what we want. There is this little deli there that has healthier options for Chase and me.

  “He’s only sixty-eight, babe,” I say, going back to our conversation. “I don’t think he’s that old, and God knows I was hoping he would live much longer than this.”

  “Wow, Grampy is old,” Katie says from the backseat.

  “Sweetie, please don’t interrupt adult conversations,” I say, reprimanding her just as we pull up to the mall.

  Chapter 8

  There is a knock on my door.

  “I’ll get it,” Chase shouts to me.

  It is his cousin Sam coming to meet Katie and babysit for the afternoon. We’re heading to Sean and Tracey’s for a cookout and Chase arranged for Sam to babysit so we don’t have to bring Katie. It’ll be nice to have a kid-free afternoon.

  Chase brings her into the dining room. “Theresa, this is my cousin Sam. Sam, this is Theresa and her little girl Katie,” he says as Katie comes running into the room, excited to meet her new babysitter.

  “Hi, Theresa, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “Hi, Sam!” Katie says cheerfully.

  Sam kneels in front of Katie. “Well, hello there! How old are you?” she says softly.

  Katie smiles at her. “Seven. How old are you?”

  “Seventeen. Do you know how much older I am than you?”

  Katie starts counting on her fingers. “Ten,” she shouts excitedly.

  “You got it! You’re a smart girl. Are you ready to have some fun?”

  Katie just nods at Sam.

  “Great, why don’t you go find something for us to do in your room while I talk to your mom, and as soon as I’m done, we’ll start with our fun, okay?”

  Katie nods and runs off.

  “She’s adorable,” Sam says to me.

  “Thank you. She’s a good kid and shouldn’t give you any trouble. She should be in bed by eight. There’s plenty to eat in the kitchen, and I’ve left my cell phone number on the refrigerator should you need to reach me.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure we will be fine, but if you would like I can text you an update in a little bit since it is my first time staying with her,” she says happily.

  “I appreciate that, Sam. Thank you. This is the first time I’m leaving her with someone other than my mom.” She seems sweet, but it’s still not easy leaving my little girl with a stranger, even if it’s Chase’s cousin.

  “I understand. It’s not a problem.”

  “Do you have any questions for us?”

  “No. I’m not sure if Chase has told you, but I have been babysitter certified as well as first aid and CPR certified. I hope that will make you feel a little bit better.”

  “That definitely does make me feel better. What do you do for fun?”

  “I used to dance, but gave it up for sports at school. I’m finishing my junior year so I’m pretty focused on school and working hard to try and get a sports scholarship for college.”

  We sit and chat for a while so I can get to know her better and by the time we are ready to go I feel a lot better about leaving my daughter with her.

  Chase calls Katie to let her know we are leaving. Chase kneels. “Now I hooked you up with a great babysitter. She’s cool and really fun, so be nice to her and be a good girl so the next time Mommy and I need to go out, Sam will be excited to come play with you again. Okay?”

  She nods. “Thanks, Chase!”

  She hugs him, and it melts my heart to see my daughter so pleased with my boyfriend. I don’t know what I would do if she didn’t like him.

  I kneel next. “Mommy will see you in the morning, because we will probably be home late. Like Chase said, be a good girl, because Mommy will not be happy if Sam calls me to say you’re not listening or you’re giving her a hard time, okay?”

  “I’ll be good, Mommy, I promise!”

  “Good girl. Then have fun and you can tell us all about it in the morning.” She leans in and gives me a big hug and kiss before we head out the door to enjoy some adult time together.

  We pull up to Sean and Tracey’s, and Seth’s truck is already in the driveway, and there is a car we don’t recognize on the side of theirs, so we park behind Seth. I’m not sure who else they invited, but I would assume they invited Sarah, Cole, Ellen, and Mark. I don’t see their cars yet, but I’m sure they’ll be here soon. We ring the bell, and Tracey answers.

  “Hey, guys. Come on in. I’ll introduce you guys to Sean’s parents.” We follow them into the house, and I can tell that the couple sitting at the snack bar is Sean’s parents because he’s a good mix of the two of them.

  “Scott, Sophia, I would like you to meet two of our good friends, Chase and Theresa.”

  We shake hands, and Sophia gives hugs and air kisses our cheeks. No sooner do we start talking about how we know Sean and Tracey than the doorbell rings again, and this time it is Sarah and Cole, along with Mark and
Ellen. Abbey gets up and starts hugging all of her friends, and again Tracey does another round of introductions. She lets us all know that we are waiting on her parents, and then they will start the grill but she offers everyone drinks. As Sean is handing out beers to everyone, the doorbell rings so he offers to get it, knowing it is Tracey’s parents.

  “Hey, everyone, this is Bruce and Joyce, my mom and dad.” She gives them all of our names and tells them there will be a quiz after.

  Everyone is mingling and getting to know each other. All of the guys head outside to start grilling and the girls are munching on appetizers inside. Tracey looks right at me. “What’s up with you and Chase? You two look like you’re getting along well.”

  I shrug. “We are, but we are taking it slow. I like him a lot, but I mean what’s not to like. He’s so sweet, he adores Katie, and—”

  “He’s hot as hell!” Abbey says. They all start laughing as she adds, “I heard this already. Of course he’s hot as hell, all of our men are.”

  I chuckle and blush slightly. “He met my mom and dad on Friday. He came to meet me at the office because Jack and I had to fire an employee and the employee blamed me. He was cursing at me, and he looked like he was going to threaten me as he left my office but bit his tongue, so I called Chase. He got to the office shortly before we got off work. We walked Abbey to her car and then dropped off my car before we picked up Katie from my mom.” I roll my eyes thinking about my mom. “My mom tried to be all tough, but Chase gave her one of his panty-melting smiles and she was putty in his hands.” I shake my head thinking about it.

  “How did your dad handle meeting Chase?” Tracey asked, “I know my dad was kind of tough on Sean.”

  Sophia pipes in, “He had a right to be tough. He’s your daddy.”

  I sigh. “My dad hasn’t been feeling too well. He has a doctor’s appointment on Monday, but the funny thing is he still threatened him,” I say with a small grin. “He told him, ‘I may be old, but I can still hire someone to take you out if you hurt my daughter or granddaughter.’” Everyone laughs as I try to impersonate my dad.

  “He sounds sweet, and I hope everything turns out okay with him at the doctors,” Sophia says, rubbing my arm as she stands on the side of me.

  I give her a small smile as way of thanks.

  Seth steps in through the slider to let us know the food is about ready, so we all grab some stuff and head outside so we can sit and eat. The patio table is not very big, but Sean’s yard is huge, so they simply added another table so there would be enough room for everyone.

  We all make a plate and sit next to our spouses or significant others. As we are about to eat, we look up to see Tracey and Sean still standing. We all look up, and Sean has a beer in his hand. He looks nervous.

  “We want to thank you all for coming today. We consider each and every one of you a part of our family and you’re all very special to us. We asked you all here to announce that Tracey and I are getting married.”

  Everyone starts clapping until he says, “That is only half the news. We had planned to be married before we had a baby, and since Tracey is pregnant, we’ll be getting married sooner rather than later. Mom, Dad, Bruce, and Joyce, you’re all going to be grandparents.” He looks down at Tracey and smiles proudly as he holds her in his arms.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that when you asked me if you could marry my daughter, son?” Bruce says as he shakes his hand.

  “I had your daughter’s engagement ring long before we found out she was pregnant. I had just been waiting for the right time to ask her. I didn’t want you to think I was asking her because she was pregnant. I asked her because I love your daughter and I want her to be my wife and the mother of my child,” he says, looking Bruce dead in the eyes.

  “Fair enough. You take good care of them. I would hate for Seth to have to provide you with security!” Everyone starts laughing, including Bruce.

  We all start eating and enjoying the food that Sean and Tracey have provided. Like every cookout, someone from our clan throws there is way too much food, but it is all delicious. Tracey’s mom asks her about the night he proposed, so she starts with a smile.

  “He surprised me with a weekend in Newport. We had talked about going down there and walking around the shops and relaxing on the beach. We both love the beach and neither of us had really been down there, so he booked us a beachside cottage. The first day we were there we walked around and shopped, enjoying the sights. He found a nice seafood restaurant for us to enjoy dinner at and made us a reservation. When we got there, we were seated right away. There was a bottle of wine at the table waiting on ice.

  “After a little bit he excuses himself to the bathroom and leaves me sitting at the table. He was gone for so long I was getting worried about him. I thought maybe he was sick. I had been looking out the window wondering if I should send someone to check on him, and when I turn around I found him on one knee. He basically told me he loved me and couldn’t imagine his life without me. Then asked would I marry him. Once I said yes everyone in our section cheered as we shared a hug and kiss.” She smiles at her fiancé. “The waitress delivered us a free piece of cake that had ‘Congrats’ written in chocolate.”

  “Aww, that is so sweet!” Abbey gushes over her story.

  “So when’s the big day?” I ask, excited to attend their wedding.

  My phone pings from my purse and I instantly dig it out to see a few texts from Sam.

  We are having a blast, and she’s being very good.

  The next text is a selfie of Sam and Katie playing together. I show it to Chase quickly as I listen to the conversation going on at the table. He chuckles at the picture she sent me, and I send a quick text back, saying thanks for the update. I put my phone back in my purse and turn my attention to Tracey.

  Tracey asks, “My due date or our wedding date?”

  “Both!” Sarah shouts over our laughter.

  “Well we are due May twenty-second, and we haven’t decided on a wedding date. We really wanted a beach wedding, but I want to be married before the baby is born, since we’re in September that doesn’t leave us a lot of time.”

  She sounds a bit sad, and I feel for her.

  “We don’t want a huge wedding just our closest friends and family, but it’s already too windy for a beach wedding this year, and next year I’ll be a blimp by April when it will still be chilly on the beach here.”

  “Why not fly down south for a weekend to get married on a beach down there. If you’re only inviting your closest friends and family that shouldn’t be too bad to manage,” Seth suggests.

  “Would you all be willing to do that?” Sean asks, surprised by the suggestion. “We would have to do it before Tracey gets too far along because they will not want her to travel once she’s like seven or eight months in.”

  Everyone is agreeing, and I’m not saying anything because I don’t know what I’ll do. It will depend on if they let me bring Katie and, if they don’t, will my mom take her for the weekend? I won’t leave her with anyone but my mom. Chase must know I’m thinking about it because he squeezes my hand under the table in support of my inner struggle.

  He leans in to kiss me near my ear and whispers, “We’ll figure it out.”

  I look at him, smile, and nod. I love that he knows what I’m thinking and how I’m feeling.

  It’s starting to get late so we all start saying our good-byes so we can head home and Tracey can rest.

  We arrive home at about nine thirty. Sam is sitting on the couch watching TV, and my house is spotless. Even Katie’s toy room has been picked up.

  “How was she?” I ask as I look around the house.

  “She was fine. We had a blast, and she went to bed no problem. She’s a very good girl,” she states with a smile. I hand her some money and she tells me she’s willing to babysit again anytime as she leaves.

  I have thought about the idea of going down south for Tracey and Sean’s wedding since the idea popped up. I’
m not sure I can make that happen, but I don’t want Chase to have to miss out, so I’ll tell him he should go without me. We’re walking into my bedroom as I bring it up.

  “Chase, I don’t know if I’ll be able to go down south for the wedding, but I want you to know that I’m okay with you going without me. I mean between work, Katie, and you know the cost of flights, I’m just not sure I can make it happen.” I’m so nervous because I don’t know how he’s going to react.

  “Do you really think I would take off to Florida without you for their wedding?” He sounds pissed.

  I’m looking down at my feet because I can’t seem to look him in the eye.

  “T, please look at me.”

  I look up at him.

  “I know we’re working on trusting me and our relationship is somewhat new, but, sweetie, if you can’t go, I can’t go.”

  I nod because I can’t manage anything else. I don’t want him to miss his friend’s wedding.

  “You’re still thinking about it,” he says, trying to pull my attention.

  “I’m sorry, but I am. What are you supposed to tell Sean? ‘I know we have been friends for a while, but sorry I can’t attend your wedding because my girlfriend of one month can’t make it,’” I say with sadness and frustration. I start changing into my PJ pants and a T-shirt while he’s stripping into his boxers. We climb into bed.

  “Please stop worrying about it. Instead of thinking of what would happen if you can’t go, we should talk about what we can do to make it happen.”

  “I’m sorry! You’re right. I would either need to take Katie with us or see if my mom would take her for the weekend. I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving her with anyone else, while we were away.” I can’t even look at him. I’m just lying here staring up at the ceiling.

  “Do you want Katie to come with us?” he asks me.

  “I don’t know. It probably won’t be very fun for her since she would probably be the only kid there. Plus, we would be able to have more fun with our friends if we went just the two of us, but that may leave me feeling guilty that I didn’t take her. This is hard for me. I have never even thought about being away from her.” I furrow my brows, trying to hold my tears back.