Charmed by Chase

by Theresa Paolo

  Chase hadn’t recognized her, but this guy obviously did.

  “Hi,” she offered with an awkward wave. She cursed herself for being so careless. Someone would take a picture, post it to social media, and her cover would be blown. Sarah assured her the people would respect her privacy, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t innocently reveal her location. A single picture had the power to completely destroy her current serenity, and she couldn’t let that happen.

  He blinked his eyes like she was nothing more than an illusion.

  “You’re…” he said but never finished his sentence.

  “Miguel?” a silky, smooth voice said from behind him. The sound was familiar and void of the contempt it was filled with yesterday. “What is it?” he asked as he stepped around the star struck fireman.

  One dark eyebrow lifted as Chase’s gaze met hers. His navy blue t-shirt clung to strong muscles that she could tell weren’t earned in a gym but by hard labor. His shoulders were broad, his arms and chest thick and muscular leading down to a narrow waist and long legs. Masculinity rolled off of him in mind shattering waves.

  He was far from a pretty boy, but that didn’t make him any less appealing. If anything, it made him that much more attractive with his rugged air and impressive stature.

  His dark brown hair with hints of copper was cut short on the sides and only slightly longer on top, framing his sharp features and highlighting his piercing gray eyes. She found herself looking up to meet his gaze even though she wore four-inch heels.

  “What are you doing here?” Chase asked, and she wasn’t surprised when the question wasn’t followed with a smile.

  “You know her?” Miguel asked, eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar.

  “I rescued her cat yesterday.”

  “She’s the crazy cat lady?” Miguel exclaimed.

  Crazy cat lady! According to the tabloids she’d lost her mind and was spiraling, but they had no idea what they were talking about. “Excuse me? I am not crazy.”

  Chase met her gaze. “That’s debatable.”

  Her head reared back at his quick retort. Nobody talked like that to her other than her manager when she did something to tick her off. For the most part, people refused to upset her. She should probably feel insulted, but all she felt was relief.

  She shrugged. “And here I thought I’d be nice and bring you a thank you present. I think I’ll just keep this six pack for myself.”

  “That’s fine. I don’t really drink anyway,” Chase said, and she looked down at the six cans in her hand. She knew she should have called Sarah before assuming the man drank. For all she knew he was a recovering alcoholic and she was mocking him with her thank you gift.

  She always did that—acted before thinking something through. It got her in trouble time and time again yet she never could get herself to stop and think first. It was something she needed to work on.

  Embarrassment worked its way up her neck and into her cheeks, a burning inferno that was surely turning her skin a horrid blotchy red. “I’m sorry,” she said and spun for the door.

  ***

  “No!” Miguel blurted out, his hands flinging out in front of him as if he could magically stop her from leaving. “I mean. Chase, where the hell are your manners? Ms. Shepard, I’m sorry for Chase’s behavior. Would it be any trouble to get a picture with you? My wife loves you.” Miguel slipped out his cell and held it up.

  “As long as you keep it for yourself. I kind of don’t want people to know where I am.”

  “I’m okay with that.”

  “A picture?” Chase asked, looking at Miguel like he’d lost his mind. The girl was pretty, with her long brown hair, flawless skin, and big green eyes, but a picture with her? And how in the world did Miguel’s wife know the crazy cat lady? And why would she want a picture of her with her husband?

  Miguel held his phone up, and Rebecca leaned in, flashing a bright white smile that could light up an entire room as Miguel took the shot. Chase looked on as more questions popped into his head.

  Why in the world was she hiding out? Was she in trouble? Was someone after her? Why was she in Red Maple Falls? She better not bring trouble to his town.

  “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded.

  “Dude,” Miguel said, turning to Chase openly staring at him. When Chase didn’t speak, Miguel said, “That’s Bex freaking Shepard.”

  “Who?” he asked then shook his head. “No, her name is Rebecca.” Miguel obviously had her mistaken for someone else.

  “Technically, it’s both,” she said. “Bex is a nickname of sorts.”

  “And?”

  Miguel rolled his eyes, and his hands slapped against his thighs. He made a show of being part shocked and part appalled. “Oh come on. You’re not that clueless.”

  Chase glared at him.

  Miguel moved closer and lowered his voice. “She’s one of the biggest actresses of this generation. Like huge. They call her Hollywood’s It Girl.”

  Chase didn’t watch many movies. The town’s only movie theater sat right off of Main Street and consisted of two screens that accommodated a mere twenty-five people each. The popcorn was stale, the floors sticky, and they hadn’t had any new releases since the industry switched over to digital and the theater couldn’t afford to upgrade. Chase had seen every movie they had at least a dozen times.

  At home they only had basic cable, so really the only movies he watched were whatever his sisters put on that he usually fell asleep to ten-minutes in, or whatever zombie movie Miguel had on at the station. Other than that, Chase barely even watched TV unless he was checking the weather, which most of the time he just checked on his phone.

  “So what?” Chase asked. “I’m supposed to bow down because she’s some Hollywood royalty?” There was nothing Chase hated more than rich people expecting the world to hand them everything on a silver platter. Life was never easy for him, and maybe it made him bitter, but he wasn’t about to apologize to the woman just because she was some big celebrity he’d never heard of.

  Miguel’s jaw slacked, eyes going even wider.

  “I don’t expect that at all,” she said, sidestepping Miguel. “And honestly I don’t care what Hollywood calls me. That’s just another part I play.”

  “Who exactly are you then? Rebecca the crazy cat lady I met yesterday or Bex Shepard?”

  “I told you… I’m not crazy.” She laughed, and the sound was strangely infectious. His lip quirked at the edge as she continued. “But I am a little bit of both Bex and Rebecca.” She looked down at the six pack in her hand then blinked up, catching his eyes. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. I’m going to go now.” She held the six pack up like she was unsure of what to do with it then shoved it into Miguel’s arms and hurried for the door.

  Chase watched her walk away, her shoes clicking loudly against the concrete floor and echoing through the garage. He turned to Miguel, his eyes filled with so much unspoken judgement, and Chase knew he’d messed up. Without a single word from Miguel, Chase took off after her.

  She was trying to make peace, and there he was still being a jerk. He wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t really drink; he didn’t, but how the hell was she supposed to know that? He only drank on certain occasions because he didn’t want to turn out like his father.

  Yeah, he messed up, and he was going to fix it.

  He caught up, and she startled as he came to a stop in front of her. “Look Rebecca… Bex… whatever your name is.”

  She shrugged, a slight smile visible at the corner of her mouth. “Rebecca is fine.”

  “Rebecca it is then.” He tossed his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m sorry about how I acted in there. How I acted yesterday. Believe it or not, I’m actually a nice guy.”

  “Could’ve fooled me,” she said, but there was humor in her tone.

  “Let me make it up to you. Let me take you out to dinner.”

  Her brows furrowed. “Why? Because now you know I’m a celebrity?”
<
br />   That was the last thing that crossed Chase’s mind. If anything, he didn’t want word to get out to the town that he was rude and unwelcoming to a town visitor. Plus, he wanted a chance to show Rebecca he wasn’t the jerk he kept coming across as. When she wasn’t accusing him of scaring her cat, he actually found her rather appealing. The whole celebrity thing wasn’t even a thought in his mind. “I couldn’t care less about that.”

  “It just looks rather convenient.”

  “It’s not, I promise.”

  She studied him for a moment as if she could figure out his whole life story with her eyes. “I’ve been used a lot in my life.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. People can be assholes.”

  “Why the change of heart? Ten minutes ago, I’d swear you hated me.”

  “How could I hate you when I don’t even know you? Just call it a bad day. Okay a couple of bad days.”

  Her eyebrow arched, and he assumed she wasn’t buying what he was selling.

  “Fine. If you must know… I hate cats.” Then added, “With a passion.”

  She laughed. “What?”

  “Go ahead, laugh it up, but it’s not going to change a thing. I hate them, they hate me, and whenever I have to get one out of a damn tree it sets me on edge. I still have scars on my shoulder from my first cat rescue.”

  She placed a hand over her mouth, but it barely covered her laughter. “That’s really sad,” she finally said.

  He went to argue, but it was a moot point. “Yeah, it kind of is.” He scratched the back of his neck and looked up at her a smile forming on his face.

  She slipped out a pen and paper from her bag. “My mother always told me you should never leave home without the essentials.” She held up the pen with one hand and the paper with the other before resting the paper in her palm. She scribbled and handed it to him.

  He looked down at the number in red ink.

  “Old school,” he said.

  “I don’t trust technology. Don’t lose that; people would pay thousands to get their hands on it.”

  “Thousands?”

  “The whole Hollywood It Girl thing.” She shrugged, letting the rest of her thought falter.

  He smiled. “I won’t lose it, then.”

  “Good. Call me later, and we’ll set up a time for dinner.” She started walking down the sidewalk, and he watched as her hips swayed. She stopped, turning back to face him. “By the way. Smiling is a good look for you. You should try it more often.”

  Chapter 4

  Bex walked down Main Street, taking in all the cute little shops. The town was nothing like she was used to. It was quaint and inviting. She wanted to stop at every store window and walk through every shop door.

  She passed a place called The Happy Apple, wondering if their food was as good as she imagined, then continued past a glass blowing studio and bicycle shop. There were several pieces she could see in the studio that she wanted to get a closer look at. She made a mental note to stop by later.

  Sweet Dreams Bakery came into view, and Bex smiled at the thought of eating a cupcake, even if it would be just a taste. After all, she was on vacation.

  She opened the door and instantly smiled at the delicious scents wafting out and the pink overload that greeted her. The place was a bright blend of pinks and whites that made Bex want to move in and never leave. There was a sassiness about it that spoke to her.

  “Bex,” Sarah said, waving from a table in the corner. Sarah looked beautiful with her long black hair falling over her shoulders. She had on a navy blue blazer pulled over a white t-shirt. Bex had only known Sarah for a couple of years now after stumbling across her website and falling in love with her repurposed vintage jewelry. What started out as a business transaction turned into a great friendship. Sarah was a good, honest person, sweet to a fault and incredibly reliable—all qualities that Bex had a hard time finding in anyone lately.

  Sarah stood and gave her a hug. “It’s good to see you. I’m assuming you found the place okay?”

  Bex pulled back and nodded, but before she could answer further her eyes caught on the beautiful necklace Sarah was wearing. “Oh my god,” she said, putting her hand under the bottom broach and holding it up to admire. “This is beautiful.”

  “Thank you. I decided to make myself a little something.”

  “As you should, but if you ever want to lend it out, I’d be more than happy to borrow it.”

  “Whenever you want.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course. I don’t even know if I’d have a career if it wasn’t for you.”

  After Bex had worn one of Sarah’s necklaces on a red carpet the internet frenzy around the piece went instantly viral. Everybody wanted to know where they could get their own. Sarah had been forever grateful, but Bex just shrugged it off. The girl was talented; all Bex did was display that talent.

  “Let’s sit,” Sarah said. “My soon-to-be sister-in-law owns this place, and she’s insisting on making us a tasting plate.” Sarah held her hand up. “And don’t even argue because I wouldn’t put it past her to force feed you.”

  Bex laughed. “She takes her baked goods rather seriously, I presume.”

  A smile filled with amusement curved Sarah’s lips. “You have no idea.”

  “Girl after my own heart.” Bex loved sweets, but she gave them up at seventeen when a casting director told her she was too fat. At five-two and a hundred and six pounds, she assumed he was speaking to someone else, but his eyes had been glued on hers. Since then, she’d barely touched any sort of dessert. Only when she was in between films and desperate for something other than kale chips and celery sticks.

  “How’s the house?” Sarah asked. “I know it’s small and not what you’re used to, but it’s all I could think of on such short notice. We don’t really have many hotels around here.”

  “It’s perfect,” Bex said. Sarah raised her eyebrow. “No, really it is. It’s very cozy.”

  “Cozy is one way to put it. And what about Willy? How is he? Did you get him down from the tree?”

  Bex thought about Chase and how she assumed he was another jerk with too much authority. All tall and brooding with a set jaw that looked like it could break glass. To think it was all because he hated cats. She stifled a laugh and nodded.

  “I did. Thanks for making the call for me. I never would’ve been able to get him down myself.”

  “Who did they send? I know cat rescue isn’t their favorite thing in the world.”

  “Chase,” Bex said, and unexpected heat filled her cheeks.

  “Oh really now?” Sarah said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair. “Care to elaborate?”

  “There’s nothing to elaborate on.”

  “Then why did you suddenly just turn as pink as these walls?”

  “He asked me to dinner.”

  “Chase? Did you say yes?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t say no.”

  “Well, that’s rather unexpected. But if you’re wondering, he’s a good guy.”

  “Actually, I was. Our first encounter wasn’t all that pleasant.” Bex continued to tell Sarah about everything that transpired the night before and then that morning. When she was done Sarah laughed.

  “I never knew he had such a strong dislike for cats.”

  “I believe the word was ‘hate.’”

  A very pregnant brunette came out of the back, holding a silver tray filled with all sorts of pastries. Her hair was braided down one side and rested over her shoulder. She had a bright, friendly smile that was warm and inviting.

  “Here we are!” she announced as she placed the tray of goodies on the table. Bex stared down at the variety of cupcakes, scones, and cookies all cut into individual bite size pieces and laid out on their own doilies. It was a work of art.

  “Wow,” Bex said. “This looks amazing.”

  “I like you already.”

  “This is Shay,” Sarah said. “She’s married to Coo
per’s brother Matt.”

  Bex shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You as well.”

  “Shay you should sit,” Sarah said and Shay shot a glare in her direction.

  “You sound like my husband.”

  Sarah held her hands up. “I’m guessing he’s still driving you nuts?”

  Shay’s hazel eyes rolled up as she rested a hand on the back of an empty chair. “I’m about to ship him off to your house until I have this baby. It’s that or kill him and I wouldn’t leave Matthew without a father so unfortunately that’s out of the question.”

  “You only have another month to go.”

  “It feels like an eternity.” Shay rested her hand on her stomach and turned back to Bex. “You looking for a husband?” Shay asked. “He can be overbearing and a royal pain in the butt but he’s nice to look at.”

  Bex laughed. “Not really in the market for one but thanks for the offer.”

  “It was worth a shot. So how are you liking our little town?” Shay asked.

  “It’s different. Quiet.”

  Shay laughed. “You get used to it. I’m from New York City, but this place has a way of taking hold of you. Be careful or you’ll never want to leave.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Bex appreciated that Shay spoke to her like she was just anyone else. For so long when she met people, they stared at her with wide eyes and opened mouths. They treated her like she was some exhibit at a museum instead of a human being. Just like with Chase, she appreciated the sense of normalcy—something she hadn’t known in a very long time.

  “I’ll leave you two to it then,” Shay said. “Holler at me if you need anything. Oh! And try the lemon blueberry cupcake first, it’s divine. Unless you’re a chocolate girl then definitely go for the chocolate chip Frappuccino one.”

  The bell above the door rang, and Shay walked over to the register, greeting the customer by name.

  “She’s sweet,” Bex said.