Charmed by Chase

by Theresa Paolo

  “How?” Brooke called after her but Bex was already in her rental car driving toward Angel’s Den.

  Chapter 25

  Wearing heels to scale a mountain was probably not one of her better ideas, but Bex didn’t care. All she cared about was finding Chase. She knew he was here. She saw his truck parked at the entrance of the trailhead. She was bound to find him on this trail. She just hoped her body held out until then.

  He might not think she was worth it anymore, but damn it he was, and she would fight for him. Lay it all on the line as long as he would find it in his heart to accept who she was and all the craziness that came along with it.

  The back of her foot rubbed harshly against her shoe as she continued up the gradual incline. Her calf muscles protested, and the arch of her foot cramped, but she ignored the pain and pushed on. She wasn’t stopping until she was looking into Chase’s dark gray eyes.

  He could reject her, but she wasn’t leaving until she had closure. She was hopelessly in love with the small-town fireman and before she left, he needed to know. He needed to know that he had her heart, and he could keep it if he wanted to.

  With each step up the mountain, her body begged for her to stop but she ignored the pain and continued on. Her body jerked forward as her heel caught on a tree root, sending her face first to the ground. She managed to get her hands out in front of her to break her fall.

  Hot searing pain shot through her palm as it skidded across a few inconveniently placed rocks.

  “Ouch,” she said, pulling her hand into her chest and examining the bloody mess. She couldn’t tell how deep the cuts were through the dirt but she didn’t think it was too bad. Besides, the pain in her hand was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

  She debated sitting on the ground and waiting for Chase there but she didn’t want to give up. She was determined to get to him, to prove her worth. So she slid her shoes off and continued on the journey barefoot.

  It felt like an eternity before the trees gave way to a clearing. She saw Chase and her breath caught. She’d been walking for so long she didn’t think she’d ever reach him. She took a minute to watch him.

  With his shoulders hunched forward, he sat on the rock that they had made love on for the first time and the memory made her both happy and sad. She’d never forget that moment for as long as she lived.

  She could hear him speaking but couldn’t make out the words. She thought about turning around and giving him privacy when he kissed his fingertips and held them up to the sky. He pushed off the rock, standing to his full height.

  She admired the strong muscles of his calves, the way his shirt clung to the hard ridges of his body. He turned toward her and he froze in place.

  His eyes narrowed, confusion marking his handsome features. He blinked a few times as if he thought he was imagining her.

  “Hi,” she said, offering the most awkward of waves. Her shoes dangled from her other hand and his eyes focused on them before they landed on her palm.

  He walked over to her, grabbing her wrist without a single word. He examined the torn skin and shook his head. “What the hell were you thinking coming up here by yourself? And in those ridiculous contraptions no less.”

  She yanked her hand out of his hold. “I was thinking I wanted to see you.”

  “It couldn’t wait?” he asked, a sharp edge to his tone.

  She wasn’t going to back down. From that first day she met him she had never ran away from him and always snapped back whenever warranted. “No, it couldn’t,” she said, her voice firm.

  “What was so important that you put yourself in danger—”

  “I love you,” she said, cutting his words off. She’d been holding them in for so long and she probably should have waited until they figured out all the rest, but she didn’t want to keep it in for a second longer. He needed to know that she was in love with him and she had no intention of walking away. Not now, not ever.

  His eyes widened as he took her in. She wasn’t expecting an I love you back, but any words would have been nice. She wouldn’t let it deter her.

  “My life is complicated. The world I live in is full of flaws, and I can’t promise you that your face won’t be thrown on every tabloid. Or that they’ll stop digging into your life. But I can tell you that I love you, and the thought of going back to L.A. without ever telling you that…it would be something I’d regret for the rest of my life.”

  He stared at her, lips parted, a storm brewed in his eyes, but he didn’t move, didn’t speak.

  “And I’m sorry. More than you’ll ever know. You shouldn’t have gone through any of that. If I could somehow make it go away I would. If I could take away your pain and make it my own, I would find away. I swear it.”

  Chase shook his head. “No.”

  She stumbled back at the certainty in that one word. “No?”

  “I’m happy I know the truth now.”

  Confusion gave way to relief. “You are?”

  He ran a hand over his face then rubbed at his chin before letting his hand fall back to his side. “It told me that in life there is suffering and while there’s nothing you can do to stop it, it will force you to focus on the good. That’s what my mom did in her final minutes on earth. She focused on the people she loved. I wasn’t with my mom physically when she died, but now I know I was with her in her heart. She didn’t die alone like I thought she did. She couldn’t have. Not when her heart was filled.”

  Bex looked out to the sky and smiled. “I bet your mom is looking down on you, and she is so proud.”

  Tears filled Chase’s eyes but he didn’t let them fall. He smiled instead, turning the darkness into light. “I think so, too.”

  Bex didn’t know what else to say. She put her heart out there for him and he didn’t respond to her declaration. Now it was time to go. She was glad that Chase somehow managed to find closure in the chaos. If anything, that’s what she would take from all of this.

  Knowing he found peace would be enough for her even if it meant letting him go.

  “I should go,” she said. “I just wanted to say goodbye.” She walked over to him, lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek, lingering for a moment and savoring his warmth. Taking in his masculine scent that was strictly Chase, she burned it to her memory. “Goodbye, Chase.”

  She backed away and when he didn’t make a move she turned to the trail. Her heart was heavy, but in time she’d be able to move on, and at least she’d always have the memories to hold onto.

  She entered the trailhead the heaviness of her heart becoming too much to bear. She fought the onslaught of emotions that were battling their way up her throat. A jagged breath caused her to stop and when the first tear fell she tried to find the strength to force the others to stay at bay.

  “Rise above the clouds and you will find the sunshine,” she heard behind her and she spun around only to come face to face with Chase. He smiled at her, and it was the same smile she observed when he had been sleeping. The one that was content and filled with peace and sunshine. She realized he was her sunshine amongst the dark clouds and a spark of hope filled her.

  “Excuse me?” she asked, curious as to why he would say that.

  He brushed the lone tear from her cheek and cupped her jaw. “When you whispered that, the first time we came up here, and I asked you to explain it. You didn’t think you made any sense, but Rebecca, you made perfect sense to me.”

  “I did?”

  “You did. We might live in entirely different places, but we both see the world the same way.” Emotion clogged her throat as his dark gray gaze penetrated deep to her soul.

  “And?” she said, knowing there was more and getting impatient for him to tell her what she’d been waiting to hear.

  A smirk lifted at the corner of his mouth. “Did you honestly think I’d let you walk back down yourself?”

  “Oh,” she said, disappointment consuming her. She forced a smile and hoped it appeared more grateful than it fel
t. She didn’t want to be disappointment. She wanted to be happy that he could still look her in the eye and make her feel like she was the only person who existed, but without the words, she couldn’t help but to feel deflated.

  His hand reached out grabbing her hip and yanking her close. Unexpected glee rocketed inside her as her hand came against his warm chest.

  “Also,” he said tilting her chin so she was looking directly up at him. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you.” Her eyes widened as she looked up at him with bated breath. “I love you, too, and I’m sorry I ever made you doubt that.”

  She grabbed his face, pulling his lips down to hers, kissing him and letting every emotion crashing around in her body spill out.

  Her life had been a roller coaster for the past few weeks, but there was one thing she was certain. With Chase by her side, there was no mountain too high for them to climb because when they reached the top and rose above the clouds, they would always find the sunshine in each other.

  “Hop on,” he said, bending down and pointing over his shoulder to his back.

  She linked her arms around his neck and he stood up, holding her thighs. She kissed his neck and then his cheek because she could.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said, and he carried her down the trail and toward their future.

  The End

  Thank you for reading Chase and Bex’s story! I hope you have fallen in love with the Marshall family as much as I have. Their story has only just begun.

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  ~Keep reading for an excerpt from Mad About Matt

  Book 1 in the Red Maple Falls series~

  Mad About Matt

  Chapter 1

  Growing up the oldest of six, Matt Hayes knew a thing or two about all the places teens went in Red Maple Falls to break the law. It might have been seventeen years since he graduated high school, but other than the clothing and hairstyles, not much else had changed. So, when he slowed his patrol car to a stop on the outskirts of the old barn on Chestnut, he already knew the source of Ms. Wilkinson’s noise complaint.

  With a population of nine-hundred-and-twenty-two, there wasn’t much of a crime rate in Red Maple Falls. Every now and again there would be a domestic dispute up at the old Wheeler cabin or old man Simpson driving his tractor drunk down Main Street in no more than his underwear, but nothing ever life threatening or earth shattering. Nothing like the big city cops who dealt with armed robberies and gun-wielding criminals on a daily basis.

  It was small town life and Matt wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. He loved knowing the address of every person in town. Loved that his entire family was close by—with the exception of his baby sister, who was currently chasing her dreams in New York City and his younger brother, who was backpacking across Europe. He even loved that his best friend from childhood was the local fire chief. Matt was what the locals called a “lifer.” He was born in Red Maple Falls, and he would die there… and he would do so with not a single regret.

  He grabbed his flashlight and headed toward the abandoned barn. Music and chatter echoed through the night like a guiding path that brought him directly to the main doors. The padlock he placed on it a few weeks ago was lying broken on the ground.

  It’s not that he was too old to know there wasn’t much for a teen to do in Red Maple Falls on a Saturday night, but this barn wasn’t exactly the safest place to hang out in. The beams were rotted, the foundation cracked, and it was full of rusting farm equipment that would cause more than a scratch and a need for a tetanus shot.

  He stepped through the door and held up his flashlight, not expecting a frenzied panic to ensue. The word sheriff was whispered like a swear word from both directions as the sound of swift movements and clanking bottles joined the mix.

  “Freeze!” he called out to the shadows dodging into the darker corners of the barn.

  He mentally shook his head. Kids. Did they really think they’d be able to hide, and he would just leave? It was his job not only to protect the town of Red Maple Falls, but also its citizens.

  “If you come out right now, I won’t personally escort each one of you home to your parents,” he said, knowing that threat would work for most of the town’s young adults.

  Slowly, and not without a few heated whispers, the shadows materialized. Shelly Grist was first to step forward. Her usual fair skin was brightened red as she cast her eyes to the ground. She fidgeted with her hands and shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

  Carrie Fleming was next, followed by Greg Atman who both stood next to Shelly in the same awkward stance. Al Ruiz and Henry Lutz joined them shortly after. Jake Johns stepped out last, his shoulders set back with way too much attitude for a kid his age.

  Everyone in town knew Jake’s story, and Matt felt sorry for him even if he knew that would be the last thing Jake Johns would ever want from anyone. He was a tough kid, smart too, but he was slowly self-destructing, and there was little anyone could do to help.

  Once all the kids were lined up in front of him, Matt urged them to get out of the barn. The structure had stood for a hundred years, but he wasn’t taking any chances. There was a reason for the no trespassing signs.

  He flashed his light on those very signs. “Can you read that?” he asked the group.

  The girls and Al nodded, Greg gave a quick yep, and Henry shrugged.

  “Are you insinuating we can’t read?” Jake asked with his usual tough guy tone.

  “Jake, stop.” Carrie grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back with the rest of the kids. There was a sparkle in his eyes when he looked at her, but he quickly shook his hand free from her grip and stood on his own.

  Matt had seen that sparkle many times before in the eyes of his two brothers and also the poor saps who dated his sisters. Jake Johns, Red Maple Falls rising bad boy, had it bad for sweet Carrie Fleming. It was information Matt could use to his advantage.

  “I’d listen to the lady,” Matt said, locking his gaze with Jake’s. “You might not care about having the Sheriff escort you home, but I’d wager to say she does.” Matt glanced over to Carrie. “Am I right?”

  “Yes,” she said softly and Jake’s eyes dropped to the ground. His shoulders slumped forward as he let out a loud exhale as if the realization that he would let her down weighed heavily on him.

  Matt sympathized with the kid. Once upon a time, he knew what it was like to love a girl who was out of his league. If Jake was lucky, he’d make a run for it before he got in too deep and his heart was broken beyond repair.

  “We weren’t doing anything wrong,” Jake stated.

  “Never said you were, but this building is condemned for a reason. Trust me, I know there’s not a lot of places to go around here, but I don’t want to see any of you getting hurt. So please do me a favor and stay out of the old barn.”

  He received a collective nod, even Jake who stepped back to stand next to Carrie. Matt scanned his flashlight across the property and toward his police cruiser. “I don’t see any cars so is it safe to say you walked here?”

  “Yes, sir,” Carrie answered. “We cut through the woods from my house.”

  “Then head on back.” He motioned his flashlight toward the large expanse of trees lining the property. The teens hesitated for a moment then began to move. “And another thing,” Matt called out. “If I catch any of you drinking and driving, I won’t be so nice. You got that?”

  The group nodded.

  “Good. You can go now.”

  They hurried off toward the trees. Born and raised in these parts, the woods were as much a part of you as your own family, so Matt wasn’t too concerned about them disappearing into the darkness.

  He waited a few minutes to make sure they didn’t double back before he got
into his cruiser and pulled away, making a mental note to replace the lock. With no streetlights in the area, Matt depended on his headlights and own knowledge of the area. He was about to turn onto the dirt road that would bring him back to civilization when a call came over his radio.

  “What’s going on, Martha?” Martha, his secretary and dispatcher, had been doing this job for twenty plus years and liked to remind him of such every time he questioned her. She was set in her ways and refused to change what wasn’t broken. It was a topic of contempt between them when Sheriff Green retired and Matt took over. But as much of a pain in the ass as Martha was, she was efficient and loved her job as much as he did.

  “The alarm down at Sweet Dreams Bakery is going off.”

  Matt’s heart skipped a beat. Sweet Dreams Bakery was owned and operated by the only girl who ever gave him that sparkle Jake Johns was sporting earlier. Shay Michaels, a petite little thing with long brown hair—he wanted nothing more than to wrap his fingers in—and big hazel eyes that could burn right through to his soul was the star in many of his dreams.

  Ever since that day, twenty-one years ago, when he laid eyes on her as she stepped out of her grandparent’s car onto Main Street with those tiny jean shorts, he was a goner. She lived in New York but visited her grandparents every summer. Matt looked forward to that first week in July every year until she stopped coming, and then he dreaded the memories that time of year churned up.

  Shay was a city girl at heart, and Matt knew that. He also knew that Red Maple Falls would never be enough for a girl like her who lived amongst sky scrapers and crowded sidewalks. It took him a while to realize Shay Michaels needed someone who could promise her the world and all he could promise was a simple life in a small town he would never leave.

  Seventeen years ago, he let her go, and nobody was more shocked than he after all those years of being MIA, Shay came back to Red Maple Falls to stay. Her return was a mystery and the town gossip for weeks. Though, just as the girl he remembered would, she took it in stride. Her smiles only grew when she suspected someone was talking about her.