Chase heard their voices fade as the door swung to behind them. He turned back to the window. His mom was wandering toward the swing set. She sat down in a swing and gently swayed back and forth. Chase dried his hands on a towel, struck by how the scene mirrored the night he had found Hope sitting there, and went outside.
“Mom?”
She looked up at him. “She’s quite a girl.”
He sighed. “I know. I really love her, Momma. She makes me happy.”
“I can see that.”
“We won’t make the same mistakes this time around.”
His mom stood and embraced him. “My little boy,turned man!” She pulled back and looked at him. “I only want what’s best for you, you know.”
He squeezed her, his eyes shut tightly. “I know, Momma. I know,” he whispered. “Hope’s what’s best for me.”
When the two strolled in hand in hand, they found Hope and Chase’s father engrossed in studying photos. They were spread out in a rainbow fashion across the glossy, dark wooden dining table where Chase’s father sat, obviously enjoying himself. Hope stood behind his father, who now showed a little gray at the temples, bending over to point something out to him. His dad looked up over the frames of his glasses at his wife as she entered. She smiled.
Seeming to take this as a sign, his dad cleared his throat. “Chase. Don’t you and this young lady have some plans for tonight?”
“We sure do.” Chase came around the table and grabbed Hope up in a bear hug. Winking at his mother, he guided Hope toward the door.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Never you mind,” he responded firmly.
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Miniature golf.” She smiled and leaned over in the car seat to kiss him. “You’re so sweet!”
“I am, ain’t I?”
“You’re in for some serious necking later, buddy!”
“Mmm…”
After eighteen holes of grim combat, they got back behind the wheel of his yellow Camaro, which his dad kept stored for him to use when he was home.
“Don’t worry, Hope. With some practice, someday maybe you’ll be as good as me.”
She socked him in the arm. “One stroke. One lousy stroke. And I’m pretty sure I saw you using your foot wedge.”
“I did not!” He snorted indignantly.
“We made a lot of good memories in this car,” she said, changing the subject and leaning her head back against the leather, smiling slyly.
“I’ll say.” He leaned his head back against the seat, too, and reached over, cupping his fingers behind her head and rubbing her cheek with his thumb.
She looked into his wonderful green eyes and felt a sudden wave of sadness. “There should have been more,” she said quietly. It felt good to be home, for the most part, but it also reminded her of what they had lost.
“Yeah.” They sat silently for a while. “Did you ever think, though, maybe this was the way things were suppose to be? Maybe we wouldn’t have appreciated what we had if we’d been together all along.”
“Hatton,” she said with a smile, “how did you get to be such a damn optimist?”
He laughed and started the engine. “We have one more stop.”
* * *
When Chase pulled into the school parking lot, she beamed. “Man, it seems like eons, not years! It hasn’t changed much though. New sign.”
He parked and turned off the engine. “Want to take a walk around?”
“Sure.”
They ambled around the campus arm in arm as the twilight fell, reminiscing about teachers and games and fellow students. “I wonder if it’s changed much inside,” he mused. “Let’s try a door.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s locked.”
But the door opened for him. “Come on,” he said with a grin.
She hesitated. “Do you think there’s something going on tonight? There weren’t any cars in the parking lot.”
“I don’t know; let’s see.” He held the door open for her, and she ducked under his arm.
“Oooh!” she said in hushed tones. “This is kind of creepy. Are you sure we aren’t gonna get caught by Old Man Meyers and arrested for trespassing?”
Lights turned on at the end of the hall, and she was shocked to see her former principal standing there with his customary megaphone in his hand. “Old Man Meyers, huh?”
“Uh…Mr. Meyers…” Even though he didn’t seem nearly as big and scary as he had when they were in high school, she was nervous. Her palms began to sweat. “We were just…” She looked at Chase for help.
Chase stepped forward and offered his hand. “Good to see you, Mr. Meyers.”
The principal shook his hand. “Chase.”
“Still use the megaphone?”
“Oh yeah!” He held it to his mouth to demonstrate. “Hatton! Creswell! Shouldn’t you be in fourth hour?”
They all laughed, and Chase looped his hand easily around her shoulder.
“Success seems to agree with you, Chase. You guys look like you haven’t changed since the last time I caught you making out in the hall. I wish I could say the same for me.” He rubbed his bald pate. “But, you know, you guys were always respectful. Not like kids these days.” He sighed, then laughed at himself. “Now I really do sound like Old Man Meyers. Well, I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on. You guys go ahead and look around. I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”
“Thanks,” they chimed in unison.
“Boy,” she said under her breath as they watched him trod away, “he’s not nearly as scary as he used to be. Has he shrunk?”
“I think you’re just not as intimidated by him as you once were.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Didn’t you hear my knees knocking?” She released a relieved laugh. She stepped over to some charcoal drawings on display along the wall. “Wow! These are good! I wonder if Mrs. Boyd is still here.”
“I doubt it. She seemed like she was about a hundred years old when I had her.”
She chuckled. She dragged Chase down the hall. “Look! They’ve got a soda machine now.”
“Not fair!” he whined. “Speaking of sodas, the ones I had earlier are going to make a pit stop necessary. Why don’t you go, too, and I’ll meet you out here.”
She gave him a kiss. “Okay.” She released him, but then pulled him back for a deeper kiss. “Something about being back here is making me all hot and bothered.”
“Mmm…maybe I’ll get lucky tonight.”
“You play your cards right, Mister”—she nibbled him on the chin playfully—“you can never tell.”
He watched her as she turned to enter the restroom.
When she rounded the corner by the sinks, the first thing she saw was a long floral dress hanging on the last stall door. She sucked in her breath in wonder, and took a few steps forward, mouth hanging open.
“Look familiar?”
She jumped as Chase’s mom stepped out of the stall.
Her hand over her heart, Hope’s eyes returned to the dress. “It-t looks like—”
“Your prom dress. Chase couldn’t find one exactly like it, but he came darn close,” Julia said, examining the fabric.
“Ch-chase found this?”
“Uh-huh.”
“But, I don’t understand.”
Julia lifted the hanger off the top of the door and handed it to her. “You’re supposed to put this on.” Her smile was radiant.
She took the gown from Chase’s mom and stood staring at it, transfixed. Mrs. Hatton gave her a gentle shove toward the large handicap stall. “Go on.”
When she stepped in, Julia shut the door behind her and held it closed. Slowly, she slid the lock closed, and Mrs. Hatton removed her hand from the top of the door.
“Anything you need should be in your overnight bag in there. Chase had me bring it from your hotel. Did you enjoy your miniature golf?”
“Ummm…” She was still stun
ned and it took a minute for her brain to decipher the question. “Yeah…yes,” she said, slipping her top off and unsnapping her shorts. “You knew we were going golfing?”
“Yes, it was all part of the master plan.”
“The master plan for what?” she asked a second later, stepping out of the stall in the dress.
“Spin around and I’ll zip you up.”
She did as she was told, lifting her hair so the zipper was accessible. She looked into the bathroom mirror. It was surreal. The dress was so similar to the one she had worn that night. It had large, bright flowers akin to the one she had worn all those years ago, and the design was almost identical. Instead of being crinkly, however, the fabric was smoother, silkier. It was flattering.
Mrs. Hatton gazed at her in the mirror. “You look utterly beautiful,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Can I help you with your hair?” Hope relinquished control, and Chase’s mom began to brush her long hair. “I’m sure your mom did this for you on the night of prom. I was sorry to hear of her passing. She was a really good friend. I missed her a lot when you two moved away.”
Hope glanced up quickly into the mirror to see if Mrs. Hatton was again angry with her, but she was still smiling. She twisted her hair up and secured it.
“I’m not as good at this as your mom was. Jeff and Chase didn’t need much help with their hair.”
Hope turned to the Julia and squeezed her hands. “Thank you, Mrs. Hatton.”
“Hope…I was too hard on you earlier. I was wrong to be. If I had been in your position—seen Greg kissing some girl, discussing plans for her pregnancy—I would have ripped his eyes out. Scratch that. I would have ripped her eyes out and then ripped his out. I had no right to judge you.” She looked down at their hands. “I know you would have never hurt Chase on purpose, and he wasn’t the only one hurt that night.” She looked up. “Will you forgive me, Hope?”
Hope was too overwhelmed to say anything. She simply hugged Julia tightly for several minutes. When they pulled away, both women were sniffling. “Oh, dear! Now we’ve got the waterworks on and we’ll ruin your makeup. Come here, come here!” She rushed her into the stall and wiped her eyes with toilet paper she ripped off the roll. “I’ll leave you to finish getting ready, but if you need me, I’ll be right outside.” With a final squeeze, she was gone.
Hope sat down on the toilet. He had gotten her a dress. Her eyes fell on a small white box near her bag. She reached over and picked it up. She opened the lid. A wrist corsage, just like the one he had given her on prom night. She got up slowly and slid the beautiful orchid and baby’s breath over her wrist as she glided again to the mirror. She assessed herself. A few wrinkles had begun to appear around her eyes and mouth, but Mrs. Hatton had done a good job with her hair. She hadn’t changed all that much. One thing definitely hadn’t changed, she loved Chase Hatton, and Chase Hatton loved her.When she stepped out into the hall, he was waiting for her. He was leaning against the opposite wall, talking with his dad, wearing the same tux he had worn to prom, and looking devilishly handsome. When his dad stopped midsentence, Chase turned. He straightened, his eyes wide and bright. He stepped over to her side, not taking his eyes from hers for an instant.
“You look even more beautiful tonight than you did eight years ago.”
“Y-you…this…” She ran a hand over her dress, speechless.
He laughed lightly. “Come on.” He led her into the gymnasium, which was dark except for a single spotlight on the middle of the floor. As they hit the circle of light, he took her hand and raised it to his lips. “We never got to have our last dance.” Chase took her into his arms, and from somewhere nearby in the darkness, music started to play. A voice began to sing The Temptations, “My Girl.”
She spun around the dance floor with him, wrapped in awe and bliss. He began to sing to her quietly, that golden-toned voice he was famous for singing with, just for her.
His voice choked and he stopped singing. He drew their hands in and laid them on his chest, his swaying stopping as he bent slowly to kiss her. Her tears spilled onto her cheeks.
“Hey, hey, hey. No crying.” He brushed away the tears.
“I’m just so happy. I can’t believe you did this for me! I don’t deserve this.”
“Nonsense. Hope, ever since you came back into my life, I’ve had this constant smile plastered all over my face. Besides, this is as much for me as it is for you. I wanted another chance to hold you tight, just like this.” He bent to kiss her again, and they continued to dance, she with her head on his chest, Chase laying his cheek on her hair.
After about twenty minutes, he said, “Hope, we’ve got the band for as long as we want them, and I could stay here forever dancing with you…except I think they have a basketball game in here tomorrow night, so it may get a whole lot less private…or, we could go back to my parents’ place and take a walk by the pond. What do you want to do?”
“A walk sounds nice.”
“Okay. Just wait here for a minute, I’ll be right back.” He took a few steps into the darkness, but then came back. “You’re not going anywhere, right?”
She laughed. “I’m not going anywhere!”
“Good!” He left to pay the musicians, and then came back to her side. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.” He grabbed a hand and escorted her to the door. Outside, Chase’s dad was having a discussion about the school’s football team with their former principal, while Mrs. Hatton stood gazing out of a window.
“Were you in on this Mr. Meyers?” Hope asked accusingly.
He nodded. “Chase called me a couple of weeks ago.” He bent and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ve got a little soft spot for romance, too,” he said quietly, with a wink.
“Thank you, so much! Both of you!” She kissed each man in turn, and then turned to Chase’s mom. “Thank you for making this night so special for me!”
“You’re welcome, honey.”
“Come on, milady,” Chase said with a courtly bow. “Your chariot awaits.”
She stuck her hand through his crooked elbow and soon they were eating asphalt in the infamous Camaro. All the way home, she gushed about how beautiful everything was and asked him to divulge all of the steps he had taken to pull off her wonderful surprise. He was happy to oblige, having kept the secret for weeks. “It was kind of something I fantasized about for, oh…eight years or so.”
Their animated discussion continued all the way down to the banks of the little pond they had gone skinny-dipping in once upon a moon.
They had strolled out to the end of the dock, and she breathed a contented sigh. “Oh, Chase! It’s as lovely as I remember. Truly it is.” Suddenly, her eyes fell upon a little white box on top of the support post at the end of the dock, seeming to glow in the moonlight. She turned to find him kneeling on one knee beside her. “Oh my goodness!” she said, her voice trembling. “What are you doing?” she breathed, her voice barely a whisper.
“Hope Alexis Creswell.” He looked steadily into her eyes. “I’ve loved you since the day I met you, actually since the minute I laid eyes on you. And with each day I’ve spent with you, I’ve grown to love you more.” He reached up and took the box from the post, opening it to reveal the ring nestled inside. Her hand flew to her heart. “I want to love you forever, to be forever lost in your eyes. You’ve stolen my heart. Hope, won’t you marry me? Give me your heart, and make me whole again.”
Her heart swelled so full she thought it would burst; it actually pained her a little. “Yes, Chase, yes. Oh yes, I want to marry you—” The rest of her answer was smothered in kisses as he rose, picking her up and swinging her around, the sound of their laughter ringing around the edges of the pond, and then bouncing back to them in delight.
EPILOGUE
Hope trudged out of the doctor’s office still stunned.
It was exactly four months since she and Chase had been married on the beach backing up to his house. It had been a small ceremony, just Hal, Chase’s parents, his
brother, Jeff, and Jeff’s wife…some of the band members…and a few girlfriends from Chicago. She had spent the intervening months collecting shots for her portfolio and touching base with several contacts in the art industry. She and Chase had fallen in love with and purchased a small cabin at the foot of Mt. Lowe, where Chase had secluded himself to work on a new album, while she combed the nearby woods and lakes looking for “the perfect shot.”
And now, she found herself pregnant.
She didn’t know how it had happened. They had been careful. They both wanted children, lots of children—as she had been an only child, and he just one of two—but they had jointly decided to wait while she tried to get her art off the ground and he promoted his new album. How was she to tell him now all of their plans had flown out the window when the stick had turned purple?
A baby. In the abstract, it had seemed so desirable; in reality, the prospect was terrifying. She had no doubt Chase would be a fantastic father. He had grown up with an ideal family, quirky, but loving, always by his side, always supportive. But all she had known was an abusive father, and a mother who worked hard to support her, but was often absent. There had been no nieces or nephews to cuddle. She didn’t even know if she had ever held a baby before. Touched a little bootied foot, sure. Taken a picture of one, of course. But changed a diaper? Hope Creswell—now Hope Hatton—mother? How had this happened? In the abstract, it had seemed ideal. In reality, it seemed ridiculous.
And what about Chase’s career? He already had tour dates lined up. Traveling together as a couple had been so easy, but with a baby in tow?
Her head was spinning even hours later, in the footlights of the auditorium at Chase’s concert. She wasn’t singing along like she usually did. She wasn’t dancing. She wasn’t even tapping her foot to the music. What was more, He seemed to have noticed, too. He kept glancing offstage as he sang.
“Hope!” Hal shouted above the noise. “Do you think I could talk to you for a second?”
She peered at him blankly for a minute, and then nodded. Hal led the way to a backstage waiting room, which had a few comfy couches and a small kitchenette. He sat down on a couch opposite her.
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