by Aileen Fish
Relief was mixed with disappointment. He’d walk away now and not ask anything more of her. “Jayden’s well-being has to come first.”
When he walked her to her door, she turned to him and hesitated. Handshake? Hug? Kiss? She knew him better than most men on a second date, but they hadn’t kissed when he was there last.
Chase held her gaze before looking at her lips. He bent to kiss her and she met him halfway. His lips were soft on hers, and his breath warm on her cheek. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close and she felt safe. For a moment, they were in their own world and she was safe from whatever life threw at her. As much as she hated to admit it, Sir Galahad was changing her life.
Chapter Six
To Hope’s surprise and delight, the next week was filled with phone calls and texts from Chase. He hadn’t given up on her. She spent the days riding on a cloud of new relationship joy. “It’s not like we’re a couple yet,” she tried to convince Marni.
“You talk to him every night. If it’s not a relationship, then one of you is a stalker.” Her friend’s shoulder shook with silent laughter.
“You know, I don’t remember getting to know anyone this well before falling in love—”
“Whoa, girl, I’m beginning to think you’re the stalker. Love already?”
Hope grimaced and took another bite of the boring salad she’d brought for lunch. She needed to add cranberries or feta cheese to tomorrow’s. Recognizing she was stalling, she still considered planning her dinner menu for next week, but Marni would wait her out. “No, I’m not in love. Deeply in like, I confess, and if he lived closer I’d be in real trouble.”
“Real trouble, right. Falling in love with a terrific, sexy guy with a steady job who’s willing to fly halfway across the continent for a date—yeah, you’d be foolish to think of such a thing. What excuses are you giving yourself now?”
The same ones she’d started with. “Jayden is too emotionally fragile to think of bringing another man into his life. Then there’s my job. I love my job. And Mom is here. What would she do without us?”
Reaching across the small table in the empty teacher’s lounge, Marni squeezed her hand. “Let go of the impossibilities, and just see where this goes. Everything has a way of working out if you two fall in love.”
Marni’s words rang in her ears when she talked to Chase that night, but she wasn’t about to bring up anything serious. Neither of them talked about the future; they were still getting to know each other. Yet it felt like they were in the express lane, hurrying to move to a destination she was uncertain about. Were they trying to work each other out of their systems? That became more difficult every day.
What bothered her most was she wanted her mom to meet him. Jayden, too, and that was such a ridiculous idea. Just having Chase leave after a weekend visit could set her son into acting out.
Chase couldn’t keep flying out every few weeks, and she wasn’t ready to visit him in California. That would imply she’d be willing to give up her job to be with him. She’d known him only two months. It wasn’t possible to know him well enough to think like this.
Yet she didn’t argue when Chase brought it up on the phone later that night. “I have to see you again.”
Have to. Butterflies stirred in her stomach and her smile stretched clear down to her toes. “That sounds urgent. Video chat, maybe?”
“You know what I mean, Hope. Tell me you’d like me to come out there again.”
Oh, did she. “Yes. I’d like you to meet my son.” Hope squeezed her eyes shut. She hadn’t planned to say that, much less have it happen.
“I’d love to. He sounds like a wonderful boy.”
“Then I’ve been glossing over the past few months. He is the sweetest child, normally. I need to warn you, though. He’s had some problems with men exiting his life. I’ve been uncertain about letting him meet you.”
Chase was quiet for a moment and she feared she’d scared him off. Maybe that was for the best.
His voice, when he spoke, overflowed with emotion. “I’d like to meet him.”
Apparently recognizing what she’d admitted about her feelings, he went on. “Look, if you’d rather I didn’t come, just say so. I don’t want to complicate your life.”
She smiled, shaking her head in spite of the fact he couldn’t see her. “You balance it, not make it worse. Just talking to you clears the day away.”
“I’m glad. I wish we could spend more time together, but I’m grateful for any moments we can steal. Is next weekend too soon?”
“It’s almost too far away. I’ll be patient, though.” She’d have to see if Amazon sold patience, because she’d run out of it where Chase was concerned.
****
Sitting in the airplane at LAX, waiting out a delay, Chase’s leg began jumping. At this rate, it would be faster to drive to Missouri. He couldn’t wait to have Hope in his arms, smell her sweet perfume and listen for the sigh of comfort he’d noticed so clearly on his last visit.
Meeting her mother was no big deal. Since he’d only dated locally, he’d known the families of those women. He wasn’t worried whether she’d like him, that was never an issue. But Jayden…
Was it too soon to let the boy get to know him? It was impossible to be certain how Hope’s son would react. One weekend wasn’t long enough for an attachment to form, she reminded herself. Perhaps they could ease him into a friendship, with Chase visiting once a month.
Once a month. That wasn’t nearly often enough. Not by half. Regardless of how many times a day they contacted each other, he went to sleep wanting to call her one more time. Some nights he barely got the words “goodnight” out before falling asleep. He couldn’t imagine how she rose early enough for school each morning, given the two-hour time difference.
Restless, he texted her.
Stuck at the airport. It’s ridiculous how much more frustrating this wait is than the weeks between visits.
Maybe ten minutes later, she responded.
I know what you mean. Marni teases me about how much I daydream the day before you arrive. Is this really only the third time we’ll see each other in person?
It feels like years, doesn’t it? You’re easy to know.
Almost too easy, he admitted to himself. The whole thing felt like a dream, a movie where the couple falls in love at first sight and ends up married ninety minutes later. In real life, those relationships didn’t last. He and Hope were idealizing the good qualities they’d revealed to each other, and when their true selves appeared, the joy would fade.
Except he was his true self. He’d never needed to impress anyone; his life wasn’t predicated on others’ opinion of him. Hope didn’t seem the type to hide behind a façade, either. He knew instinctively she was real.
And he was lucky to have met her. Who would believe it started with a message in a bottle.
Chapter Seven
The sun shone on the afternoon of Chase’s visit, yet it was too cold to spend much time outside. Uncertain what he liked to do, Hope suggested they go to an arcade where Jayden loved to play games. “My mom has asked that we join her for dinner, if that’s okay.”
“Sounds perfect, although I bet he beats me at everything.”
When she introduced Jayden to him, her son was his usual sullen self. “Hello.”
“Hey,” Chase replied. “I used to be skee ball champ in White Oak. Think you can beat me?”
Jayden rolled his eyes. “Nobody plays skee ball anymore. I’m the best at Zombie Armageddon. My name is in the top ten.”
At least he’d responded. That was huge. Perhaps the day would go better than she expected.
Her son disappeared the moment she handed him a handful of tokens. “You’ll have a better chance getting to know him tonight at Mom’s.”
“The day’s young. I’m pretty good at Supercross and auto racing games. My nephews play nonstop when they’re at the house. The only way to get to know them is to challenge them to a game.”
“We learned to shoot when we were young. Even if we never hunt, we have to be able to kill a rattlesnake, or other vermin. I can hit a snake in the head, but my aim’s lousy when I’m on the run in a game. Do you play?”
“I was the arcade champ at skee ball, as a matter of fact.” She grinned up at him. “When I was ten.”
“You’re on.” Chase took her hand and led her to the wall of vintage machines. She was disappointed when he let go to pick up a ball. Holding out the tan wood ball, he said, “Ladies first.”
She stood in front of the long machine, gauging how hard to roll to land in the fifty-point hole, the highest score possible in a single throw. Tossing the small sphere like a bowling ball, she watched it ascend the slope and launch into the hole marked forty. “Aha, nice start,” she said.
Chase said nothing, just nodding toward the next ball.
Three throws later, she found fifty, although the remaining rolls were mostly twenties and thirties. She took the coupons when the machine spit them out, and stepped aside to let him take a turn.
He hadn’t been joking when he claimed to have been a champion. Of nine tosses, five were fifties, and the remainder, forties. His grin when he handed her his coupons was a full-blown gloat. “Double or nothing?”
“Double what? What are we playing for? I thought it was coupons.”
“We’ll give those to Jayden. I’m looking for something better than a stuffed unicorn.”
Butterflies stirred. He did that to her often. “Dare I ask?”
“Let’s make it winner’s choice.”
Nodding, slanting him a glance, she took another token from her pocket. In a way, she hoped he won, because she had no idea what to ask for. A kiss seemed too obvious, and she’d never ask for that here. A quick peck wouldn’t be worth the time.
This round she concentrated better, having been reminded of the old tweaks she used to put on her toss. She grinned when she saw her final score. Three hundred and ninety points, lower than his first score. Chase was bound to beat that.
Hope watched his score climb. One-forty. Two-ninety. When he reached three-seventy on his second-to-last ball, her shoulders drooped. In spite of thinking she wanted him to win, the truth was the opposite—she was too competitive. All he needed was thirty points to beat her.
He launched the ball and she waited, holding her breath. It looked to be headed right for the fifty hole, but it bounced off the tube over the hole, landing in the outside area that made up the ten-point section.
She’d won.
As he waited for the coupons to spit out of the slot, Chase lifted his brow at her. She needed to pick a prize.
She chickened out. “I’ll tell you later.”
He nodded, his grin suggestive. He’d be disappointed if she settled for a kiss, clearly, but she wasn’t about to go beyond that yet.
Clearing her throat to shake away the visions of them in each other’s arms, she said, “We should see what Jayden’s up to.”
They found him in the middle of a shooter game, as she expected. “Who’s winning?”
He paused only long enough to glare at her. “You can see I’m playing alone.”
“When you finish, do you want to race me on the motorcycles?” Chase motioned toward a game nearby.
Jayden shrugged without taking his eyes off the video screen. “I guess.”
Sighing, Hope offered Chase a sympathetic smile. She leaned close to his ear so her son wouldn’t overhear. “It’s not you, it’s all adults. One day he’ll be cheerful again. Maybe when he’s eighteen.”
The smile in Chase’s eyes told her he understood and wasn’t insulted. “Have I mentioned I have nephews?”
Jayden’s on-screen character was killed for the last time and he turned around, his posture slumped, his hands in his pockets. Silently, he peered up at Chase.
“Ready? Which bike do you want, red or blue?”
“Blue.”
The two of them mounted the stationary motorcycles and the game began. Chase was good, not going too far off track in the curves, and landing gracefully in the jumps. Jayden, however, did so faster.
“Hey, how do you do that? You don’t even have a license.” Chase revved his cycle.
Jayden glanced at the man beside him, his concentration unbroken. He reached the finish line first. “Ha!”
Sitting up straight, Chase asked, “Go again?”
Her son shrugged before getting ready for the green flag.
Chase won the next game, and Jayden the two after that. Her son’s posture was more relaxed than she’d seen it lately, other than when he slept.
“Can we play speedway now?” he asked.
“Sure.” Chase exchanged a glance with her, acting as though it was no big deal for the boy to want more time with him.
Inside, Hope cheered, then her stomach tightened. Her son enjoying Chase’s company was a good thing. She could only pray having him go home went well.
Chapter Eight
When Chase arrived home Sunday night, it was late, yet he needed to talk to Hope. The fact he had nothing to say didn’t matter. He wasn’t ready for the weekend to be over. After unpacking, he settled down in his leather recliner, embers glowing in the fireplace, and picked up his phone to text her.
Are you up?
Yes, I’m too wound up to sleep.
Hang on.
He closed the messenger app and dialed her number for a video call. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hi, handsome.” She yawned.
“Okay, well, that’s all I have to say. Good night.”
Hope laughed. “I miss you already.”
“Me too. How’s Jayden?”
“He’s asleep now, although he was smiling after you left.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she jumped in. “No, I mean still smiling. He enjoyed the weekend.”
“And you’ve decided what’s between us won’t last.” The words were bitter in his mouth. Her trepidation was obvious in her features and tone of voice.
“No, I’m afraid his attachment to you will grow, and when he doesn’t see you anymore, he’ll relapse. I shouldn’t have allowed this. I don’t want him to get hurt.”
Chase’s chest tightened. “You talk as if you’re certain he won’t see me again.”
“You can’t keep flying out here every few weeks.”
She was right. He’d already been thinking that. He doubted she’d consider coming to the ranch, yet he had to bring it up. “So come see me.”
“That’s not a good idea. Jayden will make too much of that.”
Unable to let the subject drop, he pushed on. “It will happen sometime. I know you feel it, too.”
“I don’t know what I feel. What I know is we’re moving too fast. I need time to see how Jayden accepts this. Even a long-distance relationship might be rough on him.”
“I’ll call earlier in the day so I can talk to him. Ask him how his day went. Give him advice about the school bullies.”
“He is the school bully. Or was. He’s done better since his suspension. I don’t believe in instant cures, though, so I have to wait to know how he adjusts.”
Knowing he should move on to something safer, Chase kept quiet the fact his mom wanted to meet her. Mom saw the change in him and knew he was serious about Hope. She barely blinked an eye when he walked out the door with a suitcase.
Still, he understood what was at stake for Jayden. All he wanted was a chance to show her how great their lives could be.
“How long?” he asked.
“How long, what?”
“How long do you need to wait? Days, weeks, months, years?”
She glanced away from the screen. “I don’t know,” she said softly.
“There’s no way to know, Hope. If we walk away from each other now, you’ll never have the chance to find out.
”
“I don’t know,” she repeated. “I should go now.”
Chase sighed, hoping he kept his frustration off his face. “Okay. Have a good night’s sleep. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye, Chase.”
His phone screen went black.
****
Later that week when Hope stopped by her mom’s to pick up Jayden after an early release day for the kids, Mom was full of questions. “How did the weekend go? Jayden can’t stop talking about Chase. Do you think he’s the one?”
“Mom, I’m a bit too experienced to believe in the one.”
“If those other men were the one, they’d still be here.”
Hope set her purse down on the kitchen table and watched her mom chop vegetables for dinner. “It’s so complicated. Sixteen-hundred miles complicated. Vulnerable eight-year-old. And then there’s the fact we might not be able to stand each other if we saw each other every night.”
“I’ve seen your face when you’re on the phone with him. You can’t deny what you feel for him. And I saw it in him, last weekend.”
Never imagining Mom would be the one pushing her to think long term, Hope waved her arm. “We just met. We haven’t even reached the honeymoon phase of a relationship. We haven’t reached a relationship, either.”
“Yes, you have. There’s no schedule to falling in love. It happens when it happens.”
She wasn’t in love yet, was she? She couldn’t be certain what she felt. She hated the idea of never seeing Chase again—it made her breath catch to even think about it. Yet Jayden had to come first.
“Just think on it,” Mom said as she scraped the veggies into a pan. “And if you stay for dinner, I promise to let the matter drop.”
“There’s a veiled threat if I ever heard one.” Hope laughed, then got up to set the table. Two dates plus one weekend wasn’t enough time to decide about anything. Despite the fact she’d thought about it almost since the moment she met Chase, she didn’t have enough confidence in her parenting skills to help Jayden through another break up.