Right. Just a few weeks earlier, Hayden, already pregnant, had been after Chase!
Wanting to talk to him more than ever, Addie dug her phone out of her purse and checked to see if Chase had texted her. The inbox was still empty. A knot of dread formed in her stomach as she left work and made her way to her car.
Why would he pick today not to text her? Here she’d made the decision to call him and confess her feelings. Now she wasn’t sure what to do.
After starting her car, she placed the phone on the passenger seat, staring at it, willing it to do something. Her eyes started to burn and she rapidly blinked, determined not to cry. Again. That’s all she’d been doing since coming home.
“Please, let him call me,” she prayed. “Or should I call him?” She waited, hoping for a definitive answer.
Letting out a deep breath, she reached out and picked up her phone. Her finger hovered over the preset button programmed with Chase’s number. Call him now? Or maybe wait until tomorrow? If Chase texted her in the morning it would be a sign she was supposed to call him. Stupid, she knew, but right now even plucking petals from a flower and playing the he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not game sounded reasonable.
Depressed and tired, she set the phone back down and put her car in gear, anxious to get home to check on her dad. Chellie called her from the house earlier, assuring her Dad was fine and enjoying a nice lunch with some friends. Friends who were eager to have him move into the assisted living center.
How pathetic would it be to have her dad move out, getting on with his life, while she was stuck…where? Chellie’s basement? Or worse, trying to move back in with her dad?
She rubbed her forehead with her hand, needing something else to think about. Music. That’s what she needed. She’d turned into a country-music freak in the last three weeks.
Reaching out, she pushed the radio on, knowing it was already set to one of the three stations dedicated to country music. It was torture when she heard a song by Keith Urban or Tim McGraw, but it was one way to make her time in Georgia seem real.
A traffic report ended and the DJ announced the next song by Darius Rucker. She reached out again, turning up the volume. A few measures into the song, she realized it wasn’t his usual upbeat kind of song. She frowned and her heart twisted with pain as the words filled the car. It was a love song. She definitely shouldn’t listen to this right now.
She stretched out her finger to find another station when the words from the song jumped out at her. “Baby, this could be our last first kiss…the thought of forever.”
Last first kiss? The line was so familiar. She listened intently, the words so sweet and sentimental. When the chorus started again, a memory flashed in her mind. “You know what? I think I just had my last first kiss.” Chase had said that right after he’d kissed her for the first time.
Could that mean what she thought it meant? Excitement, hope and a whole bunch of other positive emotions rushed through her. A tiny giggle bubbled out and then more tears! Happy tears as she listened to the lyrics. “What if this was that moment…a chance worth taking …”
Calling Chase—telling him how much she loved him, needed him—was definitely a chance worth taking. And she wanted to call him. Now.
Grasping tightly to the steering wheel, she looked for a place to pull over. She turned on her signal and eased into the parking lot of a convenience store. Her hands shook as she picked up the phone and pressed the speed dial for Chase.
What would she say? What would he say? Her hope fell when the phone rolled over to voicemail. There hadn’t even been any beeps, letting her know he was just taking another call. It was like his phone was turned off.
Maybe this was her sign. She shook her head and smacked the steering wheel with her palm, frustrated and feeling a little grumpy. This just hadn’t been her day. When she got home she was going straight to bed. She did not want to talk to anyone about anything.
Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the garage, her head ready to explode, her stomach empty and her heart breaking. Reaching over, she grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car. As she entered the kitchen, she heard her father laughing. Then she heard another voice. A male voice with a smooth, tenor southern accent. Her heart seized in her chest and then started pumping again as she set her purse down and tiptoed across the floor. It couldn’t be…could it? Holding her breath, she peeked around the corner, her gaze colliding with a pair of soft, green eyes.
He stood up and gave her a slow, lazy grin. “Hey, Addie.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chase watched as Addie’s eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in shock. He’d forgotten how beautiful she was. Well, not really, but seeing her again in person was so much better than a photograph or his memory.
“Chase?” she finally said, her voice just above a whisper.
He tried to determine if the incredulous look she had in her pretty brown eyes meant she was surprised, but pleased to see him. After spending the past two hours talking with her father, he’d felt confident Addie would be more than happy to see him. Now he wasn’t so sure.
He held her disbelieving gaze and squirmed a little, hoping his trip to Idaho hadn’t been in vain. “I, uh, was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and say hey.”
After a few heartbeats, the slightest grin tipped one side of her mouth. Then her eyes lit up with such an intense love that Chase felt the sparks flare and ignite inside his chest. “Well,” she said, taking a tiny step toward him. “You said hey.”
Chase felt himself relax and gave her a smile as he took one step forward. “I also got a chance to talk to your father.”
“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow playfully and took another step toward him.
At this rate, they’d be here all night before he got to touch her again. Chase glanced over at Mr. Heywood, catching the broad smile on his face. Turning back, he met Addie’s eyes again.
“Yeah. I was just tellin’ your daddy that I’m crazy in love with his daughter and I can’t live without her.”
She hiccupped a tiny gasp, her hand coming up to clasp her stomach. “You can’t?”
He shook his head. “I can’t. I love you, Addison Mae Heywood, and I’ll live anywhere you want as long as we can be together.”
Her light brown eyes were filled with love, joy and a tiny bit of fear. “What exactly are you saying?”
Flashing another smile, he moved toward her, unable to stand the separation one more second. He stopped in front of her and cradled her face with his hands, the warmth from her soft skin seeping into his palms. Slowly, he stroked his thumb across her bottom lip and gazed into her eyes.
“Marry me, Addie.” Then he kissed her softly, hoping Mr. Heywood’s permission to marry his daughter also allowed for a few kisses. “Please, marry me.” He kissed her again. “Pretty please, with sugar on top.” His lips brushed hers once more. “I’m beggin’ you—”
Addie giggled and put her fingers over his mouth. “Be quiet so I can answer you.”
He stopped talking and held her gaze, waiting for her response. “I love you, Chase Jefferson Nichols.” She gave him a smile that just about knocked the wind out of him. “And, yes, I’ll marry you.”
“Yeah?” he said with a grin, feeling like his world had just righted itself again. “Okay, then.” He leaned down and gave her a long, slow kiss, conveying the depth of his love and making up for the past three weeks. His fingers slid between her silky hair as he deepened the kiss. Ah, man. He had missed her.
Chase honestly forgot they had an audience until he heard her father clear his throat. “I’ll just leave you two alone for a second.”
He and Addie broke apart, breathless and dazed. Mr. Heywood had already disappeared down the hall. “He’s not going to get his shotgun, is he?” Chase asked, wondering if he’d overstepped his bounds.
Addie giggled. “The only gun he owns is a BB gun.”
Chase grimaced. “It’d still hurt. Should I be worried?”
Eyes sparkling, Addie didn’t answer him. Instead she pulled his head down, kissing him again. After a few minutes their lips drew apart, but they remained very close. He touched his forehead to hers. “I think we’ve almost made up for the three weeks, seventeen hours, and twenty-two minutes you were gone.”
“Maybe,” she said, twining her fingers through his hair and giving him a look that made him glad she’d agreed to marry him. “I’ll let you know.” She reached up to kiss him again.
Chase held her back, knowing her daddy could come back any second. “Addie,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Stop tempting me.” He tried putting a little space between them. “Besides, I have something for you.”
“A cinnamon bun?” she asked hopefully.
With a laugh, he shook his head and released his hold on her. “Sorry. I finished the last one somewhere around St. Louis.”
“St. Louis?” she asked, furrowing her brow. “How did you get here, anyway? And why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“You missed my truck and the U-haul trailer parked out front?”
She bit her lower lip and blushed. “I decided to call you but when you didn’t answer, it kind of threw me off balance. I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“I see,” he said with a smile. “Well, my phone and a Dr. Pepper collided early this morning right after leaving Wyoming. Neither one survived.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” She tilted her face up and gave him an impish smile, making that adorable dimple of hers crease her cheek. “Now, what did you have for me?”
Chuckling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box.
Her eyes went as round as the O she formed with her mouth. “I hope you like it,” he said as he nervously opened the lid. His little sisters had gone ring shopping with him and both had oohed and ahhhed over this one.
“Oh, Chase,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
His hand was surprisingly steady as he removed the ring and placed it on her left hand. “Do you like it?”
The princess cut diamond sparkled in the light as she held it up. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over her bottom lashes. “I love it.” She threw her arms around him, burying her face in the hollow of his neck. “I love you so much,” she whispered against his skin.
Suddenly, she jerked back. “Wait, if you moved out here, what about your job? What happened in Nashville, and what about your music career?”
Knowing they had a lot to talk about, Chase gave her a shortened version. “I quit my job at Barclay, turned down the job offer from Nashborough, and found another way to share my music.” He grinned, still not believing what his agent had done for him. “The song Make Believe, the one I wrote for you, I sold it to Phillip Jacobs. It’ll come out as a single in a couple of months.”
Addie stared at him dumbfounded. “I’ve been crying for three solid weeks and you did all that?”
He laughed and pulled her back in for a hug. “So you missed me?”
“So much.” She buried her face against his chest.
“I missed you too.” He held her tight against him, catching the scent of her clean hair. “Don’t ever leave me again.”
“I won’t,” Addie said and looked up at him.
Chase decided to risk kissing her again, but Addie thwarted his intentions when her eyes went wide, and she stepped back.
“I almost forgot. Did you hear about Hayden? She had an affair with a married man, and is pregnant.”
Later, Chase would tell Addie all about Hayden’s scheme to snare him as the father of her unborn child. If the man she actually named was smart, he’d require a paternity test. “Yeah, let’s just say her news made it pretty simple to leave Barclay without Whit giving me any trouble.”
“I’ll bet.” She bit her lower lip. “But what about Nashborough? You turned the job down?”
“I did. Mr. Morgan, the CEO, was very understanding when I told him why I couldn’t accept the job. He wished me luck with my new business venture, and even said he’d be willing to mentor me.”
Curious brown eyes met his. “What’s your new business venture?”
“You’re lookin’ at the new owner of Daisy Spring’s very own photography and graphic art design studio.”
“Daisy Springs doesn’t have one.”
“They do now.” Chase pulled out a business card and handed it to her.
“Nichols Photography and Graphic Art Design Studio.” Addie’s voice shook as she read the words out loud. He watched her eyes scan to the bottom of the card, and she read the names he’d listed. “Addie M. Nichols, photographer, and Chase J. Nichols, graphic artist.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “You were pretty confident I’d say yes, huh?”
He grinned. “Your sister has been very helpful.”
“You’ve been talking to Chellie?”
“At least every day.”
Addie looked back down at the card. She pointed to the address and gasped, “This is the property I wanted to buy for my business.”
“I know.” When she met his eyes again, hers were filled with moisture. He touched the side of her face, wiping away a tear that had escaped. “We won’t be able to afford a house for a few years, but the lease includes the two bedroom apartment upstairs.”
“Are you sure you’ll be happy? What about getting a recording contract?”
“Addie, I’ve never been more sure about anything. Music will always be a part of my life. My agent said Phillip is interested in looking at some of my other songs I’ve written or co-written with Jackson.” He kissed her forehead. “Besides, this is Idaho, and country music is pretty popular here. I’ve done a little digging and found a few clubs nearby that like to feature new artists. I can still play and sing whatever I write, whether I sell them or not. I promise it will be enough.”
“I’m sorry I was so stupid. I love you more than anything, and I’ll gladly move to Tennessee if that’s what you want.”
“I know. Chellie said she caught you a few times looking at jobs in Nashville.”
“I did. I even called on a few, but nothing seemed right.” She hiccupped a laugh. “I can’t believe how happy I am. We need to celebrate with chocolate or something.”
“That reminds me, I have one more surprise.” He walked over to his duffle bag and pulled out a pink and white striped candy box.
Addie squealed. “You brought me fudge?”
“Yes. A whole pound.”
Closing the distance between them, she tossed the candy box on the couch. “I love you,” she said, curving her arms around his neck.
Chase couldn’t help it. He kissed her again.
Epilogue
Addie gazed up at her husband as Steve, the photographer they’d hired, captured another moment of their wedding day. This afternoon, four weeks after Chase moved to Idaho, they were married. It had taken a lot of work to pull off the wedding in such a short time, but neither of them wanted to wait. It had all been worth it and in two hours they’d leave for their honeymoon.
“Okay,” the photographer said. “Go ahead and kiss her.”
Chase complied, ignoring the groans from Beau and Jackson. “Enough, already,” Beau said. “When is it my turn to kiss the bride?”
“Never,” Chase said, giving Addie another kiss.
The camera flashed and she and Chase separated just in time to see Ashlee sidle up next to Beau. “You can kiss your own bride in about a year,” she said, winding her arm through his.
Beau raised an eyebrow. “A year?”
Ashlee gave him a coy smile, her eyes smoldering. “I’ll be eighteen, and we can get married.”
A red flush colored Beau’s face and he choked out an answer. “I’m too old for you.” He backed away, and tugged at the collar of his white dress shirt. “And you’re forgetting I’m a military man now. I’ll probably be stationed somewhere overseas next year.”
Ashlee pouted, crossing her arms in front of her. “W
hy’d you have to go and do that, anyway?”
Beau was saved from answering when Steve called him over. “Groomsmen from Georgia, I need you right now.”
Surrounded by Beau and Jackson, Addie smiled as they leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. They were good friends—supporting Chase and his decision to move to Idaho, even though it meant the end of Chasing Dreams.
Drew couldn’t make it to the wedding. He had his hands full with his three girls and a new baby boy born two weeks ago. Incidentally, he’d also given the guys notice to start looking for another base player. He wanted to focus on his growing family, and the band took up too much of his time.
Soon after, Jackson announced he was done with the band. Sydney’s father was letting him take over running the multi-million dollar horse farm Sydney’s parent’s owned. It would require a lot of his time coming up to speed with his new responsibilities, and there wouldn’t be time for playing in clubs every other weekend.
The biggest surprise had been Beau. He had a college degree and a great career as an architect, but he wanted to serve his country. After praying about it, he joined the army. His basic training would start next week.
“That should do it for now,” Steve said with a wink.
Aunt Janie flitted over, smiling as bright as the chandeliers lighting the room, and announced people were lining up for the reception. The rest of the evening was a blur as a steady trickle of people Addie had known all her life, congratulated her and her new husband. Chase charmed the women with his sexy southern accent, and Taylin and Ashlee had every unmarried male asking for their numbers.
After the cake was cut and Addie had tossed her bouquet, she and Chase were finally ready to leave. Outside, a limo sat waiting to take them to a bed and breakfast in Boise. They held hands as their friends and family stood in a line, blowing bubbles at them as they passed by.
While Chase said goodbye to his family, Addie hugged each of her family members, saving her dad for last. “Thanks, Daddy. For everything.” She leaned in and kissed him on his wrinkled cheek.
Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1 Page 27