Chasing Strength: A Small Town Steamy Romance (Harper Family series Book 4)

by Nancy Stopper

  Once all the introductions were made, Alexis hoped that the attention would shift off of her and Chris and back to whatever her family was discussing when she’d arrived. She’d been in the fishbowl long enough.

  She eyed Justin’s beer sitting on the table beside him as he leaned in for a private conversation with Maddie. Usually right about now, Alexis would be two or three drinks in, numb to the inevitable nagging in her gut whenever she spent too much time around her family. But she shook that urge off. She liked who she was with Chris without the alcohol.

  Besides, she wanted to be fully in control tonight when she made up for falling asleep on him last night.

  Justin’s popped eyebrow was his only response when she grabbed two sodas from the cooler. Good, leave them wondering for a while. They’d been harping on her about her drinking for a long time. Now they could discuss her not drinking.

  Smoke poured out of the grill on the edge of the deck, and Justin hopped up from the table. “Shoot, I almost forgot about the burgers.”

  “I’ll help you,” Chris said to Justin and then leaned close so he could whisper in her ear. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, the words strangled in her throat. She’d never been with anyone who cared for her feelings like Chris did.

  She pointed two fingers at her own eyes and then at Justin. If he tried to interrogate Chris, she was leaving. She might have to deal with her nosy siblings butting into her life, but Chris shouldn’t have to.

  As soon as Chris was out of earshot, Serena pulled her down to a bench to gossip. “Justin will keep him busy for a few minutes. I want all the details. I thought you just met this guy.”

  Izzy managed to lean forward, her huge belly shifting. “Yeah, where have you been hiding that yummy specimen of a man, and why am I only now hearing about it?”

  Alexis didn’t have a great answer, not one that wouldn’t upset her siblings, at least, so she backpeddled. “It’s pretty new. I didn’t want to spring my family on him too soon. You’re a lot to take.”

  Serena snuggled up close to her. “Oh, you love us, and you know it.”

  “I do. But maybe I wanted to keep him to myself for a little while.”

  “Oh, really? And what would you be doing when you’re ‘by yourself’?” Serena snatched a chip out of a bowl and popped it into her mouth.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” The minute the words escaped her lips, her face heated. She was probably turning fifty shades of red right now. But she liked that this conversation was about something other than how they were worried about her. This was a level of normal that she hadn’t had with her sisters for a long time.

  “Oh, man. I’m not sure I want to. Not about my baby sister.” Izzy held up her hands.

  The three of them shared an easy conversation until Justin and Chris returned with plates piled high with burgers and hot dogs. Chris slid his plate onto the table with the side dishes and desserts and then stepped behind Alexis, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Everything okay?”

  He squeezed her tight muscles and she relaxed into his touch.

  He was close enough that if she reached out, she could kiss him. But she was under enough scrutiny without adding PDA in front of her siblings. “I am, thanks. I hope Justin didn’t interrogate you too much.”

  “Nope. Just typical big brother stuff. He warned, I reassured, it’s all good.”

  Damn her brother. Sometimes he forgot she was an adult and able to make her own decisions. But she couldn’t blame him for his concern—she had been on a downward spiral recently.

  Her big brother stepped up to the end of the picnic table, raising his hands and clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention. Conversations stopped and the kids skidded to a halt in the grass. “I just want to take a quick minute to thank everyone for coming. I swear we have new people at every one of these, and it’s great. On behalf of the entire family, I’d like to welcome Alexis’s friend Chris.” Her family applauded and Tanner smacked Chris on the back.

  Justin whistled and she covered her ears. But when she glared at him, he just smiled.

  “I know we’re all excited about summer, but I wanted to take a moment to recognize this long weekend to hang out with family. Especially so that our next generation appreciates the liberty they enjoy.” He scrubbed his hand over Aiden’s hair and touched Sofia on the shoulder. “From the beginning of this country, men and women have fought and died to protect the freedom that we cherish. I never had the privilege of serving in the military, but we owe our soldiers a debt that we’ll never be able to repay. I just wanted everyone to remember. If everyone would raise their glasses… To those who died so we could live free.”

  Alexis raised her cup and tapped Chris’s. The rest of the table did the same, and a rowdy chorus of “cheers” rang out.

  Serena hopped up and flung her arms around Justin. “Thanks, big brother.” She then turned to the table. “All right, enough sappiness. Let’s eat.”

  For the next few minutes, her family focused on piling plates high with burgers and hot dogs, potato and pasta salads, and baked beans. Tanner made a plate for Izzy, but by the time he returned to his wife’s side, she waved it off. “I just don’t have any room in this huge belly of mine anymore. I’ll eat some later.”

  “I’ll leave it here where you can reach it.” Tanner brushed a kiss over her cheek.

  A pained looked crossed her face and Alexis smiled at her. It couldn’t be easy being so pregnant and sitting out in the hot sun.

  Chris squeezed onto the bench beside Alexis, and while they ate, her family hurled questions at him like bullets out of a shotgun. He fielded them like a pro, probably a testament to his experience as a reporter. It was fascinating to watch him talk about the burglaries plaguing downtown with Justin and turn right around and discuss Chase’s world travels without missing a beat.

  Every once in a while, his hand would snake under the table and squeeze her leg. She appreciated the reminder that he was thinking about her.

  From time to time, Serena would pop in with a question or a discussion about her upcoming wedding. Love oozed out of her sister’s pores, and anyone who saw Serena and Chase together had no doubt that they were meant to be. Alexis had always thought that kind of love wasn’t for her, but if her sister could be that happy, maybe Alexis should reconsider.

  Because Chris was the first person who made her want more than what she already had.

  Izzy was in the middle of discussing Serena’s wedding flowers when she cried out and her hands flew to her belly. “Ow.”

  Tanner’s head snapped up, concern lacing his features. “Honey, are you all right?”

  Izzy clutched her belly. “I don’t know. I just, ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh.” The moan rumbled from deep inside Izzy. “I think my water just broke.”

  Tanner leapt to his feet. “What? Are you saying we’re having this baby right now?”

  Justin dashed to Tanner’s side, one hand gripping his elbow and the other resting on Izzy’s shoulder. Maddie slipped in beside Izzy and stroked her back. Leave it to the old married couple to be the voice of reason. And that was just another example of how her family supported each other. Why had she turned away from their support for so long?

  Justin crouched beside Izzy. “It’s going to be all right. Are you having any contractions?”

  “How the hell am I supposed to know?” She huffed out a few breaths and then relaxed her shoulders. “I’ve felt off all day, but I’ve never had a baby before, so I just figured it was normal. That damn baby book didn’t describe anything like this.”

  Izzy grimaced and then started to pant.

  Maddie shared a quick look with Justin. He nodded to his wife and then addressed their sister. “Izzy, sweetie, I think you’re definitely in labor. Now we’re going to help you up, and then Tanner is going to take you to the hospital.”

  When Izzy’s gaze landed on her husband, his eyes wide and his face a few shades lighter than it had been a few minu
tes earlier, tears sprang to Izzy’s eyes. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. We aren’t ready. We don’t have my bag packed and the car seat isn’t in the car. What are we going to do?”

  Justin smacked Tanner on the back and cleared his throat, and the father-to-be startled out of his daze. He knelt beside Izzy’s chair. “Don’t worry about any of that. All we need to think about now is getting to the hospital.”

  Serena jumped in. “I’ll run by your house and let the dogs out and pack you a bag to bring to the hospital. I can’t wait to meet my niece.”

  “Or nephew,” Izzy hissed through gritted teeth. They had decided not to find out the gender of the baby and guesses about the new family member had become a favorite family pastime.

  Hayley ran up from where she had been playing in the yard. “Is the baby coming?”

  Izzy forced a smile for her stepdaughter. “We think so.” Izzy turned to Tanner. “Oh, we hadn’t planned anything for Hayley yet. I don’t think she should go to the hospital with us.”

  Mom rested her hands on Hayley’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take Hayley back to my house and we’ll have popcorn and movies.”

  “Yay, Grandma.” Hayley threw her arms around Izzy. “I can’t wait to meet the baby. Good luck, S’mom. I love you.”

  “We love you, too, honey. But we need to go.” Tanner eased his arm around Izzy’s waist and lifted her to her feet.

  Alexis’s gaze followed Tanner and Izzy into Justin’s house. Not even a minute later, the sound of Tanner’s car engine rumbled from the front of the house, and just as quickly, they were gone.

  “We’re going to have another baby,” Mom said after the prolonged silence. “I can’t wait. Hayley, how about we help Aunt Maddie and Uncle Justin clean up this mess?”

  Mom’s words seemed to be the battle cry they all needed, and everyone sprang into action. Before long, the food was stowed, the tables cleaned off, the grill scraped and covered, and Justin’s backyard showed no evidence of the cookout or the unexpected excitement. Mom and Hayley scooted out as soon as cleanup was done.

  “I guess I should be running over to Izzy’s house.” Serena’s mouth hovered over Alexis’s ear. But the words flowed directly into Alexis’s mind. We’re going to talk. Soon. You owe me details.

  Alexis pulled back and grinned at her sister. Don’t you wish.

  Serena pulled her keys out of her purse and hurried to her car. After that, it was only Justin and Maddie and their kids… and Chris and Alexis.

  “Do you have a few minutes before you guys leave?” Justin asked her.

  Alexis had been prepared for one of her siblings to pull her aside since she’d arrived today. She’d hoped she’d dodged that bullet when Izzy went into labor, but no such luck.

  “I’ll help put this folding table away,” Chris said as he stepped toward the house. “Aiden, Sofia, I bet you can show me where this goes, right?”

  Alexis’s gaze followed Chris into the house, her hand over her heart. How had another woman not snatched that wonderful man up already? Here he was, someone who cared about her feelings, got along with her family, and took great care with the kids… and he was single.

  “Alexis?” Justin tilted his head, as if he was studying her. “How about we sit for a minute?”

  Alexis slid into one of the wrought-iron chairs on Justin’s deck. He sat in the other, facing her, his hands clasped between his knees.

  After staring at her for a minute longer, he finally spoke. “I like him.”

  Wow, that wasn’t what she’d expected. Where was the big brother telling her that no man was good enough for her?

  Before she could respond, he continued. “More importantly, he’s good for you. You look better than I’ve seen you in a long time. Maybe since Dad died.”

  Warmth washed over her at the fact that her brother noticed the change. “I feel good.”

  “You know we’ve been worried about you.”

  Of course she did. Her family didn’t make a secret of that fact. But she was beginning to appreciate how much their concern came from a place of love and not judgement. “I know. I get that. Things are better.”

  Justin glanced over his shoulder. “In no small part, I would guess, to that man in the house.”

  “He’s part of it, yes.”

  “You didn’t have any drinks today.”

  She shook her head. “Chris doesn’t drink. And we’ve been spending time together and it’s been really easy not to drink. And…” She hesitated. She wasn’t sure she was ready to share this, but the expression of hope in Justin’s eye convinced her that there probably wasn’t a downside. “I’ve started to see that counselor that you guys have been bugging me about.”

  Justin leaned back in his chair. “Anything you want to share with me?”

  “No, not yet. Maybe someday, but right now, there’s a lot of raw feelings I’m working through.” She’d always been curious how her siblings dealt with everything they’d learned about Dad. They made it look so easy while she wallowed in self-pity and booze. “Can I ask you something? How did you get over it?”

  “Get over what?”

  “Everything. Dad’s drinking, his yelling and abuse. Finding out about Rachel.”

  Justin scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “Wow, when you come out swinging, you swing for the fences, don’t you?” He rested his elbows on his knees, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I guess my answer would be that I didn’t ‘get over it.’ But I’ve figured out how to deal with that part of my life just like I deal with every other part of my life, my job, my kids, and my marriage. I’ve also had Maddie’s support for the really tough times.”

  Alexis wasn’t ready to delve into the ugly parts of her life with Chris just yet, but she knew for certain, when she was ready, that Chris would be there to support her.

  Justin rested his hand on Alexis’s knee. “The fact that you are talking about these things shows progress. It wasn’t just your drinking that concerned us—it was that you pulled away from all of us. That you bottled everything up inside. None of us could get through to you, even Serena, and that scared us. But whatever the reason you’ve turned things around, I’m so happy to see it.”

  “Me, too. Despite what you may think, I wasn’t happy with who I was. I just didn’t know how to fix it.”

  “Let me make a suggestion. Talk to Rachel. Get to know her. Find out about how her life has been. It’s been as hard for her as it has been for us. Maybe harder. Talking to her could help you move past everything that happened and embrace a new future.”

  “Maybe I’ll do that.” Rachel had texted her a few times over the past couple of months, but Alexis had offered little more than a cursory response. It was long overdue that she spent time with the sister whose very existence had turned Alexis’s life on its ear.

  Chris stepped through the sliding door and his gaze locked with hers, an easy smile on his face. “Did you need me to come back later?”

  She loved that he cared enough to ask, but he had returned at the perfect moment. She extended her hand and he took it. “No, we were about done.”

  Chris settled in behind Alexis, his hands on her shoulders. She leaned back into him, no longer worried about what her siblings thought of their relationship.

  “I was just telling Alexis how happy we are to see her, well, so happy. And I think we have you to thank for that.”

  Chris squeezed her shoulders in comfort. “This was all her. I’ve just been along for the ride.”

  His response must have pleased Justin, because he rose and extended his hand. “However it happened, we’ll take it. I hope you won’t be a stranger around here. You’re welcome anytime.”

  Alexis slipped out of the chair. “And on that note, I think we’ll be going. Thanks so much for hosting, Justin. I bet you didn’t expect all the excitement when you planned for the picnic, did you?”

  Justin’s expression transformed into pure joy. “I can’t wait until we hear from Tanner. My lit
tle sister’s having a baby.”

  Alexis slid her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. Today had been a good day, for so many reasons. “I love you, big brother.”

  Justin tensed his arms, as if his emotions were finally getting the better of him. “Love you, too.”

  Chris took her hand as they headed back to the car. He kept her hand firmly in his but didn’t say anything as he led her to the truck and helped her into the seat. It was as though he understood her need to reflect on everything that happened.

  After he started the engine and pulled away from the curb, he slid his hand into hers and it didn’t budge for the rest of the ride home.

  Chapter 15

  Chris glanced at Alexis as he drove to her house. Today wasn’t at all what he’d expected. While he’d watched the kids run around and observed the easy relationships between Alexis’s siblings and their spouses, he’d missed his parents and Robin more than he had in a long time. But in a good way. He wanted to go back in time and introduce them to this wonderful woman that he’d met. A woman he was quickly falling in love with.

  He saw Alexis in a new light, too. There was writer Alexis, intense and focused, her creative mind spinning. Then there was “not a care in the world” Alexis, the one he’d met that very first night. The one who hid her emotions behind a façade of happiness that could fool most people, but not him. But today he met “sister” Alexis. She showed her caring side that he knew she’d buried deep, afraid to reveal it for fear of the hurt that she’d suffered growing up. Her face lit up when she talked to her sisters, and a peacefulness had graced her face during her conversation with Justin. She hadn’t told him what they’d discussed, but from her contented sigh, she didn’t seem concerned.

  He parked at Alexis’s curb and shut off the engine but made no move to hop out. He glanced at Alexis, staring out the window. “Do you want to talk about it?”