“C’mon Leah,” Chase says as he interrupts my dirty thoughts wishing we were alone again instead of being surrounded by about 100 members of Chases extended family and friends. “I want to introduce you to my dad.”
He pulls me over to a man that looks like an older version of Chase. They have the same tall athletic build and the flash of dimples on either side of their full mouths. A few stray gray hairs are the only thing that would have people guessing this was his dad and not an older brother.
“Ah so you must be the girl who stole my sons heart?” I reach out a hand to introduce myself but he quickly sidesteps it and pulls me into a bone crushing hug lifting my feet off the ground. I see Chase over his shoulder who’s looking on with an amused look on his face.
“’Kay Dad let’s not scare her away. Leah this is my Dad, Charlie. Dad, this is Leah. And somewhere around here is her little guy Caleb, I’m sure he’s off playing in one of the bounce houses.”
He grasps my hand as Charlie sets me back down on wobbly knees and pulls me into his chest. Chase had told me that when his parents divorced Charlie took a job in another town about three hours away. They had kept in contact though with regular visits and Chase had often spent the summers with him when he was on break from school. He apparently hadn’t been affected much by the divorce with a negative attitude like I’ve seen in a lot of my friends who have divorced parents.
“Nice to meet you Leah. In the little that I speak to Chase lately, your all he talks about and I can see why, you are a beautiful young woman. He’s told me about that little guy too, sounds like he’s a pretty special kid.”
If my cheeks could, they would be beet red by now with the way Chase and his dad are both staring back at me with the same matching goofy crooked grins on their faces. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit Dad, there’s a ton of people I need to introduce Leah to.”
Charlie reaches over and pats Chase on the back. “Ok son. Congratulations again, I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks Dad.” Chase turns and gives him a hug before grabbing up my hand once again and dragging me off.
Mary had outdone herself of course with the party she threw for Chase. Chases two older sisters, Amy and Katie, had gotten married right after high school and hadn’t went to college so this was the first chance she got to go out with a bang she had explained to me while she gushed over how proud she was of Chase. I had gone over a couple of days before while Chase was at his last gig with the band and helped her get some of the veggie and relish trays together.
Since Chase was already employed for the fall he figured him and the guys should cut ties now even though they would still hang out. Mark and Teddy had already found a new guitarist, Tyler, who was good but he didn’t have half the looks or talent Chase had and I’m sure the guys would lose some of their regular groupies once they found out Chase wasn’t there to gawk over anymore.
I managed to find Caleb through the crowd and let him lead me away by the hand while Chase stopped to talk with a group of friends from high school. Mary had gotten a bounce house for the younger kids and after some persuasion he convinced me it was a good idea to come with them.
“C’mon Mommy. You just sit since you look all pretty. We’ll jump around and bounce you all over the place. It’s so much fun!” I followed him through the small opening and a whole group of about twenty kids under the age of six came in and I was bounced around like one of those super balls you get out of the quarter machines while they all screeched in glee.
“Leah!” I hear Ally shout from the edge of the bounce house and I crawl on my hands and knees over to the netting that encased the bounce house and pushed my nose up against it.
“Um having fun?” She asks with a wry smile. “Oh this is a blast, let me tell you,” I say at the same time I fall over onto my stomach after being knocked down by some massive jumping happening right near me.
“Well I certainly didn’t expect to see you hanging around all the kiddos, that’s not usually your cup of tea. You can normally only handle Caleb and that’s about it.”
“With Chases family it had to become my cup of tea or else,” I teasingly reply. “His sisters have grown on me and I’ve actually come to like kids a little more.”
“’Kay well that’s always a good thing. Chase sent me to grab you. Mary’s bringing a cake out for him.”
I turn back to the group of kids that has seemed to double since I agreed to come in here.
“Caleb, Caleb,” I call out trying to get his attention but the kids are now having some kind of contest to see who can jump the highest. I put my fingers up to my mouth and let out a shrill whistle.
“Listen up, its cake time,” I shout out. I should have been timing that with a stop watch. I think the place literally cleared out in under ten seconds. Even Caleb stranded me. I thought I was his favorite.
Apparently the promise of cake out rates me. My stomach stops bouncing around and I finally make my way to the exit. Never going in one of those things ever again. How is that fun?
I smooth out my dress and run my hands through my hair, trying to tame the frizziness of my curls but know it’s a lost cause. A crowd has gathered around the tables Mary has decked out with food and I figure there all anxiously waiting for the cake. If these people know Mary at all, they know the cake will most likely be a slice of pure heaven.
I stand on the tip toes of my white wedge sandals trying to get a peek of the cake and see Chase sitting on a stool with his beloved guitar in his hand. Even though he said he’s done with the band, I know he’ll always have his guitar close by. It always turns me on when I see him playing it with his big hands and long slender fingers splayed over the strings.
He looks especially sexy today in his black button up dress shirt that’s untucked and rolled up to his elbows, I can see a few of his tattoos peaking out. His hair that’s grown out for the first time I laid eyes on him looks like he’s been running his fingers through it repeatedly. Something I notice he does often when he’s nervous. His beautiful green eyes scan the crowd until they rest on me and I feel the instant connection of love flowing between us when our eyes meet.
He nods his head to someone in the crowd and I see his older sister, Katie, push her way through the crowd and pull me up to the front until I’m standing in front of Chase. Calebs perched on a stool next to him and I’m surprised to see him sitting so still. He must have been promised a really big piece of cake. Chase motions me over with a finger and pulls me into a deep kiss until he lightly pushes me back and begins to strum his guitar and I instantly recognize the familiar notes.
As soon as we met he had teased me about a song by Bruce Springsteen aptly named Leah that he said was written especially for me. I always rolled my eyes when he said that because I had always despised Bruce Springsteens music, when I still lived at home with my mom.
That was the one singer she seemed to have stuck in the cd player blaring it into the wee hours of morning even though I was only 10 years old and had to be up for school the next day. I always cursed Bruce the next day when I had had to show up at school and focus through bleary eyes. I was convinced that man was a devil.
Chases voice is so much different though, as I listen along with the crowd and close my eyes listening to the soft raspiness of his voice that I love.
“I wanna build me a house, on higher ground
I wanna find me a world, where love's the only sound
High above this road, filled with shadow and doubt
I want to shoulder my load, and figure it all out
With Leah
I walk this road, with a hammer and a fiery lantern
With this hand I've built, and with this I've burned
I wanna live in the same house, beneath the same roof
Sleep in the same bed, search for the same proof
As Leah
I got somethin' in my heart, I been waitin' to give
I got a life I wanna start, one I been waitin' to live
/> No more waitin', tonight I feel the light I say the prayer
I open the door, I climb the stairs...”
Everyone around us bursts into applause and cheers as Chase sets his guitar down. Mary leans in and gives him a hug before she whispers into his ear while placing a quick peck on his cheek and placing something in his hand.
Oh shit what is that in his hand? As he gets closer to me I realize it’s a small black box before he places it into Calebs waiting hands. A small black box that normally signifies one thing.
One thing that I don’t know if we’re ready for we haven’t talked about this before, why is he doing this in front of such a big crowd with everyone he knows and loves. Maybe he’s doing it on purpose, he knows I won’t have anywhere to run.
I slowly back up seeing if I can lose myself in the crowd, but I feel a set of hands on my back and a slight push as I turn my head around and see that those hands were attached to Ally who’s standing behind me with Teddys arm wrapped around her waist.
Wait, what? Teddy? Eww doesn’t she know he’s practically a walking STD. I’ll make sure we’ll have a talk about this later but for now I need to concentrate on my current situation.
I give her the stink eye before whipping my head around and crashing into Chases broad chest. Chase. My head instantly gets fuzzy as I’m wrapped in his embrace and his soft full lips come crashing down on mine and I’m wishing he’ll just stay there and forget about whatever plan he has in the works but he abruptly pulls away.
Chapter 28
Chase
The moment the crowd parts for Leah I can see how nervous she is. She looks like a freakin’ deer caught in the head lights and like she’s trying to devise some sort of escape plan before Ally lends her best friend a helpful shove back in my direction. I’ll need to thank her for that right after I question her about the whole Teddy having his arm wrapped around her waist possessively thing. I know Leah saw it too and she’s probably debating on whether or not to ask that very question right now by the way she’s chewing on her lip and darting her eyes back and forth between the two of them before locking her eyes back onto mine. Well here we go.
“Leah the first time I looked into your beautiful gray eyes I knew I was in love. Some people might say there’s no such thing as the one true love or laugh when I say I instantly knew I was going to marry you but I just call bullshit on that. Too bad for those people. I know in every part of my heart that I want to marry you and have you and Caleb be family with me. I’m ready to start our journey together.”
I keep my eyes trained on Leah who looks like she’s still contemplating taking off and I can tell how nervous she is by the way she’s running her hands back and forth over the hem of her white dress that barely reaches mid thigh. The moment I saw her in that dress with her sexy curves and her dark curls skimming her bare back I knew I had to have her right there but I didn’t think my mom would approve. Luckily I was able to wait until after the graduation ceremony till we were in my truck alone but it didn’t last long before I had my hand under her dress and her pulled onto my lap cupping that sweet ass of hers.
I walk over to Caleb who is still sitting perfectly still like the good little wingman that he is. I figured Leah would have a little problem taking off without Caleb and I managed to con him in to staying put with the promise of the biggest piece of cake he’s ever had. And a puppy.
Pretty sure the little dude almost had a freakin’ heart attack when I promised him that one and I told him if he moved an inch, the deal was off. He gives me a high five before dropping the little black box into my shaking hands. I’m not nervous at all about asking Leah to marry me, I’m more nervous of what her answer back to me will be.
Leah
Chase fumbles his shaking fingers around after he walks over to me until he finally manages to open the small black box and my breath catches in my throat at the sight of the ring nestled into a bed of silky ivory material. There’s a million thoughts running through my head when I see that ring and can’t even begin to describe the feeling that tugs at my heart when I see it but I can tell Chase put a lot of time and thought into it. The ring itself is platinum with a band of diamonds and a round diamond at the center and has an antique feel to it that I instantly fall in love with.
I feel the tears start to stream down my cheeks as the reality of the question he’s about to ask sets in. Chase reaches up with his thumb and brushes my tears away and I can see unshed tears of his own glimmering in his green eyes. I don’t know if I’m ready for this. I don’t know if we’re ready for this. What will I do to him if I say no, I don’t think I can stand to cause that pain to him. Would we just be over then? We could always have a long engagement and talk about getting married later but knowing Chase he’ll want to get married tomorrow. He obviously likes things to move quickly.
What do I do, what do I do I repeat over and over in my head. And unfortunately I don’t hear any other voice talk back to me with any kind of advice. I take a deep breath and look back into Chases eyes. It’s started to get late and the low landscape lights flicker in his beautiful eyes. He chews on his lip before taking a big breath and blowing it out. He grips my hand again and rubs small circles across the top and I don’t know who he’s trying to calm down more him or me before those words finally slip out of his mouth that could change everything.
“Leah Rossi, will you marry me?”
Chasing Leah (Journey Series) Page 22