“C-Chase,” she murmurs. “He might hear us.”
“No, he won’t. Just let go, Gabs. Let me watch you fall apart in my arms.”
“I-I can’t,” she pants.
My lips find their way back up her neck and nip at her earlobe. “It’s just me, Gabby. No one else matters. Let go,” I say breathily.
It’s as if my words give her the freedom to do just that. Her grip grows tighter, her back arches off the seat, and a low moan releases from deep within her chest.
“I love you,” I whisper before pulling my hand from beneath her dress just as the limo pulls up in front of the restaurant. I climb out and offer her my hand, helping her step out. With my hand on the small of her back, I lead her into the restaurant where I give the hostess my name for our reservation.
“This is really fancy,” Gabby says as she places her napkin in her lap, once we’re seated.
“I thought it would be a nice change. Besides, I’ve been slacking on the spoiling you part of our relationship.”
“Did I miss a memo on that?” she teases.
“Yep. It clearly states as the man who’s madly in love with you, I must show you how much every day.”
Her eyes soften. “I like this new sweet Chase. So much better than the one who used to pick on me all the time.”
“Me too, baby.” We order our meals and talk about work and the baby. I mention that we should start shopping for the nursery and her eyes light up.
“We should probably find out what we’re having first.”
“How long do we have to wait for that?”
“I think Gwen was around twenty weeks or so when she was able to find out.”
“How far along are we?”
She smiles. “Just a few weeks, Chase. We found out really early.”
“Well, we can still pick out furniture and stuff, right?” I don’t know why, but this feels important. I want her roots to be at my place.
“We can definitely do that.”
“Good.” The waiter brings our food, and we dig in. “You okay?”
She smiles. “Yes. This actually smells incredible and I’m starving. I think I could inhale this.” True to her word, she makes quick work of eating her meal.
“Now where?” Gabby asks as we slide back into the limo with dessert boxes in hand.
“I have one more surprise for you.”
“Do I get a hint?”
“Nope.”
“Fine.” She settles back against the seat and rests her head on my shoulder.
“You tired?” I ask, but I already know the answer. The baby has been taking a lot out of her, but never once has she complained. She smiles through the nausea, the vomiting, being tired all the time, all of it.
“Yeah.”
“Rest. We have about a twenty-minute drive, I’ll wake you when we get there.” She relaxes against me, and in no time, her breathing has evened out. I manage to pull my phone out of my pocket without waking her and send Colt a message.
Me: We good?
Colt: All set.
Me: Thank you.
Colt: I’m glad I’m here for this. For all of it.
Me: Me too, brother. Me too.
Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I pull her close and just enjoy having her in my arms. She fits next to me as if she were made for me. I never want a day to pass that she’s not by my side.
When we reach our destination, I run my finger down the side of her face. “Gabs, baby, time to wake up.” Slowly, her eyes blink open, and she gives me one of her beautiful smiles, the ones that she reserves for me.
“Sorry about that.” She sits up and stretches. “Where are we?” She tries to look out the window, but it’s dark outside and the windows are tinted.
“I have a surprise for you.” Reaching into the small cubby in the door, I pull out a black silk scarf. “I need you to wear this. Just so it doesn’t spoil the surprise.”
“Chase, it’s dark out. I’ll fall.”
“Never. I will never let you fall. I promise I’ll take good care of you. Please, just humor me?”
“Fine, but it’s me and our baby, you know?”
“And I would never let anything happen to either of you.” Taking the scarf, I tie it around her eyes and open the door. “Take my hand.” I hold it out for her, helping her scoot toward the door and step out of the limo. “Okay, there’s a small pathway we’re going to be walking on. Just follow my voice. I promise you I won’t let you fall.”
“Okay.” She’s hesitant in her answer but gives me her trust and allows me to guide her to our destination.
I take a look around, admiring Colt’s handiwork before I turn my attention back to Gabby. Bending down, I kiss her lips quickly before pulling the ring out of my pocket and dropping to one knee. “Okay, you can take it off,” I say, never taking my eyes off her. Slowly, she peels back the blindfold and takes in my family’s cabin. It’s just a small two-bedroom, down by the lake, but this place holds a lot of memories for me.
She finally looks down and gasps. Her hand covers her mouth as tears well in her eyes. “C-Chase,” she murmurs behind her hand.
“Gabrielle, this cabin is where I first met you. Harrison brought Gwen one summer during college, and you tagged along. I was instantly drawn to your beauty, to your spirit. At the time I wasn’t ready. I was still a young college guy, fearful of the word commitment. I’m no longer that guy. Over the years, I couldn’t stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I tried. You were always the one who never left my mind. Now, here we are, having a baby.” I place the hand that’s not holding the ring over her belly. “I love you, Gabby. Not because you’re having my baby, but because of the incredible woman that you are. You bring so much joy and happiness into my life.” Tears begin to roll across her cheeks, but her smile—the one I can now see—tells me they are tears of joy.
“I once told you we were just getting started, and that still holds true today. So much so that I have the words engraved inside this ring.” I hold it up to show her. “Our life together is just beginning, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us. Gabby, baby, will you do me the incredible honor of being my wife. Will you marry me?”
She nods, her smile still firmly in place and her tears flowing. “Y-Yes.” She stammers over the word.
Standing, I slide the ring on her finger and kiss her hard. Pulling out of the kiss, I lift her into my arms and spin us in a circle.
“Wow,” she says, and I immediately stop, setting her back on her feet. “Momma just ate.” She chuckles.
“Sorry,” I reply sheepishly.
“We’re getting married,” she says in awe, holding her hand out to look at the ring.
“We’re getting married.”
Chapter 19
Gabby
I can’t stop staring at my left hand.
As I type, I’m hypnotized by the sparkle. As I walk down the hall, I look to see the shimmer. As I stand by the coffee pot to fill my mug, I stop and gape at the glimmer. This ring is amazingly beautiful with a large pear-shaped rose-pink diamond in the middle, surrounded by small, clear diamonds, on a rose gold band. I have never seen anything like it.
I can’t stop looking at it.
It’s been two days since the proposal. We stayed at the cabin that night, christening every room in the small lakeside building and snuggling in front of a fire, even though we didn’t need one to stay warm. It was the perfect little getaway to celebrate the beginning of the rest of our lives together.
“Let me see the sparkler,” my sister announces as she comes into the office, my niece on her hip and a wide smile on her face.
I stop what I’m doing—which really was just admiring my ring finger—and hold up my hand, my own wide, goofy grin spread across my entire face. I feel like the Joker, I’m smiling so big.
“Holy shitballs, that’s beautiful!” Gwen proclaims as she comes up to stand next to me. Once she gawks at my finger for a few long seconds, she pulls me into a
hug. “I’m so freaking happy for you two,” she whispers, the emotion evident in her voice, which triggers my own.
When I pull back, we both wipe tears from our cheeks, still smiling like loons. Sophia takes that moment to reach over and grab a handful of my hair, quick as a jungle cat, trying to shove it in her mouth. “No, no, sweet Sophia. You can’t eat Aunt Gabby’s hair,” I tell her in that silly baby voice I can’t help but use.
“Is that my beautiful wife?” Harrison asks as he opens his office door and steps into the room. Gwen instantly grins, Sophia abandoning my hair and reaching for her daddy. “Hi, baby girl,” he adds, taking his daughter from his wife and kissing her little forehead.
“You know what these do to me,” Gwen says, reaching up and adjusting the reading glasses perched on his nose. Harrison growls and pulls her against his body.
“Ew, don’t do that in front of the baby,” I state, holding a hand over my eyes.
Suddenly, I’m wrapped from behind in large, warm arms and a familiar scent. “Hello, future wife,” Chase whispers against my ear, nibbling on the lobe just enough to send shivers racing through my body.
“Greetings, future husband,” I reply, trying to keep my reaction to him under control. It’s not like I haven’t had him inside me recently. We celebrated the moment we got to the cabin last night from our date, and then again this morning when we woke.
“You two are so cute,” Gwen coos as Chase holds up my hand and kisses the ring he placed there Saturday.
“You headed to Dalton?” Harrison asks Chase.
“Yeah, I’ve got three clients scheduled and an assistant managers’ meeting set. We’re going over employee reviews,” Chase replies. I’ve known about today’s travels for the last week, ever since he had me add it to his schedule.
“You sure you don’t want me to go with?” Harrison asks as he tickles his daughter’s budda belly.
“Naw, I got it,” he replies.
Chase and Harrison decided they would review all employees every six months. Reviews would include any comments or testimonials received from clients, as well as performance evaluations from the assistant managers. As manager, Chase will be involved too, signing off on all reports before they’re presented to each trainer and employee. They have a rotation set up, with only one location reviewed a month. This also helps them track the progress of clients, as well as gauge who needs more assistance or training as an employee.
“You’re going to be late,” I add, vocalizing what I already know.
“I’ll be home by eight, baby,” he says, hugging me into his chest. I can smell his soap, mixed with just a hint of sweat from a previous training session. It’s familiar and comfortable, and I can’t help but smile as the weight of his ring sits on my finger.
“I’m going to steal her away for lunch,” Gwen announces.
“Good,” Chase replies, dropping to his knees right here in the office. “You be good to Mommy, okay, Champ? No making her sick. She’ll need her strength for when I get home later tonight.” I can hear the smile in his voice as he kisses my flat stomach.
“Now who’s being gross?” Gwen asks.
Chase quickly stands and places his lips against mine. “I love you,” he whispers, running his hands down my back.
“Love you too.”
Reluctantly, he pulls back. I feel the loss of his body heat instantly.
“Let me know if you need anything,” Harrison states, holding out his fist.
Chase walks over and bumps the fist. “Will do.” Then, he turns toward me and adds, “See you later, baby.” He picks up the gym bag at the doorway and exits, a deep sadness sweeping through my body.
“Come on, sister. He’ll be home later. We’ll grab lunch to help a little time pass. Plus, you need to fill me in on all the proposal details,” Gwen boasts before taking a moment to say goodbye to her husband.
Together, we head down the block to the café and order some comfort BLTs and sweet potato fries. Gwen claims to be craving bacon, and I really just want the fries. Of course, I’m also praying they stay down, considering the last time we were here, I ended up in the bathroom vomiting just by smelling our food.
Fortunately, our food arrives, and my stomach only grumbles a little at the scent. I take small bites between fits of laughter as my sister inhales her food like a competitive eater with the clock running. She manages to shovel bits of baby food at my niece one-handed, keeping her daughter happy and her belly full.
Once our meal is finished and I’ve kept three-quarters of my sandwich and a handful of fries down, I pay the bill and we head back to the gym. “Have you guys discussed any wedding details yet?” my sister asks as I snuggle my niece.
“Not really. Chase just said he wanted whatever I wanted, and the sooner, the better,” I tell her.
Gwen barks out a laugh. “Figures. Chase has waited years to make you his; there’s no way he’s going to sit back and enjoy a long engagement.”
I glance her way. “What are you talking about?”
She gives me an appalled look. “Seriously? Why are you still playing dumb?”
Barking out a laugh, I reply, “I’m not playing dumb.”
“So you’re just dumb naturally?” Gwen can’t help but smile wide at her insult.
“You’re mean!” I holler as I open the door to the gym.
“I’m not mean, you big dummy!” She laughs. “I’m taking this baby girl home to take a nap. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I head to my office with a smile on my face and my food still in my stomach. Setting my purse in the cabinet, I let my mind drift to Chase, which in turn means my eyes drop to my left hand. Yeah, maybe I was a little dumb. I may not have realized his true feelings for me, but that was only because I was busy hiding my true feelings for him.
So maybe we’re both a little dumb.
“Have you heard from him?” I whisper to Colton as I lie with Milo on the couch. He’s snuggled on my chest, his little fist clenching my finger as he sleeps.
Chase’s brother is sitting in the recliner, trying not to fall asleep. It was a long night with his son the night prior. Apparently, little Milo decided that 3:00 a.m. was the perfect time for a crib party, and the only other invitee was his daddy. Though, I will say Chase and I both woke up at one point or another. Colton did his best to keep quiet downstairs, but we still heard them.
“Naw,” he says, opening his eyes and glancing at me. The moment he sees his sleeping son, he smiles affectionately. “He should be here any minute.”
“Yeah,” I reply absently, my eyes bouncing back to the clock over the mantel. It’s almost eight thirty, and I haven’t heard from him, which is completely unlike Chase. Usually, he texts randomly throughout the day and calls me to keep him company on his ride home.
I slip my hand to my side where my cell phone sits and tap the screen, careful not to disturb Milo. There’s no message, no call, nothing. When the clock hit eight, I fought the urge to call him to see where he was. Maybe the assistant managers’ meeting ran long or they encountered trouble at the gym. Whatever the reason, I didn’t want to appear to be the needy fiancée.
“Want me to take him?” Colton asks, startling me a little from my thoughts.
“Oh, uhh…” I start, glancing down at the baby and then my silent phone.
“Here,” he says, putting the leg rest down on the chair and coming over to where I’m lying. “Let me take him. It’s his bedtime anyway.” He carefully lifts the little one from my chest and snuggles him against his own. Colton kisses Milo’s forehead and carts him off to bed.
With both hands now free, I fidget with my phone, trying to decide what to do. Chase has been late a few times, but he always calls to let me know. This is the first time he’s been more than thirty minutes later than he anticipated, and I have yet to hear from him.
Unable to fight the urge any longer, my fingers type out a text and tap Send.
Me: Just checking in. How’s w
ork going?
The message is marked as delivered, but even after staring at it for several seconds—and eventually, minutes—it’s never read. I sit up, an uneasy feeling prickling down my spine. I’m calling his number before I can even stop myself, but unfortunately, it goes straight to voice mail.
“Everything okay?” Colton asks, reappearing in the living room, running his hands through his hair.
“He’s not answering,” I state, keeping my eyes locked on the phone, as if willing him to pick up. When the beep echoes in my ear, I leave the message. “Hey, Chase. Just checking in with you. I sent a text too. Give me a call when you get a minute. Love you.” As I hang up the phone, that uneasy feeling refuses to vacate my body.
Without being instructed, Colton pulls out his cell and dials. “Straight to voice mail,” he says aloud, waits a few seconds, and speaks into the device. “Hey, brother, trying to figure out where you are. Gabs is starting to freak out a bit. I’m going to have to keep her calm, and then she may realize she’s with the wrong brother.” Then he hangs up, laughing.
“What the hell was that?”
Colton snorts. “Don’t worry, Gabs. Nothing will bring my brother home quicker than me telling him I’m moving in on his girl.”
Even though my heart is in my throat, I can’t help but smile, mostly because he’s right. Chase will flip when he hears his brother’s message, even if he doesn’t believe him. I can picture the tips of his ears turning red and his jaw ticking with irritation. Hell, we might have some pretty fabulous sex later tonight while he stakes his claim, not that sex with Chase is anything less than fabulous to begin with.
My phone starts to ring and I almost drop it in relief. Colton chuckles as he sits back down in the recliner. “See? I knew it wouldn’t be long before he came running.”
I don’t even look at the screen, just slide my finger across it and place the phone to my ear. “Chase, I’m so glad to hear from you,” I say by way of greeting.
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 50