Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 104305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Shit. It was getting to be late morning and I needed to go open The Next Page before someone in town worried that something had happened to me. I didn’t want to leave him, though. Truthfully, I wasn’t ready to leave him. He just ripped himself open and was still exposed.
I grimaced. “I need to go open the bookstore, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”
When he turned to face me, his expression was solemn but he did seem to be okay. At least on the surface. I hoped it wasn’t an act. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure you will, but I won’t. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. If you promise me that, I’ll promise to find someone with either a waterproof or underwater metal detector so we can find your ring.”
He gave me a lopsided smile that really wasn’t a true smile and didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I promise not to do anything stupid.”
I shook my finger at him, forcing my own grin so I wouldn’t look worried. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Before I could put my hand down, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me into him, circling his arms tightly around me, catching me totally off guard.
He pressed his forehead to mine and we stood in that embrace for a surprisingly long time.
Eventually, Chase whispered, “Thank you.”
If that didn’t warm my thumping heart, nothing would. “You don’t have to thank me,” I whispered back, meaning every word.
“Yes, Rett, I do.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“Yes, Rett, I do.”
That exchange not only made my heart melt, it left a crack behind. Chase followed those words with taking my lips in a tender kiss. Afterward, he again clung to me for the longest time. We simply shared a space so he could emotionally recover from the damage done by him discussing that day.
I stood in his arms for as long as he needed it, until he eventually released me, even if reluctantly on both of our parts.
Him opening up to me could be Chase’s chance at a new beginning. Of course, he’d never forget Thomas, both their love and their ending. But maybe the sharp edges surrounding that tragic end would soften and he’d allow himself to heal, instead of continually beating himself up over something he never had control over. Even though he mistakenly thought he did.
If Thomas hadn’t done what he did that particular day, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t have happened another time since depression was a daily battle.
My heart skipped a beat when, before I left, he asked if I would return later.
Chase Jones was no longer pushing me away, but pulling me closer. Our connection might be tentative and fragile at this point, but it did exist.
I was now confident it would only get stronger.
I would throw an overnight bag into my truck before heading up to his cabin tonight, just in case…
The excuse I told myself was that I didn’t want to have to borrow Chase’s clothes again to come home like I had this morning. Another good reason to pack a bag was to bring along swim shorts. Because after calling Harry at the hardware store, I had scored an underwater metal detector.
With it, I planned on searching for Chase’s wedding ring.
For his sake, I hoped I could find it. But then, I was determined not to give up until I did.
Just like I was determined not to give up on the man himself.
CHAPTER 20
Chase
Almost every night for the past three weeks, once Rett closed down the store for the day, he’d load himself and his dog into his truck and trek up the mountain to join me. In all that time we did nothing but talk and spend our nights together, sharing both dinner and a bed.
What we did not do was have sex.
After stirring up and releasing everything I’d been holding inside, I wasn’t ready. He respected that, even though I had spotted lube and condoms in the overnight bag he brought with him.
I had volunteered to come down to his place and spend the night a few times, but he was fine with staying with me in my cabin, a place safe from curious eyes. It turned out he was worried about small-town gossip, even when there was nothing to gossip about. Yet.
Tonight that would change. I was ready to move forward with intimacy between us since my head was in a better place than three weeks prior.
Only he wasn’t aware of my plans.
I no longer looked at him as an annoying pest trying to tear down my walls. Because no matter how much I resisted, he somehow had succeeded to break through my barriers.
In those three vital weeks, I had opened my heart and welcomed him in to start filling that void.
It wasn’t love. For now it was respect, a solid friendship and valuable companionship.