Falling in Love on Willow Creek by Debbie Mason
Chapter Twenty
What do you think about Abby’s plan for the unicorn weekend? Do you think it will create enough interest to impact the store’s bottom line?” Sadie asked Chase from the kitchen, where she was heating up the dinner from Zia Maria’s. Abby and Hunter had left twenty minutes ago.
Chase liked the couple, but he hadn’t been sorry to see them leave. He was enjoying the peace and quiet. Abby never stopped talking, and her mind never stopped working. Admittedly, there were pluses to having her creative mind at work on ways to promote I Believe in Unicorns. Abby had come up with the idea to have a weekend in June devoted to the mythical creatures. She’d feature the event, the store, and Sadie’s grandmother on her popular YouTube channel.
“It sounded pretty good to me,” Chase said. “I’m just a little concerned that people will be in danger if they decide to go unicorn hunting. The woods aren’t exactly a safe place these days.” He sat on the couch playing with Michaela, lifting her in the air and then bringing her back down on his knees, smiling at her happy gurgle. He glanced at Sadie and saw her smirk.
“Especially for you,” she said, her tone amused. “How’s your ankle?”
He glanced at his foot propped on a pillow on the coffee table, courtesy of Sadie. “The ice helped. Thanks,” he said. Then, feeling the need to defend himself, he added, “I might make a lousy park ranger, but I do all right as an agent.”
“More than all right from what I’ve seen and heard.” She glanced over as she placed a plate of lasagna in the microwave. “But do me a favor. Next time you go up against two men with guns, don’t go unarmed. You should have kept your gun instead of giving it to me.”
“I wasn’t overly concerned that they’d pull something in the middle of the day. Besides that, I didn’t want them to see me as a threat. If they had decided to do something stupid, I can handle myself.”
“Still, I would have felt better knowing you were armed.”
“I felt better knowing that you were, and I had Finn.” The dog sat on the floor at his feet, his eyes tracking Michaela as Chase lifted her over his head and then back down to his knees. “He likes the baby.”
“He also likes her toys.” Sadie nodded at a small pile of stuffed animals peeking out from under the couch. “I’ll pick him up some of his own tomorrow. Maybe then he won’t steal hers.”
“I’m not thrilled about you going in to I Believe in Unicorns tomorrow.” Sadie planned to work at the store while he stayed at home with Michaela. The officer currently sitting outside in his patrol car would follow her in.
“I know. You’ve made that perfectly clear. But when this is over, I want my grandmother to still have the store and her home.”
“You could just as easily redo the store’s website from here.”
“Once I take the photos of the inventory, I can. But if we want the unicorn weekend to be a success, we need to spread the word. And the best way to do that is for me and Abby to hang out at Spill the Tea for lunch.”
Chase noted the way Sadie wouldn’t meet his gaze. “What else are you planning to do?”
“It’s really annoying when you read me like that, you know.”
“I hear that a lot. It’s never distracted me before, and it won’t distract me now. So spill.”
She grinned, her eyes sparkling. “You’re starting to sound like Nate.”
Her sparkling eyes distracted him, reminding him of how she’d looked after the kiss they’d shared earlier today in the entryway. He’d been dazed and confused, and more than a little turned on. He’d been as relieved by Abby’s interruption as he’d been frustrated.
He focused on Michaela to regain his train of thought, which wasn’t his best idea. She was a miniature Sadie, her eyes sparkling, a heart-stealing smile on her face. She’d stolen his heart the day Black had handed him to her, and Chase had the terrifying thought that her mother had too.
Not trusting his voice to remain steady at the realization that he was falling in love with Sadie, Chase raised an eyebrow at her instead. The simple quirk of his brow wouldn’t give away that his heart was practically pounding out of his chest.
She sighed. “Okay, so when you were grilling Hunter about Dwight, Abby and I got to talking about Payton. We’re going to drop by her place tomorrow.”
This was exactly the distraction he needed. He had to stay focused on the task at hand. “No. I don’t want you near her.”
“But just the other day you told me it would be a good idea to get close to her.”
“That was before I knew she had a connection to Dwight.” They’d dated in high school.
“It’s a small town. Everyone has a connection. If it makes you feel better, I’ll bring my grandmother, and Abby can stay at the store. Nate can tag along. Payton could be the key to all of this, Chase. She might have an idea what Elijah did with the drugs.”
“If you and your grandmother want to pay her a visit, I’m okay with that, as long as Nate goes with you. He has a feeling your grandmother has been sneaking over there anyway. He’s lost track of her twice already.”
“Are you serious? How does he lose track…Forget I asked. I should know by now not to underestimate my grandmother. I guess it’s a good thing the bank manager froze the store’s line of credit.”
She’d lost her earlier sparkle. Now she looked like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her family was draining her, physically, mentally, and, as he’d come to learn, financially. He wished he could step in but it wasn’t his place, no matter how he felt about her. He doubted she’d accept his financial help, even if he framed it as a loan. All he could do was help out with Michaela and make sure Sadie got her rest and they were safe—that, and get her brother back in one piece. Before he arrested him, he thought with an inward sigh.
“You can’t question Payton about any of this, Sadie. It’s too dangerous. Whether you believe it or not, I think there’s more of a connection between her and Dwight than we know. I didn’t get a good vibe off the guy. You need to stay clear of him.”
“But what if she can tell us where Elijah was the day Brodie was murdered? Maybe she can give him an alibi.”
“It wouldn’t explain why he has the gun that killed Brodie in his possession.” Her face lost all of its color. “Sorry, I know how hard this is on you.” He stood up, resting Michaela on his hip. “Let’s not talk about it anymore tonight. You need a break.” He blinked as he got closer to the kitchen. It was an absolute disaster—sauce and dishes everywhere. “How did you manage to make such a mess? All you were doing was heating up the—” Michaela spat up on him, and not just a little spit-up. It was like the scene in The Exorcist. He felt something warm in his hand and looked down. She’d pooped through her diaper too.
An hour later, Sadie was still chuckling at the shocked and disgusted expression on Chase’s face. He hadn’t appreciated her doubling over in laughter but oh, she had appreciated the release. His comment about her brother and the murder weapon—her gun—reared its ugly, scary head. She pushed the thought aside. She honestly couldn’t deal with it tonight.
She went to close the door to the nursery as the bathroom door opened. Chase walked out of the steam-filled room, and her mouth dropped open. He was bare chested, his navy sweatpants riding low on his hips, his feet bare. Maybe it would be better if she dealt with the gun tonight after all. Dealing with Chase looking like this was just as terrifying.
She knew she had feelings for him when he was Michael, but she’d easily dismissed them when she’d learned the truth—okay, not so easily. But the kiss they shared today had made it obvious she had feelings for him, for Chase. And her fear when he stood facing down the Jackson County deputies with nothing more than his big brain showed her just how deep her feelings for him truly were. She was falling in love with him.
Worse, he was beginning to regain his status as her knight in shining armor. She didn’t need or want a man to fight her battles; she wanted a man who would be her partner. A man who shared in the care of her daughter when she needed to catch up on some sleep, a man who surprised her by unpacking her moving boxes when she was feeling overwhelmed. A man who looked like he’d walked out of a dream, she thought, as her gaze met his.
His hand stalled in the middle of drying his hair with a towel. He looked around. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s good.” She cleared the breathless quality from her voice. “Michaela went out like a light. I think we might be in for a quiet night.”
“Yeah?” He nudged her out of the way to peek into the room. Cast in the glow from the nightlight, her daughter looked adorable in a pink sleeper with her thumb in her mouth. Finn was stretched out on the unicorn area rug beside the crib, his golden head resting on one of the soft dolls he’d stolen.
“Good boy,” Chase whispered to Finn, who’d raised his head to eye them. Chase gave Sadie a smile that made her ovaries twitch. “He won’t let anyone near her.”
Without thinking, she pressed a palm against his hard and muscular chest to move him out of the doorway. His pec flexed beneath her hand, and she slowly lowered it from his chest before she did something stupid like trace his defined muscles with the tips of her fingers.
“We’ll wake her up if we’re not careful,” Sadie said, pulling the door closed, leaving it open an inch in case Finn wanted out. “Your dinner is in the oven.”
“Are you going to bed?”
She couldn’t tell if he hoped she was or hoped she wasn’t. “I thought I’d watch some TV.” She couldn’t remember when she’d last enjoyed the simple pleasure of curling up on the couch and binge-watching her favorite shows.
“Sounds good.” He started to walk away but then turned. “Do you mind if I join you? I wouldn’t be offended if you needed some time to yourself. I can eat”—he looked around—“in the spare bedroom.”
She held back a smile. “With the rest of my boxes? I don’t mind if you join me. I just thought you had to work.”
An hour later, from where she sat curled up on the couch, Sadie said, “Are you sure you don’t have work to do?”
He grinned around a forkful of tiramisu and put his bare feet on the coffee table. Of course, Mr. Neat Freak had to put the towel he used to dry his hair beneath his feet.
“And miss this? Not on your life.” He licked the last bit of chocolate off his fork to point it at the screen. “Why does Darcey let Tom treat her like that?”
It took a moment for her to pull her gaze from his mouth. She’d had a hard time staying focused on the screen, which was telling, because she loved 90 Day Fiancé. She always felt better about her own romantic failures after watching the show. But tonight, she’d been more interested in watching Chase eat his tiramisu. It was like food porn.
Finally managing to pull her gaze back to the screen, she said, “My guess is she’s in love with the idea of love.”
“That’s not love.” He grinned at her. “But the way you’re eyeing my tiramisu looks a lot like love to me. Come on, I don’t mind sharing. You gave me more than half the container.” He leaned forward, picking up a fork from the coffee table. “I even brought you your own fork.”
She had to remember how well this man read her. “Of course you brought me my own fork. Heaven forbid you’d have to share yours with me,” she teased, in hopes he wouldn’t give more thought to the lust he’d seen in her eyes.
“There you go implying I’m some kind of neat freak again. Come here, and I’ll prove you wrong.” He waved her over with the fork.
“Says the man who cleaned the kitchen after me.” She moved to sit beside him. The thinking part of her brain told her she was an idiot, while the emotional part of her brain suggested she forget about the fork and lick the creamy chocolate dessert off his lips.
She leaned in and got an up-close look at the stubble on his chin, his warm, sexy fragrance enveloping her as she opened her mouth to accept the tiramisu from his fork. She hummed around it, as much in appreciation of him as the dessert.
His smile faltered, something that looked a lot like heat flashing in his eyes. “Beautiful,” he murmured, and then blinked. “I mean, the dessert is beautifully made.”
“They are,” she agreed, looking into his eyes. She shook her head. “I mean, it is.”
“So beautifully made you can’t think straight.” He touched the side of his mouth. “You have some chocolate here.”
Kiss it off, she wanted to say, but instead she wiped a finger down the side of her lips. “Did I get it?”
He stared at her mouth. “What was that?”
“The chocolate, did I get it?”
“No. You still have some here.” This time, instead of using his own face to show her where, he touched a finger to the side of her mouth. She shivered as he slowly wiped the edge of her lips and then offered the chocolate-coated digit to her. She accepted the offer without hesitation, her brain a lust-fogged mess. She licked the chocolate off his finger as slowly as he’d wiped it off her face.
She pulled back at his stunned expression. It would have been comical if it wasn’t the result of something she had done. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”
As lust cleared from her brain, she connected the dots and groaned. “You were just showing me you got it all, weren’t you? You didn’t mean for me to lick it off.”
“Yeah, but I, uh, liked your idea better. I liked it a lot.” He smiled, his cheeks flushed as he drew the throw pillow onto his lap.
From the nursery, she heard a tiny squawk and a low woof. She’d never been happier to hear her daughter. “I should get her.” She practically jumped to her feet. In her hurry, she accidentally bumped the plate, and it fell onto Chase’s lap. “Good thing the pillow was there.”
“Yeah, good thing.”