“It’s hers too.” George rolled his eyes, but placed an arm around Addison’s waist. “It’s the worst name she could have chosen, though.”
“I actually like it.” I shrugged, but refused to look at anyone but George. He looked down at Addison and placed a kiss on her cheek, then moved his focus back to me.
“You’re the girl from summer camp.” George’s words once again shocked me. He hadn’t seemed to acknowledge me before, like his wife had, but now I had his full attention. Chase’s arm tightened and I looked up to see the same shock written on Chase’s face that his father would remember who I was.
“You remember?” Chase and Addison asked at the same time.
“Of course I do.” George scoffed, something I never thought I would see the Governor of Georgia do. “I might have my head in politics all the time, but I did pick my son up every day from summer camp and watched as he said goodbye to the same girl every single day.”
George shrugged his shoulders, like what he was telling us wasn’t a big deal. That all he had ever been was observant, rather than actually in his son’s life.
“Well.” I stepped away from Chase toward George. “It’s finally nice to officially meet you.”
“And you too.” George didn’t reach his hand out to me, though. I let it hold there in the open space as he looked down at it and then met my eyes.
“George, let’s talk about this bill. Now, what on earth was Chauncy—” A man came up to George’s side and pulled him away from our little group. I pulled my hand back to my side and moved next to Chase again, sinking into his side.
“Just like dad, always working,” Tabitha spoke up first and shook her head. A man walked by with a tray of glasses and she grabbed one, downing half the glass in an instant. I wanted to reach out and finish it off, hoping that alcohol would help with the empty feeling of George brushing me off at the end of our conversation.
“Tabitha,” Addison scolded her and took the drink away, pouring the rest of it on the ground and placing the empty glass on the next tray that passed us.
“It’s true, though. He’s always worked, our whole lives.”
“It’s what he loves.”
“Then why doesn’t he support me in my art or Chase in his writing?”
Chase’s body tensed against mine and I could tell this wasn’t a conversation he wanted to get into today. I had knowing from watching Chase grow up that he had written a lot over the years, but I hadn’t known his father didn’t support it.
“Chase.” I turned around, placing a hand on his chest. “Why don’t you show me around the gardens? I remember you saying how beautiful they were.”
“Yes, Chase, go show her the gardens.” Addison’s voice had gone from sweet just a few moments ago to clipped. On the outside it looked like the Ruthens were the perfect family, but in the end, they were just like the rest of us. They had their family issues, but theirs were children who just wanted to be understood and appreciated and a father who worked far too much. But that’s all I had seen from just being here today, so I’m not even sure what else Chase had kept from me, but I knew he was doing it for a reason. I knew he wanted to protect me from a toxic family who seemed happy at one point and then pissed at the next.
“Thank you,” Chase whispered to me as he ushered me away from his mother and sister, both watching us until we turned the corner behind a hedge. He stopped me, just past the corner of the bush, and crashed his lips to mine.
My arms went around his neck, bringing him down closer to me.
The kiss was rushed and a way to release any tension that Chase might have been harboring moments ago, but I didn’t care. The way his hands moved along my body had me coming to life, even though I should be scared someone might see us.
“Chase.” The words came out husky against my lips.
“Erica.”
I opened my eyes lazily to see him staring down at me. The look in his eyes a promise that I wasn’t aware of. He took my hand and led me down the green path, words unspoken, but that promise still lingering in the air.
