“We’ll be there,” Laurel promised. In the past six months, she’d learned to appreciate how valuable deep, meaningful friendships were. She never wanted to fight with Ava again. Not when they’d finally gotten past Laurel splitting on Ava’s brother. Even if Chase would be there too, she’d never miss Ava’s birthday cookout.
* * *
It wasn’t until they were seated at the bar at Warren’s Sea Shack and the pizza order was in that Laurel heard his laugh. Chase had an infectiously sexy laugh that always made her tingly inside. She could pick it out of a chorus of laughter.
A pack of men filed in through the entrance, headed straight for the largest table near the biggest two flat-screen TVs in the restaurant.
“Baseball game,” Kinley said seconds before Ryder came up behind her and circled his arms around her. Laurel pushed the straw around her soda, wishing she’d ordered a margarita instead as she pretended to ignore the sickeningly sweet display of affection happening beside her.Why did I volunteer for the overnight shift again?
“Laurel, hey.”
She stared at her cup, afraid to look up. “Hi.”
“Didn’t think you liked baseball.” Chase leaned an elbow on the bar counter, forcing Laurel to glance at him. He shouldn’t smell that good. Or look that good in just a black polo with the Sunset Ridge Fire Department logo stitched above the left breast pocket.
“I don’t. Just here for the pizza.”
“On Taco Tuesday?”
How many Tuesdays had they come here together while they were dating, and even after they were married? Laurel pushed away the memories before the emotions could seep in. “I wanted pizza.”
As if on cue, Warren carried over their smoked salmon pizza on a wooden tray, propping it on a stand. “Here you ladies go. Careful, it’s hot.” Warren nodded at Chase and Ryder, taking quick drink orders.
Laurel plated herself a steamy hot slice, hoping Chase would take the hint and go sit at the table with the rest of the volunteer fire department. It was already the bottom of the first. Very little kept him from him from watching the Rockies play.
“Hey, if you have some time this week, you still have a few things at the house. Mind going through them?”
“You’ve waited five years,” Laurel said, her tone icier than she intended. “What’s a few more weeks?”
“I’m remodeling. Knocking out the closet they’re in.” When Laurel took a bite of pizza instead of responding, he added, “They’re in the way. I’d drop them off at your parents’ place, but there’s stuff in there you might not want your mom to see.”
A knot formed at the base of Laurel’s throat.Baby stuff. That’s what he meant. A sliver of gratitude shot through her that he didn’t say it out loud. Kinley didn’t know. No one but the two of them and her brother Cody knew about the miscarriage. Chase had kept his word.
“I’m free tomorrow,” Chase added.
“I can’t tomorrow.” Laurel didn’t have a good reason, especially with the unexpected day off. Even though she would sleep in, Laurel never slept later than eight even when she tried. “Promised Cody I’d help him out. We’ll figure out a time.” When Chase didn’t immediately follow Ryder to their table, she added, “Soon. This week. Happy?”
Chase set his phone on the counter. “I need your number.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I need to know when you’re swinging by so I can be there to let you in.”
Chase not having her number—and more importantly, her not having his—was the only barrier she had between them. She didn’t need the temptation to text him in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep. When she left Sunset Ridge, she made a promise to herself to let Chase move on so he could find someone better.
If she had his number, that promise would be a whole lot harder to keep.
“Laurel, it’s just a phone number.”
Because Kinley and half the volunteer fire department, including Marc, were staring at them, Laurel typed in her number. Anything to make him go away before they had another reason to talk about them. As she entered the digits, she could feel her oldest brother’s disdain on the other side of the restaurant.
“Here.” Laurel shoved the phone back at Chase’s chest. “Go watch your game. Your team already scored a run, and the bases are loaded.”
“I knew it,” Chase said, leaving her with a wink.
“What isthatabout?” Kinley asked in a low tone.
“Nothing important.”
