“Their french fries are okay,” Patrick whispered, leaning closeto Chase. The two sat side by side. “But the onion rings are better. They cost more than the fries. If you order them, will you save me one?”
“Patrick,” Maisy whispered, raising her eyebrows at her younger brother.
Chase leaned his head toward Patrick. “I only share onion rings with people who hit home runs.”
Patrick’s smile was so big, Maisy was sure it must have hurt his mouth.
Conversation flowed freely throughout the lunch. Both Chase and Sean offered to share the bill. Lloyd, however, would hear none of it and insisted on paying.
Maisy remembered her grandmother suggesting Lloyd had big money. Wealthy or not, he was generous to a fault.
After lunch they all went their separate ways.
Chase walked with Patrick and their mother. “Do you mind if I steal Maisy away for the afternoon?” he asked.
“I have no objection,” her mother assured him. “It’s up to Maisy.”
He looked away from the car to Maisy. “What do you say?”
“What was it you said earlier about attending Patrick’s game? Something about not wanting to miss it for the world, as I recall.”
“Something like that,” he said.
“Then ditto.”
Chapter Twenty
Maisy remained shocked that Chase would fly all the way from Chicago to attend Patrick’s Little League game. The joy on her little brother’s face when he saw Chase was one that would long stay on her mind. Chase cheered for Patrick as loud as she did herself.
Later, having him sit by her side during lunch at Willie’s Diner, it felt as if he was already part of the family. Chase had shared his onion rings with her brother and with her, too. Most often Maisy opted for a salad over fries and avoided anything deep-fried. She had to admit that a single onion ring was worth every gram of fat it held. Patrick was right, they were delicious. She threw caution into the wind that afternoon, risking not only fat grams but her heart. Seeing Chase, spending this time with him, weakened every resolve she’d held so tightly in check, even knowing this relationship would never be more than it alreadywas. She needed to be realistic. As much as she hated to admit it, they had no future. His life was in Chicago. Her home, her family, not to mention her schooling, were all linked to Seattle. Plus, Chase was extremely wealthy, and, to put it bluntly, she wasn’t. Her family struggled financially. Their differences made any hope of a lasting relationship impossible. If only she could make herself face facts. Sitting next to Chase now removed all doubts from her mind.
After seeing everyone else off, they were the last to leave the diner’s parking lot. Chase opened the passenger door to the car and Maisy slid inside. Knowing how organized he was, she was convinced he hadn’t left their itinerary for the afternoon to chance. He likely had already made plans.
“Where are we headed?” she asked, when he joined her in the front seat.
“How would you feel about a trip up the Space Needle?” he asked, his hands on the steering wheel.
Just as she’d suspected.
“I’d love it.” Maisy had toured the iconic needle on a school field trip years ago, but hadn’t been up the Needle since grade school.
“Great. I have tickets for…” He paused and looked at the time. “Two. Our timing is perfect.”
Because Chase had ordered the tickets in advance, they were able to skip the long line and ride the elevator up 520 feet to the observation desk. The area was thick with observers, who crowded around the outskirts of the circular structure. The Needle offered a panoramic view of the downtown area, along with Mount Rainier, which stood majestic and regal in the distance.
Because of the number of people all vying for space to enjoythe view, Chase and Maisy needed to jockey for room, slowly edging their way to the railing by the windows. Chase kept her close and stood almost directly behind her, his hands resting on top of her shoulders.
“Are those the Cascades?” Chase asked, pointing toward the snowcapped mountain range in the far distance.
“Those are the Olympics,” she explained. The Olympics ran along the coast, while the Cascades divided Washington State.
They remained silent for several moments, taking in the beauty spread out before them.
“The views of Puget Sound from here are breathtaking,” he commented.
Maisy agreed. With dark clouds gathering, the waters appeared as a rich layer of gray, a deep reflection of the sky. As her mother had mentioned that morning, rain was predicted for the afternoon. The sky could rain down in torrid sheets, for all Maisy cared; she was too happy to let a little thing like the weather spoil her mood.
Chase wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leaned back against him, savoring the sensation of being close. They’d known each other for only a couple of months, but the connection between them was strong. It felt as if Chase had always been a part of her life. Their nightly phone conversations had bonded them in ways she had never felt with any relationship.
