Chase came outside, jingling his keys. “I’m all set. Thank you for bringing me. I owe you big time.” His shoe scuffed the ground. “Could I buy you dinner sometime? What about Monday after work?”
From the nervous way he was asking, it almost sounded like he was asking her on a date.
“What about Beth?”
“If she’s not feeling up to watching the kids, you could come over and watch a movie with us. We could order pizza. But if you have plans already or don’t want—”
“It sounds nice.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Friends could do that. But she bolted before she could see his reaction and left in her car.
***
With his car back, his job back, and his sister’s health back, Chase was breathing easier on the drive home. The only thing worrying him was Ashley.You keep things to yourself.An accurate accusation. But was it always such a bad thing? Was it wrong to continue to keep his gigantic crush from her? He still felt like he was doing her a favor, leaving off the pressure to reciprocate where she clearly didn’t feel it.
He rubbed the spot on his cheek where she’d left a quick kiss. Yes, she valued their friendship, but if something was going to happen, it would have happened by now. Dinner wouldn’t change that, even with his pretend girlfriend out of the way. He’d chickened out of asking her for a weekend night, afraid it would come off rude to assume she didn’t already have plans.
He pulled into the driveway and turned off the radio, letting the quiet seep in. He surely wouldn’t get any quiet again until late.
Sure enough, he stepped into the foyer and right into the middle of a football game. Mike was over, and he and Tyler were passing a foam football back and forth, climbing over furniture to make impossible catches. Chase hung his backpack on a wall hook and silently moved forward, tackling Tyler to the floor, and wrestling the football away from him.
“Hey, no fair!”
“Gotta watch your defense, Tyler.” Chase tickled him, and the kid let out a fart that just about cleared the room.
Mike roared with laughter. “He shouldn’t have eaten that whole bag of chips after school.”
“Where are your sisters?” Chase asked. Tyler, still red-faced and laughing, pointed down the hall.
Chase looked around at all the dirty socks on the floor, the backpacks and shoes strewn about. “You two clean up this front room, okay? Mike, about ten more minutes and then it’s time to go home. Tyler here has to clean up his room. Something’s starting to smell under the bed, and we need to find it.”
Tyler, in typical fashion, groaned and flopped back down on the floor, but Mike actually got up and started gathering his things. “Come on, Tyler. Get to work.”
Tyler threw a shoe at him.
Chase would continue that battle after he checked on Beth and Gabby.
Beth was in bed watching a movie, and Gabby was sitting in the desk chair next to her, a math assignment on her lap. Chase came over and glanced at it before Gabby pulled it away. She was about half a word problem in and had nine more to go.
He moved to turn off the TV, and they both immediately protested.
“Sorry, ladies. I need help making dinner, and Gabby has to get her math done.”
“I am getting it done!” Gabby glanced down at her sheet and frowned. “Kind of. And it’s the weekend. Can’t I do it tomorrow?”
Chase wouldn’t fall for that again. If she didn’t do it tonight, she’d be frantically finishing her homework on the way to school Monday.
“What about me?” Beth asked. “I’m still sick.” She dropped her head back on the pillow as if to demonstrate.
Chase sat on the edge of the bed. “How are you, really?”
“I’m sore. But I could help with dinner, I guess. What are we having?”
He patted her wrist. “Stay here. Just help me think of what to make. And don’t turn your TV back on until Gabby finishes her math.”
“Tacos?” Beth suggested hopefully.
“I was thinking more along the lines of microwaved burritos. But not that. We ate burritos last night.”
“Pancakes?”
