***
“I can stay home from school with her,” Beth offered as she sat down for breakfast.
Chase raised an eyebrow. “After all the school you missed? Nope. I’m staying.”
Gabby had called out in her sleep most of the night, her forehead covered in a sheen of sweat. She needed her sheets changed and a shower, but he thought it best to let her sleep in. He’d gotten little sleep himself. It would be a relief to stay home today. The house was back to disaster zone. He could keep it looking decent for an hour or two at a time, but then it had to be lived in, and the kids could create messes decent people couldn’t dream of. He didn’t want Ashley anywhere near it, and while she’d sounded a little offended when he’d turned her down, she’d get over it. Cleaning up after them was the last thing he wanted her doing, and he knew she wouldn’t be able to help herself. He’d come home to her folding his underwear.
“I hope this girl you’re taking out on Saturday likes kids.” Beth reached across the table to grasp the syrup bottle, and Chase waved her hand away.
“Don’t grab like a Neanderthal. Ask.”
She batted her eyelashes at him. “Chase, will you please pass the syrup? Is that better? I promise I’ll behave if we ever have guests over. Stop worrying.”
He grumpily handed it over. “Who says I’m worried about guests?”
Beth’s face turned serious. “Chase, you need to find someone who’ll love us the way we are. She’s out there. And maybe closer than you think.”
If this was about Ashley again, he wasn’t biting. And the online dating thing only made Beth’s meddling worse. He hadn’t asked for her advice, but she never wasted an opportunity to give it. Mostly though, she just teased him. She’d even found his profile online and gawked at the women wanting to meet up with him.
It didn’t help that he was as stressed as Beth claimed. But every time he considered canceling on Tiffany, he thought of the years ahead, waiting on Ashley to see him as more than a friend. He was self-sacrificing, but also a man. And he needed more than friendly phone calls for the rest of his life.
Fighting a headache, he got Tyler ready for school and out the door with Beth. Then he fell asleep on the couch until Gabby woke him up to let him know she’d thrown up on the bathroom floor.
***
Idleness might be the devil’s workshop, but it also led to dwelling on things better left alone. Chase hadn’t called since Thursday night, and now it was Saturday afternoon, and even a trip to get a pedicure wasn’t raising Ashley’s spirits. Her toes looked fabulous though.
He’d be going out on his first profile date tonight. Ashley hoped the woman would be twice his age with an annoying laugh. Okay, not really. She wanted Chase to be happy. She just wished she could be what made him happy.
After paying at the nail salon and filling her lungs with the fresh air outside, she checked her phone for the time. Later then she thought, and a missed text message.
How are you?
Reid had turned out to be quite the polite little stalker. And now it was time to change her cell number.
She went home and looked for her cellphone bill so she could call the carrier, and just as she was about to dial them, her phone rang with a strange number.
Yeah, Reid with his crazy last minute luck would not get her to pick that up. It went to voicemail, and she was about to delete it, but curiosity got the better of her, and she listened to the message first.
Hey, this is Beth, Chase’s sister. Sorry to bother you. I was wondering if you might want to come over and watch a movie with us while Chase is on his date. Then we can grill him about it together after, just for laughs.
What? Ashley stared at her phone in wonder as Beth rattled off her cell number so Ashley could call her back. Only a few minutes later and Ashley would have missed that call. Probably never would have been the wiser. She doubted Beth was letting Chase in on her little plan. Man, Beth was an adorable little stinker. And yes, a morbid part of Ashley totally wanted to come. After all, at least one member of the Reynolds family wanted her over, even if it wasn’t the one she was in love with.
Ashley called her cell phone carrier. Within minutes, the cell number change was done. The whole process had been too easy and she wished she’d done it years ago. She sent out a mass text to her friends and family with the new number, sent one to Chase, her new boss, and the landlord. And then she called Beth back and laughingly told her, yes, she’d be over soon.
