Chapter 20
Chase slept little, but he did formulate and toss aside several plans, until he knew what Ashley would want him to do. He started by taking down his online dating profile the next morning. It was a relief to know he never had to answer another hopeful message from a stranger, however beautiful or statistically compatible. All he’d managed to do was waste time and money, not to mention, confuse the heck out of Ashley.
He had no idea what had come over him the night before, when all she wanted was some answers. Of course, Ashley was confused. He was confusing himself.
He never thought there’d be anything more terrifying than finally admitting his feelings, but when she’d challenged him to prove it… What kind of answer was that? It felt like rejection. It felt like he was getting her curiosity in return, not the reciprocation he’d been longing for. She said she loved him. Was that a friendship kind of love? He’d always felt that from her. Affection, appreciation. Could it be more?
Whatever the reason she hadn’t run away screaming, he’d take it. He’d take this opportunity to make it right, see it through, no matter how things turned out.
The next morning, he showered and dressed and headed straight over to her apartment, hoping it wasn’t too early.
Lina answered, looking him over. “She’s just getting out of the shower. Go sit, and I’ll prod her along.”
Chase walked around instead, looking at the bulletin board pictures and trying to shake off the nervous energy that had him swinging his arms back and forth like an agitated monkey.
“Chase?”
He whirled around, taking in the sight of her with damp hair and bare feet. He wanted to see her like this every morning. The thought was both scary and amazing. He’d never allowed himself to hope before. “I didn’t send flowers. My instinct was to send something instead of facing you after what happened last night, but I don’t want to do that anymore. So, I decided to send me.”
Ashley’s eyebrows raised. “Good choice.”
“Are you busy today? I thought you might want to spend the day with us, but I should probably give you an idea of what our Sundays look like.”
She took a step forward, a small smile starting to escape her serious expression. “What are your Sundays like?”
“Well, there’s a small community church just down the street from us, so I usually wrestle Tyler into a collared shirt, and then the two of us pass a football back and forth on the lawn until the girls are ready. They take forever. Then we walk down together, and when we get back, lunch is kind of a free-for-all with sandwiches and ramen soup. Tyler’s friend, Mike, usually sneaks over and eats all the chips. The two of them get banished to the backyard at some point because they’ve broken something, and eventually we send Mike home and all collapse on the couch for a movie. And then I get out my secret stash of Oreos after the younger two are in bed and watch the news.”
Ashley reached out and straightened Chase’s collar, making his skin tingle as her fingers skimmed over his neck. Her brown eyes stared into his. “I think I’d like that. I’ll go find something to wear to church. And I’ll pack some jeans for afterward. What do Tyler and Mike do in the backyard?”
He smiled. “They usually turn on the hose and flood the yard, making a huge mud bog. And then they run through it, chasing each other with sticks.”
“Maybe I’ll join them.”
Chase laughed. “You’ll only make that mistake once.”
***
Ashley was glad she’d decided to bring an extra set of clothes, because while she’d avoided the mud, Tyler had unleashed the hose on her as retaliation for beating him and Mike in a foot race. She ran up to the porch and turned off the spigot before they could do it again. Chase and Beth were watching from the window, laughing. She met Chase’s eyes and blushed. Except for a few long looks, he hadn’t so much as held her hand.
Everything was different and nothing was different. But she’d been the one to throw herself at him in front of Reid, and then stupidly tried to goad him into proving his feelings last night. She would absolutely not make the first move again.
“Get her!” Tyler and Mike shouted, running after her with their makeshift spears. She took off into the grass and started climbing up the large tree at the back of the yard. Chase was right. She would probably not join the two monsters outside again, but for today, they were excited to have an extra friend/victim to join them in their games, and she was excited to be a part of it. They rounded the tree, whooping and yelling like wild banshees. Once they began climbing after her, Ashley gauged the distance to the ground, debating whether it would be safer to jump now or try to maneuver around them to get down.
The back door creaked open, and Chase stepped outside, cradling several round objects in his shirt. “Hey, losers.” Chase launched a water balloon at Tyler, hitting him squarely in the back. He aimed again and barely missed Mike. The two boys ran at him, and he hit them several more times until they wrestled him to the ground, getting him just as muddy and dirty as they were.
Ashley took the opportunity to get out of the tree and run inside. Gabby and Beth supplied her with the next set of water balloons they’d been filling in the kitchen sink.
“Are you two coming outside with me?” she asked.
Gabby shook her head. “No way. They’re just being nice to you because you’re new.”
“That was nice?”
Beth laughed. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Well then, it’s probably time to bring them inside before they kill Chase.”
“Chase is as big a kid as they are. He’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
