Page 30 of Chasing Forever

He’d half-expected to turn around and find her gone, but she’d surprised him by smiling and waving instead. He hadn’t planned any of it, but when he’d walked over to say hello, he’d surprised himself by asking her out.

He wasn’t sure she saw it that way, though. He wasn’t kidding when he’d called her focused. She seemed more intent on writing her book than anything else, and damn if he didn’t admire that about her. To have an occupation that you enjoyed and that consumed you (in a good way)—that was living the dream. He wished he could say the same.

Thinking of being consumed—that was exactly how he felt once he’d started reading her book. He’d gotten into bed with it and started reading it on his phone. It hadn’t taken long, and he was hooked. Her writing style was engaging, and the characters were likable and relatable. Before he knew it, it was past midnight, and he’d still been reading. After the first steamy scene, he’d finally put down the phone.

The characters hadn’t had sex, but they’d shared some sensual kisses with the promise of more to come. He’d been surprised at how his body had reacted while reading the scene. It was reminiscent of his teenage years, when he and his friends used to sneak Playboy out of his friend’s dad’s “hiding place.”

He’d felt like he was doing something wrong back then, but he’d been too titillated to look away. As an adult, he wasn’t supposed to feel guilty for reading a sexy scene, but that hadn’t been the source of his guilt. It was sneaking the book behind the author’s back instead of owning up to reading it.

But he figured Callie had her reasons for not telling him she was a romance author. Maybe after spending time together today, she’d open up more. Then he could admit he was reading one of her books.

He quickly showered, dressed, and packed a bag with his swim gear. He smiled again, recalling the look on her face when he’d suggested she bring a swimsuit. She was the complete opposite of the “Barbies” he’d hung out with at the pool. While they’d been more than happy to show off their bodies, conservative Callie wasn’t so eager.

He’d like to tell her that she had a beautiful body (what little he’d seen of it) and to own it, but he doubted he’d get the chance. They were only here for a matter of weeks, and then he might never see her again. However, they did live near each other in Michigan…

Don’t even go there! You barely know the woman, and this is just a vacation. All too soon, he’d be back at work, filing divorce papers and listening to sob stories about cheating, lying, deceitful spouses, and how love never lasts.

He’d seen and heard enough to believe that it was true. What started out with hearts and flowers ended up with arguments over Aunt Betty’s antique dishes and Uncle Bob’s coin collection. It didn’t matter if the couple had been together five, ten, or fifty years; it was all the same.

“We fell out of love, we grew apart, he cheated, she cheated, he gambled all our money away, etc., etc.” He’d heard the same refrains over and over. And those were the milder ones. There were also stories of alcohol and drug addiction and physical and emotional abuse. Those were the worst tales of all, and he’d had to steel himself to hear some of them.

Through it all, he’d done his job, gaining fair settlements for his clients and leaving a trail of “happy customers.” Only he knew that most of them weren’t happy at all, even when they were awarded large sums of money and got to keep Uncle Bob’s coin collection.

He could hear his friend Eric’s voice now: “Man, you’ve become a cynical SOB.”

And it was true. He no longer believed in love the way he used to. Growing up, he’d witnessed his parents’ love and that of a few other relatives, but now those examples were buried deep underneath the pile of crap he’d had to shovel.

While he found Callie attractive, intelligent, and witty, he didn’t have any intention of forming a relationship with her beyond the next several weeks. But he wasn’t opposed to enjoying her company as long as she allowed it. Besides, he wasn’t required to share his sorry stories if he didn’t want to. She didn’t need to know that he didn’t believe in happily ever after, and as a romance writer, she probably wouldn’t want to hear it.

Talk about polar opposites! A divorce attorney and a romance writer walked into a bar… It sounded like the opening line of a bad joke. He shook his head and chuckled as he picked up his wallet, keys, and beach bag.

Today was about enjoying the glorious weather, magnificent scenery, and Callie’s company, and he would leave it at that.

Chapter 15

Callie opened her door just as Chase was about to knock. Her crossbody bag was draped across her chest, and she had two other bags by her feet, packed and ready to go.

Chase took one glance at them and chuckled. “We staying overnight?”

Ignoring his flirtatious tone, she said, “I just wanted to be prepared for all possibilities.” But not that one!

He picked up both bags before she had a chance to and winced when he stood back up. “What kind of possibilities are we talking about?”

She stepped outside and locked the door before following him out to his car. “One bag has my beach gear and a change of clothes. The other has binoculars, notepads, pens, and a few snacks.”

Chase opened the hatch of the SUV and set the bags inside.

“Oh, and my Kauai travel guide with some pages marked,” she added, reaching in and plucking it out of the bag.

He glanced at the book with all her yellow sticky notes poking out of it and laughed.

“You really are prepared!”

She shrugged. “I’m a detail-oriented person, and I like to know what I’m getting into.”

“Hmm,” he said as they got into the car.

She noticed he hadn’t helped her in this time, and she was fine with it. This wasn’t a date. They were just neighbors (here and in Michigan!) exploring the island together. No big deal.