“I would, but she and Cassie are prepping for trial.” Lucky also mentioned Archer’s wife.
Cassie and Archer got married last year after Archer was assigned to protect the attorney from an unknown killer. Though Cass damn near died from two gunshot wounds before help could arrive, Arch and Lucky had thankfully gotten to the scene in time to save her life.
Now, just like Logan and Nat…and Lucky and Ellie…Archer and Cass were living a life of married bliss. Leaving Chase and Van as the only two single men on the team.
Three down, two to go.
The thought nearly left him snorting in amusement. The day Donovan Braddock got married would be the day Chase started believing pigs could fly.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Lucky followed him into his office. “Maybe you could shoot that friend of yours a text.”
He frowned. “What friend?”
“The chef. You know…the one who works for Sloane over at Fisher House. What’s her name? Scarlett or Scout or?—”
“Scottie,” Chase clarified. “Her name is Scottie, and no. I’m not going to interrupt her at work just to see if she’ll drop what she’s doing to bring you some food.”
“Well, I didn’t mean she had to come here rightnow. I just thought, you know, because that food was fucking amazing the other night, your girl might still have some leftovers at the shelter she needs to get rid of.”
“And you’re so generously offering to keep the food from going to waste, is that it?”
“Of course.” Lucky blinked, keeping a straight face as he gave one shoulder a small shrug. “I’m nothing if not thoughtful.”
Chase did laugh, then. “Thoughtful. Right.”
“My wife seems to think I am.”
“Only because if you weren’t, she’d kick your ass.”
Lucky appeared to consider this a moment. “You’re probably right. Regardless…if you aren’t going to text Scottie onmybehalf, you should at least do it on your own.”
His footsteps faltered a few feet from his desk. Stopping mid-stride, Chase turned and faced his friend. “Mine?”
“Sure.” The other man took it upon himself to plop his ass into one of the two black leather chairs facing the desk. With an ankle crossed over one knee, Lucky looked up at him with an unabashed grin. “It’s pretty obvious you have the hots for her.”
It is?
“First of all, I’m pretty sure no one says that anymore.” Chase resumed his steps and rounded his desk before taking a seat in his larger, more comfortable chair. “And second, Scottie and I were kids the last time I saw her. We don’t even really know each other anymore.”
“Okay, but you two were a thing back in the day, right?”
“In high school, sure. But hell, Lucky…that was like fourteen years ago.”
“So?”
“Sooo…I don’t even know if she’s single.”
And he refused to admit to this man—or even himself—just how hopeful he was that Scottie didn’t have that special someone in her life.
“Let’s say she is,” his teammate countered. “What then?”
What then, indeed?
“Look, Jason.” Chase chose to use the man’s given name. “I get that you foundThe Onewith Ellie, and I’m really happy for you both. Truly, I am. But just because Scottie and I were close back a decade and a half ago that doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen between us now.”
“But you’re interested in her.”
It wasn’t a question, but rather a statement. And Chase couldn’t even be mad about it, because he’d pretty much walked himself right into its path.