“It’s not that simple.”
“Why not?”
“You mean, other than the previously mentioned fourteen years of zero contact?” He arched a knowing brow. “Okay, how about the fact that when her mom died Scottie’s sophomore year, she was forced to move halfway across the country to live with her grandparents?”
Lucky frowned. “Damn. That’s rough.” He waited a beat to ask, “What about her dad?”
“Asshole split when she was a baby.” And oddly enough, Chasestillfelt the urge to track down the chickenshit bastard and beat his ass. “Look, the truth is, Scottie and I have both lived totally separate lives for as long as we’ve been adults.”
“Guess it’s a good thing you two live in the same city again.” His teammate pushed himself to his feet. “Sure makes getting to know each other again a lot easier when you can do it in person.”
“Who said anything about?—”
“Oh, please. I saw the way you were ogling over her the other night. And don’t waste your breath trying to deny it.”
“Well, I am going to deny it because I’ve never ogled over a woman in my life.”
It wasn’t technically a lie. His days of ogling Scottie had taken place when they were teenagers, which meant his adolescent eyes had seen a young lady. Not a full-grown woman like the one she’d so magnificently turned into.
“I’m serious, brother. You were looking at her the same way I look at Ellie. I know this, because it’s the same way Logan looks at Nat, and Archer looks at?—”
“I get it, asshole,” Chase grumbled low.
“For your sake, I hope you do. Life’s really fucking short, Chase.” Lucky walked across the office toward the opened door. “You know that as well as the rest of us. Besides…one dinner between two old friends…what’s the worst that could happen?”
The other man turned and disappeared into the shadows of the hallway. Five minutes later, Chase was still sitting there, staring at his open doorway, still contemplating what Lucky had said.
Maybe the man was right. Scottiedidact pretty damn happy to see him that day in the shelter’s kitchen. And when he’d asked for her number later on—while he and the guys had been in the kitchen, grabbing the to-go meals she’d generously put together for them—she’d given him the digits without hesitation.
But that had been days ago, and he still hadn’t reached out to her. Mainly for fear of coming off too needy or desperate. He wasn’t either of those things. He fuckingwasn’t.
At least he hadn’t been before unexpectedly running into the woman he’d once had plans to marry. But now?—
Fuck it.
Chase pulled his phone from his pocket and typed out a quick text…
Chase: Hey! How’s it going? It was great seeing you the other day!
He sent the message, sat back in his chair, and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Several tortuously long minutes later, his phone finally dinged with an incoming message…
Scottie: Hey, Chase! Sorry. In the middle of baking tonight’s casserole dinner. It was great seeing you, too!
When it was clear she wasn’t adding more, Chase decided to go for it. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
Uh…she could say thanks but no thanks. Or worse, she could accept the invitation and then reveal she’s married with six kids, a dog, and two rabbits.
Okay, so maybe the rabbits were a bit too much, but still. After all this time, it was quite plausible that Scottie had no interest in revisiting that time in her life.
Double fuck it.
Chase took a deep breath, typed out a second message, and sent it her way before he could talk himself out of it…