“They had them all sign NDAs,” he surmised correctly.
“They were afraid the negative press would impact the show’s high ratings.”
Chase scoffed. “Of course, they were.”
The roll of his heart-stopping gaze lifted her spirits enough for a genuine smile to form. After giving the food on their plates some attention, Scottie filled him in on more details of her story.
“That same night, I told the network I was done. They tried changing my mind. Attempted to bribe me with money, sponsorships…stuff like that. And they assured me I would be perfectly safe while on set, and that they’d assign two new bodyguards to watch me in my free time. Plus, with the guy in police custody, there was no cause for concern, right? That’s what they kept telling me.”
“But you didn’t believe them.”
Her head slowly slid from side to side. “Logically, I knew they were right. The guy plead out, and was locked up tight with no possibility of being released anytime soon. But still, I just…I couldn’t stand the thought of having all those cameras on me again, you know? The thought of not knowing whether someone else was out there watching me. Waiting in the dark....” She set her fork down, using the black cloth napkin resting in her lap to wipe the corner of her mouth. “That man may not have killed me, but my dream of being in the spotlight died the second I found him standing in my hotel room with that gun.”
“How did you end up working at the shelter?”
“Sloane put out an ad for a head chef on this one employment search app I’d been using. Seattle was far enough from California to give me the space I needed, and I figured a shelter for battered women was as safe a place to work as anywhere else.” She remembered how she’d felt during those first few days at Liberty House. “It’s different for me now, though.”
“Different how?”
“I used to think I had to find fame and fortune to consider myself a success. But the truth is, doing what I do, providing three good, healthy, delicious meals for those staying at the shelter…that’s already been a far greater reward than any of the attention or accolades I received while on the show. Sure, the money I make working for a not-for-profit isn’t nearly as much as if I were the head chef at a fancy restaurant, but it’s enough to cover my bills and keep my cabinets and fridge full.”
“Sounds like you have everything you need.”
It did, didn’t it? Except…
Scottie held his stare, and in a soft almost-whisper, she responded with a quietly spoken, “Almost.”
7
Almost.
The word had been rolling around through Chase’s brain since the damn thing fell from Scottie’s soft, luscious lips. Throughout the rest of dinner. During coffee and dessert. Even as they sat across from one another, sharing more lighthearted stories during their separated pasts, it was impossible to ignore.
Almost.
Her whispered response could have meant any number of things. Maybe she didn’t like working at the shelter as much as she’d let on. Could be as simple as she didn’t like where she lived or the car that she drove.
But when Scottie’s soft whisper had reached his ears, Chase could have sworn it was solely meant for him. As ifhewas the one who could turn “almost” into…
Everything.
His chest grew tight with thoughts from their uncomfortable past. A past that very well may predict his future.
The need to clear the air between them—to finally address the giant elephant that had been skulking around them throughout the entire evening—was suddenly stronger than ever. And Chase refused to waste any more time living a life without this woman being a part of it.
If she wasn’t interested in him romantically, so be it. For him, Scottie had always been the one that got away. When he dreamed of a future, it was always her face filling his sights. When he imagined his life ten, twenty years from now, she was always the one he saw standing by his side.
Yeah, he was only thirty, and yes, they’d only recently reconnected. But Chase had always been of the mindset that if he saw something he wanted, he went after it.
The Navy. BUD/S. DEVGRU. Eagle’s Nest.
Every success he’d achieved was because he’d fought tooth and nail to reach his goal. His one and only personal defeat was losing Scottie.
She was a regret he still lived with every day of his life. And the shitty thing was, he had no one to blame but himself.
I didn’t fight for her back then, but I’m damn sure going to fight for her now.
But first…