“Come on, now.” Chase reached up and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “As far as I’m concerned, the past is just that. The past. Personally, I’m much more interested in the present…and the future.”
The future.
Scottie hadn’t given hers much thought lately. She’d been too busy settling into her new reality.
Maybe it’s time to let all that shit go. Start actually living this new life you’ve worked so hard to build. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Her inner voice was right on the money. She knew this but even so?—
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Nothing to be scared of, sugar.” He shook his head slowly. “Not when you have me.”
“Do I?” She searched his heated gaze. “Do I have you?”
Scottie held her breath and waited, half-expecting him to start back peddling or hedge. Instead, the surprising man doubled down on his conviction by taking her mouth in his.
Hard and fast right out of the gate, this kiss was very different than those that came before. It was deeper. More meaningful. An unspoken promise of things to come.
Breaking away with a sharp inhale, Chase ended the passionate exchange as suddenly as it began.
“You need to know…” His broad chest rose and fell with a set of heaving breaths. “This wasn’t part of tonight’s plan.” Another breath. “It really was just supposed to be two friends reconnecting.”
“But?” Scottie held his gaze, her own chest rising and falling as she fought to catch her breath.
“But I can’t stand here, looking into those gorgeous green eyes of yours again after all this time, and keep pretending I don’t still want more.”
“Chase…”
“We can take it as slow as you want,” he proposed. “We can go on dates. Get to know each other again. We’ll do whatever you want. And if you don’t want this…if you don’t still lay in bed at night and wonder what could have been…then just say that, and I’ll walk away right now.”
“Chase—”
“But if you do wonder…” He framed her face with both hands, staring so deep into her longing gaze, she could feel him touching her soul. “If you want to give this thing between us another try, then?—”
Scottie didn’t give him the chance to say another needless word. She simply filled her fists with the front of his shirt, rose high onto her tiptoes, and this time…
She kissed him.
One week later…
“Hi, Scottie.”Sloane entered the shelter’s kitchen.
“You’re still here? I thought you already left for the day.”
Dressed in jeans and a casual button-up blouse, the woman’s signature long, blonde ponytail swayed from side-to-side as she made her way further into the room.
“I started to, but we got a new intake at the last-minute, so I stayed to make sure she got settled in okay. How’s the oven holding up? Broiler working okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Scottie sent her boss a smile.
She’d been doing that more lately. A lot more. To herself and others. At the birds’ songs she heard singing with the swirls of the passing breeze. At absolutely nothing at all.
Scottie smiled so much the last few days, it was a wonder her mouth wasn’t aching from the strain. But it wasn’t, because this is what life wassupposedto be like. Or so she’d heard.
There could only be one explanation given for the sudden shift in her outlook on the future. One very specific person who solely shouldered the glorious blame. A man who’d reappeared at a time—and place—she’d least expected.
Chase.