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He had also managed to chase away every bit of loneliness I’d felt for the last decade, just because I knew he liked being with me, too.
He wasn’t just being nice.
Nothing was faked.
He wasn’t here because he felt sorry for me.
The playfulness and lightheartedness that Torie had said that Chase had lost was in full view.
He laughed.
He smiled.
He genuinely enjoyed my company just as I enjoyed his.
Isensedthat he was happier, just like I was.
Did he go a little crazy on the gift giving?
Yes.
But Chase being Chase, I had a feeling that eventhatmade him happy, so I didn’t get on his case about it as much anymore.
Maybe it was pathetic, but this friendship meant more to me than any romantic relationship I’d ever had. No one had really cared enough about me to do something like this for me since my mother had died, and for that reason, his effort to make me happy meant more to me than he’d ever know or realize.
“You still miss her?” Chase asked in a husky voice. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the funeral, Vanna. I would have been if I’d known. I was in a location that didn’t have a lot of outside contact with the world. By the time I found out from Torie, it was over.”
I nodded. “It’s been a full decade and I still miss her every single day. I don’t think that will ever go away. She was my whole family. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was starting my first broadcasting job at the time, I probably would have been with her. Most of her work took place in the research center, but it was always an adventure when she had to go out to a location. I almost always went with her if I could.”
“She was an amazing woman,” Chase said earnestly. “You’re a lot like her, you know.”
“I’ll definitely take that as a compliment,” I answered. “I see quite a bit of your father in you, too. He was a pilot and loved to fly.”
“He did,” Chase confirmed. “Torie wasn’t really interested in learning, but Wyatt and I both had our pilot’s license the minute we were legal to fly solo. This was Dad’s cabin before I inherited it. I have a lot of good memories here. It was our favorite getaway with our father when Wyatt and I could get leave at the same time. We’d do some fishing and drink more than a few beers while we were here. It was one of the ways I stayed grounded.”
“I didn’t know this cabin belonged to your father,” I mused. “How often do you get up here?”
I felt him shrug as he replied, “This is the first time since he died. For a while, it was too painful to think about being here without him. I’ve considered coming up a time or two in the last few years, but I just never got the time. Until recently, Wyatt and I were in Paris more than we were in San Diego. Having our main headquarters back in the States means we don’t have to travel nearly as often anymore.”
My heart ached for Chase’s loss. “I’m sorry. I know how close all of you were, and how much you must miss him.”
“It gets easier with time, but as you already know from losing your mom, missing a parent never quite goes away. I probably never appreciated just how good I had it until I lost both of mine,” he said, his tone full of regret.
“How does it feel to be back here again?” I questioned softly, wondering if it was painful to be here for him now.
I knew from experience how hard it was to let go of the pain of missing someone you loved. After all, it had taken me nearly a decade to sell my childhood home.
“It’s good,” Chase said. “I can remember the happy memories without them being painful anymore. Honestly, I think that’s why I thought about Christmas here. When we were younger, the whole family spent Christmas here a few times.”
“It’s a pretty magical place,” I said wistfully. “I just wish Santa hadn’t been so generous.”
“The gifts were nothing, Vanna. Trinkets and useful things. It’s not like Santa brought you a new home or a new vehicle.”
I tilted my chin to send him a warning glance. “He’d better not. And it’s not just the gifts themselves, it’s the thoughtfulness of this entire experience, Chase. Like I said, I haven’t really stopped to enjoy a Christmas tree or a holiday meal in years.”
Honestly, the price of the gifts was nothing to a guy who had the kind of money that Chase had.
The sentiment was a different thing altogether.
