"Wait, so you don't have an apartment or something?"
"I lived with Nana, and she gave my house away to my dad," she replied. "Which way do I turn?"
Chase started looking around trying to figure out to the streets. "Turn right and then make a left at the light."
She did as he told her, turning left on Sunset Boulevard away from the water and then winding her way down the road.
"I don't think I understand. Turn left there." Emma turned on her blinker and pulled into the left turn lane on Sunset. "You were living in your grandmother's house with your grandmother?"
"Yep."
"And your dad was the one on the call who said he was going to put your house on the market. But he did that already?"
There was a green arrow and Emma put her foot on the gas and started winding up the road that led to Chase's neighborhood.
"My dad wants to get it sold as soon as he can, and I just couldn't stand being there anymore anyway. It's been weird without Nana. So I guess it worked out."
"But your dad wanted to sell it while you still lived there?" Chase asked incredulously.
Emma just shrugged. "My parents don't approve of some of the decisions I've made, and this is their way of telling me I need to fend for myself and stop taking advantage of my grandmother."
"Your grandmother never said she thought you were taking advantage of her. Were you?"
"No, it wasn't like that," Emma said earnestly. "I liked living with her and she said she liked having me around. So we were able to get close when I was there. But it's not my house anymore so it was time to go."
Chase turned to look out the window. "I don't think I like your parents."
"Well, that makes two of us."
"So, uh." He paused, worried about what he was going to ask next, but it would help him decide how to approach this challenge. "What do your parents think about all the money you're going to inherit?"
He watched her hands grip the steering wheel tighter. "Well, there's a reason Nana made sure that part of her will was read after my dad got off the phone. They don't know I have any of that coming my way, and I would prefer if we kept it that way."
Her tone had changed, and there was a seriousness in her voice that hadn't been there before.
"Yeah, of course. I mean, I doubt I'll ever meetthem, but I won't say anything."
"Thanks." Emma turned and gave him a small smile. "Stay on this road?"
"Uh, yeah. Make a right in two more lights."
They drove along in silence, and Chase watched the stores pass by before Emma turned into his neighborhood. This whole situation was much more complicated than he thought, but he was determined that he was going to make sure to do everything he could to help Emma get what belonged to her.
Chapter Six
Why the hell had she said so much in such a short car ride with Chase? That was not like her.
But then again, there were a lot of things that weren't like her.
She had been staying at a hotel near Nana's house for the past few nights before packing up this morning. She thought about maybe staying somewhere closer to Chase's place tonight since she figured it was going to be a late night. Then her plan was to surf her friend Molly's couch for at least a week, which would make things easy since Molly was the next one to host book club.
There were just a few flaws to this plan. First, she hadn't thought ahead to book a hotel room for tonight. Second, living with Molly meant she would probably have to tell Molly what was going on, and Emma wasn't ready to do that either. Third, she didn't expect to be driving Chase Warwick back to his house tonight.
Emma would blame the expensive dress and the five-thousand-dollar burger. Neither of those things was typical for her and it was throwing her all off.
Or she could blame the stupid movie star in her front seat who had gone quiet. She had justdone what Chase had told her to do — turn right at this light — but he was quiet and contemplative as he stared out the passenger window of her Toyota. He was probably wondering what the hell he had gotten himself into. And to be fair, she was still thinking the same thing herself.
Emma started to wind up a curving road as it climbed the side of a hill before he finally spoke up again.
