“You make it sound so easy, Gammie. What if once he sees me, ummm, not fully dressed, he changes his mind?” Reagan blushed again. She couldn’t believe she was talking about being naked with a man, with her grandmother. Yet she knew she had to work through her insecurities if she was going to be able to truly let Chase in.
“If that happens, then he isn’t the man you thought he was,” Gammie said firmly. “But from what you’ve told me about Chase over the last few months, I don’t think that will happen, my dear.”
Reagan looked at her grandmother in shock. “How did you know it was Chase?”
Gammie reached over and patted her leg fondly. “What did I tell you earlier? A grandmother can sense these things.”
Chapter 4
Tuesday afternoon, Chase met up with Ryan and Noah at the gym. He finished his five-mile run on the treadmill and looked over at the free weights section where the others were working out. Their weekly gym sessions had given Chase the opportunity to get to know the other guys and develop friendships with them all. Yet he knew he was holding back from really connecting with any of the men. None of them had given any indication that they recognized him or knew about his past. Chase wasn’t sure if he was ready to fully admit the things he had done, how being young and stupid had almost cost him everything. He enjoyed just being Chase McCormick, the guy who played guitar and sang at the pub a couple of times a week. They didn’t need to know he was also Chase Thomas, former drummer for the popular rock band Black Star. Not that being a formerly famous musician was a bad thing, more the decisions Chase had made, the things he had done, while at the height of his fame, that he was embarrassed of.
When Black Star had risen to fame, Chase and his bandmates were in their early twenties. Their popularity had soared, and they had been swept away in the madness of the music scene. Parties, drugs, women, the band had indulged in it all. Their manager, Ronald Boone, had tried to act as a guiding light, a parental figure for the boys, but they had rebelled against any attempt at rules or restrictions. They were young and wild. Several close calls with law enforcement for drug possession and underage drinking hadn’t been enough to slow them down. No, sadly, the band had continued to make music, money, and bad decisions, until one day their lead singer simply did not show up for rehearsal. He was eventually found in a crack house, dead from an overdose.
That was the point of rock bottom for Chase, and the wake-up call he needed to realize he was headed down the same path. He had lived in some crappy homes while growing up in the foster care system, and understood a little too well how the abuse of drugs and alcohol could lead to the abuse of other things. The band broke up, and Chase left New York and the music scene. He didn’t have any family, having grown up in the foster care system. So, with no ties holding him back, and a strong desire to pull his life together, Chase had made his way across the country. Thankfully, he had only occasionally used the more dangerous drugs, unlike his bandmates who would often get high after every show. So, walking away from them was not as hard as it could have been. Walking away from music, however, proved to be impossible. But he didn’t want to be recognized as Chase Thomas, so he traded in his drumsticks for a guitar.
When he eventually reached Portland, Chase had decided to settle down. Royalties from Black Star continued to pour in, and Chase had wisely invested some of his earlier earnings, meaning money was not a concern. That was one of the few pieces of advice from their manager he had listened to, which he was thankful for now. He found an apartment to rent and struck up a friendship with one of his neighbors. That neighbor happened to work at a local brewery, and connected Chase with Jake. Which brought him to where he was today, with a group of guys he considered friends—even if they had no idea who he really was.
“Chase, come over here and keep me company. My brother will not stop gushing about Anna. We single guys need to stick together,” Ryan’s brother Noah called out.
If I had it my way, I wouldn’t be single either…Chase thought as an image of Reagan crossed his mind. But he smiled as he walked over to the brothers.
“I don’t swing your way, Noah, but I’m sure we could find a great dude to hook you up with,” Chase teased.
“Yeah fuck off, man, you know what I meant.” Noah rolled his eyes as Ryan laughed.
Chase just shrugged. “I do, still, you walked into that one.”
Ryan clapped his hands together and grinned at Chase. “Okay, dude, we’ve established my brother isn’t gay, just lonely. The real question is… Are you still single? I saw that kiss between you and Reagan at the wedding. You’re just lucky Jake and Callie weren’t paying attention, or they would be here giving you the third degree instead of enjoying their honeymoon.”
Chase’s eyes widened. So much for keeping his attraction to Reagan a secret. “Wait, you guys saw that?” He ran his fingers through his hair apologetically. “I guess I should tell you; I really like her.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“Yeah, man, it’s kind of obvious given how much you two stare and moon at each other when you don’t think anyone will notice.”
Despite their relaxed responses, Chase was still nervous. He felt like the new guy in the group and didn’t want to make anything awkward. “So, you think everyone would be okay if we started dating?”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Dude, we’re all just wondering why the two of you have waited so long.”
Ryan and Noah’s nonchalant reactions to his confession both surprised and relieved him. Apparently, he didn’t have to worry about whether or not their friends would support him pursuing Reagan.
He nodded slowly. “Okay. That’s good to know.”
Ryan fixed him with a stare. “But make no mistake. If you hurt her, we’ll have to kick your ass.”
“If I hurt her, I’ll let you.”
* * *
Meanwhile, Reagan was over at Anna’s house. Reagan hadn’t seen Chase since their kiss on Sunday at the pub, so by the time she received Anna’s text asking if she wanted to come over, she was ready to try and talk about her confusing feelings. Anna and Ryan’s goofy dog Samson was sprawled across her lap, as she drank a cup of coffee and finally opened up about Chase. To her surprise, Anna already knew about the kiss at the wedding. Ryan had told her what he had seen. Instead of feeling embarrassed, Reagan was relieved. It was one less thing that she had to confess.
“Well, so, after I left the wedding Chase followed me home…” Reagan paused and looked at her friend with a curious gaze. “How did he find my apartment exactly?”
Anna had the courtesy to blush. “Ummm, Ryan told him your address. You’re not mad, are you?”
Reagan smiled gently. “No, I’m not mad. I guess I should thank that fiancé of yours for pushing Chase and I together. He was quite the matchmaker on the dance floor.”
Anna reached over to touch Reagan’s leg. “It’s only because we want you both to be happy. It is so obvious to all of us how into each other you are, so why not see what could happen. What are you afraid of?”
