Page 20 of The Rhythm of their Souls

Chase has chestnut-colored hair that lays long enough to almost cover his ears. His deep hazel eyes are easy to look at. He has a burly jawline, not quite as chiseled as Theo’s, but just enough to have any girl crawling. And I think Danielle likes what she sees. I know her taste pretty well, and I can see the two of them having some fun together. Which knocks a weight off my shoulder. I can’t enjoy myself if she’s feeling some type of way, so things are looking good so far.

I smile at my thoughts and focus back on my task, not knowing that Theo is staring at me. Here we go. How long had he been hawking me while I was having a conversation in my head? I’ve tried to avoid lengthy eye contact with him.

I have not forgotten the trance he had me in at Taylor’s party. I just got here; it’s too early for this shit. I squint my eyes at him and give him a cute smile. “What are you staring at?”

He doesn’t break eye contact while biting his bottom lip slightly, which sends a sting through my insides. “You, obviously. No hello?”

I roll my eyes dramatically. “Oh, forgive me, Theo. Hello. Is that better?”

He shrugs his shoulders “It’ll do for now.”

I glance over his shoulder and see that Chase and Danielle are having a conversation. That’s a good sign, I think. Danielle is doing her little flirty giggles while twirling the ends of her hair, so I already know she’s feeling what she sees.

I decide to walk over to introduce myself. I try to shake his hand, but he pulls me in for a quick side hug. He seems very welcoming and laid back. Not to mention, he has the cutest ear-to-ear smile; I know she’s going to eat that up.

Lottie confidently trots over to Theo and vigorously licks his leg. “Ah, there’s that little fluffy rodent you call a dog,” he laughs.

“Watch it now!” I say through a snicker. She has a good sense of people, and I can tell she approves of him. I’d say we’re off to a good start so far.

We finally make it into the house. And just as I expected, the inside welcomes you with vibrant beach decor. The walls hold different shades of white with small hanging trinkets. The furniture is a mix of navy and light blues. The decorative pillows on the cream-tinged couch are the same bright coral color that paints the outside of the house. Seahorse statues stand tall on either side of the front door.

The end table holds an oval-crafted lamp that has different varieties of seashells dangling from the lampshade. The style is simple and cozy. I can picture Chase and his family holding many special memories in this place. Something I’ve never gotten to experience.

Chase seems like a real gentleman. And I can see why he and Theo are good friends. They give us a quick tour of the house. Chase is staying in the downstairs primary bedroom, while Theo left us the bigger guest bedroom upstairs across from his room. There is a full bath downstairs, and the upstairs restroom is at the end of the hall, which has a walk-in shower.

This whole house is so clean and well cared for. Lottie jumps up on the bed, wagging her tail back and forth. I’m so happy she is here; she loves little adventures with me.

Danielle flops down on the bed, playfully kicking her feet. I settle down right beside her and give her squinted eyes. “What are you thinking about, bestie?”

She slowly looks at me with an enormous grin stretched across her face. “I’m thinking I can finally throw out my nun outfit. Things just might get hot and heavy tonight!”

Without thinking, I slap her arm. “Oh my gosh, you freaking perve!” I can’t help but bust out laughing.

“At least one of us might get some action finally. I’m still rocking cobwebs down there.” Danielle snorts loudly. “I saw how Theo was ogling you when unloading the car. That man is feeling you, Olive.”

Before I go to speak, someone clears their throat near the door. I pop up from the bed, seeing Theo standing in the doorway. His face is slightly flushed, and he’s rubbing the back of his neck.

Holy fuck he heard everything, or at least the parts he didn’t need to hear.

“I wanted to see if you were hungry or wanted to meet us in the backyard. Chase has some hamburgers on the grill. I’d also like you to bring the rodent down to meet Leo.”

I nervously clear my throat while rubbing my hands together. “Uh, yes, sure we’ll be right down.”

One side of his mouth quirks up. “No, please take all the time you need. I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation. It sounded pretty action-packed.”

Before I can respond, he gives me a quick wink, then turns on his heel to go downstairs. I immediately look at Danielle, and we both bust out laughing.

We walk out the back door into a small, enclosed deck with wicker patio furniture. On the deck’s right side, there is a hot tub that can accommodate up to four people. The backyard is fairly small and fenced-in, which is relieving since I have Lottie with me.

In the corner of the lot sits a small fire pit with a few lawn chairs. My eyes light up when I see the two big palm trees with a hammock resting between them. I will spend some time in that hammock while here.

As soon as Leo spots Lottie and me, he trots over to us. I decided before coming downstairs to carry her just in case. Their size difference is by a lot. Once Lottie notices Leo, she barks a few times, and he cocks his head from left to right like he’s trying to figure her out.

Theo reassures me that Leo is just a big harmless teddy bear. I believe him, as I’m pretty good at reading animals’ demeanor. I gently place Lottie down on the ground. They immediately start circling each other, sniffing their rear ends. A typical meet and greet for dogs, if you will.

Within a couple of minutes, they are chasing each other around the fenced yard. Lottie hasn’t been around another dog in a while, so it makes me happy to see her run around and play with one of her kind. The size difference is sort of funny. I’ve never pictured a Pomeranian and a Lab playing together.

Chase made some pretty good cheeseburgers. Theo was a little concerned that I asked for mayo. I don’t see any other way to eat a cheeseburger, and everyone else seems to play it safe with ketchup and mustard. Fucking gross.