Page 5 of Chasing Forever

Just then, her phone rang on the table, and Quinn’s name appeared on the screen.

Chase seemed relieved by the interruption and quickly stepped back. “Go ahead and take it. I’ll see you around.”

She gave him a brief wave, picked up her phone, and hurried inside. Wait until Quinn heard about this!

Chapter 4

Damn! They were everywhere. It was going to be next to impossible to keep himself to himself on this trip. He’d already met two women at the pool—friends who were there for a week on a “girls’ trip.” Kelsey and Tina were a little young for him, but hey, he was on vacation!

Then there was the hot woman next door—Callie. At first glance, she’d reminded him of a sexy professor he’d once had, or maybe it was the librarian. In any case, he was a sucker for an attractive woman wearing glasses. And yes, he’d always imagined the glasses being whipped off in the heat of passion, or in Callie’s case, she’d probably carefully set them aside.

That was his impression of her—pretty without really owning it and maybe a bit uptight. Or maybe she was just smart and careful. She’d seemed reserved when he’d introduced himself, but who could blame her? She had no idea who he was or what he was after. She’d played it cool, and that was a smart move.

On the other hand, Kelsey and Tina had acted exactly the opposite. They’d eyed him like a piece of candy, which he hadn’t minded, before they’d come over and introduced themselves. They’d exchanged names and pleasantries before sashaying back to their lounge chairs on the opposite side of the pool.

He considered himself an intelligent person, and even though he’d been blindsided by Cassandra, he still trusted his instincts. He had a hunch that should he want to pursue either of the women (or maybe even both), they wouldn’t turn him down. They’d been giddy, flirtatious, and quite possibly intoxicated, but he hadn’t really been interested, and that bugged the crap out of him.

Since when did he turn down a sure thing? What healthy single male wouldn’t want to pursue two sexy females who seemed receptive?

He would have liked to blame it all on Cass, but the truth was he’d turned sour and cynical because of his job. His clients were people who’d professed to love and cherish their spouses until death, yet while they were in his office, you’d never know it.

After everything he’d seen and heard, he couldn’t help but become hardened. He knew of very few success stories, his own parents being one of the exceptions. His dad, Daniel, and Daniel’s two partners owned Edwards, Stewart, and Wineman, and it had seemed inevitable that Chase would join them someday.

From a young age, he’d helped with menial tasks around the office, but he’d also picked up the jargon, become familiar with legal documents, and gained invaluable insight into the profession.

After law school, he’d immediately joined his dad’s firm. He’d had to prove himself just like anyone else, but he was a quick study and a hard worker, and the law came easy to him.

It wasn’t until recently that he’d started feeling a niggle of dissatisfaction and started questioning his career choice. He still wanted to practice law, but he was considering moving into a different niche such as estate planning, where the aim was to provide for one’s family, not tear it apart.

But he didn’t have to decide immediately. He had the next eight weeks to mull it over. In the meantime, he planned on doing all the things tourists do in Hawaii: sunbathe, swim, snorkel, hike, eat pineapple, and relax.

He’d try to avoid: buying a flowery Hawaiian shirt, eating too much pineapple, getting sunburned, and getting involved with a woman (or two, as the case might be).

Anyway, what was the point unless he just wanted to get laid? After eight weeks, he’d be leaving, and he’d never see the woman again.

Wait a minute, you idiot! That’s exactly the point. A no-strings, harmless, fun-in-the-sun affair. What’s wrong with me? Has the sun already fried my brain? That did it. Tomorrow he’d seek out Kelsey and Tina. But tonight he was too exhausted.

He decided to get dressed, drive to the nearest town for dinner, and hit the hay early. A good meal and a solid night’s rest would revive him, and maybe tomorrow he’d start to get his mojo back.

Mojo? Now, that’s a word I haven’t used in a long time…

Chapter 5

After consulting her Kauai travel guide, Callie settled on Puka Dog for dinner. Quinn would probably tease her for choosing a hot dog joint out of all the options, but it was quick, convenient, and according to the travel guide, the best hot dog place on the island. Besides, she was too tired to sit down to a full-course meal. She just wanted to eat and then return to the condo and go to sleep. She had eight weeks to try other restaurants.

She pulled into the shopping center where the restaurant was located and parked. It was dusk now, but the air was still warm, and she liked that she didn’t have to bundle up like she’d been doing at home.

Puka Dog was easy to find, and soon she was standing in line behind several other people waiting to order. Seeing how busy it was assured her she’d made the right choice.

“Next!” shouted a young guy who was taking orders.

When the next person stepped up to the counter, Callie sucked in a breath. No. It can’t be him. Out of all the restaurants on the island, he wouldn’t have picked this one. But wait a minute, I did!

Even though his back was to her, she recognized that body and his voice. This was one of the few times she didn’t mind being short, or petite, as Quinn called her. She could successfully hide behind the tall guy in front of her and observe Chase without him knowing.

She listened while he placed his order and then stepped up to the register to pay. She watched closely as he handed the pretty cashier his American Express card, and she saw the girl’s cheeks flush as she rang up his order.

Of course. Any woman, young, old, or in between, would have to be blind not to notice him. This was another reason why he’d make the perfect romance hero.