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ChapterNine
Hallie
Lifting my phone, I scanned the screen, double-checking the grocery list I’d texted to myself. My eyes scanned to the text from Chase below it. I couldn't help but smile to myself again. I'd read this silly text more times than I could count all because of how it ended.I can't wait to see you.
I couldn't wait to see Chase. It had been barely a week since I’d seen him. I already felt like I was showing more. I looked down at my belly, smoothing my hand over it.
I was nervous, more nervous than I wanted to be. I kept telling myself it wasn't like this was the first time I was going to see Chase. I needed to get used to the idea of him being a part of my life.
My cheeks got hot all over. Every time I thought of him, vivid memories of the night we spent together came rushing back. I’d felt vulnerable and raw with him in a way I'd never felt with anyone. At the time, I told myself it was because it was a one-night stand and we were never going to see each other again. I’d let my guard down more. So much for one night.
If my pregnancy was healthy and I had this baby, Chase would be a part of my life for years and years to come.
I kept telling myself not to want anything from him, not to expect anything, but it was hard.
“Excuse me?” a voice said.
I glanced over my shoulder quickly to see a woman behind me. I was blocking part of the cheese section at the grocery store. “Oh, I'm sorry.” I hurried out of the way.
Chase and I had kept up with our three things a day, which was turning out to be a low pressure way to get to know someone. I felt like this was all happening backward. We'd had hot sex, we were having a baby, and now we were getting to know each other. Funnily enough, I kind of liked it.
I returned home and put away the groceries. One more night until I saw Chase, and I was seriously impatient. I was sitting on my couch, distractedly watching television when my phone rang. I glanced down to see my sister-in-law’s name flash on the screen.
I adored Risa and considered her one of my closest friends, which was a gift because I was close to my brother, and it would have been awful if I hadn't liked his wife. I’d told them about my pregnancy just last week. I thought Darren was still adjusting. Sliding my thumb across the screen, I lifted the phone to my ear.
“Hey, how's it going?” I asked.
“Fine. How are you feeling?” Risa replied.
“Good. How’s Darren? Or how is he adjusting to my news?”
Risa’s throaty chuckle filtered through the phone line. “He wants to know how it’s going with the father, and he offered to help.”
“I found him, and it went well.”
“Soooo?”
“So what?” I returned.
She let out a huff. “What is he like, and what is his last name? You know Darren's going to look him up.”
“I know, and that's weird. His name is Chase Mills, and he lives in Willow Brook. He's a firefighter for one of the hotshot crews there. He grew up there. He has a sister, and his father is still alive, and they're close. I already told you that the bartender vouched for him.”
“Right, but who is the bartender?”
“She's very nice. Her name is Delilah. She works at Wildlands.”
“Oh, I think I've been there once. I'm going to ask Jasmine about him.”
“Huh?”
“Jasmine Ward. She runs the gallery there.”
“Oh, that’s right! Chase mentioned he knows her.”
“I'm sure she knows all about him because Levi Phillips is her brother. He's a hotshot firefighter, and she's married to Donovan, who’s also a hotshot firefighter,” Risa added.
“Oh, my god. The world is too small,” I muttered. “It doesn't feel right to have you nosing around about him.”
