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Chase hadn’t plannedon taking Katie to his house.Seeing her today wasn’t planned, either.He’d obsessed about it ever since Mary let the detail slip last night that Katie was leaving.He was hurt, too.She hadn’t bothered to mention it.Had she planned on sneaking away, then?
He’d seen her talking on her phone while he was walking back with Timmy.She’d looked pale, shaky.He’d offered to help, but she didn’t want his help.Maybe she didn’t want it because she didn’t want to be beholden to him or wanted to prove her independence.Whatever the reason, someone or something had shaken her up.He knew her.Instinctively, he had felt protective.But she took care of it herself.She was bullheaded that way.
He also had something he hadn’t told her.In a few minutes, she would find out—when she saw his house and when she realized where he’d built it and why.
Katie snucka glance at Chase’s profile as he was driving.If he knew she was watching, he gave no sign, just concentrating on the road.
He had said it was a short drive to the elementary school from his house.She knew this area well.It was on the outskirts of town.She rested her head and looked out the window at the rolling hills, green fields, and sparse houses on large plots of land with plenty of room.It hadn’t changed much.She remembered how pretty it was here and how peaceful.
The car slowed down around the curve.Then she saw a flash of color and recognized Chase’s red truck as he swung into the driveway.
“Wait… whose home is this?”She gawked at the stunning new house at the end of the driveway.
He grinned.“Don’t you know?”
She knew this place when it was a field.She remembered how it looked with tall grass and beautiful wildflowers.She remembered how they laughed, ran, and romped in the field.She remembered telling him it was God’s country, a piece of heaven on Earth, and she wished it could be theirs forever.She remembered he’d picked the most beautiful wildflowers for her and asked her to be his.
Her chin quivered, and her eyes welled with happy tears.She whispered, “I know,” as she hugged him tight and kissed him tenderly with all her heart.
