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“Old habits die hard, I guess.”
“Maybe, but you deserve better than that.”
A warmness invades my chest again and I look up at him and smile. “You know, you’re not as grumpy as you make everyone believe.” I slide my hand over his heart. “I think inside here, there’s a real softy.”
His big hand twitches around mine. “It’s just you, Twyla. You bring it out of me.”
The slow song ends, and a fast song takes its place. Everyone on the dance floor pulls apart and dances to the fast song, but Chase steps back, removing his hands from me.
“I don’t do fast songs.” He turns without waiting for me to respond and beelines it off the dance floor.
As I watch him go, I can’t help but hope his running has more to do with his words than the song.
Chase gives me a wide berth the rest of the night, which is fine. I have a lot of fun with the girls—minus my brother’s date. I tried to make small talk with her, like, ten times, to find some common ground, but she didn’t seem interested.
I wonder if this is how my brother felt when I started dating Mathew? The difference is that I won’t say anything. It’s his life and Heather must make him happy somehow, even if I don’t see it.
When the event wraps up, Chase and I say our goodbyes and step outside where our ride is waiting for us. Chase waves off the driver and helps me in himself, then we’re on our short drive back to the condo building.
“Did you have a good time tonight? I know it’s not really your thing…” I ask.
“Better than most.” He gives me a tight-lipped smile, which is about the most one can get from him, so I take it as a win.
“What did you think of Heather?”
He looks at me through the corner of his eyes before turning his head directly toward me. “Honestly?”
I nod.
“I don’t like her.”
I laugh, not at his opinion but at his bluntness. While I worry too much about what other people think, he’s firm in his convictions. “Tell me how you really feel.”
He shrugs one big shoulder. “You asked.”
“I did. The reason I asked is because”—I lean in close—“I feel the same way.”
“You don’t have to whisper. No one’s here.” Chase leans into me, one corner of his mouth tugging up.
We’re so close, our faces only inches apart, and briefly, I think about pressing my lips to his. Instead, I roll my eyes playfully. “I don’t like saying mean things about other people.”
He sits back up and I miss his nearness right away. “Why? She certainly wasn’t nice to you.”
I look down at my hands. I’d noticed the same, obviously, but it wasn’t just me. She seemed to think all the women there tonight were her competition, even the engaged ones. Even me, Miles’s sister, for crying out loud.
“I don’t know, that’s just me, I guess.”
“Yeah, I know.” The way he says it makes it sound as though it’s not a good thing. He goes back to looking out the window.
We’re quiet for the remainder of the drive, and Chase once again helps me from the back of the SUV once we’re parked at the curb. I’m irked when my hand lands in his and my heartbeat picks up.
“Thanks for a fun night,” I say as we walk away from the curb, but I stop when I hear something.
“I keep telling—”
I raise my hand for Chase to be quiet and he does, but not without a scowl. I hear the sound again and rush over to the post office box a little farther down the sidewalk.
“What are you doing?” Chase follows me.
