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Unlocking the front door, Chase stepped aside as I walked in, taking in every detail. As I moved from room to room, my hand caressing detailed carvings in the wood, looking out each window, smiling as I ran my fingers over the Tennessee Limestone countertops in the state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen, I said nothing, absorbing every detail.
Everything about this house seemed magical. It was perfect. A dream I never knew existed, and he did it all himself. He truly was a gifted craftsman.
I loved everything about the house, almost as if I knew where to go. The concept was simple, an open floor plan. The only walls separating anything were the bedrooms and bathrooms. No matter where I was in the main living quarters, I could see everything.
“The house has four bedrooms and a master. Two in each wing of the house, with the master in the third. All the wings converge here, at the heart of the house.
I smiled at that.
“It’s beautiful Chase. This isn’t just a house. It’s a work of art.”
“Thank you.”
“I especially love that each wing has its own panoramic view. No view is the same. I bet the view is stunning when winter hits. Does it snow a lot here in the Shenandoah Valley like it does in West Virginia?”
“Rosewood is a tourist destination point because of the snowfall we get. Sometimes it can be a hindrance and we’ve occasionally been snowed in up here.”
“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” I whispered, moving over to the enormous stone fireplace in the living room.
Walking over to me, he placed the keys to the house on the mantle before reaching for my hand. “Welcome home, Skylar.”
Shaking my head, I barely whispered in shock. “No, Chase, I can’t accept it. It’s too much. I wouldn’t know what to do with a house this big.”
“Well, I’m hoping that you’d allow me to live here too and together we could fill it up with our children. I love you, Skylar. I’ve never loved a woman like I love you. I can’t promise you I won’t mess up again or go silent occasionally, but I can promise you I will always love you. You are my eternal life. Marry me?” he sincerely said, placing his mother’s ring back on my finger as tears rolled slowly down my face.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, holding my hand in his.
“Are you?” I countered.
“I just want you.”
“Then this is what I want, too.” I smiled at him as we both heard someone say. “Montclair Hobbs party.”
Turning to the older woman, I held Chase’s hand as we walked into the little chapel. Still dressed in the beautiful black cocktail dress from earlier, and him in his suit, Chase drove us the few hours it took for us to get to Virginia Beach. They didn’t say Virginia is for lovers for nothing. With waves crashing against the sand, I married Chase Montclair as the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean, heralding a new day.
The second the justice of the peace said,you may kiss the bride, Chase didn’t need to be told twice. He gathered me in his arms and kissed me as if I were the only woman in the world and I knew for him... I was.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Pyro
Skylar Rose was mine.
My wife.
While I knew there would be an adjustment period as we both learned what it was like to live with one another, I was up for the challenge. In fact, I looked forward to it. The feeling of everything falling into place for the first time in five years washed over me, as if my life had finally found its rhythm again.
However, nothing could have prepared me for what came next.
After the quick marriage and breakfast at one of the local restaurants on the boardwalk, so Skylar could enjoy the ocean view, I got us thehoneymoonsuite at one of the most exclusive hotels on the strip. With wall-to-wall windows and a balcony that faced the Atlantic Ocean, I stood on the balcony admiring the view as thoughts of what came next filtered into my head.
It had been a hot minute for me.
Five years, to be exact.
I wasn’t experienced like my brothers, but I knew enough. Yet, I found myself scared. Unsure of myself, which I thought ironic, considering since meeting Skylar, all I could think about was getting her in my bed. I’ve dreamed of this minute since I first laid eyes on her. Remembering her in that clearing, the day her brother found me, had haunted me and left me feeling deeply confused. I battled against my desire, but eventually succumbed to its irresistible pull.
For years, I would dream of Ellie, then one fateful day changed everything. I never believed I would find love again until I tasted the sweetness of Skylar’s kiss and felt the butterflies in my stomach the night I kissed her at the lake. The realization hit me hard that I had accepted a lifetime of solitude. It was at that moment I knew I wasn’t angry at Skylar, but at myself for doing exactly what my parents did when they knew Cassie wouldn’t come home. My mom gave up and my dad refused to live without my mom. Like them, I gave up. I pulled away from everything that mattered to me - my brothers, the club, my work, everything. Instead of getting the help I needed, I wrapped myself in the darkness of grief, allowing it to consume me.
