Hope (Beach Brides Book 7) by Aileen Fish & Beach Brides

Author:Aileen Fish & Beach Brides [Fish, Aileen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aspendawn Press
Published: 2017-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

When Chase arrived home Sunday night, it was late, yet he needed to talk to Hope. The fact he had nothing to say didn’t matter. He wasn’t ready for the weekend to be over. After unpacking, he settled down in his leather recliner, embers glowing in the fireplace, and picked up his phone to text her.

Are you up?

Yes, I’m too wound up to sleep.

Hang on.

He closed the messenger app and dialed her number for a video call. “Hey, beautiful.”

“Hi, handsome.” She yawned.

“Okay, well, that’s all I have to say. Good night.”

Hope laughed. “I miss you already.”

“Me too. How’s Jayden?”

“He’s asleep now, although he was smiling after you left.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she jumped in. “No, I mean still smiling. He enjoyed the weekend.”

“And you’ve decided what’s between us won’t last.” The words were bitter in his mouth. Her trepidation was obvious in her features and tone of voice.

“No, I’m afraid his attachment to you will grow, and when he doesn’t see you anymore, he’ll relapse. I shouldn’t have allowed this. I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Chase’s chest tightened. “You talk as if you’re certain he won’t see me again.”

“You can’t keep flying out here every few weeks.”

She was right. He’d already been thinking that. He doubted she’d consider coming to the ranch, yet he had to bring it up. “So come see me.”

“That’s not a good idea. Jayden will make too much of that.”

Unable to let the subject drop, he pushed on. “It will happen sometime. I know you feel it, too.”

“I don’t know what I feel. What I know is we’re moving too fast. I need time to see how Jayden accepts this. Even a long-distance relationship might be rough on him.”

“I’ll call earlier in the day so I can talk to him. Ask him how his day went. Give him advice about the school bullies.”

“He is the school bully. Or was. He’s done better since his suspension. I don’t believe in instant cures, though, so I have to wait to know how he adjusts.”

Knowing he should move on to something safer, Chase kept quiet the fact his mom wanted to meet her. Mom saw the change in him and knew he was serious about Hope. She barely blinked an eye when he walked out the door with a suitcase.

Still, he understood what was at stake for Jayden. All he wanted was a chance to show her how great their lives could be.

“How long?” he asked.

“How long, what?”

“How long do you need to wait? Days, weeks, months, years?”

She glanced away from the screen. “I don’t know,” she said softly.

“There’s no way to know, Hope. If we walk away from each other now, you’ll never have the chance to find out.”

“I don’t know,” she repeated. “I should go now.”

Chase sighed, hoping he kept his frustration off his face. “Okay. Have a good night’s sleep. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Bye, Chase.”

His phone screen went black.

****

Later that week when Hope stopped by her mom’s to pick up Jayden after an early release day for the kids, Mom was full of questions.

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