12. Addison
Addison
# Drinking bourbon-laced tea in front of a roaring log fire is not foreplay
I still can’t stop thinking about what Chase said earlier today even though I really should. I fucked up our friendship, and anything else we were ever going to be. What the hell did he even mean by that? Jackass is messing with my head.
I was just a hookup to him. Someone he felt sorry for.
Someone he threw a bone. I don’t let myself get too caught up in that memory because it’s too painful, and also, after our incredibly intense encounter today in the lobby, we managed to have a pleasant afternoon.
More than pleasant actually. Chase made Eva’s mom snort laugh with some of his stories from when they were kids—he’s always been great at making people smile.
After the afternoon tea was over, we all hung around the lobby until dinner.
It was a truly special day, full of family and friends and laughter.
And afterward Chase and I walked back to the cabin and I changed into my pajamas while he made us some tea—ginger for me and rooibos for him—and he lit the fire too, the one we’re currently sitting in front of. Me on a beanbag and him on the sofa, and a bottle of bourbon on the table between us.
Chase pours a generous slug into his tea and then offers me the same, and of course I gratefully accept, because the only thing cozier than tea by a roaring fire is bourbon in said tea.
“So, tell me again how Brian came to be my landlord?” I ask.
He winces, screwing up his eyes and muttering a string of curses before he answers.
And I’m glad he feels bad about it. He damn well should.
“I knew you’d be pissed if you thought it was me, and I also knew those units needed an overhaul.
So, I put my best project manager on the job to get it all handled as quickly and professionally as possible. ”
I sip my tea and mull that over. It is true that shortly after Brian became my landlord, we did get new plumbing and electrics, not to mention new energy-efficient storefront windows.
Chase’s company is big on green energy and it’s one of the things I’ve always grudgingly admired about his business.
“And the monthly calls?”
He smirks. “Well, he calls all of his tenants, but I admit you’re the only one he ever told me he stayed on a call with for more than two minutes.”
I can feel my cheeks flushing. A few hours after the very first time I spoke to him, his four-year-old son, Oscar, called me; I assumed Brian had left his phone unlocked and the kid had been playing around.
Oscar and I had a lovely chat before his dad took the phone and apologized.
I told him it was no big deal and then we talked about his kids and his wife, and I ended up telling him about my disastrous date the night before, and that was the start of a beautiful friendship…
or so I thought. “Does he tell you what we talk about?”
Chase takes a healthy slug of his tea. “I will admit I do show more interest in you than any of the other tenants, but only because you’re…
” His blue eyes narrow on my face and I feel like wriggling in my seat under the intense scrutiny of his gaze, but I don’t.
Chase looking at me like that also makes me feel like wriggling in my seat for an entirely different reason. “Well, you’re you.”
“Who else would I be, Chase?”
He smiles, that lazy, lopsided grin that used to, and unfortunately still does, make him look far too sexy for his own good.
Recalling the many conversations I’ve had with Brian about my disastrous relationships, I ask, “Does he keep you up to speed on my dating life too?”
“I mean he doesn’t give me details,” he says, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Wow!” I shake my head. “Brian is a sneak.”
“He’s just doing his job, and he really likes you.
Don’t be mad at the guy. I showed an interest in you and I’m his boss so…
But Jasper though? Really?” He tilts his head to the side and the twinkle in his eyes is far too playful and mischievous.
It should be a siren telling me to run far and fast from this conversation.
But it’s comfy here in front of the fire, so I don’t.
“You don’t even know him.”
“I know he’s a douche-knuckle.”
I scoff. “How?”
“Because he dumped you.” He flashes me a wicked grin while he tops up my ginger tea with a generous slug of bourbon.
“You think you’re so smooth, Chase Hunter. But like I said, you don’t even know him. So don’t judge me.”
He raises an amused eyebrow. “You mean the microbrewer with the heart of a lion ?”
I snort a laugh that has ginger tea coming out of my nose, but I’m too busy giggling to care. I wipe my face with the sleeve of my sweater. “You’ve seen his Instagram page?”
He nods. “Top-notch douche-knuckle.”
“Well, he at least had the hair of a lion,” I say through my laughter. “Honestly, I’m sure I’ll still be finding strands of his long, blond hair in my drain when I’m a grandma.”
Chase shifts forward in his seat, blue eyes laser focused on my face. “A grandma, huh?”
“What? Is that unusual?”
He shakes his head. “So, you want the whole marriage and kids thing?”
Oh, wow, this conversation took a turn, but I deflect like a pro. “Why have you seen my ex-boyfriend’s Instagram?”
He shrugs. “Eva told me you were cut up about him, so I checked him out.”
I sigh and roll my eyes. “I wasn’t cut up about him.”
“One of these days, Addie, I’m going to spank your ass when you roll those pretty eyes at me.
” He takes a swig of his tea like he didn’t just say something wildly inappropriate, and also something which has images of him spanking me now burned into my brain.
“So, you were just cut up about attending this wedding solo?” he goes on.
I blink at him. How the hell does he know that? And if I admit that, then I admit that I was worried about having to see his douchey face in person. “No,” I insist. “Maybe I was upset about Jasper,” I lie with ease. “So, sue me.”
His jaw works, making him appear annoyed. He takes a big gulp of his tea before topping up his mug and when he looks at me again, his eyes are softer. “So that was just me worried about attending this wedding solo then?”
“You were cut up about having to attend Brax and Eva’s wedding on your own?”
He hums to himself. “Not cut up, no. But I did wonder about bringing a date. If only to stop all the questions, or the pitying looks.”
“People definitely pity women more than men at these kinds of things,” I remind him. “Single men are carefree bachelors, while women are reminded of their biological clocks .”
He nods, like he agrees with that assessment.
Damn, why is he so charming and easy to talk to, and why am I so desperate to know more about his personal life?
I’ve been able to glean enough about him from Brax and Eva over the years.
He dates. A lot! But he’s never had a serious relationship, at least none that he’s told them about anyway.
“So, why didn’t you? Bring a date I mean? ”
“Inviting someone to a wedding is a pretty huge step. Especially bringing them to Brax and Eva’s wedding. It’s basically introducing someone to my family.”
“And there’s nobody who you want to take that step with?” I ask, probing more than I should, but this is just a conversation between…well, two people who used to be friends at least.
He shakes his head. “You obviously did though. With Jasper. The guy you booked a cabin with that has a sex dungeon?” There’s an edge to his voice now that makes him sound a little annoyed.
I roll my eyes. “That was not the reason I booked this cabin,” I insist.
His eyes narrow and I’m reminded of that eye-roll comment he made, and how it does things to my insides that are both unwelcome and yet delicious.
But he doesn’t make good on his threat to spank me, fortunately—or not.
“So, you weren’t planning on a four-night fuck-a-thon with your heart-of-a-lion boyfriend? ”
Another snort of laughter, although this time minus the ginger tea being forcefully ejected from my nose. I shake my head. “Definitely not any kind of fuck-a-thon.” I internally shudder at the thought. “I suppose I did want to stop all the awkward ‘Are you still single?’ questions though.”
“You do want to get married though? Have kids? Become a grandma?”
And now we’re back here again. “You don’t need to be married to have kids, you know?”
He grins. “I know. Stop dodging the question.”
Do I give him honesty? Does he deserve it? I take another sip of my bourbon-infused tea before I answer. “Yeah, I do. When I left college, I had these big dreams about seeing the world and becoming someone extraordinary. And then I saw the world, and you know what?”
He’s staring at me intently. Listening. It feels like forever since a guy has actually listened to me, while not trying to get into my pants. “What?” His voice is deep and sensual even when he doesn’t intend it to be.
“I loved my time abroad. I had experiences that I’ll remember for the rest of my life, but the entire time I was away, I really missed home.
And I realized that what I really wanted for my life wasn’t even close to the dreams I’d convinced myself I should have.
In fact, they were a hell of a lot smaller. Not all that extraordinary after all.”
His bright blue eyes are still fixed on my face. “I don’t think any dreams are small, Addie, if they’re what we truly want.”
I suppose he has a point there. Damn eloquent asshole. “I guess. Although the house I want to live in with my adoring husband and our darling children, who will be the perfect blend of both of us, isn’t small.”
He grins. “No? And which house would that be?”
“The old Cooper Place on Hope Street. You know the one with the wraparound porch and the swing. It’s been up for sale for almost a year now and I can’t believe nobody has snapped it up.”
“I remember the place. Brax and I used to steal the peaches from their trees out back.”
“You have real light fingers when it comes to fruit, don’t you?” I tease him.
He shrugs. “There are worse flaws to have than being a fruit thief, I guess.”
Yeah, like stealing hearts. I don’t say that though, and he didn’t exactly steal my heart, or my virginity. I gave them both willingly.
“So, you don’t plan on leaving Juniper Ridge again?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I feel right there, you know? Like it’s where I’m supposed to be. Not extraordinary. Just me.”
“I think you’re pretty extraordinary, Addison Kinsella.” He pours a little more bourbon into his tea.
Is he just saying that to make me feel better, or does he mean it? “I think you’re pretty extraordinary too, Chase Hunter,” I admit, and then immediately feel vulnerable for having done so. “But then you always were. Star athlete. Homecoming King. Hotshot, award-winning architect.”
He takes a swig of his tea, which is now probably just bourbon and not tea at all. “They’re just things I’ve done. I don’t think they’re the kinds of things that make people extraordinary.”
“Then what does?” I ask, aware of the tremor in my voice.
“The ability to make the people around you feel something, I guess. Loved. Happy. Cared for. Protected. Kindness is underrated, especially in LA.” He clears his throat. “So, tell me more about this new dream of yours.”
“When I was younger, I always thought marriage and kids were the easy choice, you know? The thing I could do if my fantasies of traveling the world didn’t work out.
But now sometimes it feels like that’s the dream that’s farthest away.
I look at my mom and dad and see how happy they are, and I guess I always assumed that I’d find that one day too.
But, I don’t know, I think I’m running out of options. ”
He rolls his eyes. Maybe I should threaten to spank his ass. “You’re twenty-seven.”
“I said options, not time, dumbass.” I throw a cushion at his head, but he catches it with ease.
He sticks the cushion behind his back. “Why on earth do you think that?”
I sigh. “I love my store. I love my family and my friends and…” I search for the right words.
“Our town is so small, I feel like everyone has already found their someone, you know? And all the people who are left are left for a reason…like me.” I force out a laugh, so I don’t cry and sink the last of my ginger-bourbon tea. “Or are passing through, like Jasper.”
He stares at me, like he’s going to speak, but he doesn’t.
I voice the fear I haven’t wanted to admit to myself for a while now. “I sometimes wonder if there’s only one person for everyone, then how will I find mine in Juniper Ridge?”