Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty
Z oey sat down at her kitchen table to enjoy her morning cup of coffee. She had awakened later than she had planned, blaming it on staying up reading her great-grandmother’s diary. Although she had a lot more to read, she understood her great-grandparents’ marriage well. She’d even gotten to know her great-great-grandmother Penny, a woman who wanted her son to marry Deedra for all the wrong reasons. She also knew of Penny’s intense dislike for the Madarises and the reason for the Satterfield and Madaris feud.
Ms. Felicia was right; her great-grandmother had been a God-fearing woman with a heart of gold who was loved and respected by all who knew her. Deedra and Waylon’s marriage was based on a strong friendship and not love, and both had kept their vows to each other. Zoey needed to talk to Ms. Felicia, and it couldn’t wait until their next planned meeting on Thursday. She would call her later to see if she could meet with her sooner.
One of the first things she’d noticed was that it had rained overnight, and the forecast today indicated it would rain again later today. Would Chance cancel their plans ? No sooner had that thought entered her mind than her phone rang. It was Chance.
Placing her coffee cup aside, she picked up her phone. “Good morning, Chance.”
“Good morning, Zoey. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. I hadn’t known it had rained until I woke this morning.”
“That’s the reason I was calling,” he said. “The ground will be too wet for a traditional picnic, so I thought we could enjoy lunch on your patio since it has a good view of the lake. Then, afterward, we can go canoeing. I’m sure Trevor wouldn’t mind if we used one of his.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Chance.”
“Great. I’ll be there around noon.”
Since he didn’t mention the ride to the fruit grove, she figured he would see how the weather held out before canceling that. After finishing her coffee, she placed a call to Mama Laverne who agreed to meet with her Tuesday. After the call, she went upstairs to shower and dress.
She was headed toward her bedroom when suddenly, she had a flashback of doing the same thing as a little girl. She’d been happy that day because she and her parents would go to Gramma Bella and Grampa Josh’s big house for dinner.
She wanted to believe that being here was what she needed and that before leaving, she would get her memory back.
***
Chance’s gaze traveled the length of Zoey when she opened the door. She was wearing a cute pair of denim shorts and an off-the-shoulder blouse. She had a broad smile on her face. As much as he wanted to think it was for him, he figured it was for something else. “You had another flashback?”
“Yes!” she said excitedly, moving aside for him to enter. “I remembered being here, inside this house with my parents. Later that day we joined my grandparents at the big house for dinner. That’s what we called your house. The big house.”
He followed her into the kitchen and placed the huge picnic basket on the table. “Come here, sweetheart,” he said, opening his arms to her. She came to him, and he held her in a tight embrace. “I’m happy for you. That’s great news, baby,” he said, liking how the terms of endearment had easily rolled off his lips.
She pulled back and gave him a cheerful grin. “Thanks, and I feel it will all come back before I leave, Chance. I really believe that.”
“Then it will happen. Just continue to believe. As I told you, Mama Laverne convinced me I would walk again. I believed it, and it happened.”
She nodded, looked over at the basket, and laughed. “What all do you have in there?”
He laughed. “Just a few things I threw together.”
She grinned. “That looks like a lot, Chancellor Madaris.”
He had told her to call him Chance instead of Chancellor, but he would admit hearing her say his proper name just now sounded damn good. “Go check it out for yourself.”
She did, and he couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming all over her while she did so. “Barbecue ribs and chicken, mac and cheese, potato salad, and chips. You’ve been busy, Mr. Madaris.”
“I got up early. With Cate fixing many of my meals, I’d forgotten how much I’d enjoyed cooking.”
She nodded and walked back to him. “I’ll get the table on the patio ready.”
“I’ll help, but first, I need this,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
The instant their lips touched, he felt something he hadn’t felt in years—at peace. As if holding her in his arms was what he should be doing. Not just today but every day. The thought of that should have given him pause, but it didn’t. Instead, he concentrated on her taste—sweet, delicious, and so damn hot.
He desired her and felt it in every part of his body, a need he was fighting to control but was finding it hard to do so. He was losing it in one delectable way. She moaned softly, and when she did, he lowered his hands to cup her bottom, gently squeezed it, and eased her more firmly to his middle. She responded, rising up on her tiptoes so he could deepen the kiss.
Chance did. Never had he kissed a woman with such intensity and passion. Those other times they’d kissed didn’t count. This was the real deal, as real as it could get. He wondered if she remembered their agreement. She didn’t engage in meaningless affairs, but he did. At least, he used to. He hadn’t done so in seven months, and the idea of doing so again didn’t appeal to him. And all because of her.
He finally ended their kiss and she smiled at him before he grabbed the basket and followed her to the patio.