Chapter Twenty-Three
“Your dad is scary,” Patrick said, after they exited the office.
“He can be,” Chase agreed, doing his utmost to hide his displeasure with his father. He had no idea what game Simon was playing by questioning Maisy alone. Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. He hesitated outside the door, ready to storm in and rescue Maisy. Patrick was the one who stopped him.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Maisy can take care of herself. And he said he only wants to talk. Maisy doesn’t like it when I interrupt her, so she won’t like it if you do it, too.”
Patrick was right. Maisy wouldn’t appreciate him coming to her rescue. He needed to trust her to hold her own against his father.
“You don’t need to worry. You should hear the arguments she has with Sean about you.”
“About me?” Chase expected as much. Maisy’s older brother hadn’t looked overly pleased to see Chase at the baseball game the week before, he remembered. Apparently, brother and sister had more than one conversation about his relationship with Maisy, although she’d said nothing to him.
“Yup. Sean thinks she’s being foolish, and she says it’s her life, and if she wants to be foolish, then she can be foolish.”
Some of the anxiety eased from Chase’s shoulders. “Your sister isn’t being foolish. I’m falling in love with her.”
Patrick’s eyes lit up with glorious excitement as he blurted out, “Are you going to marry her?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Chase said, feeling more than a little silly admitting his feelings to her ten-year-old brother rather than to Maisy herself.
“If you decide to marry her, will you let me know first?”
“Probably not,” Chase said, hiding a smile.
“I didn’t think you would,” Patrick grumbled. “Can I have another soda?”
“Sure.” Chase led him back to the beverage center and Patrick helped himself to a second root beer, then needed to use the restroom.
By the time Chase brought him back to Simon’s office, Maisy was just exiting. She offered Chase a reassuring smile. When she saw the second drink in Patrick’s hand, she frowned. “That’s way too much sugar for you, young man.”
While Maisy chastised her brother, Chase stepped into his father’s office, having enough forethought to close the door behind him.
“What was that about?” he asked, walking up to Simon’s desk and standing in front of it with his arms crossed. Simon knew Chase would be bringing Maisy to the office. It would have been better had his father told him in advance that he wanted time alone with her.
His father shrugged. “I had a few questions for Maisy.”
“What kind of questions?” Chase wanted to know. He’d already made his feelings for Maisy clear. He didn’t want their relationship getting derailed by an inquisition.
“I’m sure you can imagine.”
Chase opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Simon stopped him by raising his hand. “I like her.”
Chase’s mouth snapped closed as he bit off the words he was about to say.
“She’s genuine.”
“And kind and beautiful,” Chase added.
“She’s fairly attractive,” Simon stated, as if he set the standard for what could be classified as beautiful and who was or wasn’t.
Chase was about to disagree and claim his father was way, way off.
Maisy was beautiful. He stopped himself.
He recalled that when he first met her, he’d viewed her much the same as his father—fairly attractive.
What he’d learned in the weeks since was that Maisy’s inner beauty was why he now thought her the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.
Thankfully, in their brief exchange, Simon had quickly recognized Maisy was the real thing.
“You approve?” he asked next.
“I do. I don’t know how you’re going to get yourself out of this mess with Harry Newman, but I’ll leave that up to you.”
“What about Harry?” Chase asked. Was there more? Chase had no intention of misleading Harry or Astrid. As soon as she arrived home from the cruise, he’d straighten everything out.
“You don’t know?” His father appeared surprised.
“Apparently not.” Chase hadn’t seen or heard from Astrid’s father since their run-in at the country club earlier in the week.
Simon’s eyes widened. “Harry’s spread the word of your engagement far and wide.”
“That’s ridiculous. Astrid knows…” He hesitated and heaved a heavy sigh. “I’ll explain everything to her the minute she’s back. We need to get this nonsense squared away.”
“I agree” was all Simon had to say. His tone was as empathetic as Chase’s intentions were.
Maisy and Patrick were waiting for him once Chase left his father’s office.
Her eyes immediately found his. Before he could speak, she said, “I like your father.” She seemed to want to reassure him.
He relaxed. “Apparently, he feels the same about you.”
The warmth of Maisy’s smile washed over him.
“It looks like I passed muster.”
“See?” Patrick said, looking at Chase. “Didn’t I tell you Maisy could hold her own?”
“You did,” Chase said, grinning. He didn’t know what had been said between Maisy and Simon. Whatever it was had settled matters in his father’s mind. It wasn’t necessary to hear the details, he decided, seeing that in the end the two had reached an understanding.
Checking his watch, Chase frowned. “That took longer than I expected. Laura and Bella will be at the hotel by now.” He reached for his phone and searched through his contact list until he located Laura’s information.
“You have Laura’s number in your cell?”
He nodded, as if it wasn’t even worthy of a response.
A quick call assured mother and daughter that Maisy was only ten minutes behind.
Together they walked briskly back to the hotel. Both Laura and Bella were waiting in the lobby. The two women embraced and were immediately caught up in conversation. Chase directed them to the area for the high tea.
“I don’t have to sit and drink tea with them, do I?” Patrick asked Chase, as if this was something dreadful.
“No way. We’ll leave the women to their gabfest.”
“What are we going to do, then?” Patrick wanted to know. “Go back to the room and wait?” He made it sound almost as bad as sitting and sipping tea with a bunch of women.
“You’re kidding, right?” Chase said, enjoying teasing the youth. “If we’re going to the Cubs game, then you’re going to need the proper attire.”
Patrick narrowed his eyes, confused. “I brought my church clothes. I’ll wear those if you want.”
“I’m thinking you need a Cubs jersey.”
Patrick’s eyes widened.
“We’re going shopping,” Chase said, and steered the boy out the door.
—
Chase and Patrick left the sporting goods store with their arms loaded down with Cubs memorabilia: three jerseys, along with three hats, socks, T-shirts, two coffee mugs, playing cards for Patrick alone, and just about one of everything else the store had on display.
Chase knew Maisy would be upset with all the money he’d spent.
At the same time, he didn’t believe she’d say anything to squelch her brother’s absolute joy to have the gear from his favorite team.
They arrived back at the hotel about the same time as the high tea was finished. From the way the three exited the room full of smiles and laughter, Chase could tell they’d had a good visit.
“Is your car taking us back to the apartment?” Bella asked, when they met up in the lobby.
“Sure thing. My driver is outside waiting.”
“You’re spoiling us,” Laura told him, but didn’t look unhappy at the prospect of having a car and driver deliver her back to her apartment.
“It’s the least I can do for how rude I was to you when we first met.”
“You’re forgiven.” Then she hugged him close and whispered in his ear, “Hurt my girl and you’ll pay big-time.”
Chase couldn’t help it, he laughed. “Not happening,” he reassured her.
Maisy walked her friends to the car, and when she returned and witnessed all the bags in Chase’s hand, she gave him the evil eye. She didn’t say anything. No need. Her look said it all.
Patrick was right—when crossed, Maisy was a force to be reckoned with.
“Can I wear my jersey to dinner tonight?” Patrick asked.
“Dinner?” Maisy repeated with her hands over her stomach. “I couldn’t possibly eat again…at least not for hours.”
“No worries.” Chase had checked the high tea menu over and found it to be substantial, knowing that he’d planned a late dinner.
Patrick yawned.
The flight had departed Seattle at nine, which meant Patrick and Maisy had left the house at six that morning for the airport.
“I don’t think my brother slept at all last night,” Maisy told Chase, placing her arm around the boy’s thin shoulders.
“I couldn’t help it, I was excited.”
Chase understood perfectly. “How about I give you a few hours to unpack and relax? I’ll be back to collect you for dinner.” He paused and glanced at his watch. “Does seven-thirty work for you?”
“I might get hungry before then,” Patrick said. “We eat dinner at home at six; that’s a long time to wait.”
“I’ve got you covered,” Chase assured him. Maisy was full of those dainty sandwiches, scones, and desserts from the high tea. Patrick, however, probably hadn’t eaten anything of substance since the plane. “I asked room service to bring you a snack.”
Maisy looked impressed. “You thought of everything.”
“I wanted to make your visit as special as I could. Only the best for my girl.”
“And me,” Patrick inserted.
Maisy’s eyes warmed when he called her his girl.
He had to wonder if she had an inkling of how hard and fast he’d fallen for her.
These feelings were entirely foreign. He cherished each minute with her, each conversation, each touch.
He couldn’t wait for this evening. He’d planned to make it as romantic as possible.
That hadn’t been easy, seeing that Patrick would be with them the entire time.
“You’re going overboard for us,” she commented, gazing at the large bags in his hands. There was no note of censure in her tone.
Chase was glad Maisy knew how important this visit was to him.
It was hard not to spoil her with gifts.
He’d give Maisy Gallagher the moon if it were in the realm of possibility.
From previous exchanges, he knew she was dead set against him being extravagantly generous with her.
He’d had to argue long and hard to convince her to fly to Chicago.
“Maisy, does a seven-thirty dinnertime work for you?” he asked, returning to their conversation.
“It sounds perfect.”
“Great.” Chase walked with them to their hotel room. He hated to leave her, especially when he was dying to take her in his arms again.
Patrick opened the door with the key card, and when he saw the room service cart, he raced for it, not paying any attention to Maisy and Chase. Chase had been waiting for this moment.
Counting on it.
Turning Maisy into his arms, he pressed his forehead against hers. “I’ve missed you. I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I made for you to spend this afternoon with Laura and Bella.”
She smiled, and to his surprise she kissed him lightly on the lips.
Unwilling to be satisfied with a small peck, Chase wove his fingers into her hair and slanted her mouth to his, kissing her with all the pent-up passion in his heart.
A surge of emotion shot through him. This was the way it was meant to be, the way he should feel when it came to finding his wife.
He wasn’t wrong when he’d told Patrick he was falling for Maisy.
He was in deep. So deep he never planned on giving her up.
By the time they broke apart, they were both breathless.
Crazy as it sounded, his knees felt weak.
That was how strong the impact Maisy had on him was.
He was giddy with love. Those who knew Chase wouldn’t believe this was the same man who made life-changing financial decisions for thousands.
He wasn’t the same. Maisy had forever changed him, forever marked his life.
No matter what the future held, he would never be the same man he once was, thanks to Maisy.
“Where are we going to dinner?” Patrick wanted to know. His mouth was full of potato chips.
“It’s a surprise,” Chase told him.