2. Chase
Chase
# Never agree to share a secluded cabin with a woman who once threatened to drive a stiletto heel through your heart
“ Y ou’re a genius, Chase. I mean, I never thought anyone would be able to bring my vision to life, but you’ve…dammit, son, I don’t know how you did it, but it’s perfect.”
I smile at the face of Gregory Chambers on my computer screen—one of my newest clients, who’s just visited the site of his ecologically friendly and fully self-sufficient twelve-story office building in Dallas for the first time.
My VP, Claudia, along with the site foreman, Isaac, are with him, and they’re both beaming too.
I’m only sorry I couldn’t be there myself.
The excitement when someone sees their dream come to life is infectious and it never gets old—at least if we do our jobs right.
“We’re just glad you trusted us with your baby, Mr. Chambers.
It’s been a pleasure to work on a project so close to your heart. ”
“And there’s no one else I would have trusted with it. Like I said, genius.” He laughs like he’s giddy with excitement.
“I just design the building, my people on the ground actually build it. They’re the real geniuses.”
He places his hand over his heart. “You’re all incredible in my book. Seriously, I’m blown away. The board are thrilled with the progress, and our staff can’t wait to move into our new premises.”
“Always got to keep your staff happy, right?”
Gregory nods and Claudia and Isaac give each other a knowing smile. I pride myself on looking after my staff—and not only because it makes good business sense to cultivate a happy, healthy and loyal workforce.
“And are we on schedule for completion mid-January, Isaac?”
My foreman nods. “Sure are, boss. There are a few snags for you to fix but nothing that will delay completion.”
We make a little small talk about Gregory’s plans for Christmas and then I end the call. As soon as I’m done, my assistant, Keeley, comes into my office.
“Your out of office is all set up, but I’ll keep a close eye on any urgent matters and update you accordingly.
” She places some papers on my desk. “The final contract came through from the Ontario Group for your attention. And so did the response from the cable company regarding the Lansing apartment complex.”
Keeley has been my personal assistant for four years and she knows I prefer to read actual papers than words on a screen.
“Your flight to Vermont is booked for eight a.m. tomorrow morning and I took the liberty of arranging you an airport hotel because I know how much you hate having to get up at the ass crack of dawn in winter.”
Another thing she knows about me. I think Keeley might be the longest relationship with a woman I’ve ever had. That’s probably both fucked up and also not unusual in my world. Building a multi-million-dollar business from the ground up kind of eats into a person’s social life.
“Thank you, Keeley. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I should give you a raise.”
She smiles sweetly, knowing she’s due one in January anyway. “Yes, you should. You could also give me the whole week of New Year’s off. Christopher has finally invited me to meet his parents.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Christmas in Paris?”
“Except his parents live in Boulogne,” she reminds me with an eye roll.
“Surely a deviation to Paris is called for though? I hear it’s the most romantic city in the world.”
She puts her hand on her hip. “Does this mean you’ll give me the time off?”
I pretend to mull it over, but the truth is, her boyfriend, hopefully soon-to-be fiancé, has already asked me and I already approved it weeks ago.
Christmas and New Year’s are always slow and I’m the only masochist who doesn’t take any time off over the holidays.
“I guess I can live with that, providing you make me one of your incredible coffees before I leave.”
Her eyes light up and she throws her arms around me in an uncharacteristic display of emotion. “You’re the best boss ever.”
I pat her shoulder gently. “Yeah, thanks. Now go get my coffee. I have a trip to pack for.”
“Chase, I need you to do something for me,” my best friend, Braxton, says as soon as I answer his call.
I give a brief nod of acknowledgment to the bartender who places my glass of bourbon on the bar. She offers me a flirtatious grin and then gives her ass an exaggerated sway as she walks away to serve another customer. “Anything. As the best man, isn’t that kind of in my job description?”
“This one isn’t exactly in the job description, buddy.” I can picture him scratching his beard, twisting it into a knot beneath his chin that way he does.
“I’m sure I can handle it. Shoot.” I take a drink of my bourbon, certain there is nothing my best friend of twenty years could ask me to do that I’m incapable of. He’s been my ride-or-die since we were ten years old.
“I need you to share a cabin with Addie at the wedding.”
I swallow the amber liquid before I choke on it. Okay, there is one thing he could ask me to do. “And why do I need to share a cabin with your kid sister?”
He sighs. “Well, for starters, she’s not a kid.”
Yeah, and don’t I fucking know it.
“And, she just broke up with a guy and she’s…” He pauses, probably not for dramatic effect knowing Brax, but it sure adds to the tension.
“She breaks up with guys all the time. All the time, Brax,” I remind him before he can finish his sentence.
And then I clamp my jaw closed and silently curse myself for revealing that I know such information about his sister.
I haven’t been home to Juniper Ridge in eight years, and I therefore shouldn’t know anything about Addison Kinsella’s dating life—yet I do. I know everything.
“Yeah, and I get that, but it seems this guy was different.”
Jasper—the loser who can’t hold down any job longer than six weeks because he can’t get his ass out of bed on time—was different? I swallow my incredulity and work to keep my voice calm. “Different how?”
“Well, I never thought he was any different from the rest when they were dating. They sure lasted a couple of months longer than her usual strays. But she never seemed all that into him to be honest…”
Good! He was a fuck - knuckle who didn’t deserve her. I smile and take another sip of my bourbon.
“But, well…” He blows out a breath. “Eva saw her in the bar a few nights back, and she was…she was really cut up about this guy dumping her.”
“Addie was dumped? And she was cut up about it?” I believe neither of those things, but I have no reason not to believe Eva—Braxton’s bride-to-be and the girl who used to puke her guts up whenever she told a lie back in high school and was therefore both one of the worst and best friends ever.
“I know. I would never believe it myself, but she was crying into her goddamn wine.”
“She was drinking wine?” Addie is a neat bourbon kind of woman, and she only drinks wine when…well, when she wants to get all in her feels. Another random fact I shouldn’t know about her.
“I know, buddy. I told you it was serious. She’s acting like she’s okay now, of course.
Classic Addie. But now we have to go to Vermont and obviously she and that douche had a cabin of their own, so now Addie will be in a cabin in the middle of nowhere all by herself.
There are no spare rooms in any of the shared ones.
And for some reason she chose the one farthest away from the lake.
I dunno what’s going on with her but I’m worried about her, Chase.
And you’re the only person I trust to look after her. ”
No, she chose the one farthest away from me, not the lake.
I am the one person he shouldn’t trust to look after her, and I am certain Addie would be in full agreement with that assessment.
But of course, neither she nor I will ever tell her overprotective brother the reason why that is.
She’s never forgiven me and I can’t say I blame her, but she’s never ratted me out either.
“Surely, there’s someone else she can room with? A bridesmaid? A distant cousin?”
“She’s our maid of honor and only bridesmaid, as you know, buddy,” he reminds me.
Eva was never one for making a lot of friends, neither male nor female.
Brax and I were always her people, and then Addie too as she got older.
And Brax has no female relatives he’s particularly close to other than his mom and sister, so of course there are no other bridesmaids.
“And our cousins are all sharing with someone or in couples,” he adds.
I remain silent. Surely, there’s a better option than me?
“So, you’ll do it, yeah?” Brax asks.
What? Spend four whole days in a tiny cabin with the walking bundle of sass, fire and seduction that is Addie Kinsella?
That will be torturous enough, but then there’ll be the nights too.
Nights when she’ll be in the room next door to me…
Fuck, she’ll kill me in my sleep. Or she’ll torture me instead.
Put itching powder in my boxers. Sew shrimp into the lining of my tuxedo.
“Chase?” Brax snaps me out of those thoughts.
For the love of fuck! I one hundred percent cannot do this. “Of course, Brax. Anything you need.”
“Thanks, buddy. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah.”
“Yeah.” We say goodbyes and end the call and I down the rest of my drink.
Tomorrow!
That means less than twenty-four more hours of freedom before I have my balls metaphorically, and quite possibly literally, skewered by Addie Kinsella.
Although I haven’t seen her in person for eight years and maybe she won’t still hold a grudge.
There have been some unavoidable video calls with Brax and Eva for wedding prep, or when she’s been at their place over the holidays, or when they’ve been visiting me in LA and have called her.
Those latter occasions, when I’ve said a quick hey, and then made a big thing about giving them space, while I secretly remained in earshot just so I could listen to them talk.
Which inevitably reminded me of all the things I miss about Juniper Ridge.
During all of those calls, she has been her usual bright and bubbly self.
However, even in the heat of the LA sunshine, I could feel the ice in her tone whenever she directly addressed me.
Or maybe I imagined all of that. Perhaps she’s mellowed since I left.
Maybe she’s no longer the raven-haired firecracker who told me she’d drive a stiletto through my heart if I ever set foot in Juniper Ridge ever again. Perhaps she’s forgiven me?
And now I’m officially certifiably insane.
I signal for another drink and the same bartender serves me again.
I’m only vaguely aware of her telling me what time she gets off and asking me if I have a room here in the hotel.
I mumble an excuse about being on a flight in a few hours and then head to a quiet corner of the bar.
Ordinarily, taking her up on her offer would be a no-brainer.
But now Addie is in my head, and as usual, she refuses to fucking leave.