23. Kayla
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
KAYLA
“ W ow, these houses are bigger than I realized,” Ashlie says, eyes widening as she peers up at The Bluffs Estates from the open door of my car. These houses were built after we left for college, and it’s never really been an interest during our visits home to drive across town and check them out. Until now.
Ashlie’s white sundress contrasts with my light blue one, matching today’s Fourth of July color scheme. I start walking up to the door, Patti’s apple pies in hand, when she stops me. “Hey, if I need to find a ride home tonight, so be it.” She wiggles her brows playfully, and my eyes widen at what she’s implying.
“That won’t be happening.” I hand her a pie and push the thought from my head.
“Bet it does, girl.” She bumps my hip and walks ahead of me to the front door, leaving my thoughts racing at the idea that things would progress so quickly with Chase tonight that she’d need to find a ride home. She’s almost to the stairs by the time I snap out of it and scurry after her.
“Hey!” Hunter flashes a grin and steps back to let us in the house. The inside is coastal, white, and open concept, giving it a fresh feel. Stairs on our left lead up to a loft and a couple of rooms, while the hallway on the right is lined with what I assume are more bedrooms and a bathroom. The kitchen is front and center, with an expansive picture window in the dining area that showcases the estate’s namesake.
“Everyone’s out back. You can leave the pie on the counter.” He begins to lead us outside when a door opens to my right. Chase, wearing a sky blue polo and khakis, steps out. A wide grin spreads across his face when he sees me. “Well, aren’t you two cute… Did you plan this?” Hunter asks sarcastically, referencing our matching outfits. Hunter and Ashlie head out the door while I place the pie on the counter next to a spread of fruit trays and salads.
“He’s right,” Chase says, placing his hand on the small of my back. “We do look pretty good together.”
I turn to face him, biting my lip to hide the ever-growing smile as we stand suspended in the moment. “Hey,” I say, looking down.
“I’m glad you could make it,” he whispers, lifting my chin until our eyes meet. It shouldn’t be this nerve-racking, talking to him this close, being that we see each other nearly every day. I shouldn’t have this crescendo of butterflies in my stomach every time, and yet, something in the small ways he touches me melts any logical thought I have. I expect him to kiss me right here, but he lowers his hand and laces his fingers with mine instead. “Is this still okay? Holding hands?” He rubs his thumb over mine.
I nod, and with a smile, he pulls me across the kitchen. We make it out to the deck, where we’re immediately greeted with loud music and laughter. Ashlie and Hunter are sitting on the banister with drinks in hand, swaying side to side, watching three young girls play with sparklers. Maggie and her friends are at the far end of the conjoined deck, sitting with a slender woman whose graying light brown hair is pulled up into a loose bun. A tall blond man wears an apron while standing at the grill, smiling over at a Black man sitting in a chair. The Black man looks familiar, but I can’t quite place where I’ve seen him before and assume it’s from the diner. Chase clears his throat, and the two men turn their attention toward us, still smiling.
“Everyone, this is Kayla,” he announces, turning toward me. “This is my dad, Russell Wilmington, at the grill, and Hunter’s dad, Kendall Jackson.” I give a self-conscious wave and they say friendly ‘hellos’ and ‘nice-to-meet-yous’ before returning to their conversation. “My mom is over there with Maggie,” Chase continues, pointing across the deck. “And the two blond girls over there are my sisters, Avery and Hadley. The third one is Hunter’s sister, Artemis.”
I turn to him with an overwhelmed smile on my face as I realize what I just walked myself into. I’m meeting his entire family, on a holiday, and I don’t even know what he and I are doing yet. Hell, we haven’t done anything yet.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here the whole time. I got you.” He gives my hand a squeeze, seemingly reading my mind, and leads me toward our friends.
I meet Chase’s sisters—Avery, the long-legged fourteen-year-old with braces, and Hadley, the eleven-year-old math genius with pigtails—who are actively trying to see who can hold on to their sparklers the longest before chickening out. Hunter’s sister, Artemis—Artie for short—is ten. Loose brown spirals frame her face as she talks excitedly to Ashlie, having abandoned her sparkler. Ashlie motions for me to come closer.
“Don’t Artie’s curls pop? I told you that hair mousse would fix you right up! You gotta leave that hard cast on our hair type. No scrunching it out like the straight-haired girls or it gets frizzy.”
“Yeah!” I say, understanding the assignment. “It looks great! Ashlie’s a pro with curly hair. She used to do mine all the time.” Artie turns to me, green eyes lighting up with excitement as we hype her up.
“Artemis, you really should let me straighten your hair,” a disappointed voice scolds from behind me. “Your mom would hate to see it looking so…” Maggie waves her hand around her head before finishing with “…wild.” Artie, so excited before, slum ps her shoulders and kicks at the ground. I see the little boost of confidence she’d acquired shrivel and wither away.
“Magnet”—Hunter mimics with a bite to his voice—“you should really stop being such a b?—”
“Watch it, son,” Kendall warns, deep voice rumbling as he walks up to stop the ensuing battle. His voice tickles at a memory I can’t quite place. “Artie-girl, you look beautiful. I love your curls,” he reassures her lovingly. Maggie turns around in a huff, and suddenly, the bread aisle comes vividly into my mind.
“You’re the Pickle Guy!” I say, like everyone knows what I’m talking about.
“Excuse me? The what, now?” Hunter’s eyes go wide. He looks over at Chase, who shrugs and tips his head to the side as he looks at me.
Kendall takes a beat before recognition spreads across his face. “Ah, Bread Girl.” He nods knowingly with a smile. Everyone’s looking at us like we’re speaking some alien language. Giving a chuckle, he dives into the story of how he was shopping for condiments when a jar of pickles jumped off the shelf and crashed in front of him. When he tried to turn around, more pickles smashed to the floor, like a classic paranormal movie. “That’s when I heard grumbling from the next aisle over.”
“I couldn’t reach the last loaf of bread and was trying to launch myself up the shelves to get high enough,” I continue for him. “I was this close to throwing my shoe when he came over, handing me the bread and telling me I almost knocked him out with a pickle jar.”
“Pickle Guy and Bread Girl sounds like some defunct superhero team.” Hunter snorts a laugh.
Ashlie chimes in with a goofy announcer-like voice, “And with their powers combined, they can make… sandwiches .” We all lose it at that, laughing with ease like we’ve known each other forever. The nerves I was feeling at the thought of being around these strangers dissipate, and Chase has been true to his word, never leaving my side.
“The food is ready!” Russell calls from the grill, closing the lid and placing a plate full of burger patties on the elongated table. Everyone migrates to their seats when Chase steers me off to the right. He grabs his mom’s arm as she passes, turning us into a cozy little trio. “This is my mom, Christine,” Chase says with a smile. “Mom, this is?—”
“Kayla.” She smiles, looking back and forth between us. Her eyes match the dark blue of the ones smiling next to me. “Chase is right. You are breathtaking. It’s nice to meet you.”
Startled by her frank phrasing, I stammer, “I…th-thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.” She pats my arm, and the three of us continue to the table.
The fruit and salads have made their way to the table outside, as well as just enough chairs to account for everyone. Kendall and Russell take the ends of the table, with Christine sliding into an empty seat right next to Russell. They instantly reach for each other in a way that shows they’ve been doing it forever. Ashlie is between Artie and Hunter, next to Chase’s sisters on one side of the table, while Maggie and her friends—twin sisters Camryn and Tamryn—are on the side of the table closest to me.
One empty chair flanks the three of them on each side, creating a seating dilemma. Maggie turns and looks right at me, offering a thin-lipped grin that doesn’t reach her eyes. My steps falter, and Chase looks to me before glancing at the table where Maggie sits with a satisfied smirk on her face. He clears his throat, getting the attention of his mother.
“Oh, Magnolia, could you move?” Christine says nonchalantly. “You’re in Chase’s seat. Your spot is next to your Uncle Kendall.”
Maggie goes rigid, cheeks burning bright red as everyone turns to look at her. Hunter chokes on his drink, prompting Ashlie to clap his back with one hand, hiding her laugh behind the other.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” she says politely, moving three seats over. Chase squeezes my hand, leading me to the seat by his mom, before taking the one next to Camryn…or Tamryn. I can’t really te ll them apart until one of them speaks. Camryn’s voice is high pitched and airy, while Tamryn’s has a much deeper tone.
I glance over at Christine, and she smiles warmly, patting my hand. She winks, and when I turn toward Chase, he winks. I’m sure Russell would do some winking of his own if I were to look at him. It must be a Wilmington family trait because I’ve never been winked at more in my life.
We all dive into the food, passing around sides and making small talk while eating. Feeling eyes on me, I catch Maggie’s glare across the table before she looks back down at her plate. Christine and Russell ask me about school, my jobs, and my family—nothing too detailed, just enough to get a general sense of what I have going on. Chase squeezes my knee, leaning in to learn about all the things I’ve yet to share with him.
“How’s it going at NYSOB, Magnolia?” Kendall asks loudly enough to make this a table topic.
“What’s NYSOB?” I whisper, turning to Chase.
“New York School of Ballet,” he whispers back, his warm breath leaving goosebumps on my skin.
Mouthing the word, oh , I nod. That bit of context explains everything, from the high, tight buns on Camryn and Tamryn and the flitting way Maggie walks, to their ramrod posture as they sit in their seats. Pretentious ballerinas makes perfect sense.
“It’s going well. I’m in the running for a spot in the ballet company after graduation next year.”
“That’s amazing, Maggie.” Kendall smiles warmly. “You’ll have to tell me when your first performance is.”
“Sure, Uncle Kendall.”
A tap on my hand turns my attention back to Christine. “Could you help me bring out dessert?” she asks, eyes twinkling.
I nod, and she loops her arm in mine as we walk toward the kitchen. She hands me a knife when we reach the counter, and we slice the apple pies together.
“This is still such a magical town. Kendall, Russell, and I vacationed here for a month, back when we were still in school. Not much has changed. You said your family is from here?”
“Yeah. Well, kind of. I was born and raised here, but my mom moved here to live with her grandmother when she was five.”
“And your dad?”
“Unaccounted for. But it’s all worked out,” I say, smiling. “Can’t miss what you’ve never had, right?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Speaking of missing someone, Chase sure missed you. The week after your accident, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that restless before. I’m glad you two could finally figure it out.”
“Oh… I… We’re just friends.”
“Uh-huh…” She gives me the look that mothers give when they don’t believe a word you’re saying. “‘Just friends’ don’t look at each other the way you two look at each other…” She picks up her pie and walks to the door, and I’m too stunned by her assessment to do anything other than pick up the other pie and follow.
“You two talking about me in there?” Chase smiles, taking the pie from his mom.
“Who else would we be talking about?” she teases, swatting his shoulder as he swipes a stray glob of filling from the tin.I set mine on the table.
In our absence, a full-blown dance party has started. Music blasts from the integrated speakers on the deck while the sun makes its descent, giving way to the first stars appearing in the sky. Lanterns blink on around the property, illuminating the dance floor, while Kendall and Russell sit back in their chairs by the grill, watching the fun. Hunter and Ashlie have started a dance circle with the little sisters, and Camryn and Tamryn dance together in the corner. Maggie is nowhere to be found. Quite honestly, I’m glad she’s taken a break from trying to behead me with her eyes.
I’m about to step across the deck when Chase grabs my hand. “Do you want to go down to the beach? We have a little bit before the fireworks start…” The eager look in his eyes and the warmth of his hand in mine seeps through my body. Nerves settle in my st omach at the thought of being alone with him again. He almost kissed me on that train the other day, and I have no doubt he’ll try to kiss me again tonight. And in light of my latest confession to myself, I really think I might just let him.
I nod, and he flashes a smile before leading me down the stairs at the end of the deck. We walk for a little while, hand in hand, letting the sound of the waves settle over us with the music and laughter of the party in the background.
“Your family is fun,” I say, picking a small boulder big enough for both of us to sit on. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“Sure thing. My motives were purely selfish, though.” He bumps my shoulder with his, and I smile while looking out at the water.
“Figures. You’ll do anything for some of Patti’s famous apple pie …”
He laughs loudly, throwing back his head. “It is good pie…”
I slide my eyes over to him, noticing the way his hair falls over his brows. Suddenly, I don’t want to be talking about pie or anything else anymore. I reach my hand up to brush the hair out of his eyes, the soft strands feathering across my fingers as I stare into those midnight blue waves of the deepest ocean. I like him, I want him, and I’m tired of trying to convince myself I don’t. With the last shred of my resolve to keep him at arm’s length melting away, I palm his jaw and kiss him softly.
It starts slow and timid, as we explore this new dynamic together. The tip of my tongue darts out, searching for a little taste of him, and when he meets me, I swear our hearts beat as one. A gentle sigh slips from his lips, drawing me in like a tether from his heart to mine. It speaks to me, the faintest whisper echoing the refrain, “ Finally.” He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in, easing the strain as our lips ladder together, like we’re climbing to heights we’ve only imagined thus far.
“ Woo !” Hunter whoops, and Ashlie cheers from the top of the bluff. We break apart, and I giggle, looking at our best friends jumping around and cheering us on.
Chase tips his head to mine, his signature crooked smile replaced by flushed cheeks and desire burning in his eyes. “Come on,” he says, pulling me up from the rock, leading me determinedly toward the toe of the bluff.
“Chase, what?—”
He crushes his lips to mine, guiding me back against the cool, jagged bluff face. His hands rove through my hair, down my shoulders, and around my waist frantically, like this moment will be ripped away from him at any minute. I can’t say I blame him, considering how many times he’s tried to kiss me. Right now, with the way my skin blazes under his touch, I’m wishing I wouldn’t have waited so long to let him. Our tongues swirl wildly, setting a much faster pace than before. When he pulls back, the intensity in his eyes makes the pounding in my chest skyrocket.
“I’m tired of being interrupted,” he whispers. “Can we go inside?”