Chapter Seven
Sabrina could hardly stay focused as she ate dinner on the elegant yacht. Her head and heart were full of new thoughts. She thought she’d made the right decision about waiting until after graduation to come to Boston, but after Mrs. Ralston made her offer... Well, now she wasn’t so sure.
The thought of living with some strange woman made her pause, though. Angie had spoken to her before dinner, explaining that Mrs. Ralston was a highly respectable woman and Sabrina would be completely safe in her care. The woman also seemed completely genuine in her interest.
And then there was her son, Lieutenant Ralston. Sabrina had seen him watching her a few times throughout the evening, but when his mother had introduced him, he seemed so...standoffish. She didn’t understand why he kept watching her. Maybe he was protective of his mother and didn’t want some strange girl in his home.
A band began to play as the waiters made their way around the room, collecting the empty entrée plates. By the end of the first song, the dance floor was mostly full.
“Sabrina,” Beth exclaimed in a hushed voice. “Sabrina, that Army guy... He’s coming over.”
Sabrina blinked, looking in any direction except the one she knew he would be coming from. “There are other girls around here,” Sabrina said, trying to sound nonchalant as she studied the soda bubbles in her glass. The other girls at her table all tried fancy drinks, like virgin daiquiris. Now she wished she’d tried one. Beth’s place setting looked so much more sophisticated than hers.
“Then why is he staring at you?”
“He’s not,” she said to the glass. Beth huffed.
Not thirty seconds later, Sabrina could feel him standing next to her. She studied his highly polished shoes without turning her head.
“Miss Mansfield,” he said, sounding far above her head.
Sabrina took a deep breath and looked up. She opened her mouth to speak, words failing her as she became lost in his gray eyes.
His face softened into a smile, and her heart started fluttering. “Would you care to dance?” he asked in that deep voice of his.
“I...” Her voice caught and refused to work. She simply nodded, his smile expanding as he held out a hand that dwarfed hers by comparison. When she took it, he helped her stand, then confidently guided her hand through his proffered elbow. With a nod to Beth, he turned and expertly navigated them around tables and chairs and onto the dance floor.
*****
Chase slid his hand around Sabrina’s tiny waist and swallowed hard. What the hell was he doing dancing with a sixteen-year-old girl? And why did he feel like an awkward sixteen-year-old boy while he was doing it?
This is ridiculous, Chase. Just finish the dance, thank her, and send her on her way.
When he looked into her eyes, though, he knew he couldn’t do that. He had a feeling he could never send her away. He wasn’t the romantic type. Certainly didn’t believe in love at first sight. But ever since he’d seen her across that stage...
“Why did you ask me to dance?” she asked softly, gazing up at him with wide eyes.
“Why do you ask?”
“You don’t seem very happy to be doing it.” She glanced to the side of the room. “Did your mom make you?”
Chase frowned down at her. “Of course not.” Did he appear to be a mama’s boy to her?
She chewed her lip and stared at his chest.
He closed his eyes, scolding himself for his harsh tone. “I asked you to dance because I wanted to dance with you.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t believe me?”
Sabrina shrugged. “Like I said, you just don’t look very happy about it.” She said it so softly, he could barely hear her.
“Sabrina...” He swallowed, wishing his voice hadn’t betrayed his longing for her.
She looked up at him, eyes curious. She started to smile, then pressed her lips together as her cheeks turned pink and she looked away.
“What’s wrong?” he asked after a moment of silence. What the hell was wrong with him? He was usually so smooth when it came to the fairer sex, but with this girl... He just couldn’t do anything right. “Why are you embarrassed?”
I’m the one acting like a complete idiot.
She shook her head. He pulled his hand from around her waist and tipped her face up to look at him. “Tell me,” he urged in a soft voice.
Her cheeks turned even pinker, which made his heart leap in his chest. “I...I liked the way you said my name.”
A grin spread across his face, and for some stupid reason, he felt as if he could fly. Apparently, his expression was the correct one because she smiled up at him, eyes full of delight.
*****
Sabrina couldn’t believe how bold she’d been to ask why the man had asked her to dance. But he really didn’t seem pleased about it so the question just slipped out. He just stared down at her, his gray eyes hard, handsome face unreadable.
Then he said her name and her heart started fluttering again. She’d never imagined that the sound of her own name could make her feel as if she were floating. But his voice... It just did something to her. Something she didn’t understand.
After she’d admitted she liked how he said it, his whole face lit up and he grinned down at her. It made her want to do it again.
“Lieutenant, how-”
“Chase,” he interrupted. “Call me Chase.”
“Chase? I thought your name was Christopher.”
He made a face. “It is, but everyone calls me Chase.”
“Why?”
“I’ve always been called that. My mom says I didn’t learn to walk. I learned to run.” Chase shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. “My dad decided early on that the girls would chase after me all my life, and I guess the nickname just stuck.”
She wondered how many had caught him, then banished the thought from her mind. He was dancing with her. “Chase,” she said softly, testing the name on her tongue. His face lit up again, making her feel as if her body was filled with golden light. “How long have you been in the Army?”
“I graduated from West Point in May. I leave for training tomorrow.”
The thought of him leaving made her sad, then she remembered that she was leaving, too. “Training for what?”
He smiled. “My end goal is to become a Green Beret, like my father, but I have a few years before I can get there. I’ll work my way through training and combat experience until I can achieve my goal.”
“Wow,” was all she could come up with to say. A Green Beret? “Sounds dangerous.”
“It can be.” He shrugged. “But they make a difference. A big difference. Especially in today’s world.”
Sabrina nodded. Her parents didn’t shelter her from reality. She knew there had been attacks around the world. More recently than before. It was scary to contemplate. But knowing men like Chase were out there, doing their best to protect her and the rest of the country, made her feel safe.
“I think that’s very admirable.” She looked up at him. Her heart leapt in her chest when she saw him grinning again. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“You keep...smiling at me.”
“Would you rather I frowned at you?”
Sabrina shook her head and giggled “Not at all.”
“Me, either.”
She laughed, causing Chase to laugh, too. Then they lapsed into a comfortable silence as Chase moved her slowly around the dance floor.
*****
“How long have you been dancing?” Chase asked as the next song began. He looked around and saw one of the male dancers looking at them, so he pulled Sabrina closer. Not close enough to be inappropriate, of course, but just close enough to let anyone else know he wasn’t done dancing with her. Petty? Maybe, but he wasn’t ready to give her up just yet.
“Since I was four,” Sabrina answered, leaning back to look up at him.
Had he pulled her too close? He released her slightly and nodded. “My mother is very impressed with your dancing.”
Sabrina’s cheeks turned pink. “Your mom seems extremely kind.”
Chase looked up to see his mom holding a drink and talking with friends. She caught his eye and gave him a warm smile, but his heart went out to her. He worried what would happen to her if something happened to him. Maybe he should have chosen some other career path. But she’d encouraged him to follow his dream. She was proud of him. He knew that without a shadow of a doubt. Still, he worried.
“Chase?”
Sabrina’s voice pulled him from his reverie. “I’m sorry. Did you ask me something?”
“I asked if she took in dancers often.”
Chase laughed. “We’ve had them here and there. She generally offers more financial support, although I suspect she has half a mind to open a boarding house for dancers.” He chuckled and gazed down at Sabrina. “As a young dancer, she was helped out, and ever since my dad died, she’s devoted herself to helping up-and-coming dancers live out their dreams.”
“Your dad...?” Tears filled Sabrina’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Chase.”
He wondered at the compassion in her eyes. “It was a long time ago.” He swallowed. “He died with honor, and I do...what I do to honor him.”
Sabrina nodded. “I think that’s wonderful.” She blinked several times and smiled up at him. “You’re so brave.”
Chase shrugged slightly. “I hope I prove myself to be.”
When the music ended, he stopped moving. “Do you want to go out onto the deck?”
Her eyes widened slightly, then she gave a slight nod.