Chapter 11
Izzy
“Chase, wake up! Come on,” Izzy pled as she knelt next to his motionless body. He had gone down like a felled tree, fast and hard, and she was powerless to help him.
If only she’d reminded him to take his cap off earlier, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Now that his cap had fallen off, he was being showered with wet doggie kisses. Oh, why had she let Thor assume he was the enemy? Izzy sighed. Because she had assumed he was one of the bad guys. But only a good man, an honest and trustworthy one, would fly 700 miles to try to win her back. And risk being tackled by a seventy-pound dog. She didn’t need further proof of his love. She only needed him to wake up.
She took his hand in hers and clutched it against her chest. “Chase, I believe you,” she confessed, her voice trembling with emotion. “Please wake up. I need you.”
“Is … that right?”
He had mumbled his question so softly she wasn’t sure if he’d really spoken it. But soon after, he squeezed her hand. His eyes opened, revealing a small sparkle in his baby blues. Struggling to swallow the lump in her throat, she smiled for the first time that day. “Chase! I was so worried. Are you okay?”
The corners of his mouth curved up into something resembling a happy grimace. “I’m good, just sore. That was some tackle.”
“I’m sorry, I should’ve told you to take off your cap.”
“It’s okay.” He propped himself up on one elbow and faced her. “Just remind me to burn all my caps. I’m never wearing another one again. Or at least not until Thor realizes it’s me under it.”
Woof! Thor barked as if in agreement, his tail wagging as he watched their back-and-forth exchange.
Izzy shook her head. “All this craziness over a cap!”
What a silly dog. But the funny thing was, she understood Thor’s struggle. Both of their past experiences had caused them to view people through a lens of suspicion. As if her mistrust of men wasn’t enough, there was also the added factor of Chase’s identity as a pop star. There were several “caps” to look past to see the man she’d fallen in love with. The Chase she loved was not a celebrity, but a warm, genuine person who shared her passion for music. “He’ll come to realize who you are, just as I’m starting to. I can’t believe you flew all the way here.”
“I missed you so much. I finished recording yesterday and bought a ticket right away. After what happened with my phone though, I didn’t think you’d want to see me again.”
“It’s okay, Chase. I believe you.”
“I know. I heard you earlier.”
“What? How long have you been awake?”
He shrugged innocently. “It depends on what your definition of awake is.”
“Chase Lockhart!”
The grin on his face widened as he sat up. He cupped her face with both hands and stared into her eyes. “Let’s just say I heard enough to know you’re madly in love with me.”
“Madly in love? I said no such thing.”
“Then what did you say?”
“I said I believed you about what happened to your phone.”
“And?”
“And I … I wanted you to wake up,” she stammered, finding it hard to talk with his face an inch away from hers. “I was worried about you.”
“Worried about me? Were you worried you wouldn’t get”—he leaned in and murmured against her lips—“to kiss me again?”
The heat from his mouth sent tingles up her spine. Her whole body warmed at his touch, and she wondered if it was her turn to faint. Her arms instinctively went up around his neck, drawing him close as their kiss deepened. The moment needed no words, yet she felt it important to answer Chase’s question. She pulled back to rest her forehead against his, then revealed the words weighing on her heart. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to tell you I need you. I do need you, Chase, more than I’ve ever needed a man, and it scares me. But it scares me even more to not have you in my life.”
“You don’t need to be scared, Izzy. I’m here for you. I’m here.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Do you remember what you said to me that day we met at the market?”
She shook her head.
“You said, welcome to Romance.”
“I did? That’s the town’s name.”
“And rightly so. I had no idea at the time how much truth was in those three words. You did welcome me to romance. You welcomed me to a place of connection and belonging. You welcomed me into your life and your heart. Coming back here today, it was like coming home. That’s because you’re my home, Izzy. You’re my best thing. I’ve been waiting a long time for you. And now that I’ve got you, I’m never going to let you go.”
“A long time? You’re too young to be talking—”
“Hey,” he interrupted with a raised brow, “no more talk about age. Like I said before, me, man. You, wo—”
Laughing, she placed a hand over his mouth. “I got it, Mr. Caveman.”
“Good.” His expression turned thoughtful as he continued, “The truth is, any day without you is too long. That’s why I’ve decided …”
“What have you decided?”
“I wonder if there’s room for another songwriter in Romance?”
Izzy’s jaw dropped. “You’re moving here? But what about your work?”
“I’ll split my time between here and L.A. I’ve got lots of frequent flier miles to use up. And I happen to know of a cozy inn around here with an insanely gorgeous and talented owner. I’m hoping she’ll keep a room open for me. Would you put in a good word for me?”
“Hm …” She tried to keep a straight face as she considered his question. “We might be able to make it work.”
He pulled her in for another kiss. “I'm sure we can. Because there’s no better place to fall in love—”
“Than this town,” she finished for him. For once, she believed it. The best things in her life had happened to her here. And there was no other place she wanted to be, and no other man’s arms she wanted around her. She gazed into his loving blue eyes, ones that longed only for her.
“Than our town,” Chase smiled. “This is my home now, Izzy. You’re my home.”
“And you’re mine,” she sighed happily. “Let me be the first to say this—again. Welcome to Romance, Chase. Welcome home.”