Chapter 18
Chase stood in the back room, looking at the artwork to be hung. He wasn’t sure what to say. They looked like something he’d see in a third-grade art show. And what was the deal with the hands and feet? He scratched his chin.
“This one looks like someone sat in wet paint and then—”
“Yep.” Isabella cringed. “That’s what happened. These are Delilah’s paintings.”
“So, that’s . . . ?”
“It is.”
“Huh.” He tried not to laugh but a chuckle came out anyway, and then a full-fledged gut buster, and Isabella burst out laughing, too.
“She’s decided to join the art world?” he asked.
Isabella nodded. “Mmm hmm.”
“How interesting.”
He almost asked if Isabella’s paintings had ever been in the gallery, but stopped himself. Isabella had never mentioned her paintings. Only Five. He had to be careful what he said to her.
They hung and redistributed artwork until he grew hungry. He checked the time on his phone. “Want to go to lunch with me?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know . . .”
“Come on, we’ll be fast. It will be my treat.”
She nodded, although she frowned at the same time.
“We can go somewhere your stepsisters wouldn’t think of going,” he said.
A smile curled her lips up. “They wouldn’t be caught dead at McDonald’s.”
He laughed. “Then a Big Mac it is.”
She told Leilani they were leaving, and they went out the back door. When they were in his car, he put the top down and turned on the engine. He glanced at her. She wore her hair down every day, the strands long and hanging in front of her glasses. He wondered what it would look like if she wore it up.
He drove down the street. “What was your dad like?”
She stiffened, and he backpedaled. “I don’t mean to pry. You don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to.”
“No, I don’t mind.” She sat, clearly uncomfortable.
He let her sit for a moment in silence.
“My dad was the kindest man I’ve ever known. He would always give to those people ringing the bells at Christmastime. Even when we were dirt poor. He said there were people out there who were worse off than we were.”
“My father’s kind of like that, too. He lost his job last year, but he still insists on giving to his favorite charities.”
Isabella’s hair blew in the breeze, and he had a sudden craving to touch it. Was it as soft as it looked? He clenched the steering wheel with both hands.
She gazed out the windshield, a slight smile on her face. “My father used to read to me every night before bed. Not picture books, but what I thought were grown-up books like A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He gave me a healthy imagination and a love for the arts.”
He smiled at her. “That’s a good memory, I’m sure.”
“Yes. He was a good father.”
Chase parked the car and cut the engine. “Ready for a gut bomb?”
“I’m starving.”
They ordered, and Chase picked a seat near the window to the play area. He pulled Isabella’s chair out for her. Chase watched the children playing as he ate. A little dark-haired boy played on the slide. He would climb up the inside of the chute and then squeal with delight coming down. He smiled as the boy proceeded to repeat the process.
“He’s cute,” Isabella said, craning her neck to see.
“He reminds me of my sister, just a couple of years ago. I can’t believe she’s in kindergarten now.”
“You’re close? Even though she’s so young?”
“It’s funny, but yeah. We’re close. She’s always been drawn to me. And I just love the snot out of her.”
“I never would have pegged you as a kid lover.” She smiled at him. “It’s kind of endearing.”
“Kind of? I thought it was totally hot.” He gave her his best camera smile.
She laughed. “I don’t think you need any help in that department,” she said under her breath.
He took a swig of his drink to hide his chuckle.
Isabella picked up a fry and bit the end off. She watched the little boy climb around the play area. “So, you want kids when you grow up?”
“Yeah.”
“How many kids do you want to have?”
No one had ever asked him that before, and he had to think about it. “Honestly? I’ve always pictured myself having a big family.”
“More than three?”
He grinned again, wiggling his eyebrows. “Definitely.”
She whacked him on the arm. “I’m asking you a serious question, and you’re goofing around.”
“No,” he said, chuckling. “Okay, maybe a little.” He sobered. “But seriously, I want four or five kids running around, making the house a mess. When I was a kid I always wanted younger brothers and sisters. By the time Cora came along, I was almost a teenager. But she was so cute, I couldn’t help but love on her.”
“Is there a reason she’s so much younger than you?”
“My parents wanted more kids. It just didn’t happen. They went to all kinds of doctors. No one could find anything wrong. Finally, after years, they had my sister.” He picked up a fry. “I don’t know what I would have done if she hadn’t made it through her illness.”
“That’s so scary,” Isabella said, nodding.
One more thing to prove she was Five.
He had only told Five about the seriousness of his sister’s illness. He changed the subject. “Do you like to cook?”
Isabella made a face. “Not really.”
“Nothing? Not even baking?”
“If I tell you something, will you swear you’ll never breathe a word of it to anyone?” She picked up her soda and took a drink.
Intrigued, he raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”
“Pinky swear?” She held out her little finger.
He chuckled and wrapped his pinky around hers. Sparks tingled across his skin. “Yes. Pinky swear.”
“After my father died, my stepmother tried to make me the household cook. I hated it. But I figured out that if I messed up a meal, Elenore would order a pizza. With a little Googling, I found I could ruin a perfectly good meal with just a few well-placed spices. Cumin was especially good on anything sweet, like cinnamon toast or chocolate pie. After quite a few cooking lessons without much improvement, my stepmother decided it was better for everyone to fend for themselves than to make her daughters suffer through my ‘unfortunate lack of ability.’ Her words, not mine.”
Chase sat back in his chair and laughed. “You’re kidding me.”
Isabella grinned. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Scout.”
“You’re right, but I swear like one.”
He laughed and wondered if it was possible to fall for a girl so quickly. He’d only known her for a little over a week, but her wit and charm were like a magnet. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss away all her pain. All the hurt from her stepmother. He sobered.
“I’d better get you back to the gallery before your stepmother notices you’re not there.”
She stood and began picking up the trash. “Good idea.”
Isabella convinced Chase to drop her off and let her finish with the website on her own. She didn’t want to get caught with him there.
After she walked inside, Leilani cornered her. “Ooh, girl, you’ve been holding out on me. Do tell all. Was that the actor Delilah’s been talking about?”
Isabella groaned and put her head in her hands. “Yes,” she mumbled into her fingers.
Leilani shook her shoulder. “He’s smokin’ hot! And he likes you, doesn’t he?”
That was complicated. She told Leilani the whole story. “He likes Five. Not me. He’d be disappointed if he found out I was actually Five.”
A skeptical look crossed Leilani’s face. “Are you sure?”
“He told me to my face that he has a crush on Five. Plus, Five asked him to the fall formal, and he said yes.”
“How are you going to pull that off?”
“It’s a masquerade. I could totally show up and he wouldn’t know, especially if I’m wearing Savannah’s wig. But Elenore’s got me working that night, so there goes that idea.”
Leilani waved that away. “Nonsense. You come here next Saturday. After the gala starts, I’ll cover for you. Elenore is always busy brownnosing the rich folks and drinking too much. She won’t even notice you’re gone.”
Could that work?
Isabella tried not to get her hopes up. “Maybe.”
“Girl, you had better go to the dance with that handsome young man, or someone else will scoop him up.”
Honestly, Isabella wasn’t sure why he wasn’t already involved with someone. He was uber-popular at school. At lunch, he sat at one of the cheerleading tables. He was in movies, for heaven’s sake. She knew he had dated girls at school. She was baffled he wasn’t with anyone right now.
Isabella finished putting all of Delilah’s art on the sales floor. Just as she was pulling out her camera to take photos for the website, a text came through on her phone.
Are you too busy to chat?
She sat down in the office and responded, No, I can take a break. What’s up?
I just miss you.
His words almost made her want to cry. He missed talking to her, and yet he didn’t even realize he’d spent the afternoon with her. She blinked back her emotions.
Man, what was wrong with her? A silly crush and she goes all haywire. Why couldn’t she get her feelings under control?
I miss you, too.
I have an idea. Why don’t you sneak out tonight and see me?
Her heartbeat sped up just thinking about it. Funny.
I’m serious. You can’t go to the dance, so I’ll never get to meet you unless we just do it. Rip the Band-Aid off.
What would he say if she did? If she met him at midnight in Flatwater Park, would he be disappointed? The thought almost gave her a panic attack. Maybe it was best to take Leilani’s offer and sneak out to the dance. At least then she could be with him as Five, and she wouldn’t have to see the disappointment in his eyes. If she went late enough, Elenore would be too tipsy to care.
About that.
What??
Someone’s offered to cover for me at work. I’d have to come late, but I think I can go to the dance after all.
Seriously? I’m so happy I could kiss you.
Her pulse raced as she imagined what it would be like to kiss Chase. She stared at the office wall for a second, indulging in the fantasy.
Five? Are you still there?
Oh, yeah, that was embarrassing.
Yes. I’m here.
Can I call you?
Worry that he would recognize her voice raced through her. The more time he spent with her in person, the more likely that would be. She wasn’t great at disguising her voice. Plus, she really needed to go take photos of the new art and get them up on the website. At least that’s what she told herself.
Sorry, I really should get back to work.
Okay. Chat later.
Bye.
She finished up at work, never fully letting go of the thought of Chase pulling her close and exploring her lips.
She was so dead.