Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 59(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 59(@250wpm)___ 49(@300wpm)
Chase's voice is deep and unintentionally loud, but that's probably to combat the noise of the storm thrashing outside.
He says, "I don't think that the bank and their fancy corporate partners care about the environment for the other half of the year. Once the soil tests wouldn't allow an airport of any size to function on this terrain, that was the nail in the coffin for their playground."
I nod as he continues, "But, the bankers had already gone around offering to buy folks out. My mom wanted to hold out, thinking she'd get more money if she were the last one standing."
"What happened?" I ask.
He shrugs. "The big money left the bank holding the bag. They'd already bought out the Garrett place and a few other properties. The taxes nearly tripled for the next year before they teetered out and fell back down. But it was already too much for my mother to pay, and she moved to sunnier pastures."
"Damn, that sucks. Well, good for your mom to get out of Ohio, but you're stuck here paying for a house you don't want."
He sighs as he picks up our plates to bring them to the sink. "I'll pay it off, eventually. I really don't want to let this place go. My pop left it to us when he died. Mom said she could handle it while I started my business. For the most part, she did until she couldn't. Some slick-talking realtor let her think she'd get a huge bag of gold for this property."
The dig at my profession doesn't go unnoticed, but I know I wasn't the one to sell his mom on a financial windfall. Instead of letting his blunt bias unsettle me, I get up to help wash the dishes. I understand his attachment to this place and his judgment of the bank taking advantage of his mother, along with the other properties around here.
"Where's your car at, Maddie?" His question disrupts my train of thought.
I find myself shaking my head from side to side slowly. "I don't know exactly. I definitely got turned around out there. I was headed back into town, hydroplaned, and spun out. My car is wrecked. I'm sure of it."
"How'd you find this place?"
We move in a rhythm of washing and drying the dishes together. "I don't know. At first, I thought I was walking back into town. My phone is soaked to the bone and won't turn on. I tried to head back to the Garrett place, but I saw the lights on in the distance. I didn't realize I was coming toward the back of the house."
"Sorry about the brush. I'll take care of it once everything dries out after the storm."
I scoff. "You don't have to apologize to me, Chase. I owe you an apology. I should have listened to you, and my dad, and everyone else who told me to get rid of that car. But it means a lot to me."
"I get it. That's one reason I love fixing them. It's hard to let go of certain things when they hold memories, smells—"
Thunder booms, cutting off his words as it shakes the house and startles me. My body reacts, causing me to jump and turn into Chase's muscular chest. He holds me as another rumble and boom of the storm rattles the windows, and I bury my face against him.
His quiet strength wraps around me like a weight of safety that helps me relax. My heart races under his firm touch. He smells divine and no longer looks like he's been fighting oil spills under the hood of my car. The longer Chase holds me, the longer I want to stay right here with him.
Cooler minds prevail as we part once the storm reminds us that it's still barreling against the house.
"I'm going to head upstairs and make sure the windows are secure." Chase backs away but lets his fingers stay on my waist for just a moment longer. A low moan vibrates out of him as he pulls away, adjusts his sweatpants, and walks out of the kitchen.
Breathe, Maddie.
It doesn't matter how hot he is. It’s inappropriate to take advantage of his hospitality. Chase has overextended himself enough today. Even when his demeanor appears to be against the notion of a friendly neighbor. He didn't turn me away when he could have, and he let me inside this house when he could have left me outside.
The briskness of his attitude could be from many things, but I don't want to add myself to that list. After blowing out a few deep breaths, I get back to cleaning up the kitchen. The idea of Chase kissing me senseless sits in my mind, adding itself to a long list of sexual fantasies.
The overwhelming need for me to apologize again compels me to finish tidying up and head upstairs. I find Chase standing at the end of the hallway in front of a window. The rain pelts the side of the house while the winds blow through the tall grass in the backyard.