Crazy Love(68)

The last three mornings, they’d gotten up and gone running. Which normally Krista liked doing alone. But everything just seemed better when Chase was with her. Everything was right.

“When’s Abby getting released?” Haley asked, thankfully changing the subject.

“Monday,” Krista happily reported.

A horn sounded from out front and all three of the girls looked through the large bay window in shock. Brian was not the kind of guy to honk his horn impatiently.

“Of course. Jessie,” Haley said as all three of them shook their heads at their sister, who was sticking her hand in the driver’s side window and pressing on the center of the steering wheel.

“I really do have to go,” Becca sighed begrudgingly.

Haley hugged their baby sister and Krista saw tears forming in her older sister’s eyes. “Call or text when you get home. I don’t care what time it is.”

“I will,” Becca promised. “And I’ll be back in a few months for the wedding.”

At the mention of her wedding, a huge smile spread across Haley’s face. “Okay,” she sniffed as she released Becca from her bear hug.

Both Haley and Krista watched their sister drive away through the window as Jessie walked back into the house.

“You need to tell Mom and Dad that you’re staying. And we should all go out and celebrate,” Haley said excitedly.

Jessie looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. “Celebrate what?”

“You moving home. Your new job.”

“I’ll tell Mom and Dad at the parade today. But if we all go to dinner, it’s not going to be for my new job or that I’m moving home.” Jessie walked upstairs, indicating that the subject was closed.

“Oh shoot!” Haley jumped as she looked at her watch and headed towards the door. “I promised Em that I’d do her hair for the parade. What time are you working the booth?”

“Eleven to two,” Krista said.

“Okay. I saw the layout for the booths and I think you guys are going to be set up right in front of Tempting, so I’ll see you then.”

A melancholy feeling welled up inside of her when she found herself alone. She sat, slowly sinking down on the couch. It had only been an hour since she’d left Chase and already she was missing him like crazy. Actually, she was missing Chase and Bear, who was back at his own home since that was where Krista was spending her nights. Everything that was happening between them felt right, but neither of them had brought up the future or what either of them saw in it. Krista was pretty sure Chase—who normally liked to talk about everything—was mum on the subject for the same exact reason she was. They were too busy enjoying the present and catching up on the years they’d been apart. Once the subject of where they saw this going came up, the present could get ruined.

She was being a chickenshit and so was Chase. They needed to talk…out of bed. No matter how unappealing that sounded.





Chapter Nineteen





Chase was using the short walk with Bear from his mom’s place to the firehouse, where he was meeting Alex, to clear his head. It was a beautiful day. Perfect for the parade.

The temperature was eighty degrees. Not too hot. Not too cold. There was a gentle breeze blowing in the air, acting as nature’s house fan. He looked over at the rolling green hills, which were spotted with yellow and orange flowers, hoping that the peaceful, picturesque setting would ease some of his stress and tension.

It didn’t.

He’d just gotten off the phone with representatives at his record label, who had informed him that he had only two weeks to finish his album. Just as he was going to tell them that the album would be finished when it was finished and not a minute before, no matter what timeline they wanted, they added that he was legally obligated to deliver a completed album in the timeframe they’d laid out.

He’d called bullshit and they then forwarded him a signed (by Marcus) copy of his contract where it clearly stated what they’d just relayed to him on the conference call. When he’d hung up with the label, he immediately called Marcus, but the little prick wasn’t answering. He was such a weasel. Chase wanted to kick his own ass for letting such a conniving piece of shit have any legal access to him and his career.

When Marcus didn’t pick up, the next person Chase put a call into was his lawyer. He needed to fire Marcus and he needed to do it now. His first instinct when his soon-to-be ex-manager hadn’t answered the call was to leave some choice words for him ending in the line Donald Trump had made famous—“You’re fired.” But that would have been reacting out of emotion, and this was business. He needed to do this through the proper channels so that he didn’t end up paying that lowlife a penny more than he had to once his employment was dissolved.