Crazy Love(70)

Chase realized that a lot of his success was due to sheer luck. There were musicians far more talented than he was who had never hit it big. But his longevity, he believed, was not just his talent or luck, but also his—and his band’s—work ethic. In all the years they’d played together, they’d never once canceled a show. He took his commitments very seriously. He prided himself on being a man of his word. When he was growing up, he remembered The Colonel always saying that all a man had was his word and his handshake. That had stuck with Chase.

Obviously, he didn’t want to be like his own father. He didn’t have any uncles or even great coaches to look up to. So the men he had looked up to were Krista’s dad and The Colonel.

He didn’t think that either of them would back out on a contract, even though technically he hadn’t even been the one to sign it. They would man up, go do their jobs, and not whine about it.

Which was exactly what he planned on doing. He just needed to talk to Krista first.

* * *

“Mmmm,” Krista moaned. “This is sooo good.” Her lips wrapped around the straw as she sucked the cold lemonade into her mouth. Lemonade on a hot day had an almost orgasmic effect on her.

Not that she was having a shortage of those lately. Chase knew exactly what buttons to push in and out of the bedroom (and the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, living room, car, and any other place they got freaky). This past week had been a marathon of lovemaking. Krista was exhausted. Not like she had been the week before. The root of that exhaustion had been no sleep, stress, and panic. The only thing the two exhaustions had in common was the no sleep.

Looking up, Krista felt her heart warm as she saw her mom walking towards the HCWS booth she was currently manning.

“Hey, sweetie. Did you get to say goodbye to your sister this morning?”

“Yeah, I did.” Krista smiled as she stood and her mom wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug that radiated with love.

Sandra Sue Sloan was a saint in Krista’s eyes. Not only because she’d been such an amazing mom to her own four girls and also stepped in and helped raised Krista’s cousins, but also because she was the kindest, sweetest, most selfless person on the planet without being a pushover.

She never complained about anything and would do anything for anyone, but normally when Krista observed those qualities in people, they were also doormats who let everyone walk all over them. That was not the case with Krista’s mom. All you had to do was ask her dad, Pete. He would tell you that she didn’t let him get away with anything, and he loved it.

Her parents’ marriage was what Krista had dreamed she would have someday. They loved each other unconditionally. Truly saw and accepted who the other was. Challenged each other in the best possible way and were best friends.

A few years ago, Krista had asked her dad what he thought the secret was to his and her mom’s successful marriage. He’d smiled and said, “There’s no secret, honey. It takes work, love, and respect.” Krista remembered being surprised that her dad had taken her question seriously. Then he’d added while wagging his eyebrows, “And it doesn’t hurt that she has such a cute rear end.” Krista had swatted her dad on the arm and said something like, “T. M. I.,” or “Gross, Dad!”

Honestly though, Krista didn’t think the fact that her parents couldn’t keep their hands off each other was gross at all. They’d been married for over thirty years, and the fact that they were still wildly attracted to one another was, in her book, ah-may-zing.

“Mmm, is that lemonade?” Krista’s mom asked while fanning herself with an HCWS flyer.

“Yep. You want some?” Krista lifted the cup.

The day had started out a breezy eighty degrees or so, but in the last hour, the clouds in the bright blue sky had parted and the temperature had risen by at least ten degrees.

“Yes, thank you.” Her mom reached for the cup and took a tiny sip.

Krista shook her head. “Mom, you can have more than that.”

Waving her hand dismissively, she said, “No, that’s fine. If I want more, I can get my own. I just needed a little something,” she said as she motioned to her throat. “Jessie said she took a job in the city.”

Krista could hear the excitement in her mom’s voice. “Yeah. Haley wanted to go out to dinner with everybody to celebrate, but Jessie quickly shot that down.”

“I know. I suggested the same thing,” Sandy sighed, but she was still smiling from ear to ear. “So I hear you’ve been spending a lot of time with Chase.”

Krista laughed at her mom’s abrupt change in subject. “Wow. That wasn’t even kind of a subtle transition.”