She even seemed happier.
Being a mom looked good on her.
But there was something about her that nagged at him. He felt like he was missing a few key pieces that would tell him why she seemed on edge. Why she held back. Because it didn’t seem to be him and his presence in her life. Something else made her... he didn’t know what it was, but it was something.
She and Abby, the babysitter, were talking about something without actually spelling out what.
And Shelby just seemed... jumpy.
He’d figure it out. She’d learn to trust him again. He’d earn her trust.
Starting with getting this place in order. He wanted Shelby and Eliza to feel comfortable here. He wanted Shelby to feel like she could leave Eliza with him and not worry.
Until now, he’d been the fun dad, the one who showed up for a few hours and played and spoiled, then left again.
He’d never had Eliza overnight or all to himself for even a few days. He wanted to be that kind of dad, the one who was there and knew his kid inside and out. But Shelby saw how he was spiraling, and she’d rightfully put her foot down and said she wouldn’t endanger Eliza just so he could prove he wasn’t up to taking care of her.
It hurt to believe that then and think about it now.
Chase couldn’t sit in his truck all night. He got out and walked the path to the porch steps, his gut tight anddread sinking in. He hadn’t been good alone in a long time. He didn’t expect tonight to be any different.
He unlocked the door with the keys Shelby gave him. He’d left the spare set with her and told her she could come by anytime she wanted.
For him, the place felt just as much hers as his because she’d gotten it for him and made sure he felt welcome.
Plus, he hoped they grew closer together as parents and friends and something more. Right now, he felt her still holding back, using her shyness and his past to keep a wall up between them.
He just wanted someone, her, to see that he’d changed, that he was trying to be better and move on with his life.
But that would take more than a day out of rehab and an OD he never saw coming to prove to everyone.
He walked in the door and stared at the place like he was seeing it for the first time. He needed furniture, a TV, lamps, and something to break up the white, sterile walls. He loved the caramel-colored hardwood floors. He’d get a soft carpet for the living room so Eliza could play and roll around on the floor without hurting herself. He’d set up a corner in the room for her toys and maybe a small table with a chair where she could color or whatever, like Shelby had in her house.
That sparked several more ideas.
He’d loved being in Shelby’s place. It felt bright and cheerful and inviting.
She had one big wall in the living room painted a soft sky blue with a gorgeous seascape painting. He could do something similar here. Maybe in a pale green with a picture. Something with trees.
He loved the black touches she had in each room inher house. The door pulls and handles in the kitchen, along with the sink fixtures, the lamps and chandeliers.
He looked from the living room, through the dining room, to the kitchen. All the fixtures were a mismatch even though the last owners had updated the house. He could fix that.
He pulled out his phone, found his memo app, and started making a list of what he wanted to buy and what he needed to fix in the house. Tomorrow, he’d walk the property, check out the garage and barn, and see what else he needed to do around the place once he had the money.
It hit him the second he finished the list and stared at the house again, imagining what it could be.
Shelby didn’t just get him a place to live. She gave him a place to start building a new life.
He tapped the icon on his phone and punched in the password so he could check on his little girl. The camera covered a good portion of Eliza’s room. She wasn’t in her crib. Instead, Shelby sat in the chair next to it with Eliza in her arms. She must have woken for some reason. Shelby gently rubbed Eliza’s back and brushed her cheek against Eliza’s soft hair.
The red light on the camera would alert Shelby that he was watching and listening. She never seemed to care. After all, she’d set up the camera for him.
“Dada come back,” Eliza whispered.
Shelby kept rubbing her back. “He’ll be back to see you real soon.”
Chase tapped the microphone and whispered to his little girl. “I’m here, sweetheart.”