Right now, she had bigger problems to deal with. She got in her car and drove to the bar, hoping she wasn’t too late to save Chase from himself.
She wondered if getting involved with Chase in a relationship meant a lifetime of watching him struggle to contain his addiction.
Is that the kind of life she wanted?
She hoped it wouldn’t be like that, because she really liked Chase. She tried not to think about how deep her feelings ran for him, because she didn’t want to feel the disappointment if things didn’t work out. She remembered how the days and weeks after their night together felt. Lonelier than she’d ever been in her life, and she hadspent most of her life feeling alone. But missing him . . . it ached in a way she couldn’t explain after only having shared one night with the man and barely knowing him.
Still, she couldn’t help but dream of a life together with their little girl and how wonderful it could be if he was happy and healthy and actually loved her.
That dream died the second she walked into Cooper’s bar where they met, and she spotted him in a back booth with the waitress leaning into him, whispering something very close to his ear.
Chase spotted her standing in the middle of the walkway between the bar and tables, and his eyes went wide a second before he smiled. Whatever the waitress said must have sounded good to him.
She spun on her heel and walked toward the exit, not wanting to get involved after all in Chase’s night out.
Truthfully, she thought Hunt sent her on this mission for some nefarious reason. Apparently his hint that Chase was out looking for a woman didn’t only ring true. It looked that way, and sliced at her heart.
She didn’t make it to the door fast enough.
Chase took her arm and tugged her to a stop. “Shelby, wait. Where are you going? What are you doing here?”
“I’m going home. Apparently Hunt has thought up new ways to humiliate me.” It hurt to see Chase with another woman.
Chase’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Enjoy your night.” She turned to go, but he took her hand.
“Stop. What’s wrong?”
She kept her back to him and stared at the door, hoping he didn’t see the hurt she couldn’t hide. “Nothing. I don’t want to spoil your fun.”
He rubbed his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. “You’ll spoil what looked like was finally going to be a great night if you leave.”
“I’m sure your friend will make it up to you, and you don’t need me—”
He cut her off with a kiss that nearly buckled her knees, but Chase held her up with one arm banded around her waist, the other hand softly pressed to the side of her face. He ended the sweet kiss with a brush of his nose against hers. “My need foryouis overwhelming.”
She stared up at him, completely confused. “I don’t understand. You were flirting with that waitress.”
“Um, no. Not even close. I’m not interested in her, or anyone else but you.” He traced his fingers down the side of her face and held her gaze, his earnest and honest. “Full disclosure, I do know her, but we’ve never... you know. She welcomed me home, but I’m pretty sure she wanted to thank me for my service without using words.” He eyed her, making sure she got his meaning.
She rolled her eyes and tried to pull away.
He held her close. “I was about to tell her thanks but no thanks, when I spotted you and my whole day got a hell of a lot better, until you turned to leave.”
The smile had been for her.
“Seriously, Shelby, nothing is going on here. I came in to get dinner. I’ve been welcomed back and thanked for my service by half a dozen people here, including Deb, the waitress.”
“I thought you had stuff to do tonight.”
“I do. But the walls started closing in on me, it was too quiet, and I just needed a change of scenery. I thought it was too late to drop by your place because Eliza is probably already in bed and I didn’t want to wake her.This place makes the best steak sandwich in the state, so I came to get some food and be surrounded by noise that wasn’t all in my head.”
She put her hand on his chest and sighed. “I’m sorry you’re having a hard time.”
He put his hand over hers and squeezed. “I was until you walked in the door.” He hooked his arm around her shoulders and walked with her back toward his table. “Sit with me while I eat and tell me how you even knew I was here.”
She slid into the booth, and Chase took his seat across from her. She stared at the platter overflowing with French fries and a thick sandwich filled with thinly sliced medium-rare steak that looked delicious.