Chased Dreams (15 page)

She slid her fork around her plate, picking
at her food but not eating any of it.

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine,” I added
hurriedly, worried that I’d upset her, somehow.

“No, it’s not that,” she said glancing at
me. “I’m pregnant.”

It took several seconds for what she said to
sink in. “What?” I asked, smiling. “Are you serious?” I stood and
pulled her up, too, hugging her tightly. “When did you find
out?”

“Please don’t be mad at me,” she said, and I
released her slightly so I could look at her.

“Why would I be mad?”

“You’ve just had so much stress lately; I
didn’t want to add to it.”

I started laughing. “How far along are you?”
I asked, realizing she’d been keeping this from me.

“Eleven weeks.”

“You’re kidding? You’ve been going through
all this without me? How are you feeling?”

“Other than some mild touches of nausea,
here and there, I feel pretty good.”

“Well, I don’t know whether I should spank
you or kiss you.” I tried to give her a fierce glare, but I
couldn’t manage to keep the smile off my face.

“How about both?” she answered, a wicked
gleam lighting her eye.

“You know that’s what got you into this mess
in the first place, right?”

“Yes. And I don’t regret it one bit,” she
replied, lifting up to rub her nose against mine before she kissed
me. “I know we weren’t planning for this right now, but I kind of
like having a piece of you with me all the time.”

“I love you, Britt.” Moving closer, I kissed
her deeply, my love for her swelling in my chest. We were going to
be parents! I could hardly believe it, but it was definitely the
most amazing news.

“Does anyone else know?” I asked, breaking
away from her.

She shook her head. “No, well except for the
doctor. I had to tell you first.”

“Let’s go call our parents and let them know
they’re going to be grandparents.”

“Sounds great.” She was positively glowing,
as we left our food on the table and headed toward the living room.
I thought she’d never looked prettier.

***

The rapid sound of a heartbeat filled the
air, almost like a horse galloping along at a fast pace. Brittney’s
eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked at me and I smiled
back at her, gently squeezing her hand.

Truth be told, I was having a hard time
wrapping my head around the fact that she was pregnant; but this
moment, hearing that beautiful sound, suddenly drove everything
home for me. I was going to be a dad! Brittney and I were creating
a new life together.

Nervousness gripped me, and I felt
completely insecure. Was I good enough to be a dad? My dad had been
amazing, but I’d made lots of bad choices after his death. Grandpa
had certainly been a wonderful role model, too. My heart ached,
missing both of them. I wished they were still here to give me some
advice. I wanted to do right by Brittney and this baby.

Then the whole idea of supporting a family
had me worried. Brittney had been patiently supporting me through
all the problems I’d gone through, but I needed to make some hard
choices. Should I keep trying for the football career, or get a
different, steadier job? It was as if my entire perspective on life
had just made a huge shift. Things that once seemed so important,
all of a sudden weren’t.

“Are you okay?” Brittney asked, bringing me
back to the present, and I realized I must have been frowning.
Quickly, I smiled at her.

“I’m fine. I think the reality of this baby
thing just sunk in.”

“But you are happy about it?” Little worry
lines creased between her eyebrows and I knew she was
concerned.

Bending, I kissed her on those worry lines.
“I couldn’t be happier,” I replied.

Chapter Seventeen

“Chase. Chase. I miss you.” Nikki’s voice
filtered into my sleep, causing me to wake up. As soon as I opened
my eyes, my ears started ringing, accompanied by an excruciating
headache. Sitting up carefully, so I wouldn’t disturb Brittney, I
rubbed at my temples and the back of my neck, trying to ease the
incessant pounding.

Despite the pain in my head, the pain in my
heart was worse. I could still hear her soft words in my mind. My
subconscious seemed to remember everything about her, with
clarity.

Despite all the time she’d been gone, I
could still feel her with me, connected somehow. I wasn’t sure how,
or why, but it was making me feel slightly crazy. Why was I all of
a sudden becoming so reattached to her again? I knew I would always
love her—she was my first love; but it was more than that. She had
been everything to me, giving me a world that I
wanted
to
live in again. The ache of losing her would be something I carried
with me for the rest of my life.

Getting up, I wandered into the bathroom,
digging through the medicine cabinet for some painkillers, before
heading to the kitchen for some water. I popped the pills and sat
the glass down on the counter, staring off at nothing.

What the hell was the matter with me? My
life was amazing. Yes, the road had been a bit on the bumpy side
lately, but I still had my beautiful wife. Soon, I’d have a
beautiful child, too. I had loving family to go home to—so why the
constant connection with Nikki?

I’d lost my father and my grandfather, and
while I still felt connected to them, as well, their deaths didn’t
affect me nearly as badly as Nikki’s. Maybe it was because she’d
felt like my soul mate. For whatever reason, I couldn’t get past my
grief from losing her.

Memories of time spent together flitted
through my mind. Moments of laughter, cuddling, and some extremely
hot make-out sessions, threatened to overwhelm me. I not only
missed her as my girlfriend, but as my friend, too. She was so easy
to talk to. I’d spent hours with her wrapped up in my arms as we
talked aimlessly, effortlessly, together. She had truly become my
best friend.

I wondered about what my life would be like
right now, if she’d lived. Would we have stayed together? Would we
be married? Would we have kids of our own? I know I wanted that
with her, badly.

Just thinking of these things brought on the
guilt. I loved Brittney, too. She’d been able to reach me in a way
that no one else could, when I most desperately needed it. My love
for her was intense, but still felt different from what I’d
experienced with Nikki. I guess that was to be expected though. No
one feels exactly the same about any person they meet.

“Chase? Are you all right?” Brittney’s soft
voice came from behind me and I turned to face her.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just woke up with a
really bad headache and got up to take something for it.” Reaching
out, I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her. I loved the
way she fit right under my chin and how her hair always smelled
like strawberries. My hands drifted over the silkiness of the short
nightgown she was wearing, moving past it to slide over her bare
legs.

She moaned against my chest. “That feels
good.”

That was all the encouragement I needed.
Picking her up, I sat her on the counter and she opened her legs so
I could step between them.

“Kiss me,” I said, running my hand over her
pale blonde hair that glowed in the dim moonlight that filtered in
from the window.

Smiling softly, she leaned forward, pressing
her lips to mine and wrapping her arms around my neck. I wanted to
lose myself in her. I wanted to forget about everything else and,
for one moment in time, simply be Brittney and Chase—the only two
people who mattered in the world.

She moaned as I deepened the kiss, my hands
traveling down to grab the edge of her nightgown. I broke the kiss,
to pull it off over her head, letting it drift silently to the
floor.

Grinning, she rubbed her hands over my
shoulders as my hands molded and skimmed over the luscious curves
of her body, the heat of desire pooling straight to my core.

“Kitchen sex, huh? Is that what you’re
wanting?”

I nodded, trailing my tongue from her bare
shoulder up the side of her neck and she sighed, dreamily.

“It could be fun, I guess.”

“Sex with you is always fun,” I replied,
continuing my licking and tasting.

She giggled. “But on the counter?
Really?”

“This time. When we’re finished, here we’ll
move to the table and after that, maybe on the floor.”

“Wow. You intend to keep me busy tonight,
don’t you?”

“Very.”

***

Brittney stretched languidly in the bed
beside me and I drank the sight of her in. She always looked so
beautiful after we made love, her long hair tousled, lips a little
swollen from kissing, and her skin flushed with a rosy glow.

“Good morning,” she said, sliding closer, so
our nude bodies were pressed together. She started laughing.

“What?” I asked, eyeing her
suspiciously.

“Feels like someone is ready for a repeat
performance of last night.” She trailed a hand down my body and I
groaned.

“What did you expect to happen when you
cuddled your naked body against mine? I’m only human.” She giggled
again, running her hand over me.

“Too bad I’ve got to get up and get ready to
leave.” She made a pouty face, but didn’t stop stroking me.

“You’re not being nice. You can’t get me all
hot and bothered like this and then say you’re going to leave.
That’s just wrong.”

Laughing, she rolled away from me, taking
the delicious heat of her body with her. “I guess you’ll have to
join me in the shower.”

“Not so fast,” I replied, grabbing her arm
and pulling her back toward me. I rolled over on top of her,
pinning her to the bed. “I’m not letting you get away that
easily.”

She laughed. “Chase, I’m going to be
late.”

Smiling, I pressed my face against her neck.
“Tell them your invalid husband needed some extra care this
morning.”

“You’re not an invalid,” she replied. “I
think you proved exactly how healthy you are, last night.”

“They don’t know that. Besides, I didn’t
hear you complaining. Though the neighbors might have heard your
enjoyment.”

She slapped my butt and laughed. “I wasn’t
that bad.”

“Yeah you were. Now slap my butt again, I
like where that was headed.”

She sighed, shaking her head, but still
grinning. “You’re not going to let me up, are you?”

“Not a chance,” I replied. “You’re going to
finish what you started.”

“Yes, master,” she said teasingly.

“That’s more like it.”

***

When I answered the doorbell that afternoon,
I never expected to find Nikki’s mom on the other side. “Hi,
Justine. This is a surprise.” I always felt like I stared at her
too long. She had such a resemblance to Nikki that I constantly
found myself trying to imagine it was her. “Come in.” I held the
door and gestured for her to enter.

“Is Brittney home?” she asked, as she moved
toward the couch.

“No, she had to work today. She’ll be sad
she missed you. What’re you in town for?”

Smiling, a slight blush crossed her face.
“I’m meeting,” she paused. “Someone.”

“Someone? Like a guy someone?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “Exactly like that.”

I was pleasantly surprised by this news.
Justine had never gotten over her husband’s death after a battle
with cancer. She’d shown no interest in dating.

“Tell me about this guy. Is it serious?”

She shrugged. “Your mom and Greg are the
ones who set me up with him. He’s come to see me twice, in Silver
Creek, but he lives here, so I’m returning the favor. I like him so
far, though. I figured it was time to move on and try new things. I
can’t just sit around and mourn my losses. Plus, Clara and Timmy
are getting so much older. It would be nice for them to have a
father figure around the house.”

“Well, I think this is great news. I’m happy
for you.”

“I stopped by because your mom asked me to
give this to you.” Reaching into her purse she pulled out a large
envelope and handed it to me. I glanced at it, confused when I saw
it was from a lawyer, but addressed to my grandma.

“Do you know what this is about?” Flipping
the letter over, I saw it was open.

“Yes, I do. But you should read it.”

Hesitating for a moment, I took in a deep
breath, not sure what was going on. I slowly looked inside and
found another envelope. This one was addressed to me and my breath
caught as I read the words: To be delivered to Chase Walker in the
event of Warren Johnson’s death.

This was something to do with my grandpa. I
quickly tore the envelope and retrieved the paper inside.

I, Warren Johnson, being of sound mind, do
bequeath one half of my ranchland to my grandson, Chase Walker, as
his inheritance.

I was stunned. A few brief details explained
the location of the land and I saw it included the area by the
creek where Nikki and I loved to go to. My eyes watered and I
blinked quickly.

“I can’t believe this.” My hands were
shaking as I turned to the second page of the document, finding a
letter in my grandpa’s handwriting.

Dear Chase,

Well, boy, if you’re reading this I guess
that means I finally kicked the bucket. But don’t you cry for me,
son, I’m in a better place; and I’ll be sure to tell your daddy and
your girl how much you miss them. Guess you’ll have three guardian
angels watching out for you, now.

I snorted. Don’t cry . . . yeah right. A few
tears were already leaking down my face.

I know you’ve had some tough experiences with
death in your short life, but I want you to know how proud I am of
you. You’ve grown so strong and learned to handle things, even when
it was difficult. I’ve been so proud to call you my boy.

I wanted you to have some of my land. I have
great memories of working the ranch with your help, and I know
there are special places you hold dear. I can see you have the same
love for it as I do. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed
having you in my life. Keep your chin up.