Page 22 of Chasing Forever

She took a deep breath and plunged in. “Up until recently, things were going great. But then I lost my grandmother late last year.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you. We were really close, and I’m still trying to accept that she’s gone.”

“I get it.”

She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. In the meantime, the waitress came over and took their order, giving her time to regroup. Talking about her grandma had caused a sharp pain in her chest, and she wondered when it would get easier.

“Did she live near you?”

“Yes. Just a few miles away, so I saw her all the time.”

“Is that partly why you came here—to grieve?”

She nodded, but she wasn’t ready to tell him the rest. “My family stayed at the same resort when I was in college, and my grandma came with us.”

“It must bring back a lot of good memories then.”

“Yes, but it’s also a reminder that she’s not here to enjoy it this time.” Her voice cracked, and she picked up her drink as a distraction. Chase was so easy to talk to that she was afraid she’d spill everything if they kept this up.

“Do you mind if we talk about something else? I don’t want to get all emotional and ruin our dinner.”

He smiled. “Of course. It’s your turn to ask me something.”

“Okay. What made you decide to become a lawyer?”

He folded his hands and rested his chin on them, and she studied his face. His eyes were a pale green that looked almost gray in the dim light. His hair was close-cropped and medium brown with lighter streaks that might have been caused by the sun. He had a perfectly shaped oval face with thick brows, full lips, and light stubble along his jawline.

He was well-groomed, but she imagined he’d look just as handsome with messy hair, like when he first rolled out of bed in the morning…

“My dad owns a law firm along with two partners, so I became familiar with the business at a young age. It was assumed that I’d follow the same career path as he did.”

“Did you ever consider a different career?”

“Not really. I’ve always been interested in the law, although some of the shine has worn off. I’m contemplating making some changes when I go back home.”

He didn’t elaborate, and she decided not to push. Instead, she said, “Well, at least you can mull things over while you’re lying in a lounge chair at the pool instead of back home in the freezing cold weather.”

He gave her what appeared to be a grateful smile at the change of subject. “I know, right? My buddy Eric has been razzing me about it since I left.”

“My friend Quinn too, but she plans on visiting while I’m here.”

Just then their food arrived, and for the next several minutes, they didn’t talk at all except to say, “Pass the ketchup,” or, “The shrimp is delicious.” While she’d been busy eating, he must have communicated to the waitress, because she brought them two more drinks.

Between the food, the cocktails, and the romantic ambiance, Callie was in heaven. But she reminded herself this wasn’t a date—it was more of a working dinner. Besides, Chase hadn’t given her any indication otherwise. He’d been polite, friendly, and a good conversationalist, but he hadn’t flirted or hinted at anything else, and she was fine with that.

Like she’d told Quinn, she wasn’t his type. He might like her as a neighbor or a friend, but she was more of a girl next door (literally in this case) than a girl you couldn’t wait to get naked with.

Naked. Her? Chase? Together? She choked on a scallop just thinking about it.

“Are you okay? Here, drink some water,” he said, handing her the glass.

She gulped it down and felt her face redden with embarrassment. “Went down the wrong tube,” she said once she’d caught her breath.

“That’ll happen.”

Yeah. Especially when I’m thinking about you naked!