Chase opened the rear hatch and lifted a backpack out.
“Water and snacks,” he explained. “I have to take good care of you.”
“Oh, you have to?” She didn’t love the sound of that, but it might explain why he was so thoughtful. His close friend, billionaire Brandon, had paid or assigned him to take care of Lizzy these two weeks.
“Yes, ma’am. Do you want to carry those?” He pointed to the jacket fisted in her hand and the bag across her chest. “You can put them in here.”
“I don’t want to add too much weight.”
“Please don’t insult me.” He flashed her a confident smile. “I’ve carried a hundred pounds in gear while running and battling through enemy territory.”
“Wow. That is impressive, and forgive me for insulting you.”
“I was teasing.” He looked away. “But I shouldn’t brag. Please forgive me.”
Was he truly this humble?
“Brag away. You’re among friends.”
Chase chuckled at that, glancing at their two protectors who had stayed in the shadows all day and now were at their vehicle, grabbing backpacks as well. Chase zipped open the top of the backpack and took the jacket from her hand, then extended his hand for her purse.
“Thank you.”
Their hands brushed as she put her bag in his hand. A warm and unexpected tremor raced through her. It wasn’t unpleasant. Far from it.
Chase appealed to her. Was he for real? Did it matter how drawn she was to him if they didn’t have a future beyond these two weeks?
She scoffed in her own mind. A future? They hardly knew each other.
Strapping the backpack on, Chase gestured. “The trail starts over here.” He waited and Tony strode past them, not acting like he knew them. Peter stayed back.
They walked side by side through part of town and then started ascending a beautiful, slightly inclined trail through the mountains.
It was quiet and peaceful, just the two of them walking along the trail. Their protectors stayed far enough away to give them privacy but close enough that they could address trouble if it arose. She couldn’t imagine what trouble could be present in this beautiful spot of earth, especially with a man like Chase by her side and the monsters Grady Worthen and Darren Henderson on the other side of the globe.
Her mind was focused on Chase and how he treated her. She wasn’t certain if she wanted to bring it up, but she recognized he had a lot of information about her. From Madelyne’s research, she supposed. Yet would Madelyne know about her disability? Could that information be online somewhere? Lizzy had posted about supporting cerebral palsy, and her therapy through government organizations might be online.
Chase had trusted her last night, sharing about being raised in foster care. She wanted to trust him and also see what he knew about her disability.
It was terrifying to take the plunge and make herself vulnerable.
She glanced around, but their guards were far enough away that she could hardly hear their footsteps. They probably wouldn’t overhear a hushed conversation, and they probablyhad heard many things as bodyguards and were trained to keep things to themselves.
Could she trust Chase with something so sensitive to her and the source of a lot of embarrassment and sometimes belittlement through her life?
She doubted very much that Chase would belittle her or ever use the ‘R’ word, but it was still terrifying to make herself vulnerable, and she didn’t want to be less in his eyes.
Biting her lip, she was grateful they walked side by side so he wasn’t staring at her legs. She checked her Apple watch—only a mile and half into the hike and her legs were starting to tire.
Her legs usually held up longer than this, but she might be weak from their activity so far today, recovering from travel, the ‘jet lag’ she’d heard so much about, or the stress of wondering if Chase was as genuine as he seemed.
Could a man as appealing and strong as Chase be interested in her and not get annoyed when she revealed her weakness, slowed him down, or embarrassed him in public? She was slowing him down right now, and he didn’t seem to mind.
Her pulse quickened and her palms got sweaty. Could she ward off a disastrous relationship and heartbreak in the future by speaking up right now? How could she draw Chase out without humiliating herself? She wanted an honest answer but didn’t know if she could trust her own intuition where well-built and handsome men were concerned.
Saying a prayer for insight and clear vision, she tried to think of how to phrase the question. She also prayed Chase was as genuine as he seemed. If he was hiding something from her, she didn’t know how she’d handle it.
She wanted to trust him.
