I still haven’t figured out where we’re going when Chase pulls off the freeway and we drive into this small beach town. I’m so used to the busy beaches of Los Angeles that this slow, relaxed lifestyle could be an alien planet. I gawk at all the little shops, cute homes, and the sprinkling of people wandering about. He parks by the docked boats near a long pier and my head pivots, trying to take it all in. He’s opening my door for me before I notice he’s even out of the car. He grabs our coats from the back and holds my hand as we walk down the pier. It’s old, and the wood creaks a little as we walk by a handful of people fishing off the side.
“I used to go to the beach with my father and we’d build sand castles. Baby Dani cried about the sand for an hour.” He squeezes my hand and we stop walking, but I’m too busy watching a young girl reel in a fish to turn around. “I dreamed about living in one of those castles one day. Too many movies with princes saving the princesses, I guess. What about you, what did you dream—” I turn back to Chase, but he’s not looking at me. He’s staring down at a small box in his hand. There’s a lump in my throat and I remember the conversation at breakfast about how quickly his friend jump from dating to marriage..
“I used to dream I’d… I’d have a family. I mean, I have Devin, but that’s not exactly what I mean.”
“Chase Cooper, if that’s a ring?—”
“No!” He replies too quickly, and winces. “I mean, it is, but not like that. It’s not a, I’m not going to ask you…I mean. Wait, if I asked? What would you say?”
I roll my eyes at the question. “I’d say yes, you’re an idiot!”
“I mean, yeah, but…it’s definitely not a ring. It’s only earrings.” He lets go of my hand and opens the box, holding it out for me to see. Two beautiful gold sunflowers with diamonds in the middle sparkle back at me in the late afternoon sun. They’re stunning, and they look more expensive than any jewelry I’ve ever owned. “Do you like them? I figured these would work since I call you Sunshine and your tattoo.”
“Chase, you didn’t need to do this.”
“Buy stuff for my girl? Yeah, you better get used to that. It’s kind of my thing. Fuck, by now I would normally have given you tons of flowers and jewelry, but life keeps getting in the way, and you’re not like that.” He brushes the hair out of my face, but the wind blows it right back. “I want the things I give you to mean something, not compulsory buys because we’re dating.”
I’ve never in my life had a man put earrings on me before, but the sparks on my skin and the heat building in my stomach as he attaches the backing makes me think I could get used to it. When he secures the second one, he steps back to look at me with a giant grin.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Theyare beautiful.”
“They’re barely noticeable on someone as stunning as you, Sunshine.” His hands take my face and he pulls my lips to his, stealing the last pieces of my heart that were trying hard to hold out against his charms. I never stood a chance of dodging him. “Things have been upside down for a while now, and my filming schedule doesn’t let up anytime soon. So, I wanted you to know that I love you, and I’m going to do better. For you. For us.”
“I love you, too, Chase, and I’ll be here with you to hold you to that.”
“Say it again…but the other name.”
“I love you, too,” I grin and pause as he eagerly awaits his name. “My puppy.”
“Perfection. Just like you.”
We walk hand in hand to a small restaurant at the end of the pier. It’s cute, with colorful stools along the pier overlooking the water. There’s a noise as we head to our seat, like a strange sounding dog. When I turn to see, I pull Chase to a stop and stand there, fixated on a dozen sea lions, sunning themselves on a floating piece of wood. They’re all barking and one of them slides off into the water, splashing around. My heart races and I can’t believe my eyes. They’re real. The sea lions are real. Not on a screen or a picture, not behind glass, but real and right here in front of me.
“Sea lions. Those are sea lions, Chase!”
“Yep. Hold on, you’ve never even seen a sea lion? I thought you just meant you hadn’t seen dolphins and sharks. Weren’t you born in LA?” I nod, unable to speak as I watch them. “Come on, let’s go sit and I’ll show you the otters.”
“The what?!” My eyes are probably bugging out of my head as I stare at him and make pawing motions with my hands. “Otters? Like, little furry…otters?”
He kisses my forehead with a laugh before he drags me off to our table. I don’t listen to what he orders, too busy leaning over the railing like a child and watching the marine life go about their day. I damn near fall in when the pod of dolphins swims by. As I watch, I spot something off in the distance and I freeze, staring hard at the water and hoping it happens again. The dark hump comes up again, followed by a giant flipper and a spray of water high in the air. Whales. My whole life, I’ve only ever seen seagulls and the random pelican. Now, I’ve seen so many things that my head might explode.
He comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his head on top of mine as the wind picks up. I never want to leave. The pier. The serene little sea town. His arms. I’ve never felt this happy, and all I needed to make it happen was the right man, a few hours in a car, and a pier.
CHAPTER33
BAD THINGS
JACE EVERETT
I’ve nailedthis trip so far. I came close to a panic attack when I researched everything, worried she’d find it stupid or boring. The second she spotted the ocean from the car, I knew from the look on her face I hadn’t fucked this up. And the animals? I expected a few sea lions, but the whales?! I couldn’t have paid for a better turnout. I had to drag her away from the pier, promising we could come back another time—maybe even on the way home.
“Puppy, if you’re taking me to some motel to kill me after showing me otters and whales, I’m kind of okay with it.” She looks around as we pull into the driveway. She’s right, from here the place looks pretty damn strange. Especially with the sun setting.
“Show a girl a couple of whales and she’s ready to become a crime documentary.”
“Are you saying I’m easy, Mr. Cooper?”
