Chase rang the doorbell, feeling suddenlyvery much like he was picking up his date. He tried to keep a calmappearance as he anxiously waited for her to answer. He rememberedthe time he had been hanging out at Aiden’s place and had answeredthe door for her date; not uncommon for him to have opened thedoor, as he spent so much time there.
This time, however, Dylan was waiting on theother side to take Maddy to junior prom. Their first big date. Ithad taken all Chase’s willpower not to knock his teeth out, thatstupid smirk as the asshole watched Maddy come to the door in herpale pink dress – seemingly conservative in the front, but the lowback made it damn sexy.
It had been of his own making, he knew that.Instead of going to the dance that night, he and Aiden had insteadstolen some whiskey from his dad and knocked over mailboxes. A nicefarewell to town, as he left a few weeks later.
The door finally swung open. Maddy stood inthe threshold, wearing a short denim skirt that showed off herincredible, long legs. She topped off the look with simple, butincredibly sexy, slim white button-up top. Chase forgot how tospeak for a moment.
"Hey Chase, let me grab my jacket." Shequickly disappeared behind the door and re-appeared carrying amotorcycle jacket swung over her arm. She locked the front door,and he followed her out to the truck. Unable to shake the feelinghe was taking her out on a date, he gallantly leaped in front toopen the passenger door for her. He tried to calm his over-eagerand ridiculously overzealous libido as he crossed over to his door.Not for you, he reminded himself.
They picked up Payson next from her apartmentabove Flotsam Antiques. She had been waiting outside when theyarrived and hopped in the backseat. Chase suspected Payson wasterminally feminine, dressed tonight in a long blue sundress with aleather purse swung over her shoulder. Her denim jacket at leastwas a nod to the fact that they were going to a rundown locals-onlysort of tavern for dinner. "Thanks for the lift, Chase. How are youliking the table?"
"You were right, it's perfect for the space.I even bought that blue-glass candle centerpiece from the shop nextto yours that you'd recommended. Now I have to start actuallyinviting people over for dinner or it'll get dusty." Chase didn'tentertain much, so the table had been more than he needed, but theempty room had been far more depressing than a dusty dining roomtable would be. "You keeping an eye out for a coffee table forme?"
"Sure thing. I'd like to see the couch andchairs you picked out before I can recommend anything. Bring mesome pics. Or, you can invite us all over for dinner one night soMaddy can visit her second favorite dining table. Lucky you boughtit, or she’d have found a way to convert her spare bedroom just tomake room for it."
Payson clearly loved her job and had a knackfor it. She was more than just an antique shop owner. She'd toldhim about her studies in interior design and antiquities, her lastjob at an international antiquities dealer in Boston before movingto Seaview. He wondered why the move to such a slower paced life,but he didn't want to pry.
They drove the few more blocks to Aiden's.Aiden's house had belonged to a local accountant for years. Theaccountant retired a few months before Aiden moved back to town;Aiden had jumped at the opportunity and, like Payson, livedupstairs and ran his business downstairs.
Chase glanced in the backseat as Aiden walkedout the door and was locking up. Shit, his new TV was taking upmost of the backseat, leaving room only for Payson. Aiden openedthe back-passenger door, "Uh, Chase, nice TV. But, where am Isitting?"
"Sorry, I forgot that was in here. I pickedit up on my way home from work yesterday. I forgot how exhaustingit is to be out on the boat all day. Normally I’m under the water,not on it. Plus, I feel like I'm working double-speed to show themwho's boss, literally. I sort of crashed when I got home and forgotabout it. Climb up front next to Maddy."
Chase pulled up the armrest and motionedMaddy to the middle seat while Aiden made his way around the backof the truck. On cue, Maddy slid across the bench seat. Her barelegs straddled the gear shifter, her left leg plastered to hisright, almost as if he’d planned it.
His eyes went straight to her thighs,thinking her skirt wouldn't have to hike much higher for him to seeher panties. Thong or bikini? Lace or cotton? His poor imaginationwas going a mile a minute, gaze stuck, hoping for a glimpse ofheaven.
As the door opened and Aiden hopped in, Maddytugged down her skirt, bringing him back in the moment. He quicklyadjusted his own pants, that had grown a bit uncomfortable in thepast moment.
There was little hope for improvement as heshifted into reverse, hand grazing her inner thigh. He was smilinginwardly, congratulating himself on his brilliant investment in themanual transmission and bench seat, but the knowledge that herbrother was sitting on her other side was a harsh awakening, likejumping into the North Sea in winter.
He drove north through the backroads, neatlyavoiding the dinner-hour traffic of Beachside Avenue. He wouldnever admit out loud that his decision to take the path with themost stop signs, allowing for as many gear changes as possible, mayperhaps have been intentional. He was a glutton for punishment.After passing the McAllister Fisheries' complex, they rounded thelast bend past the tourist hullabaloo and drove a few final turnsbefore pulling into Winter's.
Winter's was hopping tonight; filled withlocals. It was mostly a fishermen's joint but was also beloved bymany locals wanting to get away from the highly traffickedBeachside Avenue restaurants in summer. Well into his 60's, Winterhad kept the place in good condition. It looked to have beenrecently painted a deep blue color with bright white trim. Neonsigns advertised beer of all varieties, blocking the view into anyof the few windows.
Chase had actually never spent more than afew minutes inside, as Winter had always kicked he and Aiden rightback out. Damn small town; fake IDs didn't work when everyone knewwho you were. Chase didn’t bother circling the crowded parking lotfor a closer spot on the crowded night, instead he parked on theside of the building.
They all piled out of the crowded truck,heading together to the front door. Before even rounding thecorner, the sounds of a scuffle were obvious. Chase knew Maddycould obviously handle herself, she did this sort of thing for aliving. But, he found himself pushing her behind him as the fightcame into view.
He saw a few of his own folks, Braden'smassive form right in front. He saw Braden's fist connect with aguy he hadn't seen before, but clearly a fisherman and somehow evenwider than Braden himself. The guy was built like a tank.
Neither he nor his friends looked familiar,must not be one of McAllisters'. Dammit. They didn't need anyonespending the night in jail or too badly hurt right now. They were abit short-staffed as it was.
***
After Chase’s hand grazed her legs during thedrive over with every gear-change, at the many stop signs they hadapproached, capping off the drive with several attempts to reverseperfectly into the parking spot, Maddy still hadn't found her landlegs yet. Sure, she could have adjusted so he had a bit more spaceto shift gears, but she rather enjoyed herself. That was a pleasantsurprise.
As they headed for the front door, she wasirked that Chase had pushed her behind him at the sound of thefight, but she found herself equally touched by his protectivegesture. She noted Chase balling his fists at his sides, ready fora fight.
Shit. She may be off duty but would be forcedto intervene or call for back-up if things got ugly. They were allused to the occasional fishermen's brawls and didn't get too workedup if it was just a few punches, or they'd have to permanentlyplace a patrol outside the tavern and the poor fishing industrywould struggle. But, if things got ugly, everyone involved got tospend the night in jail to cool down.
Chase turned toward her with a sly grin andasked she, Payson, and Aiden to hang on a sec. She watched Chasewalk casually over to the small crowd, as if he hadn’t even noticeda fight was in progress. Chase interrupted with a smile, "Braden,how the hell are ya? Heard you guys pulled in a huge load oflobster today."
The fighting pair turned back to him,surprised to have been interrupted so cheerfully. The man who hadpunched Braden turned to Chase, his expression wild and confused."You must be McAllister’s shiny new toy. Kiss my ass." The tank'sfist flew out of nowhere, straight for Chase; a surprisingly quickmove for someone so bulky. Maddy nearly shrieked but managed tokeep silent, giving him a chance to cool things down beforeintervening.
Chase swiftly ducked to avoid the massivefist. As he bobbed out of the way, he caught the tank in a solidright hook. Chase quickly brought his other fist into the tank'sabdomen as he recoiled from Chase’s well-placed blow to hisjaw.
The tank tried to straighten up and go forChase again, but Chase was faster, knocking the tank onto theground with his knee, as the huge man crashed limply to the ground.He laid on the ground for a minute, moaning and groaning.
