He saw some of the Chadwick family members, but not Quill. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like Quill was the one he needed to approach because of his connection to Kris. He could still remember the scandal when Kris’s hockey player boyfriend Todd Plowman had lied to her. She had claimed Quill was the one who threw hockey games for gambling purposes, but it was actually Todd. Kris and especially Quill had handled the situation with extreme maturity, so Chase assumed there was no bad blood between them. Now that he’d gotten to know Kris a little bit, Chase wondered what the true story was.
After sledding, he got some hot cocoa and donuts. The brunette from the gym yesterday morning was circling like a buzzard ready to dive on her prey, giving him sultry looks and blinking her long eyelashes.
He dodged behind groups of children and all but ran for the safety of the lodge. He had this irrational feeling that if he could just make it until dinner time, all this angst and worry would go away. Ashley would tell him her secrets and why she’d been so hot and cold. He’d reveal to her that he was falling for her and wanted to date her. When she agreed to date him, and after they kissed for a few hours, he could tell her he was related to the Chadwicks and together maybe they could talk to his half-siblings, figure out where his dad was. Even if the Chadwicks didn’t want him, he would have Ashley with him. It was all unknown territory, but it would be much easier to approach the Chadwicks with Ashley by his side.
Everything sounded better with her by his side.
He had to have faith that it would all work out. As he got to his room, he hit his knees and prayed. He needed patience, insight, and understanding. Not just about how to approach the family he’d never known existed, but how to work things out with Ashley. He’d never been so invested in a woman before, but she obviously had hang-ups. At least she was willing to talk it through at dinner.
After a long prayer, he put on comfortable clothes and found a group playing pickleball who was willing to let him join. Not his usual buddies, but it was still fun.
Finally, he made it to five-thirty and hurried up to his suite to shower. They hadn’t decided on a place for dinner, but the entire resort was one big party, so he’d probably find her on the main floor near the food somewhere. He dressed in a button-down white shirt, tie, and navy blue slacks. He sprayed on some of his favorite 18.21 Manmade cologne and said another quick prayer before heading out the door.
He was going to head for the elevator but took a chance and hurried to her suite door. Rapping his knuckles on the wood, he rubbed his palms against his pants to make sure they weren’t sweaty. He was nervous, legitimately so. Between being in the Army and competing in a demanding specialty after medical school, he’d learned not to allow nerves to distract him. But he was a mess for Ashley and who could blame him? When she wasn’t running away, she was amazing.
The door swung open and his nerves ramped up. Ashley stood there in a red dress that swirled perfectly around her curves. It was alluring without being too tight and with her long, blonde curls and blue eyes lighting up as she saw him, he was pretty certain he’d just found heaven.
“Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. He worked on skin conditions all day and he’d participated in numerous research studies on skin, but the smoothness of her skin and her soft lips were more appealing and perfect than anything he’d ever seen.
He wanted to say something brilliant, or at least beg her to love him until the day he died.
“Dinner?” was all he could think to spit out.
She smiled and he extended his hand. She took it and he felt like Bennett Pike’s overconfident, tough character Sword Ace escorting her down the hallway and to the elevator. Nervous excitement arced between them. He couldn’t be the only one who felt it. This was their night, their time. They were going to share all their secrets and somehow, some way, he would get a commitment out of her.
Neither of them said anything on the elevator ride down. He snuck glances at her and she met his gaze with this beautiful, almost shy look and then quickly looked away. His nerves were amped up in the best possible way. He still wanted to connect with the Chadwicks soon, but Ashley was his priority. All that mattered right now was connecting with her.
He escorted her from the elevator and toward the restaurants. “There they are,” Raoul called out happily as they approached his maître d’ stand. “Ah, you two make my heart happy.”
“Do you ever take time off?” Ashley asked.
He smiled. “I’m married to my job and I love it. Soon I will be the assistant manager.” He winked and then tsked. “Unfortunately, your romantic table in the back corner of my restaurant is occupied.” He gestured to tables set up throughout the main area with the huge party going on. “Is one of these all right?”
Chase didn’t love how exposed those tables felt but some were out of the way, up against the huge windows overlooking the lake. “Can we get the quietest one?”
The party was in full swing. Couples were dancing and food and treats were everywhere.
“Of course. Follow me.” Raoul led them to a table for two nestled against the windows. It wasn’t as private as Chase would’ve liked, but it was all right. “I feel wonderful about you two,” Raoul said, giving Chase a slap on the back as he set menus down and left.
“Thanks, Raoul.” Chase got Ashley’s chair and then sat. Staring at her as she picked up the menu, he wondered where to start and how to make sure he didn’t scare her away again.
She looked up and gave him an embarrassed smile. “Don’t you want to look at the menu and see what you want?”
He studied her. “I already know what I want.”
Her eyebrows arched. “What’s that?”
“You.”
She pulled in a quick breath and her pulse fluttered like mad in her neck. Chase suddenly didn’t care about dinner. He’d starve. He only wanted to be alone with her, to share and listen to secrets, and then to kiss the night away, sealing the promise they would both make to be together. Was that possible?
“Chase.” She released her menu and put a hand to her chest. Her voice trembled. “I’m afraid when you hear my secrets you won’t want anything to do with me.”
“There is no chance of that.”
Two large shadows loomed over them. Chase looked up and recognized Cedar Chadwick. The other man was unfamiliar, but he looked debonair, like a James Bond type of dude. Maybe he was Iris’s new husband. Chase had hidden behind a potted plant at the weddings, so he hadn’t had a clear view. He hadn’t wanted to mess up his siblings’ wedding days by shocking and possibly hurting them with the news of their unknown brother. Would he ruin their Christmas instead?
“Hey, man,” Cedar said. “Sorry to interrupt, but Grams saw you and Ashley walk in and she has completely lost her mind. Do you have a minute to help us find it?”
Chase looked over at Ashley. Her eyes were wide and confused, but as she looked from Cedar to Chase and back a couple times, something seemed to click. She put her hand to her mouth and then asked quietly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cedar glanced down at her. “Is this guy an imposter?”
Ashley lifted her hands and shoulders. “I don’t think so. I don’t know. I never recognized the resemblance until just now.”