Page 19 of Just A Little Chase

Chase joined him, genuinely in awe of the real memorabilia in the cabinet—precious, irreplaceable awards and achievements that Lee had earned during his time in the service.

Lee pointed out all the military medals and described each one, including a Purple Heart, a Vietnam Service Medal, a Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and a very rare Vietnamese Gallantry Cross. Chase was well aware of just how much emotional attachment and deep meaning these medals had to the recipient, and the dignity in Lee’s voice as he spoke was unmistakable. These accolades represented hard work, tough decisions, bravery, and fearlessness during a time when the controversial war had divided the country.

While they discussed his various accolades, Lee also recounted his time in Vietnam, without going into many dark details, focusing most on the sense of brotherhood he felt with his fellow soldiers. His stories immersed Chase deep into the history that he, personally, loved so much, and he appreciated that he and Lee could share that small connection.

“Hey, you two,” Lauren said from behind them, bringing Lee’s storytelling to an end for now. “It’s time for dinner.”

Lee put all his medals back in the cabinet, and the three of them strode to the dining room, with Lauren leading the way.

Gramps slapped Chase on the back in male camaraderie. “You know, you’re not so bad, Mr. Gossard,” he said in a lighthearted tone.

Chase chuckled, oddly pleased that he’d managed to secure Lee’s favor.

They all sat down at the table, he and Lauren on one side, Dale and Penny across from them, and Gramps at the head. All the food was already laid out, and platters were passed around for them to serve whatever portion size they wanted.

It was such a simple thing, really, but also so family oriented. Chase couldn’t remember ever sitting at a table with his parents while they were married, and after his mother left, well, he’d eaten most of his meals on a TV tray in front of the TV, or alone at the kitchen counter. There was an underlying sense of love and security in this house that he’d never had, and this caring environment brought a pang to his chest and made him truly realize everything he’d missed out on.

Penny had made beef stroganoff with noodles from scratch, along with those buttered green beans that Lauren had mentioned that night at his place as one of her favorites, and now he understood why. According to Penny, the vegetables had been picked fresh from the garden that afternoon and they’d been sauteed in butter and garlic, but their crisp, sweet flavor still came through. They were better than any side dish he’d ever had at the numerous five-star restaurants where he dined.

The discussion at the table started with Lauren giving her parents and Gramps an update on her job, and how well the Future Fast Track charity ball had gone, which had been her first big event without her boss being there. Much to Gramps’s chagrin, Penny shared the details of his most recent doctor’s visit so Lauren was in the loop of what was going on and how he was doing—which was extremely well, according to Lee.

Penny mentioned her book club, then got Lauren caught up on what Chase perceived to be town gossip. Dale was a man of few words, Chase realized. He was a listener more than a talker, which Chase could appreciate because that was him for the most part, as well.

When there was a brief lull in the conversation near the end of the meal, Penny didn’t hesitate to start asking him questions about his life in general, his family, his job, and living in New York, and yes, how he and Lauren met. All things a parent would want to know about the new man in their daughter’s life.

“So, how serious are things between the two of you?” Penny asked, sliding that loaded question into the conversation. “I’m assuming pretty serious for Lauren to bring you home to meet the family.”

“Mom,” Lauren objected, sounding horrified that Penny had put him on the spot in regard to their relationship, and his intentions.

“Honey, you know your father and I have been worried about you since… well, you know,” she said in a low voice, as if speaking in hushed tones would make the insinuation any easier to bear. “We’re just happy to see you haven’t sworn off men altogether and met someone so well suited to you.” She beamed at Chase.

Lauren groaned, and across the table Dale just remained quiet and shook his head in resignation at his wife’s meddling.

“I’m so sorry,” Lauren mumbled, her face a deep shade of pink.

“Don’t be.” Wanting to ease her embarrassment, he impulsively reached over and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. Her eyes went wide at the public display of affection, and he gave her a reassuring wink before glancing back at Penny.

“Mrs. Connelly, I can appreciate you wanting the best for Lauren,” he said, interjecting understanding into his tone. “And what I can tell you is that Lauren and I are still getting to know one another, but what I’ve discovered so far, I like. A lot,” he said, realizing how true those words were, that it wasn’t just perfunctory praise to appease her family. “Right now, we’re taking things slow and just seeing where it goes.”

“Fair enough,” Dale finally chimed in, and his answer seemed to satisfy both Penny and Lee, too.

They stayed for another hour and a half, while Lauren helped her mother clean up the kitchen, then Penny served freshly made peach cobbler and coffee for dessert. It was nearing seven in the evening by the time Lauren made the excuse that they were tired after a long day and they finally said their goodbyes and left.

Chase walked Lauren to the car, opened the passenger door for her, and once she was inside, he went around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. As soon as both doors were shut tight and they were sealed inside, Lauren exhaled a long breath that ended on a groan.

“Thank God that’s over,” she said, resting her head back against the seat before glancing at him with a tired smile. “My family can be exhausting with all the talking and questions. Especially my mother and Gramps.”

Without thinking, he reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear so that he could see her face better in the fading twilight, and had to resist the urge to slide his hand around the back of her neck and bring her mouth to his for a slow, hot kiss. It was something he’d been dying to do since picking her up at her apartment earlier that afternoon.

“It wasn’t so bad, Scouty,” he teased, using the nickname Lee had used several times over the course of the evening.

She sighed, but the smile remained. “You were wonderful with my parents. And Gramps. You did a fantastic job winning them over and convincing them we’re a happy couple with that whole spiel at the dinner table about us taking things slow and seeing where they go. I know it wasn’t easy dealing with what probably felt like an interrogation at times, but thank you for being so great about everything, considering we’re not in a real relationship.”

Those last words were like a kick to Chase’s stomach, a stark reminder that they weren’t a couple, even though the last few hours with Lauren had been very natural, and nothing had felt forced or fake between them. As he stared into her gratitude-filled eyes, his chest tightened with the realization that a part of him wished their relationship was real, because he was starting to feel things for Lauren that were so much more than their fabricated romance.

It was a dangerous notion when they’d be parting ways on Sunday, probably for good. He’d promised her one weekend, and honestly, that’s all he’d ever had in him to give to a woman. He didn’t know the first thing about how to make a true relationship work, and he didn’t trust himself not to fuck it all up with someone as vibrant and kind-hearted as Lauren.

Chapter Eight

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