01. Chasing Nikki (12 page)

“Wow.”  She
looked shocked.  “What are you going to do?”

I laughed
wryly.  “I have no idea.  I have a little money.  I saved everything I earned
from when I worked, and my dad would match all I made plus some.  But it’s not
enough to go rent a place indefinitely or anything.  Staying at a hotel would
eat most of it up in a couple of weeks, especially by the time I added in food
and stuff.”

“I can’t
believe he was that upset about your fight,” she said, shaking her head. 
“Didn’t he realize Jeremy was the jerk who started it all?”

“It wasn’t
just the fight.  I didn’t tell him why I fought with Jeremy either since I
didn’t want to tell what happened to you.  No, he was mad because he found out
I’d been smoking in the hayloft.” I rubbed my head in frustration.  “He had
every right to be angry.  I was irresponsible, but when he brought up Jeremy,
it all just escalated through the roof.”

“Oh, I see,”
Nikki replied, reaching to lace her fingers with mine.  “Have you eaten
dinner?  Why don’t you come in and talk to my mom.  She’s pretty good about
helping out with things.  I think you’ll like her.”

“I don’t
want to intrude.  Plus, she doesn’t even know me.”

“She knows
of you, and she’s already aware that you’re here.  Come in and meet her.”

“Okay,” I
said, kind of hesitantly, but I had nowhere to go, so I figured why not?  I started
to follow her when I noticed my fish.  “Hey.  Can I bring Turk in?”

Nikki
smiled.  “Of course. He’s already like family.”

I grinned
slightly.  “I guess he is, huh?  I hope you aren’t going to hold it against me
that he’s homeless now.”

“You didn’t
leave him behind.  That sounds pretty responsible to me.”

I let out a
sigh of relief.  “Good.  That takes a lot of worry off my mind.”

“Give me the
fish,” she said, holding her arms out for it.

“Can’t do
that.”

“Why not?” 
She looked perplexed.

“I haven’t decided
if you’re cool enough to hang out with Turk.  He’s a special breed, you know.  
Very selective about who he allows into his inner circle.”  I cocked an eyebrow
at her to see how she was taking the news.

“And how
does one get into this exclusive group?” she asked, playing along.

“Well,
you’ll have to apply, I guess.  Fill out a form.  Pass an agility test.” My
gaze traveled over her very fit body.  “You know the drill.”

“Give me the
fish.” She yanked the vase from me, sloshing the water slightly.

“Hey!  Take
it easy.  You’re gonna scare Turk to death.”

She rolled
her eyes at me and turned to march up the sidewalk.  “I don’t hear him
protesting much.”

“Hmmm.  He
must’ve got a really good look at you and accepted you right away.  I know I
would.”

“Guess you’re
smarter than you seem then.”

“Oh, ho! I
think I just got burned.” I chuckled, and she joined in with me.

I opened the
door, and held it so she could get inside, before I followed after her. 

A very
attractive brunette woman with short hair was sitting on the couch, and I could
tell immediately who Nikki got her good looks from.  She was a younger replica
of her mom.

“You must be
Chase.” She rose to greet me.

“Yes,
ma’am.” I reached to shake her hand.  “Nice to meet you.”

“Please,
call me Justine.  Nikki has told me so much about you.”

“Well, that
can’t be too much in my favor, now can it?”

She laughed
and squeezed my shoulder.  “It’s all about perspective, Chase.  Sometimes
evaluating things from different angles can shed light on a lot of things.  Have
you had any dinner?” she asked, abruptly changing the subject as she moved
toward the kitchen.  “I have lasagna that’s getting ready to come out of the
oven.  You’re welcome to join us.”

“Thanks. 
I’d like that.”  I didn’t get a chance to say anything more because Clara and
Timmy came screaming out of one of the bedrooms.

“Give it
back!” Clara demanded.

“No. I want
to play with it!” Timmy shouted, running down the hall and into his mother’s
outstretched arms.

“Kids,
kids.  No more fighting, or neither of you’ll get to play with the toy. 
Besides, we have company and it’s time for dinner.”

Clara looked
at me and smiled widely.  “It’s the guy who was kissing Nikki!  I’m glad you
came again because you’re cute.”

I coughed,
trying to cover up the choking sound, as I cast a glance between Nikki and her
mom. 

“Rule number
one, Chase.  There are no secrets in this house,” Justine said.

“Understood,”
I replied, hoping Nikki wouldn’t be in trouble.

Justine
sighed, looking at me before turning to Nikki.  “I remember what it was like
when I kissed your dad back in high school.  It was divine.”  She straightened
and continued into the other room.  “Long make outs in the dark, in his truck
…,” she trailed off dreamily.

“Mom,” Nikki
said, dragging the word out.  “You’re embarrassing me.”

Justine
rolled her eyes.  “Forgive me for being so uncool.  I’m sure Chase gets it
though, don’t you?  You look like a guy who could appreciate a long make out.”

I chuckled. 
I liked this lady.  “I’m gonna plead the fifth on this one.”

Nikki gave
me a horrified look from behind her mom as she sat Turk on the counter.  I
winked at her as she proceeded to help her mother gather some dishes and
utensils for everyone before sitting down and gesturing for me to join her.

The food was
delicious, and before long we were all talking comfortably together.  I felt
myself relaxing, but I should’ve known it wouldn’t last forever.

“So, Chase. 
What brings you over here tonight?” Justine asked, casually redirecting the
conversation back to me.

I cleared my
throat nervously and shot a look at Nikki.  “Umm, my grandpa and I had an
argument tonight.  I moved out.”

Justine
looked up at me abruptly with concern.  “Where will you go?”

I laughed
half-heartedly.  “Well, I didn’t really think that part through when I stormed
off.  I was kind of angry at that moment. I have some money, though, so I may
just get a hotel room for a few days until I can talk to my mom and try to
figure something else out.”

“You should
move in with us and be our big brother,” Clara said with a grin.

“Yeah!  Live
here,” Timmy seconded.

“Thanks for
the invitation,” I spoke with a smile, as I reached out to tousle his hair. 
“But I think your mom probably has enough mouths to feed right now without
adding me into the mix.  I’ll still come by to visit if that’s okay.”

They both
smiled happily, and I wondered if I would ever feel that carefree and trusting
again.

“While it’s
true you can’t live here, I don’t see any problem with you staying the night. 
Nikki can sleep in my room with me, and you can have her room.  It’ll save you
some money.  Does your mom know you’re here?”

I shook my
head.  “No, and I’m kind of surprised I haven’t heard from her by now.”  I
reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell.  “Ah, it’s dead.  That’s
probably why.”

“Here, you
can use mine to let her know where you are,” Nikki said, handing me hers.

“Thanks,” I
replied, quickly entering my mom’s number.  I sent her a text telling her not
to worry, I was at a friend’s house, invited to spend the night.  I also said I
would call her in the morning when my phone was charged, but I’d rather not
hash it all out with her tonight.

Nikki’s
phone buzzed almost immediately.  “Are you sure you’re okay?  I’ve been frantic
trying to reach you.”

“I’m fine,
really.  Just cooling off a bit.”

“That’s
good, and probably for the best.  Grandpa is still pretty upset. Where are
you?”

“At Nikki’s
house.  Her mom offered to let me stay.  Don’t worry—everything is on the up
and up.  I’ll introduce you to them later.”

“Okay.  I
want to hear from you first thing in the morning.”

“Okay.  Love
you.”

“Love you
too.”

I handed the
phone back to Nikki.  “She says I can stay.  My grandpa is still mad.  I told
her I would introduce you all to her.”

“We would
love that,” Justine replied, scooting her chair away to take the dishes to the
sink.  “Do you have any of your things here with you?”

“Yeah, I do,
out in my truck.”

“Well, go
grab them while Nikki and I clean up in here, and then we’ll get you all
settled.”

“Sounds
good,” I replied.  I couldn’t believe how warm and friendly this family was. 
It was nice to be in a place that really felt like a home again.

Chapter Eleven

I finished
brushing my teeth in the bathroom Nikki obviously shared with Clara and Timmy. 
At least I assumed that was the case, judging from the bucket of rubber ducks
sitting near the tub.  She didn’t seem to be the type who would be playing with
bath toys, but I had to admit that particular mental image brought a smile to
my face.

“What are
you grinning about?” Nikki’s voice caught me off guard, and I glanced up in the
mirror at her before bending to rinse.

“Nothing you
want to hear,” I replied, watching her as she started brushing.  Even mundane
tasks like this were a pleasure to participate in with her.

“You’re
still grinning,” she spoke over a mouthful of toothpaste.

“You’re fun
to watch.” I shrugged, folding my arms as I leaned against the wall.  “Actually
you caught me wondering if all these rubber ducks belong to you.”

She chuckled
and rinsed. “Yeah.  It’s a crazy fetish I have.”

“Seriously?”
I asked, unable to tell if she was teasing, and I was rewarded with an eye
roll.

“They’re
Timmy’s.  He’s the one with a serious duck obsession.”

“Ah, good. 
I was starting to question your taste.”

“I taste
just fine.” She grabbed my shirt and pulled me to her, kissing me on the lips,
allowing her fresh, minty flavor to mingle with my own.

“Mmm. You do
taste good,” I added when she moved away.

I followed
her across the hall into her room.  The bedding had been turned down during my
short absence from the space and the pillows fluffed.

“I hope
you’ll be comfortable in here.  Is there anything you need?  I’ve never had a
boy spend the night before.” She blushed.

“Well, I’ve
never stayed in such a purely feminine bedroom before either, but I think I’m
manly enough to pull it off.”  I yanked my shirt off and flopped onto her
mattress, placing my arms behind my head.  “What do you think?”

She
swallowed thickly as she stared down my body before quickly returning her gaze
to mine.  “I think you’re in no danger of having your manliness questioned.”

It was just
wrong how much this girl could set me on fire.  I got up and stalked toward
her, grabbing her around the waist and hauling her next to me.

Her
fingertips voluntarily slid up over my chest and wrapped around my neck.

“It’s a pity
you can’t stay in here with me,” I said, pushing a few strands of hair away
from her features.  I kissed her sweet tasting mouth one more time before
taking her by the shoulders and pointing her in the direction of the door. 
“Now get out of here before your mom chases me off with a shotgun.”

She
laughed.  “My mom doesn’t own a shotgun.”

“Oh, I’m
sure she could find something suitable, if the situation warranted it.”

Nikki cast a
soft smile at me, her eyes trailing over my half-dressed form.  “Then I guess I
shouldn’t tell you how good all those muscles look with your shirt off, should
I?”

I shook my
head.  “No, you shouldn’t.  That could turn out really bad.”

“Goodnight,
Chase.”

“Pleasant
dreams, Nikki,” I replied as she closed the door behind her. I stood there for
a full minute, staring at it and wished I could go after her.  I needed find a
way to control these raging hormones of mine when I was around her.

“Sleep. I
need sleep,” I whispered, dragging my hand through my hair, letting out a deep
breath, and I began unfastening my pants.  I left them in a heap in the floor,
and slid in between the comfortable blankets, before turning off the bedside
lamp.

Even with
the room cast into darkness, I was on sensory overload.  I could smell her
perfume on the pillow, and it was intoxicating.  Her sheets wrapped around me,
brushing my skin the same as they would hers.

I groaned
and hit the pillow with my fist.  “Get a grip, Walker,” I growled to myself,
determined to think about something else.

My mind
wandered to the fight I’d had earlier with my grandpa, and I wondered what I
was going to do now. Surely my mom would understand I couldn’t live like this
anymore.  This proved to be just the topic I needed, as I found my eyes growing
heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.

“Chase.”

I snuggled
deeper into the covers.

“Chase,” the
familiar voice came again, along with a hand softly squeezing my shoulder.

I opened my
eyes and blinked, wondering why Nikki was standing in my bedroom.  I smiled and
reached out, pulling her to lie beside me.

The memories
came flooding back now, and I remembered I was actually in her room. She wasn’t
an illusion.

“Hey sexy,”
I whispered into her ear, as I proceeded to nudge my nose against her neck.

She giggled
and squirmed against me, and I liked it.  But then she crawled off and put her
hands on her hips, staring down at me with her head crowned in a glorious array
of bedhead.

“You need to
get up.  Your grandpa is outside on the front porch.  He wants to speak with
you.”

Her words
effectively distinguished my playful mood.  “What does he want?” I replied
gruffly.