Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1 (32 page)

If she said no, would he kiss her like that again?

“Okay, I
know
I love you too.”

Miracle of miracles he kissed her again.

She slid her arms around him, pressing her palms into his muscled back. Chase cradled her face in his hands and deepened the kiss. She lost track of time. When both of them knew it was time to stop while they still could, they mutually drew apart. Their rapid breaths mingled, and she had to force herself not to instigate another lengthy kiss.

“So what does this mean for us?” she whispered, her breath still erratic.

“I don’t know.” He took her hand and led her to the dining table. He sat down on one of the chairs and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. “I don’t even know if I should go to the interview.”

Addie melted into his embrace, wishing she had an easy answer for him. “If you go to the interview, it doesn’t mean you have to take the job, right?”

“Right.”

She pulled back so she could look at him. “I think you should go. We’ve got time to figure things out.”

His green eyes immediately filled with gratitude. “All right. The company is flying me out in one of their corporate planes in the morning, and I’ll be home in the evening.”

“Sounds fancy.”

He smiled. “They’re an incredible company. Whit Barclay hates them, if that’s any indication of how successful they are.”

“You better not let him find out then.”

His eyebrows knitted together. “It wouldn’t be good, that’s for sure.” He kissed her lightly and then helped her stand up, following right behind her. “Let’s warm up that stew and take a look at your pictures. I think you have a shot at winning that contest.”

Addie pushed away the negative thoughts creeping into her happy mind. She would worry about whether or not starting a studio in Georgia or Tennessee was feasible when the time came.

* * *

The next day Addie sat on her bed and glanced at the clock. Chase’s interview should be getting under way any moment now. It would be the perfect time to make a call to her dad. She hadn’t called Chellie yet, mainly because she didn’t want to hear her glee over being right about Addie falling in love with Chase.

Denying her feelings adamantly the past few days would only make her confession harder. But she couldn’t deny how she felt any longer, especially after what happened the other night with Ernie Claxton. Life was short and you never knew how much time you had left on this earth.

Her fingers shook as she slid her finger across the screen and touched the phone icon. In Idaho it was a little after eight in the morning. Her dad should be up and dressed by now and was most likely eating his hot cereal in front of the television, watching the news.

She pushed the speed dial for home. Her stomach threatened to throw up her breakfast as she waited for her dad to answer. She shouldn’t be so nervous. Her dad would support her in whatever she decided.

Playing with the edge of the quilt, she listened as the phone rolled over to voicemail. Dad had a phone right next to his easy chair. He should’ve answered it. She tried calling a few more times without much success. Although worried, she figured he might have had one of his sleepless nights and was catching a nap. He often didn’t hear the phone ring when he was so tired.

She stood up and paced around the room, debating about calling Chellie. Her sister might know where their father was, and then Addie could tell her all about her love life. That should be a fun conversation. Chellie would gloat, then she’d switch into mother mode and want to know answers she and Chase didn’t have.

Walking to the window, she frowned. If it weren’t raining outside, she’d go out into the garden to make the calls. Since Aunt Janie and Hazel were in the kitchen having a bake-off, or so it seemed the way they argued who did what better, Addie had retreated to her room soon after breakfast. She and Chase texted back and forth until he arrived at Nashborough headquarters for the interviews. Apparently, he’d be interviewed by several different managers, including the CEO.

Returning to the bed, she sank down on the yellow comforter and tried calling home again. A tiny spark of fear worked its way inside her chest when it rolled over to voicemail again.

After trying one last time, she made the decision to call her sister. Chellie picked up on the second ring.

“Good morning,” she answered cheerfully.

Addie relaxed. If anything had happened to Dad, her sister wouldn’t be so perky. “You’re such a morning person.”

“It’s called exercise, sister. You should try it some time.”

“Ha ha.”

“You’re date must have been good last night if you’re calling me this early in the morning.”

“That’s not really the reason I’m calling, but, yeah, it was pretty memorable.”

“Oooh,” Chellie teased. “This sounds good. Don’t leave anything out, especially the kisses.”

“How did you know there was more than one?”

She laughed. “I didn’t, but now I do.”

“Well, before I give you any details, I want to know where Dad is. He’s not answering the phone.”

“Hmm,” Chellie said. “I tried calling him last night and couldn’t get a hold of him, either. I wonder if he lost the handset.”

Their dad always put the phone right back in the base. Plus there was one in his room and in the kitchen. Her fear mounted with each word. “Chellie, maybe you should go over to the house. What if something happened to him?”

Chellie assured her everything was okay, but still agreed to drive over to check on him. Addie decided not to say anything about her feelings for Chase until she knew her dad was okay. “Call me as soon as you get there, okay?”

“I will, but please don’t worry. I’m sure he’s fine.”

Knowing it would take at least twenty minutes for Chellie to get to her dad’s house, Addie opened her laptop and brought up the picture she, Chase and Aunt Janie had picked. It was of Mr. Hanks sitting on the aged porch, playing his harmonica. Somehow she’d managed to capture a feeling of nostalgia, of simpler days gone by. The photograph was timeless and could have been taken in another era. She couldn’t wait to see it in print.

Addie had sent her entry in late last night when she couldn’t sleep. Now she had to wait and see, just like everything else right now. Typically not a patient person, all this “wait and see” would test her stamina.

Like right now. Chellie should already be at the house. Why hadn’t she called back?

Minutes ticked by. Just as Addie was about to call her sister, Chellie called back with the news. All the blood rushed out of Addie’s head, making her dizzy.

Her sister found Dad lying on the floor in his bedroom, unconscious and having difficulty breathing. Chellie had called the paramedics and she was following the ambulance to the hospital.

Addie hung up and ran out of the bedroom, yelling for her aunt. She had to get home. As she raced down the stairs, she couldn’t help thinking if she’d been home, none of this would’ve ever happened.

Somehow Addie held it together long enough to pack while her aunt made flight arrangements for both of them, packed a bag for herself, and found someone to take them to the airport. Since Chase was gone, and Hazel didn’t drive distances, Aunt Janie called Mr. Burns for a ride.

Although the arrangements had been made quickly, the ride to the airport seemed to take hours. Mr. Burns actually drove ten miles over the speed limit, but it wasn’t fast enough. Addie’s panic mounted with each second that ticked by. She prayed, asking—no begging—God to spare her father’s life.

About fifteen minutes from the airport exit, Chase called. Addie was too sick to answer her phone, so Aunt Janie did it for her.

“Chase, Addie’s father has had an accident and is in serious condition. We’re heading to the airport right now.”

Just hearing the words again froze her breath. She could hear Chase talking, but not enough to pick out any words.

“I know, honey,” Janie crooned, “but our plane leaves in an hour. We’re fixin’ to take the exit in a few minutes. We can’t wait.”

A tear slipped down Addie’s cheek. She could imagine how helpless Chase felt right now. The way she felt was indescribable. What if she got home and it was too late? What if it was already too late, but Chellie hadn’t told her the truth since Addie would be on a plane and couldn’t do anything about it?

Her stomach knotted with panic, and she sucked in quick breaths until Aunt Janie put a hand on her back. “Slow down your breathing, sugar. We can’t have you passing out or they won’t let you on the plane.”

While Addie concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths, she listened to her aunt talk to Chase. “She’s okay, just very worried.”

There was a lengthy pause and then Aunt Janie touched Addie on the back again. “Baby, do you think you can talk to Chase?”

Addie shook her head vehemently, her respiratory rate increasing as rapidly as her heart rate. She couldn’t talk to Chase ever again. It would be too painful, and it would be better to end things now. She could never move away from her father, and Chase was well on his way to Nashville.

He probably aced his interviews and would get the job. He’d move to Tennessee, start work at his new company and wow the crowds at the open mic clubs. Next, he’d get a music contract, and then he’d meet someone else, fall in love with them and forget Addie Heywood ever existed.

Chapter Twenty Six

As
the Learjet ascended higher, Chase gripped his phone in frustration, listening to Janie ask if Addie would talk to him. He waited, wishing he could magically transport himself to be with her. He might have just been given the most incredible job offer he could’ve ever hoped for, but it didn’t mean he could ask Nashborough’s pilot to veer his course from Macon to Atlanta.

“Now isn’t a good time, Chase,” Janie said softly. “She’s really struggling with her emotions. We’ll call as soon as we land in Boise.”

“Okay,” he said, although it wasn’t okay. He wanted to be there and comfort her in person. “Tell her I love her, and that I’m going to take the first flight I can get on to Boise.”

He listened to Janie relay the message. For the first time, he heard Addie speak, and it wasn’t what he expected.

“No. Tell him he doesn’t need to come.”

“Addie, he’s concerned about you and wants to help you.”

“Then tell him to stay in Georgia, or wherever he’s going to live. It’s better that way for both of us.”

A sharp pain of fear stabbed Chase’s heart at the biting edge to her voice. There was a rustling sound, and he could only hear muffled tones of conversation. The rustling sound resumed, and Addie came on the line.

“Chase, thank you for calling and for your concern, but you don’t have to worry about coming to Idaho.”

“I love you, Addie. Of course I want to come to Idaho.”

There were several heartbeats of silence, and for a moment he thought they’d lost connection. Then he heard her draw in a stuttering breath.

“Don’t come, Chase. This will never work, anyway, so it’s better if we just forget it.”

Forget it?
Anger and fear battled inside him as he listened to her cold words. She sounded mechanical, and he had to remind himself what she was going through right now.

“I’m not going to forget it, Addie.”

“What’s the point, Chase? You’re getting ready to move to Tennessee, and I can’t leave Idaho. I should’ve never left in the first place.”

Despite the panic welling inside him, he tried to keep his voice calm. “I’m sorry this happened, Addie, but you can’t blame yourself.”

“Don’t tell me not to blame myself!” she snapped. “If I’d been home, my dad wouldn’t be lying unconscious in the ICU right now.”

He wanted to tell her the accident could have happened while she was at work, or out taking pictures, but knew it wouldn’t do any good. “I’m sorry, and I want to help you in any way I can. Just please don’t shut me out.”

“I can’t think about this right now.” She sniffed. “All I can think about is my dad. If he dies…if he dies before I get home, I’ll never forgive myself.”

She started crying uncontrollably, making Chase ache to take her in his arms and comfort her. He could hear Janie consoling Addie before she took the phone and came back on the line.

“Chase,” Janie said in a quiet voice. “Don’t listen to what she’s saying right now. It’s just fear talkin’.”

He knew it was fear. It didn’t make her rejection any easier. “I want to come and be with her, but it sounds like I’m making it worse.”

“How about you hold off on making flight arrangements until we get to Boise? Chellie’s husband is picking us up at the airport, and I’m sure he’ll have an update.”

Left without a choice, Chase conceded. “All right.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Y’all have a safe trip, and I’ll be praying for you.”

“Thank you. I’ll be in touch.”

She ended the call, and Chase sat back in the chair, and closed his eyes. He prayed for Addie’s father to be healed. He prayed for Addie and Janie’s safety, and he prayed Addie would let him love her. But trusting in the Lord was much easier to do when things went your way.

The pilot announced they’d reached their cruising altitude and would be landing in Macon in approximately an hour and ten minutes. It might as well be one hundred hours.

Needing to do something to occupy his mind, Chase opened his laptop and connected to the inflight Wi-Fi. Even though he wouldn’t purchase his ticket now, he’d at least like to know his options.

He selected a redeye flight leaving tonight. After a series of clicks, he found the plane had plenty of seats open. He ignored the exorbitant ticket price, and saved the information without actually going through with the purchase.

Since finding the flight information only killed ten minutes, he opened his email and read over the job offer from Nashborough.

He’d been so excited to talk with Addie about the interviews and the potential opportunity to work for such an amazing corporation. In every way, it was completely opposite of Barclay Industries, including how the CEO operated. Although the workplace atmosphere came off much more relaxed, it still maintained an impressive level of professionalism.