Ready To Love Again Read online

  “Get your hands off your girlfriend and get your ass over here,” Daniel said. “I can only keep so many wieners rotating before I burn some of them.”

  Chase brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles before releasing her and snatching the tongs out of Daniel’s hand. Katie watched him for a moment, a little stunned by Chase’s acceptance of the label Daniel had given her.

  After the lunch rush died down, Chase and Daniel left to have team pictures taken. Katie loved to cook, but when it came to barbecuing, she always had issues. She either overcooked steaks or undercooked hamburgers when she grilled, so she had taken the tongs from Chase with a skeptical frown.

  “Just keep them rotating until they’re done,” he’d told her before giving her a small hug from behind.

  She had given him fair warning. “If you keep doing that, I’ll burn every one of them.”

  He’d chuckled and squeezed her hips before taking off to round up the team. Katie drifted off into her own little fantasy world while she moved the hot dogs around the grill. She was pulled away from her daydreams when Liz made her way over and plopped into the chair next to her.

  “Hello, Liz. Are you having fun?”

  “Not really,” Liz answered with a gloomy voice.

  Katie stopped rotating the hot dogs and looked at her, contemplating how to cheer her up.

  “Hmmm, did you go check out the games?”

  “No.”

  Katie brushed off the unease she felt at the curt reply. “What about the bounce houses, or maybe the slide? They look like fun.”

  “No, I don’t feel like doing that.”

  “Are you feeling okay? Would you like to lie down for a while and rest? I could set up a blanket back behind the booth.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “I’m sorry?” Katie thought maybe she’d misunderstood the hostility.

  “I said why do you care? You’re not my mother.”

  “I know that.” Katie was taken aback by the blatant hatred in her voice. “I just wanted to help.”

  “Then go away,” Liz said before she stomped off in the other direction, leaving Katie stunned and speechless.

  “I’m so sorry,” Gina said, having returned in time to overhear the end of the conversation.

  Katie shook her head and collapsed in disbelief into the chair next to her, the hot dogs forgotten.

  “She’s usually only that way toward Chase and Tony.”

  Katie looked up into Gina’s pleading eyes. “Is she like this all the time?”

  “No, just when she’s scared.”

  “Scared? I don’t think I did anything to scare her.”

  “No, scared that she’s going to lose someone else in her life. She’s feeling a bit threatened by the idea of you and Chase dating. Give her time—she’ll come around.”

  Realization dawned on Katie. Shawn always hinted that he liked Chase and hadn’t been bothered when she told him they had a date. She never thought Chase’s kids would feel differently.

  “What about Tony?” Katie had to know where she stood with him, too.

  “Tony adores you. He’s a good boy. He’s selfless and wants what will make his dad happy.” Gina knelt down until she was at eye level with Katie. “Don’t worry. Liz’s bark is worse than her bite. She pushes the boundaries but then always realizes when she’s wrong. She’ll apologize once she thinks about what she’s done.”

  Katie nodded, wondering how this would affect whatever was going on between her and Chase. “Has she had any counseling since her mother’s death? I know it helped Shawn and me get through the divorce.”

  Gina shook her head. “I’ve mentioned it, but . . .” Her voice trailed off, then she gasped when she noticed the hot dogs.

  Katie jumped up and pushed them around until she realized that she had burned the batch to a crisp. Sighing, she pulled them onto a platter and threw fresh ones onto the grill, determined not to burn them. Her thoughts had returned to the drama with Liz when she felt Chase press up against her back.

  “Miss me?” he whispered, sending her heart into a flutter. She smiled despite her unease and leaned back against him.

  “Yep.”

  He slid the tongs out of her hand, then went back to work at cooking the hot dogs.

  “What did you do? You killed the dogs!” Daniel whined. He picked up one of them and shoved it into his mouth. “They’re still good. Serve ‘em up!” Daniel pointed first to Gina and then to the hot dogs. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

  “They may be edible to you, but would you serve those in one of your restaurants?”

  “No, but I don’t serve hot dogs in my restaurants. They don’t really go with filet mignon or veal.”

  Gina rolled her eyes and shoved him out of the way so she could put a few more hot dogs on the barbecue.

  “What happened? Was my grilling lesson not adequate?” Chase asked.

  Katie shrugged, unwilling to be the one to tell him what had happened. She figured Gina would let him know later, and she didn’t want to make things worse with Liz by being the wicked girlfriend who tattled on her.

  They spent the next couple of hours working the booth with the occasional interruption to give the boys more tickets for the games and bounce houses. Liz didn’t come back, and Katie worried about how she could get her to warm up to her. Gina seemed convinced Liz would come around, but Katie couldn’t help but feel it would be a long, hard road.

  “Dr. O’Donnell!” A coach from another one of the teams ran up in a panic. Chase looked up from grilling, and Katie could see his demeanor change from lighthearted to all business in a matter of seconds.

  “Yeah, Tom, what happened?” he asked, putting down the tongs and motioning for Daniel to take over.

  “The Arnold kid fell off the bleachers—it was a pretty bad spill. He was unconscious, so they told me to come find you.” Both Gina and Katie gasped. Even though Katie didn’t care for the little boy, she didn’t want to see him hurt. Chase nodded and threw his car keys to her.

  “Please get my medical bag out of the trunk,” he said over his shoulder before he jogged away. She ran toward the car, got his bag, and by the time she arrived on the scene, Cody was awake but still flat on his back in the dirt. Chase pulled out a light and checked his eyes before his hands felt around the back of his head. Cody winced in pain when Chase found a tender spot.

  He asked Cody a few questions, and Katie took a moment to look around. She spotted Tony and Shawn standing in the back, watching with wide eyes. Her son had a familiar look of guilt on his face. Chase eased Cody into a sitting position, then asked him a few more questions about how he felt. Katie glanced back toward the boys and found them huddled together. Shawn’s hand gestures were wild as he whispered to his best friend.

  What the hell happened?

  Chase stood and offered a hand to Cody, helping him to his feet. When the boy tried to take a step, he fell into Chase’s arms. Katie’s first thought was that he was dizzy from the fall, but then she looked down and noticed his shoelaces were tied together.

  Shawn!

  Cody knelt down to untie his shoes, and Chase’s lips formed a thin line. He turned to Tammy and gave her the diagnosis.

  “He hit his head pretty hard. He probably has a mild concussion. I would have him take it easy for the next few days, and don’t let him go to sleep until this evening.” She nodded and then gave her son a worried frown. “Odds are he’ll have a headache. It’s okay to give him Tylenol, but if he starts throwing up or complains of dizziness, take him to the hospital immediately.”

  “Thank you, Dr. O’Donnell,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

  He gave her a curt nod, picked up his bag, and then turned toward Katie. “Where are the boys?”

  She gestured to the other side of the bleachers, and he turned to scan the crowd until his gaze landed on them. Without a word, he strode over to them.

  “Follow me.” His voice was filled with authori
ty, and Tony ducked his head in shame, confirming her earlier suspicions.

  Katie figured Chase had the same thought she’d had, so she took up the rear, making sure Shawn didn’t decide to bolt. They walked back behind the barbecue, out of the general public’s eye. Chase turned around and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

  “Which one of you tied Cody’s shoelaces together?” The cool tone of his voice was more intimidating than Victor’s loud outbursts. Katie glanced at Shawn, and his expression confirmed he was terrified. Both boys looked at each other and then at the ground, not willing to admit what they had done, but not denying it either.

  “I’m waiting for an answer.” There was no mistaking that Chase was angry, but Katie was impressed with the way he kept his calm.

  A determined look crossed Shawn’s face before he opened his mouth. “It was me, Coach.”

  “No, Shawn! Don’t take the blame for me.” Tony turned to his dad with a tear in his eye. “It was me, Dad. Shawn didn’t have anything to do with it.”

  Katie watched while Shawn’s eyes got as big as saucers, and he shook his head. “Tony, don’t. It was my idea, and Tony’s just covering for me because Mom would be really mad since she told me not to get back at Cody.”

  Chase’s gaze went back and forth between the boys before he ran his hand through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh. They all stood there and waited for him to figure out how he wanted to handle their misbehavior. He looked at Katie for permission, and she nodded her head, letting him know she would stand by whatever he said.

  “What you boys did could have had dangerous consequences. Cody is really hurt, and even though he’ll be all right, it was still wrong.” Both boys lowered their heads in shame. “I expect you both to apologize and not be the cause of any more pranks with Cody.” They both nodded in unison. “After you apologize to Cody, you will apologize to his parents. Do you understand?” Tony and Shawn looked at one another and then nodded again.

  “Anthony, there will be a punishment when we get home.” Tony looked up at Chase with tears in his eyes, and Katie couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, especially since she was sure the instigator was her son.

  “Yes, Dad,” Tony whispered.

  “That goes for you, too, Shawn,” she said. Shawn didn’t bother to look at her but nodded to let her know he had heard her.

  “Since you can’t be left to your own devices, I want you to help Gina clean up.” Shawn looked a little too happy at the idea of helping Gina when he and Tony went to ask her what they needed to do.

  “I’m sorry,” Chase said, closing the gap between them. “I hope I didn’t step on your toes by taking care of that.”

  Katie waved her hand, dismissing his concern. “It needed to be done. Don’t worry. If at any time Shawn needs correcting and I’m not around, I hope you’ll deal with it.”

  “I know, but you were around. I was worried you might be angry that I reprimanded him.”

  Katie wrapped her arms around his waist. “Does it look like I’m mad?”

  He chuckled, and his hands rubbed up and down her arms, sending small shockwaves over her body.

  “Let’s go, love birds! I ain’t got all day!” Daniel huffed and started cleaning off the grill.

  Chase sighed and released her. “I have to go in to work for a little bit tonight, but I’d like to see you tomorrow. Are you free for breakfast?”

  “Yeah, I’m free.”

  “Great. How about you bring Shawn over around nine?”

  Katie smiled. “Sure. Are you cooking?”

  He looked at her as if she had grown two heads, and she couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. “Not unless you want to end up in the hospital.”

  After everything had been cleaned up, they called to the kids, and Chase walked her to her car. He leaned on the doorframe while he looked down at her. “Until tomorrow.” He gave her a peck on the cheek before closing the door.

  When she pulled out of the parking lot, Shawn decided to voice his opinion. “So are you going to make me and Tony brothers now?”

  She smiled at his childlike determination. “That’s a little fast there, kiddo.”

  “I know, but I want a brother. I guess I’ll put up with a sister if I can have a brother.”

  Katie couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled up inside her.

  If only it were that easy.

  Chapter 9

  Chase’s phone blared near his ear, waking him from a sound sleep. He groaned and reached toward the bedside table, groping for the offending object. He pried open one eye and growled when he saw that the clock read 6:32.

  He snagged the phone and answered. “This is Dr. O’Donnell.”

  Gina’s perky voice was broadcast through the phone. “I need to talk to you before Katie comes over.”

  “And you couldn’t wait until a decent hour to do that? Come on, Gina.” He rolled onto his back with a huff. “I didn’t get home from work until almost three.”

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve waited longer before calling. It’s just—”

  “No, Gina. I’m sorry, I’m just tired. What did you need to talk about?” Chase interrupted before she could berate herself further.

  “Liz.”

  “What about her?” He pulled himself up to keep from going back to sleep.

  “Did Katie mention what happened yesterday with her?”

  His concern increased. “No, what happened?”

  “She must not have wanted to cause any more problems with Liz—”

  “Gina, what happened?” He cut her off again, annoyance building from the way she stalled.

  “Don’t be mad at Katie for not telling you. Liz wasn’t very nice to her, and Katie most likely didn’t want you to get mad at her.”

  “Gina.”

  “She snapped at Katie yesterday.”

  “Go on.”

  “Katie asked her how she was enjoying the carnival, and Liz said she wasn’t, so Katie made suggestions to cheer her up. Liz accused her of trying to replace Terri.”

  Chase groaned and ran his hand over his face to calm the dread that fell over him. “How did Katie take it?”

  “She was stunned, but she handled it fine. The hot dogs didn’t make it, though.”

  “Well that explains the dogs. Thanks for letting me know.” He was still somewhat dazed by this turn of events. “Did you say anything to Liz?”

  “No, she kind of dropped her nasty bomb and took off. Honestly, I was more worried about how Katie would handle her outburst than I was about Liz. If you’re going to see Katie, Liz is going to have to come to terms with it on her own, so you need to be very delicate in the way you handle this. If you confront her, she’s going to take a defensive stance and won’t hear a word you say, but you can’t ignore it either.”

  “I don’t know,” he said with a long sigh. “If I talk to Liz about what she did, she’ll want to know what’s going on with Katie, and I just don’t know what to say to her yet. I like Katie, but this is all new.” Chase ran his fingers through his hair and let his head knock back against the headboard. “An eleven-year-old can’t comprehend the complications of beginning a new relationship, and I want to keep the kids out of this until I know what’s going on myself.”

  “So you’re not going to say anything to Liz?”

  “No . . . yes. Damn.” He loathed the dilemma he faced. “What do I do? Just let her say whatever hateful thing pops into her head? I won’t let her treat anyone like that, especially not Katie. Then again, if I say something, it will bring up all kinds of questions I’m not ready to answer.”

  “If you confront Liz with how she treated Katie, it could make her angrier and she might not ever warm up to Katie. I think she’ll come around, but it’s going to take some time. It might get worse before it gets better.”

  The last thing he wanted was for Liz to resent Katie. He groaned aloud, wanting to bury his head under the pillow and pretend their phone call hadn’t happened.

>   “Are you okay? What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know yet. Thanks for giving me a head’s up, but I have to go. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

  “I’m sorry, Chase.”

  He punched his finger on the phone to hang up and then sank further into the pillows. Thinking back to his time with Katie and the kiss at the carnival, he ran through the feelings she’d evoked in him. Chase realized he didn’t want to give her up. He wanted to see where things led, but he felt selfish for thinking of his own needs before his daughter’s. Liz’s animosity toward Katie was irrational. Maybe he just needed to find a way to make her see Katie was a good person and there was room for her and Shawn in their lives.

  He lay there for an hour, going over every scenario in his mind. The best course of action was to not push Liz to submit to his demands. Chase had seen firsthand her stubborn side, and in every instance, if he forced her to do something she didn’t want to do, she fought back. He couldn’t make her like Katie, but he could give her opportunities to get to know her better. Once she did, maybe she’d see what he saw.

  His phone rang again, and he answered without paying attention to the caller ID. “This is Dr. O’Donnell.”

  “It always sounds weird when you say that because I’ve been Dr. O’Donnell for thirty-two years.”

  Chase chuckled. “Hey, Dad. How’s Italy?”

  “I’m ready to come home. I can only handle your mother’s family for short periods of time.”

  “Yeah, I don’t envy you.”

  “I’m thinking about buying a vineyard in Napa. After touring the countryside in Tuscany and Umbria, I think it would be fun to own a little chateau where I can make my own wine.”

  “What do you know about wine?”

  “What did I know about rheumatic heart disease until I was the lead surgeon performing a valve reconstruction on that Haitian girl? You learn what you need to learn, and you make it happen.”

  “Did you call to talk about buying a vineyard?”

  “Heavens no. Your mother has been ranting for the last week that you haven’t called her back. I figured I’d save you her wrath and call you myself. So give me something good I can tell her to make her happy until we come home.”