Chloe looked at him with a stunned expression on her beautiful, flushed face. He understood the feeling. Every memory he had of his relationship with the O’Connor sisters had been turned on its head by a simple kiss. Simple kiss? If only that was all it had been. He wished he could put his reaction down to experience, hers and his, but it was more than that. He’d kissed her when they were seventeen and had a similar reaction. But back then he’d put his feelings down to being a horny, inexperienced kid who wanted to get laid, and he’d mistaken her for her sister. Only the kisses he’d shared with Cat couldn’t compare to what he’d experienced with Chloe. It’s too bad he hadn’t clued in to the difference all those years ago. They might have avoided the heartache that followed.
Caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice Paul and Liz staring at them until his father cleared his throat. Their respective parents were looking at them like they were seventeen again, and they’d caught them making out naked in the hot tub.
Good thing they hadn’t arrived a few minutes later or they might have been naked. His brother’s earlier warning echoed in Easton’s head.
“Chloe, honey, are you all right? Chance told—” his father began, only to be cut off by a furious Liz.
“Chloe O’Connor, I have never been so ashamed of your behavior as I am now. You have gone too far this time! Now get out of that hot tub and get on the phone to your lawyer.” It was obvious where Chloe got her dramatic tendencies.
Only right then his little drama queen looked more hurt than anything else, and that pissed him off. “Town’s rumor mill must be slow today, Liz. Chloe isn’t suing Nell and Vivi, despite the fact she has every right to. Hope you let loose some of your temper on my great-aunt and didn’t save it all up for Chloe.” He swung his legs over the side, making sure to hide a wince of pain from his father when his feet hit the concrete.
Liz lifted her chin. “I didn’t know.”
“Now you do. So might be a good time to apologize to your daughter,” Easton said as he helped Chloe out of the hot tub.
She gave him a sweet smile and whispered, “Thank you.”
If he wasn’t transfixed by the curves his transparent T-shirt revealed, the worshipful look in those leaf-green eyes might have made him nervous. “No problem.”
“Son, there’s no reason to get testy with Liz. It was an honest mistake.”
“No, he’s right, Paul. I should have given Chloe a chance to explain. I’m sorry, darling.”
“It’s okay, Mommsy. I’m used to everyone thinking the worst of me. But I’m a little surprised you believed I’d sue Nell and Vivi. They’re family, after all.”
Easton looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.
She shrugged, her kiss-swollen lips tipping up at the corner.
“You’re taking it much better than I thought you would, darling. That photo Nell put up of you was horrible, not to mention—”
He felt Chloe stiffen beside him and quickly intervened. “So what do you guys think of the changes Chloe made to my place? Pretty amazing, eh?”
His father frowned. “Well, yes, but I thought—”
He widened his eyes, sending his father a silent message to keep quiet. Easton planned on coming clean with Chloe tonight. Preferably after she had several more glasses of the wine he’d tasted on her lips. She took his hand and beamed up at him. Okay, so maybe he’d wait until they’d made love. Because after that kiss, he had no intention of sleeping on the pull-out couch tonight.
Liz and his dad followed them to the front of the cabin. Easton held open the door. “Wait until you see what she’s done inside.”
From there, Chloe took over. She led Paul and Liz around the small space, pointing out each and every change. With every word of praise their respective parents showered on her, Chloe surprised him by redirecting credit to the crew. As she led her mother into the bedroom, his father walked over to where Easton stood at the sink, filling the coffeepot with water.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on here, son?”
“A little miscommunication, but I’ll handle it, Dad.”
“See that you do. Your breakup with Cat put enough strain on our families. I’d prefer not to have a repeat now that I’m married to Liz.”
A couple of days earlier, he would have laughed at his father’s warning. The thought of him and Chloe ever dating was the furthest thing from his mind. But now…“We’re not kids anymore. What happens between us has nothing to do with you and Liz.”
“Oh my goodness, Chloe, you have a bruise on your bottom.” Liz’s voice came from behind the bedroom door.
His father’s gaze jerked to his.
“Come on, you can’t seriously believe I had anything to do with that?”
“How am I supposed to know? These days all you hear about is kinky sex.”
“We’re not having kinky sex.” Although, if Chloe wanted to, he was totally down with that. But it’s not a discussion he wanted to have with his father. Ever. “She fainted, and her ass hit the floor before I caught her.”
A concerned frown creased his father’s brow. “Your brother mentioned—”
The door to the bedroom swung open. “Paul, Chloe fainted today. And she wasn’t faking like she usually does.”
“Mommsy, how can you say that? I have never fake-fainted! Any other time I’ve had a weak spell, I’ve had my pills and…” She wrinkled her small, upturned nose when she realized what she said. If she weren’t standing behind her mother wearing only a pink bra and panties that left little to the imagination—and Easton’s was working overtime—he would have thought it was cute. She didn’t look cute; she looked centerfold hot.
“Don’t get upset, darling. Paul will check you over.” Her brow pleated with worry, Liz motioned for his father.
In response to her mother’s concern, a look of fear came over Chloe’s face. Easton had planned to talk to her about her panic attacks and figured now was as good a time as any. “Chloe, get some clothes on and come join us at the table. Liz, Dad, sit down, and I’ll get us all a cup of coffee.”
“Son, what’s going on?” his father asked, holding out a chair for Liz.
“I’ll tell you in a minute,” he said, looking over at the clicking sound. Chloe walked to the table wearing her fancy slippers. She’d changed into a short, cream satin robe that wasn’t much better for his focus than her panties and bra.
The three of them looked at him expectantly as he placed the pot of coffee on the table along with sugar and cream. He handed them each a cup, then straddled a chair beside Chloe. “Liz, Chloe doesn’t fake-faint. She has a panic disorder.”
Chloe released an outraged gasp. “I do not have a panic disorder, Easton McBride. I have a heart condition.”
“You had a heart condition. You don’t anymore.”
“That’s not true! I’m not emotionally unstable or…or overdramatic. My symptoms are real. You don’t know how it feels. My heart races, and I get dizzy and weak. I can’t breathe, and I have tingling in my arms and fingers and get all sweaty. Those are symptoms of a heart attack, aren’t they, Paul?” She cast a pleading look at his father.
Paul got up from his chair and patted Easton’s shoulder as he went to crouch by Chloe’s side. Liz sent Easton a helpless, stricken look. He reached over and put his hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Chloe, honey, Easton’s right. You don’t have a heart condition anymore. A panic attack can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. But it doesn’t make what you’re feeling any less real or frightening.”
Her chin quivered, and she wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’m not crazy. I’m not making this up.”
“Of course you’re not. And I’m sorry I didn’t pick up on this earlier. What you went through as a little girl was traumatic. You spent four years in and out of the hospital. That’s tough on anyone, but especially for someone as young as you were.”
She bowed her head. Long tendrils of her hair escaped from her clip to fall across her pink cheek as she murmured, “They said I wouldn’t live to my fifth birthday.”
Liz gasped. “Oh darling, I didn’t know you heard that. Why didn’t you tell us? You were always such a little trouper. You never complained, never once told us you were scared. All this time…” Her mother started to cry.
Chloe glared at Easton. “Now look what you’ve done.”
* * *
“I know you’re awake, sleeping beauty, so you might as well open your eyes and talk to me. I’m not leaving until you do.” She felt the gentle brush of Easton’s lips over hers and smelled the cool, minty freshness of his breath.
She kept her eyes closed and forced herself to remain stiff and unresponsive. She’d felt like an idiot last night, and it was Easton’s fault. He’d ambushed her in front of her mother and Paul. Now everyone would know. At least if he’d told her his suspicions when they were alone, she could have handled the attacks on her own. “Go away, I’m not talking to you.”
“Chloe, I get that you’re mad, but you needed to know that it’s panic attacks causing your symptoms, not your heart. And so did your mother.” The bed creaked as he stretched his big, hard body out beside her. He nuzzled her shoulder.
She wriggled away. “Your hair’s wet.”
“I had a shower.” He tugged her back against him. “You need to have one, too.”
Offended, her eyes shot open. “I do not smell.”
His mouth quirked. “Never said you did. But there are chemicals in the hot tub. Wouldn’t want you to damage your silky skin.” He drew a finger down her bare arm.
“Oh.” She shivered in response to his touch, then took in the matching black stretch top and shorts that hugged his masculine frame and frowned. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“What are you, the fashion police?”
“Ha-ha. I, at least, have a sense of style.”
“I’m biking into town. Comfort is my concern, not looking good.”
“It doesn’t matter what you wear, Easton, you always look good.” She ignored his self-satisfied smile; of course he knew he did. How could he not? “But that outfit doesn’t…What do you mean you’re biking into town? What about your leg?”
“I bike every day. The exercise is good for my leg.”
“If it was, you wouldn’t be in so much pain. I don’t think you should ride today. Call Chance and—”
“I don’t want to talk about me. I want to talk about you.” He twisted a piece of her hair around his finger, then gave the strand a gentle tug. “I thought maybe we’d set up an appointment for you to talk to the doctor my dad suggested.”
She crossed her arms and stared up at the ceiling. “You mean the psychiatrist.”
He cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. “Yeah. Dad says she has a lot of experience with PTSD. She does a rotation at Christmas General on…”
Her heart started to race, and her palms got sweaty. She had the same reaction whenever she went to the hospital, but she’d hidden it from her parents. She’d avoided hospitals for the last ten years. “I. Can’t. Go.” She forced the words past the lump in her throat, hoping he didn’t notice she was breathless and…panicked.
“Okay, take it easy. You don’t have to go to the hospital. She has an office in Denver.” He drew her into his arms and rubbed soothing circles on her back.
She felt so stupid. The symptoms were all in her head. She wasn’t weak. She should be able to control this. Taking comfort in the feel of his strong arms around her while breathing in his clean, spicy scent, Chloe felt her heart rate slow.
Easton leaned back to look down at her. “Better?”
Embarrassed, she nodded and pulled away from him.
“Hey, no beating yourself up over this. Now that you know what you’re dealing with, it’ll get easier. Look how fast you got it under control this time.”
“It’s because of you. I feel safe with you.” She self-consciously lifted a shoulder. She hadn’t meant to tell him that. And from the small pleating between his dark eyebrows, she shouldn’t have.
“I’m glad that you do, Chloe. But I won’t always be here. That’s why you have to see someone.”
“Did you see someone?”
“For what?”
“Your panic attacks. Don’t try and deny it, Easton. That’s why you were able to recognize mine when no one else did.”
“Times like this, I wish you were the airhead you pretend to be.”
“I do not pretend to be an airhead.” Okay, so maybe she did. Sometimes it was fun to pretend to be a ditz; it lowered people’s expectations. But she didn’t like that Easton saw through her act.
“Umhm,” he said with a knowing smile, then surprisingly answered her question. “No, I didn’t. I knew what I was dealing with, and in a couple of weeks, they were gone. But I would have gotten help, Chloe. There’s no shame in it.”
“Really? So if there’s no shame in accepting help, why don’t you see someone for your pain?”
“Because they’d tell me to kick you out of my house, and I kind of like having you around.”
“You do?” Her heart pitter-pattered in her chest, and she knew it wasn’t the onset of a panic attack. No, this was real and much more dangerous. Her old feelings for Easton were back, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with them or him. She lightly swatted his chest. “You can’t distract me that easily. Answer my question.”
“I have pills for the pain. It’s my choice not to take them. I’ll work through it without them.”
“The doctor wouldn’t prescribe painkillers if you didn’t need them. You’re just being stubborn and macho.”
A muscle pulsed in his jaw as he got up off the bed. “Appreciate the concern, Scarlett, but I’m fine. I have to get into town. I should be back around…What’s wrong with you now?”
Her mouth hanging open, she waved her hand at him. “You can’t wear those. They…they show everything.” She wasn’t exaggerating. The stretchy black fabric clung to every dip and curve, every muscle and bulge.
He grinned and flipped back the covers, pulling her out of bed to draw her flush against all those hard muscles and bulges. “Tonight, you and I are going to talk, and then I’ll give you a good, long look at everything you seem so interested in.”
She was very interested. She cleared her throat. “Everything?”
“Oh, yeah, everything. Now come on, I’ll show you how the shower works before I go.”
“It’s okay. I’m having lunch with my mother today, remember? I’ll have her come early, and I’ll stop by their place for a shower first.”
“All right, suit yourself. But you don’t know what you’re missing.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, then headed for the door. “If your lunch runs late, text me, and I’ll pick you up. Save Liz a trip.” He glanced over his shoulder and started to laugh.
She touched the side of her lips to check for drool. The view of Easton’s backside was as mouth-watering as the front. “I hope you have a change of clothes,” she said, following him to the door.
He bent down and picked up a black knapsack off the floor. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip to hold back a moan. He winked and slung the bag over his shoulder. “Yeah, and I have a helmet, too, so don’t worry about me. See you tonight.”
She swallowed and nodded, thinking of his earlier promise. Closing the door behind him, she looked up at the ceiling and said to Easton’s mother, “Anna, I need your help. If I’m the one meant to be with Easton, you need to give me a sign.” She waited, glancing around the sunlit room. “Please, just a little one will do.”
And then, as though in response to her request, a memory of her ghostly visitors last Christmas flashed in her mind. Their midnight visit that snowy night in December had been a terrifying experience. One that made Chloe vow to change her ways.
Easton’s mother had been the ghost of Chloe’s past, taking her on an embarrassing trip down memory lane. She could almost hear Anna now, telling her once again that Chloe could make everything right. In a voice as soft and kind as it had always been.
Chloe’s mother and Easton’s had been best friends growing up. Chloe didn’t have friends of her own, other than her sister, and enjoyed hanging out with the two women. Admittedly, the possibility of an Easton sighting had been a draw, too.
Anna used to brush Chloe’s hair and tell her one day she’d be as beautiful as Scarlett O’Hara. She wondered if Easton knew his nickname for her was the same as his mother’s. At the thought, Chloe smiled. She had her answer. Cat and Easton weren’t a match made in heaven. Chloe and Easton were.