Holding Her Breath (Indigo) (34 page)

Whitney hugged him close, tears of happiness in the corners of her eyes. He brushed them away while still talking to her mother.

“She’s right here. Yeah. But before I go, the important question. Can I start calling you Mom now or do I have to wait?”

Laughing, Whitney took the phone from him. “Hi, Mom.”

“You’re engaged? Oh, lordy. Really? You?” Jo said.

Whitney laughed harder. “Yes, Mom. Me.”

“Then this Chace must be something else. You bring him home for me and Shorty to meet as soon as you can, hear?”

“Of course.”

“Whitney, this isn’t like you. Getting engaged. And I haven’t even met the boy. For you to be so impulsive? He must be something special. I had a good feeling about him, though, from the way you talk about him.”

“He is. Something really, really special,” Whitney said, staring up at Chace as she spoke.

“Okay. You bring your something special home to us soon. You hear me?”

“I will.”

Whitney slipped her phone back into her purse and reached up to kiss Chace. “Let’s go find Erika and Rob.”

When they did, the two went nuts over the news.

“This is awesome!” Rob cried.

“I’m so happy for you two.” Erika hugged them both in turn.

“Ugh,” Rob groaned. “You know the only bad thing about this is Delaney’s going to be looking for the old proposal now. Thanks a lot, buddy.”

Chace laughed. “You’re welcome. Speaking of, where is Delaney tonight?”

“She had this charity auction thing for work. She had to go with her boss.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot. She said to tell you congrats and good luck,” Rob said.

Chace nodded. “Great. Tell her I said thanks.”

“You’re getting married!” Erika hugged Whitney again. Whitney was relieved about her reaction. She’d been worried marriage would be a sore spot with Erika after what had happened with A.J. Erika pulled back and clasped her hands. “I can’t wait. Seriously, and I can say this now that you’re going to, but I was afraid this would never happen for you. Really afraid, because you deserve to be happy. So much.”

“Thanks, Erika.” So did Erika, but no point in bringing up anything negative at the moment. Erika would find love. Whitney kept wanting to ask about Gi, but Erika got weird every time she did.

“Have you guys set a date yet?” Erika asked.

Whitney looked at Chace.

He shrugged, kissing her hand before pressing it to his cheek. “The sooner the better.”

She put her arms around his neck. “This summer?”

“Perfect.” He kissed her cheek.

“Why so quickly?” Erika asked.

Whitney shrugged, looking at Chace while speaking to Erika. “Why wait to spend the rest of our lives together when we both know it’s all we want to do?”

“I’m going to call Mom. She’s going to have a fit.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be back.” Erika took her cell phone out of her purse and hurried outside.

Chace hugged her close. She wrapped her arms around him, glad to have his arms around her again.

* * *

Chace heard Emma’s voice before he turned around to confirm it was her. “Well! I’m flummoxed. I thought Ms. Jones hated your guts.” He turned and sure enough, there she stood, gold hair in its usual curls, next to Cliff. Behind them stood his parents. “That’s what you told your brother, right?”

“Your family?” Whitney whispered into his ear.

He smiled, took her hand, and pulled her forward. “Whitney, meet my brother, Cliff, and his wife, Emma.” Chace waited until hands were shook and greetings were exchanged. Then, he gestured to the two people standing behind them. “And my father, also Cliff. And my mother, Belinda.” He smiled at his tanned parents, who’d flown to Pennsylvania from their winter home in Florida. Then they’d ridden down to D.C. with Cliff and Emma for the show. “I’m glad you guys made it.”

“Of course we did,” his mom said, hugging him. “Whitney, we’ve heard so much about you.” Belinda stuck her hand out and Whitney shook it.

“Yes. We have.” Chace’s dad shook Whitney’s hand.

“Mom, Dad, Cliff, Emma, I have some news for you. While you were on your way here, I asked Whitney to marry me and she said yes.” He grabbed Whitney’s hand. “We’re getting married.”

“Oh. Oh dear. You’re getting married?” Belinda put a hand over her heart. “What a surprise!”

“Our son. You always were…impulsive,” Cliff said, clapping Chace on the back. His dad had long ago accepted that Chace wasn’t going to follow anybody’s path but his own. He’d learned to go with the flow. Dad engaged in a little bit of what he liked to call “good-natured ribbing” from time to time, but that was it.

“Oh. Sister-in-law,” Emma crooned over Whitney before hugging her and kissing her cheeks.

“Congrats, bro.” Chace’s brother shook his hands. “And Whitney, to you, too. Although, I’m sure you’ll want to give him back before long.” Cliff winked before hugging Whitney.

“So. This is his career.” Cliff the elder swept his hand across the open space, indicating Chace’s photos. “And he’s getting married.” His dad chuckled. “Made any other life decisions lately that we don’t know about?”

Chace stopped himself from telling his dad he’d almost had a kid. No need to give him a heart attack or anything. “Nope, Dad. You’re all caught up on what’s going on with me.”

“Your, uh, pictures. You’re pretty good at this, huh?” his dad said, looking around the gallery. “And I see your future wife’s the star of the show.”

His mom grabbed Whitney’s hands. “And what a good star she makes.” She pulled Whitney aside and began chatting with her in a confidential yet excited tone.

Chace turned to his brother and Emma. “Where’s my nephew?”

“He’s in Pennsylvania with our sitter. We didn’t feel he was up to traveling such a distance in this weather. Especially since he’s getting over a bit of a cold,” Emma said. “Okay. We’re stealing her. Mum, Whitney, let’s go.”

He watched Whitney walk off with Emma and Belinda. Before long, Erika walked up to them. The three women did a lot of jumping and squealing. His show, once something he couldn’t imagine anything topping in terms of giving him a sense of fulfillment, faded into the background next to Whitney.

When June and the art critic found him again, he had to force himself to pay attention to what they were saying so he could answer their questions. All he wanted was to have his arms around Whitney again.

Later that evening Chace and Whitney stood near the back of the gallery. The women left Whitney alone after hogging her all evening. His family, Erika, and Rob had all left. It was getting late. The crowd was thinning out, and he wished it would get thinner. He couldn’t stop thinking about having makeup sex with Whitney, and plenty of it.

Whitney reached up for a kiss. “I love you. So much.”

“I love you, too.” He pulled her close. “I’m surprised and impressed that you didn’t need rescuing from my crazy family tonight.”

Whitney laughed. “Nobody’s family is crazier than mine.”

Chace raised his eyebrows. “Let’s see if you’re still saying that by the time they go back to Pennsylvania.”

“Just wait until I take you to meet mine.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“That’s what you say now.”

He laughed and kissed her hand. “Let’s find June and ask her how much longer we have to stay.”

“I can’t believe how anxious you are to get out of here. This is huge for you.”

“I got big plans tonight.”

“Bigger than this?”

“Way bigger.” He whispered to her all the things he wanted to do to her when they got home.

She grabbed his hand. “Yeah. Let’s find June.”

Whitney walked into her apartment and smiled at Chace sitting on her couch, toying with his cameras and doing something with his computer. A little over a week had passed since his opening. He’d gotten a permanent exhibit at June’s gallery, and he was working on his next project. He kept most of his stuff at her place. He was moving in after the wedding. All of his camera stuff was there.

“Guess what?” She dropped her bag by the door and walked over, kissing him on the cheek.

“What, baby?” He moved a couple of his lenses out of the way so that she could sit next to him.

“I got the job.” She’d gotten the job at One Justice For All.

“That’s great.” Chace set his laptop aside and pulled her close, kissing her.

“Thanks.” She kissed him again. “So you ready to meet my fam this weekend?” They were going to Jo and Shorty’s house that weekend. Her grandparents still wouldn’t talk to her about her engagement or anything else. They would find a way to get over it, or not. Either way, she was marrying Chace and she was working for One Justice.

“Sure.”

“I had a good time with yours.” Chace’s brother and Emma had to leave the day after the opening, but his parents had stuck around a few extra days before renting a car and driving back to Pennsylvania. Whitney and Chace had shown them around the city. She’d gotten a chance to know them a little better. His dad was hilarious, and his mother was very sweet.

“I’m glad. They love you. I knew they would.”

“Good.” Chace’s family was great. Especially Emma. She could already tell she was going to enjoy having that woman for a sister-in-law.

She reached up, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “Yep.”

Chace grinned.

“What?”

“I’m so happy to be right here, right now. That’s all.”

Whitney put her head on his shoulder. “Me, too.”

* * *

That weekend, at Jo and Shorty’s house, when Jo threw open the door and saw them, she grabbed them both and told them how happy she was. Then she called out to Shorty, telling him to come to the door because his daughter and future son-in-law were there.

Aunt Brenda and Uncle Glen were there as well. Whitney noticed them after the initial excitement with Jo calmed down.

“I told you it would happen,” Aunt Brenda said. She held out her arms and smiled.

“Yes.” Whitney threw her arms around her aunt and squeezed tightly. Then she hugged Glen.

After Chace took their bags upstairs, everyone went into the living room so that Whitney’s family could get to know Chace a little better. They were also waiting for Devon and Alicia to get there before they ate dinner. Jo had insisted on cooking even though Whitney had wanted to take everyone out to celebrate.

Chace acted very naturally with her family. It was as if he’d been one of them all along. They sat next to each other on the couch. He reached for her hand, and she slipped it into his. This was her perfect life.

She was thankful that Chace had elbowed his way into her life while she’d had her mind and heart turned to stone and set on blind ambition. How could she have lost sight of the most important thing in life? Love was everything, and she didn’t know how she’d thought she could live without it. Now that she knew what she was missing, she never wanted to miss it again. She’d learned that the hard way.

Her grandparents had reluctantly agreed to come to the wedding. At least they were trying to be reasonable. That was progress.

After Devon and Alicia arrived and met Chace, everybody headed to the dining room. Whitney and Chace lagged behind the rest of the group. He put his arms around her, and she rested her head on his chest.

“Do you believe in love at first sight, Chace?” she said.

He took her hand and kissed each of her fingertips individually. “I do now.” He put her hand over his heart.

Whitney had her back to the crowd, holding the bouquet in her hands. She turned her head, calling to them over her shoulder. “Ready, ladies?”

There were cheers and squeals behind her. She took that to mean that they were indeed ready.

“Here we go!” Whitney tossed her bouquet in the air and then turned around to see the mad scramble for it, laughing at her unmarried bridesmaids and female wedding guests all grabbing for the flowers. Erika, Alicia, and Abbott wore the gold strapless dresses she’d picked out for her bridesmaids and maid of honor. Alicia was maid of honor. Her other bridesmaid and now officially her sister-in-law, Emma, stood off to the side, cheering them on.

Delaney stood apart from the crowd, pumping one fist in triumph and holding the bouquet up with the other.

“No. Why?” Rob moaned from nearby. She turned to face him, laughing.

“Aw, man up, bro,” Gi said to his brother, clapping Rob on the back. Gi had come down to be Erika’s date to the wedding. Erika wouldn’t let Whitney make a big deal about that fact.

“Yeah. Easy for you to say. No one’s breathing the word ‘marriage’ down your neck every day.” Rob rolled his eyes and gave Whitney a teasing grin. “ ’Cause some people just have to go and get married. Geez.”

Whitney laughed. “Thanks, Rob. I’m glad you’re happy for me.”