Page 19
Chapter
Nine
The next five days sped by much too fast for Lizzy.
In the mornings, she and Chase lifted weights together and had breakfast. They had different types of tours planned every day and did hydrotherapy after dinner in the evening most nights.
He designed a better blindfold with a thin hand towel.
She could hardly believe he was still wearing a blindfold for her.
As she grew more comfortable with him and trusted him more deeply each day, she wanted to tell him to take the blindfold off.
She wanted to trust him to hear her secrets and see her scars.
Saturday night, they were doing hydrotherapy after dinner and talking through their adventures.
They’d been to several ‘Bad’ towns, which she discovered meant ‘bath’.
Bad Ischl and Bad Aussee and Bad Goisern.
On the ‘Bad’ tour day, they’d also explored a princess’s castle and ate the most delicious Thai food, which was a welcome change from the meat and potatoes diet.
She purposely hadn’t brought a swimsuit, so they hadn’t used any of the thermal baths that were on the schedule.
She was grateful for the excuse even as she felt guilty to make Chase miss out. He didn’t seem to mind.
They toured the Werfen ice cave, which was gorgeous and made her feel like Anna from Frozen even though she was literally freezing.
Thankfully, Chase was able to warm her up with his arm around her.
Being close to him was comfortable and invigorating.
She only had positive reactions to him and his touch. What a relief.
It wasn’t on the plans Madelyne had for them, but they drove past the Hohenwerfen Castle, which was massive and set on a hilltop, and took a detour to explore it.
The view and grounds were gorgeous. Parts of the castle were a little disturbing, with too many displays dedicated to the witchcraft of the day and many torture devices and stories about both.
The falconry and birds of prey show were impressive and fascinating to both of them.
Seeing how small the rooms were from the eleventh century blew her mind.
She thought of knights of old as giants of men, but most of them had been smaller than she was.
Chase was a giant of a man in every way.
That night, instead of hydrotherapy, they watched The Sound of Music after dinner.
Chase was cute about it but obviously not as enthralled as she was.
Their arms brushed many times as they sat side by side on a couch in the main area, and she kept catching him watching her instead of the movie.
He teased that he liked to see it through her eyes.
She loved when he said that. Watching the movie made her even more excited for that tour, which was only a week away now.
She didn’t want to wish away their time, though.
Austria was officially the most beautiful place, and this time felt sacred.
The next day, they did the Gollinger waterfall hike. It was short, only about a mile and a half round trip, and beautiful. Maybe as beautiful as their first hike above Hallstatt, but she’d always believe that first waterfall was the best because it was the first one they saw together.
They did an e-bike tour of the pastures of Salzkammergut.
She might’ve gone a little overboard with the effusiveness on that tour—the wildflowers, the verdant mountains, the lakes and valleys, the cows with bells.
She kept singing ‘the hills are alive’ and Chase smiled at her as if she were the most intriguing and adorable woman on earth.
The weather was perfect, around seventy during the day.
Each night, she talked to her mom and Janie, raving about Chase and the scenery and their adventures.
They were both hoping Chase was as perfect as he seemed and urging caution until they met him.
They knew she rushed ahead with her feelings.
Lizzy didn’t know that they were going to meet him, but she did know Chase was just about perfect.
She had given him plenty of space to show his true self and was becoming convinced he couldn’t be hiding anything hurtful from her.
Tomorrow they would go to church, lunch, take a long hike through the mountains close to them, and then relax.
Relaxing with Chase sounded wonderful. She was enjoying it right now.
They’d gone through their hydrotherapy routine.
She was doing much better with the steam room and ice bath, only complaining a little, and she’d endured up to seven minutes becoming a popsicle in the ice bath.
She thoroughly enjoyed the jets in the big pool.
They were just finishing up with the jets now.
Chase had gone back to the stream of water that pounded on his neck.
Lizzy studied him, loving the strong planes of his face and upper body.
The blindfold was a sign that he cared deeply for her.
She couldn’t think of another man who would wear a blindfold to help her feel safe until she learned to trust him.
She did trust Chase. He’d watched out for her and made the past week the most incredible time of her life. Going back home next Saturday would be rough. At least they had six more days together.
They hadn’t talked about a future together.
Of course they hadn’t. They weren’t in some relationship.
Yet she wanted to think about a future and a relationship with Chase.
She was determined to take off the blindfold tonight and trust him to see her ugly scars.
He knew about her cerebral palsy, and he’d been incredible about it.
He had taken the hikes or tours slow if she needed, never acting put out, annoyed, or embarrassed if her legs got tired.
Chase reached out his hand, smiling as he eased away from the jet sprays. “Time for you to guide me to the hot tub?”
“Yes, sir.” Lizzy took his hand in hers. He squeezed once and then threaded their fingers together.
It felt right to hold hands with Chase. Was he only taking good care of her for his assignment, or could he possibly be developing feelings as well?
She led him up the steps of the pool, across the deck, and toward the hot tub.
“Step down,” she said. “Down, down, down, down … sit.”
He grinned as he sat, and she eased into the hot water close by his side. Their arms brushed under the surface. The sun was lighting the fluffy clouds to the west orange and pink, and the sky was filled with hues of purple and blue.
“The sunset is glorious,” she said.
“Oh? Describe it for me, please.”
She smiled, but then an alarming thought hit her.
It was time. She needed to make trust an action verb, and the blindfold needed to come off.
Chase had been more than patient, and she trusted him.
He might be disgusted by the ugly recently healed wound, but more likely he’d be understanding and kind as he’d proven himself to be the past week.
He had scars, she assumed from the military, and she thought they were appealing and added to the toughness of his body.
Those marks on his body symbolized experiences and pain and growth she wanted to know more about.
The fact that he’d protected and served their nation and people throughout the world with his strong body made him even more appealing to her.
Maybe her scar wouldn’t repel him. She’d earned it protecting an innocent child.
She prayed Chase would see it that way.
Lizzy eased in closer to him and said in an unsteady voice, “The sun fades behind puffy clouds of white and gray, turning them a glorious orange and pink as the sky becomes a bruise with shades of purple and blue.”
“I like seeing the sunset through your eyes,” he said, as he had every night.
Lizzy reached up and worked at the knot of material tied on the back of his head with her fingers.
“Lizzy?” he questioned.
“I want you to see it for yourself,” she managed, her throat thick and her hands trembling.
What would he think? She looked down at the puckered red skin on her chest. The reminder of that awful night she’d almost died.
Janie tried to tell her it was a battle wound that showed she was a tough survivor, but to her it only represented the ugliness and horror of Grady Worthen’s out-of-control anger.
Chase would never belittle her, she knew that now, but she would be devastated if she could sense that her hideous wound repulsed him.
She couldn’t undo the knot. The material was wet from their water therapy and her hands were shaky.
Chase reached up and wrapped one of his hands around both of hers. “Lizzy. It’s all right. I don’t mind the blindfold.”
“I mind it,” she said bravely. She wanted to see his blue eyes, and she was ready for him to see her. Maybe not completely ready, but willing to take the step.
Chase reached up with both hands, and she moved her hands away. He swiftly undid the knot and set the cloth on the side of the pool. His blue eyes didn’t dip to her scar. He focused on her face.
Joy filled her at the simple look. His gaze captured her heart and soul.
“There you are,” he said softly.
She moistened her lips. His gaze darted there, then back up to her eyes. She gestured. “There’s the glorious sunset.”
His gaze didn’t leave her face. “I see something glorious, but it’s not the sunset.”
“What do you see?” she whispered.
“I see the most beautiful face. Soft brown eyes that are warm, expressive, and capture me. The smooth skin of your cheeks. The soft lips that I can’t stop fantasizing about.”
Lizzy’s eyes went wide. They’d had a lot of fun together, had bonded and grown close this week. He’d complimented her at times, had been patient and kind with her, and she trusted him, but these compliments were beyond that.
He was fantasizing about her lips?
Chase didn’t move to touch her face, and she really wanted him to. So she reached for his hand in the water, lifted it to her cheek, and released it. Her own hand trembled as she rested it lightly on his firm shoulder.
His fingertips were wet, and they trailed heat through her as he tenderly skimmed the pads of his fingers across her cheek, her eyelids, her forehead, down her temple, across her other cheek. Finally, his fingertips trailed across her lips and lingered there.
Lizzy quivered with excitement and longing. Could this be happening? She and Chase connecting on a deeper level? She wanted him to kiss her, but it was important to her that he see her scar first. Surprisingly, he hadn’t even let his gaze drop there.
Taking his hand in hers again, she slowly directed it down to her scar. Her heart raced out of control and her stomach squirmed. She was apprehensive but hopeful.
Chase’s fingertips lingered right above the neckline of her swimsuit as their locked gazes intensified.
She went hot and cold all over. Hot with yearning for him and the tingly warmth of his touch.
Cold with fear that he wouldn’t be able to hide his disgust when he saw the scar.
She hated that this was a trust exercise, but the past week of growing to appreciate and care for Chase all culminated in this moment.
For her, how he reacted to her scar was more important than whether his kiss moved her.
“Lizzy,” he murmured. “You want me to look?”
She swallowed hard. “I trust you to look, Chase.”
As she said the words, she realized they were true.
She was taking the step, making trust an action word, and she did trust Chase.
In every way. It was daunting to place such deep trust in another person, especially a strong and impressive man, but with Chase she could say those words and mean them.
He nodded very seriously, and then his eyes lowered. Ever so gently, he traced his fingertips around the outside of her scar. His gentle touch left heat in its wake. His gaze was open, appreciative, full of her and her alone.
She’d never, not for a moment, thought of her scar and the puckered skin as attractive. Mostly she’d hated the reminder of that horrifying night, the pain, the recovery …
But with the way Chase was touching her, she felt more than attractive. She felt as if she, and even her healed wound, were mesmerizing. His touch thrilled her to the core.
He trailed his fingertips from the scar, across her collarbone, over her shoulder, and then along her upper back. His other hand framed her jawline. Lizzy was warm, perfectly warm, and it had nothing to do with the over a hundred degree water they were resting in.
Chase’s gaze met hers, and she read acceptance and yearning there. Still, she had to verbalize it.
“Does seeing the scar … make you think less of me?”
“Lizzy.” He said her name on a heated breath.
“Quite the opposite. I hate that someone injured you, but you are much stronger than your scars. The bravery you exhibit and the pain you’ve risen above makes you even more impressive and desirable to me.
I didn’t think it could be possible to be more drawn to you, but I am every moment. You are beautiful inside and out.”
Lizzy’s breath rushed out of her body. His words were the most beautiful she’d ever heard and, more importantly, there was no guile or deception in them. Chase meant his words, and she trusted him.
“So are you,” she returned. She let her fingertips trail over his broad and muscular chest, lingering next to a long white scar near his right shoulder. “I want to hear all about your scars.”
He smiled slightly. “I’d love to share with you, but first …”
Then he bowed his head, and he kissed her.
The moment of connection was as inspiring as him touching her scar or sharing that she was impressive and desirable, not in spite of but because of the pain she’d been through.
Lizzy had never felt a kiss that was powerful and tender at the same time. He kissed her so thoroughly she floated above the hot water and into a heaven created by Chase’s strong arms, enticing lips, and kind and thoughtful soul.
He slid her easily onto his lap and against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, unable to think or do anything besides get lost in Chase’s lips.
She’d never felt a kiss as powerful and pure as this one.
Chase saw her, every bit of her, and still thought she was beautiful. He was patient, caring, and ideal to her in every way.
Chase.
Would she ever get enough of him or his kisses?
Was he for real, or would the wheels come off this happy vacation bus and she’d be left screeching along the highway by herself?
Lizzy pushed those unfounded worries away and focused on Chase’s lips fusing with hers and his strong body surrounding her.
Heaven. That was where she resided at the moment, and she was in no hurry to leave.