Page 34 of To the Chase

He laughed, steadying me with his hands on my hips. “She is certainly one of a kind. After that, things changed for me.”

Leaning over him, I held his face in my hands. “Were you really with her?”

“No.” He shook his head. “We were good friends in college, though. She now lives on a ranch in Wyoming with her husband and brood of kids.”

Now that I knew they’d always just been friends, I liked her even more. “But her rumor got you laid?”

He shrugged. “I was a stupid, horny kid. When girls came on to me, I didn’t say no.”

I loved this story so much, I had to stop myself from bouncing. “Youdidget laid from a horse-cock rumor.” I clutched my chest. “I’m so proud of teenage Tore.” I paused. “Wait—that means...was it true?”

He blushed so deeply, he nearly turned purple. “I don’t—not ahorse,but—”

Laughter flung free from my body like an out-of-control missile, winding around us in erratic patterns until I fell forward, landing sprawled over Tore. He took me down to the cushions, lying half on top of me, watching me giggle.

“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you laughing,” he declared, like he’d just uncovered something mythical and wondrous.

I trailed my fingertips over his smooth cheek. “I can’t explain how happy I am you met her. I love that she took something negative and turned it all around for you.”

His brow furrowed. “You don’t seem disturbed to hear about me sleeping with other women.”

“We both have pasts. They’re what brought us here. I’m not going to get jealous of something you did long before you met me.” I poked his chin. “Now, if you were to go off and sleep with someone tomorrow, I wouldn’t be laughing.”

“I would never do that.”

I lifted my head to rub my lips along his. “I think I know that about you.”

Later, when we’d moved to his bed, him in lounge pants and me wearing one of his shirts, we held hands, struggling to keep our eyes open.

“Do you ever see your siblings?” he asked.

My heart lodged in my throat. “No. My mom and Phil…they don’t allow it. I don’t think they’d even know me anymore.” Ten years was a long time in kid years.

“I’m sorry, Bea. That isn’t right. If you want, I can look into—”

“No.” I rolled to my side, touching my lips to his bicep. “Thank you, but no. I’ve accepted how things are, and I can’t go back and ruffle things up. Caroline gives me little updates, and they’re doing okay. They’re fine without me.”

He was stiff beside me, his chest rising and falling in heaving waves as he took deep, gulping breaths.

“It isn’t right,” he muttered.

“It is what it is.”

“It’s difficult for me to let things go when I see something that could be changed.”

“But you have to.”

He inhaled a great breath then slowly exhaled. “I know. I will.” His eyes swept over my face. “You should know I’m autistic.”

“Okay.” I’d sort of suspected, but I was glad he’d told me. I wasn’t sure what the appropriate response was, so I said the first thing that popped into my head. “I’m allergic to peas and pollen.”

He blinked. “Are we exchanging medical information?”

“I thought so…” I grinned at him. “Are we not?”

“I guess we are.” Smiling, he rubbed my nose with his. “I had my appendix removed when I was twelve.”

“Oh no. I don’t know if I can date a man without an appendix. Deal-breaker.”