“Why not?” Wesley released Chase and rounded on Nichole. “You’re married now. That makes Chase my dad.”
Nichole tried to gather Chase and Wesley, herd them back toward the car. A crowd had gathered on the stairs outside the school. The car line barely moved. Cell phones were aimed in their direction from every angle.
A gaggle of kids approached. Wesley’s two best friends separated from the rest: a redheaded boy, Ben Sawyer, and a blonde curly-haired girl, Ella Callahan. Ella gripped Ben’s elbow and kept her walking stick extended. Ben leaned his head toward her as if giving her a rundown of the unfolding scene. Ella nodded every other minute, her face intent.
“I told Mr. Burton I wasn’t lying today in his office.” Wesley adjusted his backpack and scanned the onlookers. “I knew it was you, Mom, in that photograph with Chase.”
“How long were you in the principal’s office?” Nichole slapped a hand to her forehead. For one blurry picture, she certainly was recognizable. First Brooke and now Wesley. The press wouldn’t be far behind.
“It doesn’t matter.” Wesley waved at a trio of boys across the parking lot, a smirk on his face. “Now Tyler Mills knows I wasn’t lying. That’s all that really matters.”
Except Nichole and Chase were lying. To everyone. And that mattered very much. Nichole shifted her stance, but the guilt never dislodged.
Chase stepped beside Wesley. “Do I need to talk to Tyler?”
Absolutely not. He was a fake parent. Nichole always protected her own son and hadn’t requested Chase’s interference. She had to get inside her car. Had to get home. Maybe then her world would right itself and she could think reasonably clearly again.
Wesley rubbed his hand under his nose and grinned at Chase. “That’s cool, but it’s all good now.”
Except it was far from good. It was bad. So very bad. Admiration sparked in Wesley’s gaze more and more vivid every time he glanced at Chase. He even edged closer and closer into Chase’s side and farther away from Nichole.
“They want pictures with you.” Wesley motioned toward the growing crowd. “I might have sort of promised.”
Nichole cringed. No more pictures. Pictures got Chase and Nichole in trouble.
Chase’s arm bolted up and he waved the crowd over. Once again, he never even considered the consequences.
Ella and Ben joined Wesley and Chase. Ben hopped from one foot to the other. “We can help too. My dad is going to be so bummed he missed car line today.”
Nichole wished they had missed car line too.
A line formed of kids first, then parents followed. Then teachers stepped in. All the while Chase shook hands, laughed and greeted every stranger like a friend. Every picture, every interaction seemed to energize Chase even more. He never tired, never lost his patience. Never appeared anything but genuinely thrilled to meet each person.
Wesley and Ben took the photographs, Ella asked names and called out the correct spellings for anything Chase autographed. All the while Nichole acknowledged parents she knew only from car line and slipped farther into the background. Chase never noticed. Never turned to check on her. He simply surrounded himself with his fans as if they were all he needed. And Nichole took careful notes.
Chase and she belonged in two different worlds. She couldn’t afford to lose sight of that fact. If she hurt now, so much the better. The twinge at his disregard in a crowded parking lot was a bee sting compared to the full body misery of a broken heart.
Finally, car line ended, and the teachers returned to their classrooms to finish their workday. Everyone climbed into Nichole’s car and they gained some privacy. Two stops later, Ella and Ben were dropped off and Wesley scooted into the center seat.
“This is so cool.” Excitement colored Wesley’s voice. “Ben has Kyle Quinn as his uncle. Chase, you’ve heard of Kyle Quinn the inventor, right?”
“Yes, I’ve heard of him.” Chase looked back at Wesley. “We haven’t officially met.”
“I can introduce you,” Wesley offered.
“Kyle is engaged to Ava,” Nichole explained. “Ava is Ben’s aunt.”
“Their engagement is old news, Mom. That’s why Ben has Kyle.” Wesley waved gleefully at someone they passed on the street.
“Ella’s grandmother is Mayor Harrington.” Her son rambled on, his voice gained traction and his enthusiasm spilled out. “Now I have Chase Jacobs. Everyone has someone famous to call theirs.”
As if it was a game of tag and they were picking teams. Nichole had a solid team with Wesley and her friends. Chase had his own team. The rules were already set. Wesley couldn’t claim Chase. Neither could Nichole, even if she wanted to. Opposites did not attract. Besides, Chase couldn’t offer anything that Nichole couldn’t provide for herself and Wesley.
Nichole eyed Wesley in the rearview mirror. “You think someone as famous as Chase married someone like me?”
“Of course.” Wesley never hesitated.
Nichole smiled and appreciated his team loyalty. Her son hadn’t completely abandoned her for team Chase.
“The surprise is your mom marrying someone like me.” Chase twisted to look at Wesley. “Your mom is too good for a guy like me.”
Chase couldn’t really believe that. He was making the statement for Wesley’s benefit and hers. She peeked at Chase. His usual grin wasn’t in place to tease away his claim. His expression was thoughtful and serious. How could he believe Nichole was too good for him? She was a single mom, unemployed and a developer of an app no one wanted to buy. He was the Chase Jacobs—charismatic, talented and celebrated.
Wesley slid forward and popped his head between the front seats. His excitement bounced from his smile to his voice. “How long have you guys known each other?”
“Since high school,” Nichole said. Even then, their differences had stood out.
Wesley’s mouth dropped open. “You never told
