Page 26 of Degrees of Acceptance
“I was going to give you a tour, but we’ve had some recent developments we should discuss. I’ve had the main veranda set up for the evening, and we can have drinks and dinner there,” he says, leading us through the house onto the patio.
It’s more like an outdoor dining room. The floors are stone, and the pergola is wrapped in a combination of yellow and orange honeysuckle giving off the most beautiful citrusy fragrance. In the far corner is a grilling station made of the same stone as the floor. On the other side is a large iron table with a colored stone top. I’m sure ten people could fit around it comfortably. He leads us to a smaller more intimate looking table in the corner of the patio.
“Chase, it’s beautiful. I’ve run through the other side of the orchards where the walking trails meet, but the view from this side of the house is incredible,” I say, taking in the expanse of groves along the lake.
“One of my favorite places to relax, especially when the trees are in bloom,” he says, pulling our chairs out for us. Two bottles of wine are chilling on the table, and Chase refills my mom’s glass. I smile briefly, knowing he’s trying to relax my mom before he tells her about the break-ins. A server places a large platter of bruschetta, sliced bread, oils, cheese, nuts, and olives on our table as Chase continues to make small talk with my mom. I have not met him and vaguely wonder how many people Chase employs to care for his home.
“Karissa, Katarina and I received some disturbing news today and thought we should bring you up to speed,” he says, bringing me out of my reverie.
My mom sips her wine, eyeing Chase warily. “Karissa, we just learned that both your office and home have been broken into,” he says.
She gasps, not expecting that for news. “What do they want, Chase?” she asks.
“They are trying to get to Katarina. They must know it is the best way they have of turning my position. They probably know of our relationship and think if they get to her I will negotiate. We have teams working to find out who the perpetrators are right now and will put plans in motion as soon as we find out. I would anticipate receiving a call within the hour. Additionally, we are working to quickly finalize negotiations overseas. We should learn in a few hours if they are going to accept our last offer. If they do not, we’ll need to pull out… simple as that. I’m just glad you decided to come with us. While I have no doubt my teams would not have allowed harm to you, I feel much better with you under our roof,” he says.
“I don’t know whether to say ‘thank you,’ or be pissed as hell at you for getting my daughter in this situation,” she says, eyeing Chase with a scowl.
“Mom, he was very honest with me early on, and I knew that being in a relationship with him meant security was going to be part of the package. I’m not particularly fond of it, but Chase is not going to let anything happen to us,” I explain.
She takes a sip of her wine, contemplating everything she’s heard. “Well, I guess there are worse places to be if you have to be under protection,” she says lightly, swirling her wine as she finishes a piece of the bread. Dusk begins to settle and automatically all the trees in the corners of the patio are lit up with tiny white twinkling lights, turning the entire veranda into the most beautiful space.
“Karissa, did Katarina tell you that she saved a man’s life while we were in Aruba?” he asks. I feel the warmth of my blush rise, as I am sure he realizes I did not, because it may have led me into a discussion about him with my mom.
She gasps. “No, she most certainly did not. What happened, Sweetie?” she says.
“It was nothing, Mom. Really, anyone would have done the same thing,” I say glaring at Chase, who is trying to cover his amusement at my outrage.
“The man would have died if it were not for your courageous daughter,” he says barely containing his amusement as my mom continues to gush on about how proud she is of me. I scowl at his blatant attempt to divert attention from security issues to me.
“I hope you both like Italian,” Chase intervenes, finally taking pity on me and distracting my mom from her fixed line of questioning as dinner is served.
“This is Gaby’s chicken marsala. She makes it with a mustard mascarpone sauce that rivals any of the best Italian restaurants in Chicago,” he says proudly.
“Chase, this is to die for,” my mom murmurs appreciatively. I may need to find that pool tomorrow and wear off a little of our recent meals,” she exclaims.
As the waiter clears the table, Chase seems distracted, looking down at his lap. I’m sure he’s on his phone, and I feel a slight chill of apprehension at the thought of what may be transpiring. He glances up, catching me watching him. I look down in my lap and click on his message.
Message: Stop worrying!
Reply:Is everything ok?
Message: It’s under control.
“I’m going to give you and Katarina some time to catch up. I need to take care of a few things. They’ll be serving chocolate Italian cream cake soon. Have a glass of wine, and I should be back to catch a piece of cake shortly,” he says, giving me a firm kiss. “Now stop worrying or I will begin to think you don’t trust me and punish you again,” he whispers so only I can hear.
I can’t help wonder what he’s up to as he leaves the veranda. He said he should know in about an hour what the guys that broke into Mom’s place were up to and who they worked for. I shiver slightly at the implication, realizing I don’t want to contemplate what may be occurring to get that information.
“Sweetie, did you hear me?” my mom asks.
“Sorry, Mom, I was thinking about something else.”
“You are pretty serious about each other,” she says.
“I’m in love with him, Mom. I just haven’t told him, yet. Maybe it just seems too soon.”
“Katie, you’re living with the man. I think you are supposed to fall in love before you begin living together; at least, that’s how it used to be. What the hell do I know? He’s clearly in love. He never takes his eyes off of you,” she says.
“I think he cares a great deal for me, but he’s never told me he loves me,” I say.
