the sleeve. His face broke out in a wide smile.
“Alex Sloan. Damn, man. It’s been a long time.”
“Yeah it has.” Alex reached out, shaking his hand and throwing one arm around his back, patting it twice in the classic man-hug. Stepping back, his friend said, “I heard you were in town. Sorry to hear about your mom. Jamie couldn’t believe it when she walked in and saw you yesterday.”
“Thanks.” Chase appreciated his friend’s concern. “So you’re a married man, huh? I never thought I’d see the day. Did hell freeze over or something?” Chase was giving his friend a hard time, but he truly was surprised that Alex had tied the knot. Alex hadn’t just played the field. He’d owned it.
“It’s something, all right. I’m a lucky man.” Alex looked happier than Chase had ever seen a man look.
“Congratulations! Marriage looks good on you, and Jamie seems like a great girl,” Chase said sincerely.
“Thanks, man. What about you? You seriously hit the big time. I can’t go a day without seeing your ugly mug on TV or magazines. It’s crazy.”
“It is crazy,” Chase wholeheartedly agreed.
“I mean, I knew that you had chops, but man, you blew up.” Alex’s eyes were wide as he shook his head.
Chase knew exactly what Alex was saying. His rise to fame was hard even for him to process and he’d been the one on the journey.
“I still can’t believe it sometimes,” Chase admitted.
Alex was still shaking his head as his pager beeped. “Shit. I gotta get going. I’m on duty, but how long are you in town?”
“Not sure. Depends on my how my mom is doing.”
“Right.” Alex nodded in understanding. “Hey, have you gotten a chance to see any of the old crew since you’ve been back?”
“I saw Krista.” Chase wasn’t sure how Alex would feel about that. He’d always been supportive of Chase dating his cousin, but that was before Chase had left. He had no idea how Alex would feel about things now.
“Are things cool between you two?” Alex asked with a serious expression on his face.
Chase wished he knew. “I think so. She’s the one who called and told me about my mom.”
A small look of relief flashed on Alex’s face. “Cool. Well then why don’t you come by The Grill tomorrow night? Eddie and Haley are having their engagement party.”
“Eddie Thomas?” Chase asked. That was the only Eddie he knew, but there was no way he could be who Alex was talking about.
“Yep. He and Haley just got engaged,” Alex confirmed.
“Holy shit. What happened with him and Lacey? Don’t they have a kid?”
“Yeah, but Lacey’s out of the picture. She left when Emily was a newborn and didn’t come back ‘til a few months ago. She tried to stir up trouble but bounced when things got sticky.”
“Wow. That’s crazy.” Of course Chase knew logically that everyone’s lives had continued once he’d left Harper’s Crossing. But it was strange hearing about it.
“Everyone’s gonna be there. My brothers, their wives—”
“Your brothers are all home?”
“Yeah, and they’re all married, too. Riley married Chelle—”
“Rachelle Thomas, Eddie’s little sister?” Chase interrupted.
“Yep. And Bobby married Sophie and Jason married Katie.”
“Katie Lawson? Nick’s girlfriend?” Chase felt like his jaw was going to fall to the ground.
Nick and Katie had been like the golden couple of Harper’s Crossing when Chase was growing up. Jason had been Nick’s best friend. The three of them had been like The Three Musketeers. Nick died tragically in a car accident when Chase was a freshman in high school, and right after that, Katie left town.
“Yeah. Katie came home to be in Sophie and Bobby’s wedding. Jason confessed that he’d been in love with her since kindergarten and the rest is history.”
“What about Seth?” Chase felt like he was in high school, catching up on all the soap opera events of everyone’s lives.
“Seth married Amber. I don’t think you
“Alex Sloan. Damn, man. It’s been a long time.”
“Yeah it has.” Alex reached out, shaking his hand and throwing one arm around his back, patting it twice in the classic man-hug. Stepping back, his friend said, “I heard you were in town. Sorry to hear about your mom. Jamie couldn’t believe it when she walked in and saw you yesterday.”
“Thanks.” Chase appreciated his friend’s concern. “So you’re a married man, huh? I never thought I’d see the day. Did hell freeze over or something?” Chase was giving his friend a hard time, but he truly was surprised that Alex had tied the knot. Alex hadn’t just played the field. He’d owned it.
“It’s something, all right. I’m a lucky man.” Alex looked happier than Chase had ever seen a man look.
“Congratulations! Marriage looks good on you, and Jamie seems like a great girl,” Chase said sincerely.
“Thanks, man. What about you? You seriously hit the big time. I can’t go a day without seeing your ugly mug on TV or magazines. It’s crazy.”
“It is crazy,” Chase wholeheartedly agreed.
“I mean, I knew that you had chops, but man, you blew up.” Alex’s eyes were wide as he shook his head.
Chase knew exactly what Alex was saying. His rise to fame was hard even for him to process and he’d been the one on the journey.
“I still can’t believe it sometimes,” Chase admitted.
Alex was still shaking his head as his pager beeped. “Shit. I gotta get going. I’m on duty, but how long are you in town?”
“Not sure. Depends on my how my mom is doing.”
“Right.” Alex nodded in understanding. “Hey, have you gotten a chance to see any of the old crew since you’ve been back?”
“I saw Krista.” Chase wasn’t sure how Alex would feel about that. He’d always been supportive of Chase dating his cousin, but that was before Chase had left. He had no idea how Alex would feel about things now.
“Are things cool between you two?” Alex asked with a serious expression on his face.
Chase wished he knew. “I think so. She’s the one who called and told me about my mom.”
A small look of relief flashed on Alex’s face. “Cool. Well then why don’t you come by The Grill tomorrow night? Eddie and Haley are having their engagement party.”
“Eddie Thomas?” Chase asked. That was the only Eddie he knew, but there was no way he could be who Alex was talking about.
“Yep. He and Haley just got engaged,” Alex confirmed.
“Holy shit. What happened with him and Lacey? Don’t they have a kid?”
“Yeah, but Lacey’s out of the picture. She left when Emily was a newborn and didn’t come back ‘til a few months ago. She tried to stir up trouble but bounced when things got sticky.”
“Wow. That’s crazy.” Of course Chase knew logically that everyone’s lives had continued once he’d left Harper’s Crossing. But it was strange hearing about it.
“Everyone’s gonna be there. My brothers, their wives—”
“Your brothers are all home?”
“Yeah, and they’re all married, too. Riley married Chelle—”
“Rachelle Thomas, Eddie’s little sister?” Chase interrupted.
“Yep. And Bobby married Sophie and Jason married Katie.”
“Katie Lawson? Nick’s girlfriend?” Chase felt like his jaw was going to fall to the ground.
Nick and Katie had been like the golden couple of Harper’s Crossing when Chase was growing up. Jason had been Nick’s best friend. The three of them had been like The Three Musketeers. Nick died tragically in a car accident when Chase was a freshman in high school, and right after that, Katie left town.
“Yeah. Katie came home to be in Sophie and Bobby’s wedding. Jason confessed that he’d been in love with her since kindergarten and the rest is history.”
“What about Seth?” Chase felt like he was in high school, catching up on all the soap opera events of everyone’s lives.
“Seth married Amber. I don’t think you
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