An Engagement in Seattle - Debbie Macomber [151]
“I think I’ll sit out there for a while.”
“Good idea,” Chase said with just a smidgen of glee. To his credit, he didn’t lock the door behind her.
“What happened?” Lesley asked in a breathy whisper the instant her mother was out the door.
“She thinks I seduced you into moving up here with me.”
Lesley batted her long lashes at him. “You did, didn’t you?”
“I’d certainly like the opportunity to do so again,” he said, waggling his brows suggestively. “I’m not going to last another five days without making love to you. Maybe not even another five minutes—”
“Chase!” Lesley whispered, as he moved toward her. “My mother’s right outside.”
“She already thinks I’m a sex fiend as it is.”
“You are!”
Chase chuckled, but his humor was cut short by a piercing scream from the front porch. Never in his life had Chase moved faster. Lesley reacted just as quickly. Her knitting needles and yarn flew toward the ceiling as they both raced out the front door.
June was backed against the front of the house, her hands flattened over her heart. Even from several feet away, Chase could see she was trembling.
“What happened?” he demanded.
June closed her eyes and shook her head. Luckily Lesley was there to comfort her. She wrapped her arms around her mother and gently guided her toward the door.
“Something must have frightened her,” Chase said. He debated going for his hunting rifle, then decided against it. Whatever the danger had been, it’d passed.
“It was…huge.” The words were strangled-sounding.
“A bear, Mom. Did you see a bear?” Lesley’s eyes widened with fear, but her mother shook her head.
“It must’ve been a moose,” Chase speculated. He recalled the first time he’d come nose to nose with one. It was an experience he’d rather not repeat.
“No.” June shook her head again.
“A wolf?” Lesley pressed.
“No,” his mother-in-law moaned. Lesley led her into the house and urged her down in the rocker while Chase went for a glass of water.
“It was a…a spider,” June said, gripping the glass with both hands. “A black one with long legs. I…I’ve never liked spiders.”
Judging by June’s reaction, that was an understatement.
“A spider?” Chase whispered. The woman had sounded as though she’d barely escaped with her life.
His wife shrugged and rolled her eyes.
“Suggest she go to bed and rest,” he said in hushed tones.
Lesley’s lips quivered with the effort it took to suppress a smile.
“Maybe you’d better lie down,” Lesley said in a soothing voice.
“You’re right,” June murmured, clearly shaken by the encounter. “I don’t usually overreact like this. It’s just that this spider was so big. I didn’t expect there to be spiders here in Alaska, of all places.”
“We all have a tendency to overreact under certain circumstances,” Chase said, using the opportunity to defend his own behavior earlier in the day. “Later we realize how foolish we must have looked to everyone else. People generally understand and forgive that sort of thing.” As far as sermons went, he felt he’d done well. He was no TV evangelist, but he figured he’d got his point across. He only hoped June had picked up on his message.
“I do feel like I should rest.”
“I’ll check out the room first,” Chase offered, “and make sure there’s nothing there.” All he needed was for June to interrupt him and Lesley. He didn’t know how well his heart would stand up to another bloodcurdling scream.
“Thank you,” June whispered as he hurried out.
When he came back to signal that all was clear, Lesley accompanied her mother to the bedroom. After five minutes Chase was glancing at his watch, wondering how long this was going to take.
Another ten minutes passed before Lesley returned to the living room. “Mom’s resting comfortably. I gave her a couple of aspirin to settle her nerves.”
“I need something to settle my nerves, too,” Chase said, reaching for her and pulling her onto his lap.
“Chase.” She put up a token struggle.
“Kiss me.”
“I…I don’t think