Falling For You - Love in Autumn Book One

Chapter Five

**This has not been edited or proofread.**

After going back to the farmers market and grabbing more candles, cakes, and cupcakes I probably didn't need but couldn't resist, Chase was taking me out to meet his sister.

I was extremely nervous.

"Are you sure she's going to like me?" I asked him. Chase had become a very soothing, grounding force in my life in such a short amount of time, and I couldn't stand the thought that his sister might not like me.

He grabbed my hand in his and laced our fingers together. "Breathe," he soothed. "She's going to love you; I promise. There's nothing to worry about; I swear."

Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded my head. "Okay," I whispered, trying to trust his promise.

He gently squeezed my hand before turning down a long, dirt drive.

~*~*~

Max stayed faithfully at my side as Chase held my hand, leading me to a barn a few feet from us. I could hear a woman talking softly, and soon, she came into view.

She was stunning. Her curly, brown hair was up in a messy knot on the top of her head. She was wearing a pair of rubber boots and leggings, a black sweatshirt on over what looked to possibly be a yellow shirt. She turned to face us as we walked in, and I was a bit blown away by how much she looked like Chase.

"Chase!" she exclaimed, a broad smile pulling at her lips. She looked at me, and her eyes lit up. "Oh, my God, are you Meredith?" she asked, setting down the brush she'd been holding. "My poor brother won't shut up about you," she laughed.

I smiled, my nerves easing. She was definitely a lot more eccentric and hyper than Chase, but she was already so sweet and kind to me.

"Come on; Grayson is out this morning – something about a fence," she explained, walking past us to lead us back out of the barn.

"Grayson is my best friend," Chase explained to me. "Farrah," he said, gesturing to his sister's back, "does a lot of work with the animals for him."

"He's a grump," Farrah said. "He's always been grumpy and moody – never understood why," she huffed.

Chase just smiled and shook his head. "Grayson is actually a nice guy," Chase informed me. "My sister just wears on his last nerve."

I laughed softly when Farrah scoffed, shooting her brother a scowl over her shoulder.

We followed her inside of the small house. Chase pulled out a chair for me at the dining room table before he sat down beside me. His sister made us all a cup of coffee before sitting down with us.

"So, do you carry any other books like the one Chase snagged for me?" Farrah asked me.

My cheeks tinted pink, but I nodded. "I carry a wide selection," I informed her. "You should swing by sometime, grab some coffee, and peruse the books."

She smiled. "Trust me, it's on my endless list of things to do," she laughed. "So, where are you from?"

I gripped Max's fur in my hand, trying to steady myself. "I'm from a small town in Georgia," I told her. "It was a little bit bigger than this one here."

"Oh?" She hummed. "Why move from one small town to another?"

"Farrah," Chase quietly scolded.

I shook my head at him. "No, it's fine," I said softly, reaching forward to gently squeeze his hand. He quickly laced our fingers together and lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. My cheeks heated all while my heart knocked hard against my breastbone and my belly clenched.

I looked back at his sister as he set our joined hands back on the table. "My mother passed," I explained, leaving it at that.

Farrah's face fell. "Oh, hun, I'm so sorry for prying," she quickly apologized. "It's one of my worst flaws. I don't know when to stop asking questions."

I gave her a small smile. "No worries," I assured her. I suddenly needed air, though. "Um, do you mind if we look at the horses?" I asked her.

She brightened and quickly stood up from the table. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "I'll get the most docile one – Ginger. She's a sweetheart. Chase will lead you out to the field," she said, gently squeezing her older brother's shoulder as she passed him.

Chase gently gripped my chin and turned my head to face him once we were standing. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, tightening my hand in Max's fur. "I just need some air," I told him.

Without another word, he quickly led me outside. I drew in a deep breath, my anxiety and the painful memory of my mother easing.

"Ah, hell," I heard a man groan as he came around the side of the house, spooking me, "what's a man got to do to keep your ugly face from around here?"

Chase barked out a laugh. "Screw you, Grayson."

I looked around Chase, and instantly, I tensed, my chest constricting, my lungs tightening.

He was the spitting image of a younger version of him – the monster of mine and my mother's life.

The last thing I heard was Chase calling my name and catching me in his arms.