Conquering the Heart of the Bad Boy Read online

  “It may take some time, but they are going to get this off your record,” Hunter told him, taking a sip from his cup.

  “I don’t know, Hunter. This person is a famous actor now. He probably has the best attorneys.”

  Hunter made his way around the island and placed a hand on Chase’s shoulder. “Chase, you’re a Knox. We have the best attorneys. If anyone can get this done, it’s us.”

  “I don’t know if I can really call myself a Knox. Dad disowned me last night.”

  “You’ll always be a Knox. Don’t worry about Dad. I’ll explain what’s going on to him. He’ll come around. You know how his temper is. Sometimes he says things he doesn’t mean.”

  “Well, after the things he said to me, I don’t know if I care all that much if he comes around.”

  “I get that.” Hunter poured out the rest of his coffee, rinsed the cup and put it in the dishwasher before turning to add, “I have to get going. Call the attorneys so they can get started.”

  “Hey, Hunter,” Chase called out to him as his brother made his way toward the front door.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for all you’re doing for me. I appreciate it.” Chase offered him the best smile he could muster up, given the circumstances.

  “Of course. You’re my brother. Everything is going to work out. Now, go get your girl back, man. Emma Woods is not the type of girl you let slip away.” Hunter closed the front door and disappeared, leaving Chase alone in the house to contemplate those words.

  The listing appointment went well, and to Emma’s delight, the realtor thought she could get even more for the house than Emma had anticipated. Apparently, Chase fixing up the house had increased the value more than she’d expected. Since she owned Hemlock House outright, that meant she’d have a nice nest egg after the sale.

  Emma stared out the front window and watched the realtor install the For Sale sign in the front yard. Bittersweet. On one hand she was ready to get out of this house and the memories that came with it, but she was also a bit disappointed that she had failed her parents. What would they think of her selling Hemlock House? This was their pride and joy, and she had always thought she’d own it forever as a way to keep their memory close. But now, it was just too much, and without earning an income from it, the best thing to do was to sell it to someone who could reopen it and make it as great as it once had been.

  Emma took one final look at the For Sale sign and made her way back to the couch where she’d decided she’d spend the rest of the afternoon. Every so often, she checked her phone just to see if there was any chance Chase had called.

  Nothing.

  No texts, no calls, no voicemails. The hollowness left inside her chest was hard to ignore, but she resolved to stop dwelling on it, and at some point, she managed to doze off.

  Chase called the attorneys like Hunter advised. His brother had been right; they sounded hopeful. They were reopening the case, and then going to work to prove his innocence. It was just going to take some time.

  Hunter’s final words before he left the house kept ringing in Chase’s head. Go get your girl back. While Chase was certain Emma didn’t want anything to do with him, he at least wanted the opportunity to tell her his side of the story. If she were willing to listen, that is.

  He took the corners on Pine Ridge Way at top speed. Surely, Emma was at NovelTea, so he’d go straight there. Maybe she would agree to sit at a table and hear him out. He’d ruined any chance of a relationship. But if anything, maybe they could find a way to salvage their friendship again someday.

  On his way to NovelTea, he had to pass Hemlock House. What was that in the yard? As he drew closer, it became undeniable. A punch to the gut nearly knocked him off his bike when he read the words: for sale.

  He pulled his motorcycle to a stop in front of the house and stared at the sign in disbelief. Why was the house for sale? And how did that happen so quickly? He decided to get off his bike and go inside to see Zeke one last time. He owed it to that dog, and he missed him already. Of course, the front door would be unlocked since he never had been able to get Emma into the habit of locking it.

  Making his way inside, he was greeted by Zeke at the front door. “Hey, boy,” he said to him, leaning down to give him a good ear scratch and the apology that Zeke deserved.

  Emma heard the front door open, and it woke her. Still lying on the couch in the parlor, she could hear Chase’s voice. Relief surged through her and she exhaled for what felt like the first time all day. Chase was here? That meant he hadn’t left, after all. She stayed quiet for a moment since he couldn’t see her on the couch, and she wanted to hear what he was saying to Zeke.

  “I’m sorry I left you the way I did, buddy. It’s just that your momma is mad at me. I kept a secret from her, but that’s only because I didn’t think she’d love me if she knew the truth. You see, I didn’t think I was good enough for her, and I didn’t want her to think any less of me. Anyway, lesson learned because now I’ve lost her and you. She’s probably going to fall in love with that Aaron fellow. I don’t blame her though. He’s better for her than I am. I just hope he’s good to you. You’ll tell me if he isn’t, right boy?”

  Emma inched her way quietly toward the foyer, listening to Chase’s words to Zeke each step of the way.

  “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry. Hopefully, someday your momma will forgive me and she’ll let me come by and see you sometime.”

  “I think that would probably be okay,” Emma said, making her appearance in the foyer.

  Chase stood up, wide-eyed, a look of shock and surprise splattered across his face. “Emma, I didn’t know you were here. I figured you’d be at NovelTea.” His gaze quickly fell to the boot on her foot. “What happened?”

  “I was running after you last night, and I fell.”

  “So that’s why you didn’t come home?”

  “Oh, I came home, just after spending hours in the ER. But by the time I got here, you were gone.” She leaned against the doorframe to the foyer and looked down at the floor. “I figured you’d be far from Arbor Shores by now.”

  “When you didn’t come home, I figured you were with Aaron,” he admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets.

  “Well, I was with Aaron, but only because I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t drive so he took me to the ER.”

  “I’m sorry you hurt yourself on account of me.” He took a step toward her.

  “It’s not your fault.” Seeing Chase standing there, she wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him how happy she was that he hadn’t left. She wanted to know where he’d been and why his stuff was gone. She wanted to ask why he’d lied to her and kept a secret from her. So many questions swirled in her mind; so many questions that she didn’t even know where to begin.

  “Em,” Chase started before she could get a chance to say anything. “I just want you to know, I’m sorry I lied to you. It’s the only lie I’ve ever told, and it was only because I didn’t think you’d love me if you knew the truth. I didn’t feel worthy of you, and I know that’s no excuse, but it’s the truth. I planned to tell you before we signed the papers. I promise I would have.”

  A long painful silence fell between them as she considered his apology. “I understand,” she finally managed to get out.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah.” She looked up at him. “I can understand not wanting to come home and tell everyone you’d been in jail, although you know you could have told me. I’d never think less of you. The only thing I don’t understand is why you stole. Grand theft, Chase?”

  “I was wrongfully accused, and I know that sounds like a lie and you have absolutely no reason to believe me, but I’m telling you the truth. Hunter’s attorneys are reopening the case. They are already working to get it resolved and cleared from my record.”

  “That’s great, Chase. I’m happy for you.”

  “Does that mean you believe me?” he asked.

  Did she believe
him? As much as she wanted to, part of her didn’t trust his words completely. She had just found out he’d lied to her, and it was going to take some time for her to trust him again.

  “Honestly, I don’t know what to believe anymore, but I hope for your sake that’s the truth.”

  “It is.”

  “So, you’ve been at Hunter’s then?”

  “Yeah. I’m staying there for now.”

  “I thought you left town.”

  “I was going to. I stopped there on my way out and told Hunter what happened. He insisted I stay and clear my name.”

  “So, that’s why you stuck around? You did, actually, intend to leave?” She swallowed hard to try to dissolve the emotion that was bubbling to the surface.

  “I thought that’s what you wanted. I thought you had stayed with Aaron.”

  “Why would I want that, Chase? What I wanted was an explanation. What I wanted was my boyfriend to tell me the truth. What I wanted was for you to be here when I came home. What I wanted was—”

  Chase took a step toward her. “Em, I wanted to give all that to you. I still do.”

  “You do?” She looked up at him, her eyes moist with tears threatening to spill. He was moving toward her, and the closer he got, the harder it was for her to stay mad at him. She just wanted him to wrap his arms around her and hold her. She longed for his embrace.

  As if he were reading her mind, he slowly took her crutch out from under her arm and leaned it against the wall, eyes locked, holding her gaze. He took a final step closer, until no space remained between their bodies. He looked down at her and wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her tightly into him. “Em, I love you. I never meant to hurt you. I understand if you don’t want to be with me because of my past, but I hope someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me. You’re my best friend, and I don’t want to lose you.”

  She rested her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “What kind of woman would I be if I didn’t want to be with you over a mistake you made in your past? Of course I want to be with you.” The words came out on their own, before she had a chance to contemplate them, but she meant them. She’d never been so relieved to see Chase in her foyer, and she never wanted to lose him again.

  “You do?”

  “Yes. I love you, Chase,” she whispered.

  He swooped down and took her mouth in his, kissing her with a passion more intense than anything she had yet to feel from him. His hands moved from her waist to the sides of her face. She latched her fingers behind his neck, pulling him in, taking the kiss deeper. The kiss seemed to last forever, so long that Zeke began snoring at their feet.

  When they finally broke apart, Chase asked, “Hey, what’s with the For Sale sign in the front yard?”

  “I was going to sell Hemlock House. I didn’t want to be here without you,” she whispered.

  “Can you take if off the market?”

  Emma smiled. “I’ll call the realtor.”

  Epilogue

  SIX MONTHS LATER

  The grand opening of Hemlock House was a huge success. Even Carter and Valerie showed up to support Emma and Chase, along with the rest of the crew and most of the residents of Arbor Shores.

  It took six long months, but the lawyers had managed to clear Chase’s name. Turns out, Hunter’s attorneys were every bit as good as he had said, and they were able to get a confession from the young actor. The conviction was removed from Chase’s record, and while he would never get the time back he had served, he was just thankful to not only have a clean record, but also to have the support of his family, friends, and the entire community—sans Aaron Reynolds who, of course, was not invited.

  He may never be close to his father after the things Carter had said to Chase that night at the yacht club, but at least he’d shown up to offer his support, and that meant something.

  Emma and Chase cut the ribbon out front as the reporter from the Arbor Shores Beacon snapped photos for the local paper, and everyone cheered at the official opening of the B&B. The party moved inside where Chase and Emma had hors d’oeuvres and cocktails for their guests, and everyone took turns taking a tour of the massive Victorian home that would be welcoming guests, effective immediately.

  Chase and Emma moved back outside for a moment to admire Hemlock House and take it all in. They embraced in the front yard, and then Chase turned and got down on his knee, taking Emma’s left hand in his. A nervous excitement jolted through him as he looked up at her in anticipation.

  “Emma Woods, you’re my best friend, my companion, my business partner, my everything. I can’t imagine spending a single day of my life without you in it. Let’s grow old in Hemlock House together, just like your parents had planned. Let’s live out their love story that got cut short and taken from them far too early. Would you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife? Will you be Mrs. Emma Knox?”

  Emma quickly nodded her head yes, tears streaming down her face, her smile as wide as the sun. Chase slipped an engagement ring on her finger and rose to his feet, wrapping her in his arms, and sealing their engagement with a kiss as everyone came out and cheered from the front porch.

  Everything had come full circle, and Emma and Chase were not only partners in business, but partners in life.

  Chase Knox finally had a place to call home.

  Want more of Arbor Shores? Check out: Christmas Getaway for Two: Christmas in Arbor Shores Book One.

  Also by Nomi Summers

  Knox Brothers of Arbor Shores:

  Capturing the Heart of the Rock Star

  Captivating the Heart of the Billionaire

  Conquering the Heart of the Bad Boy

  Catching the Heart of the Athlete

  COMING SOON!

  Christmas in Arbor Shores:

  Book 1: Christmas Getaway for Two

  Book 2: Christmas Break with the Billionaire

  Stay notified!

  Stay Connected

  Join Nomi’s Newsletter

  Follow Nomi on Facebook

  Follow Nomi on Instagram

  Follow Nomi on BookBub

  Follow Nomi on Amazon

  Please click HERE to leave a review!

  Thank you!

  ~Nomi xoxo