Chapter Thirteen
Next morning, the Summers brothers left early. Chase had taken the day off. His muscles were aching from continuous sleeplessness. So the whole family more or less spent the day in bed. They ordered food from the restaurant in the marketplace owned by Dustin Moore and his grandmother. They provided good food at reasonable costs.
Aunt Chloe made the lactation snacks for Scarlett as Austen was cranky since morning. Maybe he didn't get adequate rest too.
The next day Chase took Scarlett and Austen to the hospital for his vaccination. Afterwards he dropped them home and left for the police station.
In the evening when Chase returned, Martin Scott came to visit them. He informed that Ralph swallowed a cyanide pill that he carried with him always, on the way to the headquarters. He died on the way.
Martin left after sometime. Scarlett went upstairs to feed Austen. He wasn't well after the vaccination and clung to Scarlett without giving her any respite. Chase informed his parents about their feelings for each other and his parents couldn't have been happier. After Austen's feed, Chase took him in his arms and rocked him to sleep while Scarlett went down for dinner. He had grown quite attached to the baby and he started responding to Chase too.
Two days passed and they all were well rested and much better. Before going out to duty, Chase turned to Scarlett,"Pack for a two day holiday trip for you and Austen. Take clothes, medicines and anything you need. Be ready by 4 o'clock today," he said.
"Where are we going?" She asked confusedly.
Chase chuckled, "Wait and watch," he said, before waving and leaving for duty.
Scarlett hated surprises but still went upstairs to pack. Aunt Chloe helped her. She even asked Valentina to send Scarlett clothes. When the carton of pretty dresses arrived, Scarlett was embarrassed. She couldn't afford them and aunt Chloe wouldn't listen to any of her objections. So while she fed Austen, aunt Chloe packed her luggage. Scarlett had already packed Austen's stuff in a separate suitcase. Chase had packed his trolley bag and left it in the reception room in the morning.
She was embarrassed at what uncle Phil and aunt Chloe would think of Chase's whisking her away but it seemed that they knew everything. They loved the idea of Chase and her being together.
Chase came home excited at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. He took a shower, changed and was ready to leave. He took out his black F-150 Police Responder, his favourite spacious truck and loaded all their luggage into it. Austen's stroller, his crib and bedding too went onto the truck. At last they were ready to leave. Aunt Chloe packed food for the way as well as enough for dinner.
Finally they left and Chase drove down the highway. Austen was awake and giggling. He was enjoying his ride too, having slept a lot the whole afternoon.
"Where are we going?" She asked again.
Chase smiled,"We're going to the banks of the Travis river which is a small distributary of the Colorado river. I have a small log cabin there gifted to me by dad on my eighteenth birthday," he said, proudly as Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise and awe.
"Oh, have you been there recently? Will it be clean?" She asked hesitantly.
"No, I haven't been there but I've asked the caretaker to have it cleaned and sanitized for my baby. He has also stocked the cabin with food supplies. So we shouldn't have too many problems," he said with a smile.
Scarlett smiled back. Her heart melted when he called Austen 'my baby'. It mattered to her when he showed that he cared so much for her and Austen. There were very few people in her life who cared so much. Karen, Valentina, aunt Maggie and uncle Sam, Larry and Kelly were few such people and she should fix her phone and call everyone. Chase, uncle Phil and aunt Chloe were now her family and she would stay with them for the rest of her life.
They reached the small log cabin in 40 minutes. It was situated in an isolated clearing in the slightly forested area with a small natural pool at the edge of the cabin. There was a small boat tied at the deck of the cottage. It was breathtaking as Scarlett breathed in the fresh evening air.
"It's so beautiful, Chase. I love it," she said and Chase grinned happily.
"From today, it's ours," he said as he parked his truck and went out. He took Austen from her arms and helped her down. Then handing Austen to her he went to open the door.
As he opened the door of the cabin, Scarlett strolled with Austen in her arms, cooing at him as he stared all around him. Chase brought all their stuff inside. He wanted to stay a little longer than 2 days. The place looked more breathtaking with her beside him and he didn't want to return so fast. He didn't want to scare her as she had baby Austen to think of. If they settled down well, then he could plan ahead.
She came in and gasped at the cozy wooden interiors with white furnishings. It was sparkling clean and neat. They fixed Austen's stroller and placed him in it with his teething toys. Chase fixed his crib in the adjoining nursery of the master bedroom.
Scarlett checked the refrigerator, it was fully stocked. There was every possible comfort and she wanted to live here with him forever.
She stored the food that aunt Chloe packed for them in the refrigerator in case it spoiled. At dinner time, she could heat it. She freshened up and went to feed Austen. Chase followed her inside, lying on the bed to watch her. The night of the attack she was too stressed to notice his hot gaze but now when they were alone, she noticed his dilated dark eyes laced with desire, his sharp intake of breath when she exposed her nipples. Austen started sucking and Chase stared at him with jealousy in his eyes.
After a feed, he burped and rolled onto his tummy on the bed with his teething toys while Chase's hand shot out to stroke her breast and nipple behind Austen's back.
"Please Chase, not in front of Austen, " she pleaded.
"Then when Scarlett? You're driving me crazy," he said, withdrawing his hand reluctantly.
"I will have you tonight, you're mine, only mine. Do you understand?" He said vehemently and Scarlett kissed his cheek shyly.
"That won't do. Say that you're mine, only mine," he insisted and Scarlett blushed.
"I'm yours, only yours, " she said, meaning it too.
