Chapter Fourteen
“Who has a kid on a Valentine’s Day? The only thing worse would be having a Christmas birthday,” Chase groused to his cousin as he drove from North Dakota to Texas. With his cell phone set on speaker, he could talk to Ashley and still focus on the slick road ahead of him.
Snow had started falling a few hours ago, around the same time he drove across the state line into Nebraska. Although the road was slick, Chase intended to keep driving until darkness fell. By then, he hoped to be most of the way through Kansas. By tomorrow night, he’d be in San Antonio where he’d compete in the rodeo. If he placed in the top four, he’d go on to the semi-final round and hopefully the finals.
He’d planned to compete in several rodeos in the south while the winter still made it hard to get around in the northern states. Lucas kept him updated on how much snow they had at the ranch and the fact Jessie seemed to enjoy it as long as she stayed inside where it was warm.
Chase smiled, picturing her curled up on the couch beneath the fleece blanket he’d purchased for her. Thoughts of warming her with his kisses sent his temperature on a steady climb and he cracked the window.
“Chase? What’s that noise?” Ashley asked.
“Sorry,” he said, rolling the window up and returning his attention to his cousin. “Seriously, Ash, I appreciate you telling me about Jessie’s birthday. I sort of remember her mentioning it was February, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t say when.”
“No, she didn’t. I had to drag that information out of Stacey. She said Jessie hates her birthday and Valentine’s Day. Not only did her parents make her birthday suck every year, I got the idea one of Jessie’s boyfriends chose Valentine’s Day to break up with her.” Ashley snorted derisively. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, cuz.”
Chase scowled at the phone. “How in the heck am I supposed to fix the holiday for her? Can’t I just ignore it and pretend I didn’t know?”
“You could, but considering the fact that she is doing you the biggest favor of your life, you might want to rethink that.” Ashley’s condemnation carried clearly in her tone.
He sighed. “You know I wouldn’t really skip it, but I’m not sure there is anything I can do to make this day better for her. I don’t suppose you have any suggestions, do you?”
“Well, I’d definitely go with something traditional for the Valentine’s Day part of it. Flowers and candy would be the obvious choice. You can order them both and have them shipped right to the door.”
“Yeah, I know that much.” Chase wondered if his cousin thought he was utterly clueless. He wasn’t. For reasons he couldn’t begin to explain, he wanted Valentine’s Day to be special for Jessie, especially since it was her birthday, too. Yet, he didn’t want to create any expectations that would leave her disappointed later on.
He knew she’d be disappointed when she awoke to find him gone the morning after their intense kisses almost drove them to his room, to his bed. It was a good thing she’d come to her senses before he’d carried her inside his bedroom. Once they’d gone inside and closed the door, he wasn’t sure he could have let her go.
As it was, he couldn’t stop thinking about how good, how right she felt in his arms, how much he wanted to keep her there. Unable to sleep a wink, he’d finally gotten up a little past midnight, showered and packed his bags, loaded his pickup, and left Lucas with a list of long, detailed instructions. The last thing he did was write the note to Jessie.
He almost left it on the kitchen counter, but couldn’t disappear without seeing her one last time. On silent feet, he made his way upstairs to her room and cracked open the door. He stood by her bed, admiring the spill of her hair over the white sheets. A sliver of moonlight peeking through the blinds illuminated the curve of her cheek, making it look like pale silk.
Before he reached out to touch it, reached out and hauled her into his arms, he left the envelope with the note on the pillow beside her. He turned to leave the room, but strode back to the bed. A deep breath filled his nose with her soft fragrance. He placed a kiss on her forehead then left the room before he changed his mind.
He’d had to leave or risk breaking their agreement that the marriage remain in name only. To make sure both of them kept their interests protected, his attorney had drawn up a detailed contract. It stated Jessie had no right to any of Chase’s holdings including his property, his accounts, and so forth. The same was stated for Jessie, that Chase had no right to anything that belonged to her and he would, on the thirtieth day of December, pay her the lump sum they’d both agreed upon.
Despite the fact he knew he had no right to anything that belonged to Jessie, what he really wanted was her heart and her love.
If he’d spent even one more day at the ranch, Chase would have lost every last bit of control he had where she was concerned. There wasn’t a single thing he wanted more than to make her his own. He couldn’t listen to her laugh at something silly his uncle said or watch her work in the kitchen with the bow of her apron bobbing at her waist and drawing his attention to how good she looked in her blue jeans without wanting her.
He had to leave.
Perhaps he should have said goodbye in person, but he wasn’t convinced he possessed the fortitude required to walk away from the hurt he was sure he would have seen in her eyes.
Even though they both agreed to enter the situation as a business agreement, Chase had been around enough to realize they had feelings for each other. Feelings that would only lead to heartache and trouble.
No, leaving was the smart thing to do. The right thing to do. Even if Ashley and Aunt Amy had both called and reamed his ears about running out on his new bride, he’d done what was best for Jessie.
Now, Ashley had called to tell him she’d finally found out when Jessie would celebrate her birthday. She’d be twenty-six, the same age he was, only he felt years older than the tender-hearted girl.
Life with his parents had made him cynical and bitter. Jessie had endured a childhood every bit as challenging as his had been, but she practically sparkled with an inner light he had no idea existed until he met her.
“Chase? Are you still there?” Ashley asked when he remained lost in his thoughts.
“Yeah. I’m here.” He wondered what Ashley had asked that he missed.
“Do you want me to shop for you?”
“No, Ash. I’ve got this, but thanks for the offer.” Ready to change the subject, he cleared his throat. “Hey, you haven’t said how everyone there is doing? How’s Granny? Did she talk you into helping her paint the hallway?”
Ten minutes later, Chase disconnected the call. Miles and miles with nothing but swirling snow gave him plenty of time to think. By the time he pulled into a motel parking lot at a few minutes past eight, he’d landed on the perfect gift for Jessie. Something that didn’t smack of romance, but a gift he was sure she’d love.
Valentine’s Day morning, Chase sent Jessie a text wishing her a happy day. He included a link to a video clip of the Warner Brothers Loony Tunes character Pepé Le Pew. In the vintage cartoon, the skunk chased after a black cat that accidentally received a white stripe of paint down her back. The amorous intentions of the skunk met resistance from the cat and resulted in a minute of funny viewing.
Jessie texted a reply, surprised by the link and happy he’d included it because she loved the old cartoons. She placed a heart emoji at the end of her message.
Chase felt smug with the success of his simple efforts and couldn’t wait to see how she reacted when the gifts he sent arrived.
He was eating lunch with friends on the famous San Antonio River Walk when his phone buzzed. A wide grin broke out on his face as he read the message from Jessie.
Chase, you’ve made this the best Valentine’s Day ever. Thank you for the roses and candy. I’ve never seen such beautiful blooms! Hugs and kisses to you, too. XOXOX
“Must be from his wife,” one of his friends said, elbowing Chase in the side. “How come you didn’t bring her with you?”
“She runs her own business and couldn’t be gone that long,” Chase said, hoping that would quell any discussion about Jessie.
It didn’t.
“She’s sure a sweet thing, Chase. How’d a cranky, homely ol’ cuss like you find such a pretty, adorable wife?” his friend Shaun teased.
“Just luck I guess,” Chase said, glancing down at his phone, wondering what the multiple heart emojis and one with a kissy face meant.
Shaun grabbed the phone from his hands and looked at the message. “Aw, big, bad Chase has a soft side, guys. He sent Jessie roses and candy. What’d you send her, man?”
“Roses and candy,” Chase jerked the phone back and shoved it in his pocket.
“We got that, but what kind? I might need some ideas to butter up my girlfriend,” his friend Gage said.
“I sent her Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses and the flowers were just something different, the roses were cream with dark pink edges. And a vase shaped like a heart.” Chase shrugged. “No big deal.”
“A big enough deal to get a happy text from your wife.” Shaun grinned at him. “You know, you better pace yourself or you’ll set the bar too high and you’ll never be able to live up to her expectations.”
Chase had thought of that himself, but since he and Jessie would only have one year together, he decided to do his best to make each holiday memorable. From what she’d said, and didn’t say, he got the idea her family had made every holiday miserable. When she left at the end of the year, he hoped she’d have some good memories to carry with her.
He took a long drink from his soda then smirked at Shaun. “Who’s going to take advice from you? You’ve dumped so many girlfriends over the years, they’ve started their own support group.”
The rest of the guys laughed and moved on to other topics.
Pleased he’d made Jessie happy, he couldn’t wait until her birthday surprise arrived. He’d just left his hotel room to head to the rodeo when his cell phone rang.
Without bothering to look at the caller ID, he answered the phone. “This is Chase.”
“Chase, oh my goodness. This is so sweet and way too much, and the nicest thing anyone has ever given me and you are absolutely the best and I don’t deserve this and…”
He chuckled, assuming the woman rambling at rapid speed in his ear was his wife. “Jessie?”
“Oh, sorry, it’s me. I should have said that. I just assumed you probably looked to see who was calling. Oh, my gosh, Chase! The flowers and candy were far more than I expected today. In fact, I didn’t expect anything. The text this morning with the cartoon would have been more than I usually get for Valentine’s Day. But then you sent the gorgeous roses. They even smell like roses, not those sad hothouse things that smell like chemicals. So gross. Anyway, the flowers are unbelievably pretty and the vase. Good grief! Did you know they sent a Waterford vase? It’s far too expensive for someone like me, but thank you. And the candy. It was perfect. Just a few minutes ago, two boxes arrived at the door. Oh, Chase! The cake looks so good. I’m going to share it with Lucas and Lori. Chocolate is my favorite, but I think you know that. But the camera. It’s too much! Too much! You really shouldn’t have but I’m so glad you did. I’ve always wanted something like that but I… anyway, thank you for making this the best Valentine’s Day, birthday, and holiday I’ve ever had.”
He stepped back inside his room and pumped his fist victoriously in the air. He’d hoped she’d like what he’d sent her, especially the digital camera. He knew she had a rinky-dink camera she took photos with sometimes, but she had a creative eye and he imagined she’d take impressive shots with a good camera. He’d reached out to Cort McGraw’s sister, Celia, who was a professional photographer and asked her for some recommendations. She helped him select one she thought would be easy for Jessie to use, yet also take great images.
A smile creased his face as he spoke. “Jessie, you are so welcome for the gifts. I’m glad you like everything, but I don’t want you to say you don’t deserve them or they’re too nice for you. You deserve good things, nice things, things that make you happy.”
She laughed and the sound of it made his heart drum in his chest. “You’ve certainly made me happy today, Chase. The wonderful gifts you sent were so unexpected, and that made them so special. Thank you for thinking of me today. I feel awful because I didn’t send you anything.”
“This call is gift enough, Jessie. It’s really good to hear your voice. You know I don’t mind if you want to call sometimes instead of text.” In truth, he’d started to call her dozens of times in the last month, but never quite worked up the nerve. Not when he’d been the one to walk out on her.
“I don’t want to bother you, Chase.”
He shook his head, as though she could see him. “You’d never be a bother, darlin’. Call me anytime.”
“I’ll take that suggestion into consideration,” she said.
The teasing sound of her voice brought his smile out again. “Do more than consider it, Jess. Promise you’ll call me at least once a week?”
“Sunday evenings?” she asked.
“Perfect.” He glanced at the clock and knew he needed to leave. “Listen, Jess, I’m on my way out the door to go to the rodeo. Why don’t I…”
She interrupted him. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Chase. I totally forgot you’re riding tonight. Even if I can’t watch, I’ll be cheering you on. What time do you ride?”
He told her what time he thought he’d be riding. “Can I get more than you cheering me on?”
The phone remained silent. Finally, she spoke. “A wish for good luck?”
He pictured her questioning what he wanted, with a hundred thoughts running through her mind. “I’d ask for a kiss if you were here, but I’ll take whatever I can get.”
Her smile carried through the connection. “I really do hope you’ll win tonight, cowboy. You have to place in the top four, right?”
“Yep. That’s right.” He hadn’t discussed the rodeo with Jessie and wondered if she’d done research online. The fact she might be marginally interested in him, in what he did, warmed his heart and lightened his step as he left his room and made his way to the elevator.
“You’ve got this, Chase. Let me know your score after you ride.”
“I will, Jess. I really hope you had a happy birthday and Valentine’s Day.”
“I really did, thanks to you. Bye.”
An hour later, Chase was hanging out behind the chutes, watching the steer wrestling when his phone beeped.
The image of a frog kissing a princess made him raise an eyebrow. Jessie’s message, explaining she sent him a kiss for luck, drew out his chuckle.
Shaun happened to be standing next to Chase and glanced at the message then slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve got it bad for that girl, Chase. Good thing you already married her.”
“Yeah. Good thing.” Chase sure wasn’t going to tell anyone, especially his rodeo friends, about his unconventional marriage. As far as they all knew, he was a happy newlywed.
For the most part, he was happy. At least he was happy when he wasn’t chastising himself for having feelings for his wife.
Every time he thought about Jessie, her kisses, or the way she tied him up in knots, all he wanted to do was hop on a plane and get back to her as quickly as possible. To confess he couldn’t get her out of his mind and was afraid she’d be impossible to remove from his heart.
But he didn’t.
Women were a distraction he couldn’t afford, especially one like Jessie.
Chase forced himself to focus on his upcoming ride. When he lowered himself onto the back of a big speckled bull, nothing else existed except the ride. As the last rider of the evening, he’d watched four others score. All he had to do was earn a seventy-three point ride and he was in.
The bull he’d drawn had tossed off the last thirty-some riders without letting them score. Chase might have been intimidated, except determination overrode fear. He wiggled his fingers one last time, tightening his grip on the rope he held then drew in a deep breath and nodded his head.
The bull leaped out of the chute and did his best to toss Chase around like a limp rag doll, but he held on. When the buzzer signaled he’d made the eight second ride the crowd went wild, cheering and clapping.
Chase used his free hand to tug on the rope then dived off the bull, landing on his feet. The bull snorted and charged at him, but Chase hustled over to the fence and pulled himself out of reach.
“Give that cowboy another hand folks. How does an eighty-three point ride sound?” the announcer boomed over the speakers.
The crowd’s cheers grew louder.
The announcer chuckled. “We’ll see this cowboy ride again in the semi-finals. Good job, Chase.”
Chase made his way behind the chutes where his friends congratulated him on a great ride.
Pumped up on adrenalin, Chase called Jessie.
She answered on the third ring, sounding out of breath. “Hi, Chase. How did your ride go?”
“Hey, darlin’, I placed! I get to ride in the semi-finals.”
“Oh, that’s awesome! Congratulations. I’m so happy for you,” she said, sounding pleased.
Chase heard the squeak of door hinges and wondered where she was. According to Lucas, she didn’t stick her nose outside once the sun set. “Are you outside?”
“No. I was standing out on the porch, watching it snow. Again.”
He laughed. “I warned you winter would get old about a week into the New Year.”
“That you did,” she agreed. “However, Lucas has promised that it will warm up soon and be spring. When are you planning to come home?”
“It’ll be a few more weeks, probably the second week of March. The reporter and photographer are planning to come on the fourteenth. I’ll be home before then.”
“Okay,” she said, disappointment thick in her voice.
Chase hoped it was because he wouldn’t be home for almost a month, not because he was eventually returning to the ranch. “I better go, Jess. Thanks for the kiss. I’m sure it helped me have a good ride.”
“I’m sure,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “Thank you, again, Chase, for making today wonderful. It really has been the best birthday and Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll talk to you on Sunday. About six?”
“It’s a date,” she said then disconnected the call.
Chase refused to consider why the thought of having a phone date with his wife made him even happier than earning a place at the semi-finals round of the rodeo. All he knew was that he couldn’t wait to hear her voice again.