Steel Resolve

by B. J Daniels

  She sat for a moment, idly finishing her coffee and considering her flowers before going back to work. A while later, she picked up her phone and called Chase. “Thank you for the daisies. They’re beautiful. If you have some time, I thought maybe you could stop by if you’re free. Like I said, I have your package here at the office. I can tell you how to find the place.”

  Chase chuckled. “I know how to find you. I’ll be right there.”

  * * *

  LUCY LOOKED OUT the window of the coffee shop and with a start saw Chase’s truck pull up across the street. Her heart squeezed as if crushed in a large fist. Had he seen Mary before this? Had they been meeting at night on the ranch? Jealousy made her stomach roil.

  Chase had been hers. At least he had until Mary wrote him that letter. She was why he’d dumped her. To come back here to his precious cowgirl. She wasn’t sure at that moment whom she hated more, him or Mary, as she watched him disappear into her office.

  “Excuse me?” A woman stepped in front of her, blocking her view. It was all she could do not to reach across the counter and shove her out of the way. She wanted to see what was going on across the street. “I’d like to order.”

  Fortunately, she got control of herself. She needed this job to get closer to Mary and pull off her plan. If she hoped to pay back Chase, she couldn’t lose her cool. She plastered a smile on her face.

  “I’m sorry, what can I get you?” She hadn’t even realized that her Texas accent had come back until that day when she’d finally met Mary Cardwell Savage. She’d thought she’d put Texas and her childhood behind her. But apparently all of this had brought it back—along with her accent.

  As she made the woman a latte, she thought about spitting in her cup, but didn’t. Instead, she let herself think about the apartment in Mary’s building. Of course she was going to take it. She had already gained the woman’s trust. It didn’t matter that Chase was over there with Mary. Soon enough she would end their little romance.

  She would just have to be careful to avoid Chase. The changes in her appearance were striking, but given what they’d shared, he would know her. He would sense her beneath her disguise. He’d feel the chemistry between them. So she needed to avoid him until she was ready to make her dramatic reveal.

  Smiling to herself, she considered all the ways she could make their lives miserable, before she took care of both of them. As she’d told Christy Shores, she was lucky when it came to getting what she wanted. Hadn’t she gotten this job and was about to get Christy’s apartment, as well?

  She wanted Chase and his precious Mary to suffer. She just had to be patient.

  * * *

  CHASE REMOVED HIS Stetson as he stepped into Mary’s office. He couldn’t help but admire the building and what she’d done with it. Hardwood floors shone beneath a large warm-colored rug. The walls were recycled brick, terra-cotta in color, with paintings and photographs of the area on the walls.

  “Your office is beautiful,” he said. “This place suits you.”

  Mary smiled at the compliment, but clearly she hadn’t thawed much when it came to him.

  “I heard you have a couple of apartments upstairs that you rent and live on the third floor,” he said. “Wise investment.”

  That made her chuckle. “Thank you. I’m glad you approve.”

  “Mary, can we please stop this?” He took a step toward her, hating this impersonal wall between them. They knew each other. Intimately. They’d once been best friends—let alone lovers.

  “Thank you again for the daisies.” She picked up a package from her desk and held it out to him, blocking his advance. “This is what was dropped off for you.”

  He chewed at the side of his cheek, his gaze on her not on the package. “Okay, if this is the way you want it. I’ll wait as long as it takes.” He could see that she didn’t believe that. She’d lost faith in him and he couldn’t blame her. For a while, he’d lost faith in himself.

  “So you’re working for Beth Anne’s father at their ranch.”

  So that was it. “It’s temporary. I have a job as a finish carpenter for a company that builds houses like the upscale ones here in Big Sky. It’s a good job, but since it doesn’t start for a week, I took what I could get in the meantime.” He didn’t mention that buying a new engine for his pickup had set him back some.

  His gaze went to the daisies he’d had sent to her, but quickly shifted to the vase with the rose in it. “Is that from your deputy?”

  * * *

  MARY RAISED HER CHIN. “Don’t start, Chase.” She was still holding the package out to him.

  He took it without even bothering to look at it. He was so close now that she could smell his masculine scent mixed with the outdoors. “I can be patient, Mary,” he said, his voice low, seductive. “Remember when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other?” He took another step toward her, his voice dropping even more dangerously low. “I remember the taste of you, the feel of you, the way your breath quickens when you’re naked in my arms and—”

  His words sent an arrow of heat to her center. “Chase—”

  He closed the distance, but she didn’t step back as if under the cowboy’s spell. With his free hand, he ran his fingertips leisurely down her cheek to the hollow of her throat toward the V of her blouse.

  She shivered and instinctively she leaned her head back, remembering his lips making that same journey. Her nipples puckered, hard and aching against her bra. “Chase—” This time, she said his name more like a plea for him not to stop.

  As he pulled his hand back, he smiled. “You and I will be together again come hell or high water because that’s where we belong. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  When she said nothing, couldn’t speak, he nodded, took the package and walked out, leaving her trembling with a need for him that seemed to have grown even more potent.

  Chapter Nine

  Chase still hadn’t paid any attention to the package Mary had given him until he tossed it on the seat of his pickup. The lightweight contents made a soft rustling sound, drawing his attention from thoughts of Mary for a moment.

  As he climbed behind the wheel of his pickup, he considered what might be inside. It appeared to be an old shoebox that had been tied up with string. Both the box and the string were discolored, giving the impression of age. Why would someone leave him this? Mary had said the woman claimed to be a friend of his mother’s.

  His thoughts quickly returned to Mary as he drove back to the Jensen Ranch. He remembered the way she’d trembled under his touch. The chemistry was still there between them, stronger than ever. He’d wanted desperately to take her in his arms, to kiss her, to make love to her. If only she could remember how good they were together.

  At the ranch, he took the shoebox inside the bunkhouse, where he was staying, tossing it on his bed. He told himself that he didn’t care what was inside. But he couldn’t help being curious. He sat down on the edge of the bed and drew the box toward him. It wasn’t until then that he saw the faded lettering on the top and recognized his mother’s handwriting.

  For Chase. Only after I’m gone.

  His heart thumped hard against his ribs. This was from his mother?

  He dug out his pocketknife from his jeans pocket and with trembling fingers cut the string. He hesitated, bracing himself for what he would find inside, and lifted the lid. A musty scent rose up as the papers inside rustled softly.

  Chase wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Old photos? Maybe his real birth certificate with his father’s name on it? A letter to him telling him the things his mother couldn’t or wouldn’t while she was alive?

  What he saw confused him. It appeared to be pages torn from a notebook. Most were yellowed and curled. His mother’s handwriting was overly loopy, youthful. Nothing like her usual very small neat writing that had always been slow with painstaking precision.

 
He picked up one of the pages and began to read. A curse escaped his lips as he realized what he was reading. These were diary pages. His mother had left him her diary? He’d never known her to keep one.

  His gaze shot to the date on the top page. It took him only a moment to do the math. This was written just weeks before he was conceived.

  His pulse pounded. Finally he would know the truth about his father.

  * * *

  WHEN HER OFFICE door opened, Mary looked up, startled from her thoughts. Chase had left her shaken. She still wanted him desperately. But she was afraid, as much as she hated to admit it. She’d trusted her heart to Chase once. Did she dare do it again?

  That’s what she kept thinking even as she tried to get some work done. So when her door had opened, she was startled to realize how much time had gone by.

  “Lucy.” She’d forgotten all about her saying she might stop by later to discuss the apartment. Mary was glad for the distraction. “Come in.”

  The young woman took the chair she offered her on the other side of her desk. “Did you mean what you said earlier about renting me the apartment? It’s just so convenient being right across the street, but I wanted to make sure you hadn’t had second thoughts. After all, we just met.”

  Mary nodded since she’d had second thoughts. But as she looked into the young woman’s eager face, she pushed them aside and reached into the drawer for the apartment key. “Why don’t I show it to you.” She rose from her desk. “We can either go up this way,” she said, pointing to the back of her office, “or in from the outside entrance. Let’s go this way.” They went out of the back of her office to where a hallway wound around to the front stairs.

  “The apartment is on the second floor,” Mary told her as they climbed. “I live upstairs on the third floor. Some people don’t want to live that close to their landlady,” she said.

  “I think I can handle it,” Lucy said with a chuckle.

  They stopped at the landing on the second floor, and Mary opened the door to the first apartment. “As you can see, it’s pretty basic,” she said as she pushed open the door. “Living room, kitchen, bedroom and bath.” She watched Lucy take it in.

  “It’s perfect,” the young woman said as she walked over to the window and looked out.

  “There’s a fire escape in the back, and a small balcony if you want to barbecue and not a bad view of Lone Peak.” Mary walked to door and opened it so Lucy could see the view.”

  “That’s perfect.” She stepped past Mary out onto the small balcony to lean over the railing, before looking up. “So the fire escape goes on up to your apartment and balcony?”

  “It does. I wouldn’t use the fire escape except in an emergency so you will have privacy out here on your balcony.”

  Lucy stepped back in and closed the door. “I didn’t even ask what the rent was.” Mary told her. “That’s really reasonable.”

  “I like providing housing for those working here in Big Sky. Most of the employees have to commute from the valley because there is so little affordable housing for them.” She shrugged. “And it’s nice to have someone else in the building at night. This area is isolated since it is mostly businesses that close by nine. The other apartment on this floor is rented to a man who travels a lot so I seldom see him.”

  Lucy ambled into the bedroom to pull down the Murphy bed. “This is great.”

  “You can use this room as an office as well as a bedroom. Since it has a closet, I call it a one bedroom.”

  “And it comes furnished?”

  “Yes, but you can add anything you like to make it more yours.”

  Lucy turned to look at her. “I can really see myself living here. It’s perfect. I would love it.”

  Mary smiled. “Then it’s yours. You can move in right away if you want to.”

  “That’s ideal because I’ve been staying in a motel down in the valley just hoping something opened up before I went broke.”

  “I’ll need first and last month’s rent, and a security deposit. Is that going to be a problem?”

  Lucy grinned. “Fortunately, I’m not that broke yet, so no problem at all. I promise to be the perfect tenant.”

  Mary laughed. “I’ve yet to have one of those.”

  Back downstairs, Lucy paid in cash. Seeing her surprise, the young woman explained that she’d had the cash ready should she find a place. “They go so fast. I didn’t want to miss a good opportunity. I feel as if I’ve hit the lottery getting first the job and now this apartment.”

  Mary smiled as she handed over the key. “It’s nice to have you here.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

  After Lucy left, Mary went back down to her office and called her mother. “I have a new tenant. It’s a bit strange, but she’s the barista who took Christy’s place.”

  “That is odd. What do you know about her?”

  Mary thought about it for a moment. Nothing really. “She’s nice.” She told her how Lucy had run across the street to bring her coffee twice when Mary had gotten busy and forgotten.

  “She sounds thoughtful.”

  “I like her so I hope it works out.” Most of her tenants had, but there was always that one who caused problems.

  “Guess who sent me flowers?” she said, changing the subject and putting her new tenant out of her mind.

  * * *

  LUCY COULDN’T BELIEVE how easy that had been. She smiled to herself as she drove back to her motel to get her things.

  Mary would be living right upstairs. It would be like taking candy from a baby. She thought of the fire escape and balconies on the two levels behind the apartment. It would be so easy to climb up to Mary’s on the third floor, anytime, day or night. While there was a railing around the stairs—and the balconies—still it could be dangerous, especially if Mary had been drinking.

  Her thoughts turned sour though when she recalled the two sets of flowers that had been delivered this morning. Anger set off a blaze in her chest. They had to be from Chase, right? She would have loved to have seen what he’d written on the cards. Now that she would be living in the building, maybe she would get her chance.

  She still felt surprised at just how easy it had been. Then again, Mary was just too sweet for words, she thought. Also too trusting. At first, she’d just wanted to meet the woman who’d taken Chase from her. At least that’s what she’d told herself. Maybe she’d planned to kill her from the very beginning. Maybe it really had been in the back of her mind from the moment she decided to go to Montana and find her—find Chase.

  Her feeling had been that if she couldn’t have Chase, then no one else could. She’d had dreams of killing them both. Of killing Mary and making him watch, knowing there was nothing Chase could do to save her.

  But in her heart of hearts, when she was being honest with herself, she knew what she wanted was for him to fall in love with her again. Otherwise, she would have no choice. It would be his own fault. He would have to die, but only after he mourned for the loss of his precious Mary. She would kill him only after she shattered his life like he’d done hers.

  Living just one floor below the woman would provide the perfect opportunity to get closer to Mary—and Chase—until she was ready to end this.

  It would be dangerous. She smiled to herself. There was nothing wrong with a little danger. Eventually she and Chase would cross paths. Lucy smiled in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he realized she wasn’t dead. Far from it. She’d never been more alive.

  Chapter Ten

  After the first sentence, Chase couldn’t believe it. The pages in the shoebox were from a diary. His mother’s. His fingers trembled as he picked up another page. All these years he’d wanted answers. Was he finally going to get them?

  He thumbed through the random pages, looking for names. There were none. Bu
t he did find initials. He scooped up the box and pages and sat down, leaning against the headboard as he read what was written before the initials. “I woke up this morning so excited. Today was going to be wonderful. I was going to see J.M. today. He told me to meet him in our secret spot. Maybe he’s changed his mind. I can only hope.”

  Changed his mind about what?

  Chase took out another page, but it was clear from reading it that the page wasn’t the next day. He began to sort them by date. Some weren’t marked except by the day of the week.

  But he found one that began “Christmas Day.” Whoever J.M. was, his mother had been in love with the man. And since his birthday was in September—nine months from Christmas...

  The entry read: “Christmas Day! I thought I wouldn’t get to see him, but he surprised me with a present—a beautiful heart-shaped locket.”

  Chase felt his heart clench. His mother had worn such a locket. She never took it off. It was with the few things of hers that he’d kept. But he knew there was nothing but a photo of him in the locket. On the back were the words: To my love always.

  He picked up the phone.

  Mary answered on the second ring. “Chase?”

  “I don’t mean to bother you. But I had to tell you. It’s my mother’s diary.”

  “What’s your mother’s diary?”

  “In the shoebox. It’s pages from my mother’s diary during the time that she got pregnant with me.” Silence. “I really could use your help. I think the answer is somewhere in these pages but they’re all mixed up. Some have dates, some don’t and—”

  “Bring them over. We can go through them in my apartment.”

  A short time later, Mary let him into the door on the side of the building, the shoebox tucked under his arm as they climbed to the third floor.

  “Do you want something to drink?” she asked as he closed the door behind them.