by Juanita Kees
When the door closed behind them, he turned back to Charlie. “They’re harmless. I promise.”
She nodded. “I have a brother too. He’s not quite as nice as yours are.”
Chase walked over and sat down next to her, leaning his back against the sofa. “If you look in the drawers in the guest room, you’ll find some clean clothes in there. Stuff we bought for Trinity over the years and she’s never worn.”
Charlie placed her hand on his arm, the skin warm on his, a faint scent of baby powder clinging to her. “Thank you, Chase.” Her green gaze met his. “I’ll pay you back, I promise.”
He covered her hand with his. “You don’t have to. But, Charlie, if you need a friend to talk to, you can trust me. My brothers might be a bit of a handful, but they’re trustworthy too. So, if you can’t talk to me or my dad, go to one of them for help.”
She leaned closer for a moment, hesitating before pulling back and dragging her hand out from under his. He could feel reluctance and uncertainty vibrate between them as she debated his offer.
“Thank you. I’ll take that shower now.” Then she passed Zoe over into his arms. “I’m trusting you with the most precious treasure in my life. Please keep her safe. I won’t be long.”
“Take as long as you need.” Surprised, he could even find his voice, he watched her stand and walk through the arch into the tiny hallway that led to the guest bedroom and bathroom. Then he looked down at the baby in his arms, and his heart melted a little more.
*
Charlie leaned her head against the cool tiles in the bathroom and willed her heart to stop pounding so hard. Lordy, she’d have to be careful around that man. His thoughtfulness and caring nature could be so easy to fall for. He’d taken a risk by inviting her into his home with little more than her word as security. But he had a strong family to support him, a luxury she lacked.
She stripped off her clothes and studied herself in the mirror. When the truth came out about who she was, would the big, strong Calhouns shy away? Would their perfect, happy family be tainted by the black hearts of hers? But running away again wouldn’t help her the same way it would if she stayed and found her feet. So, if she wanted to make a go of this new life and keep her child, she’d have to discourage any intimate contact with Chase. She turned on the shower faucet and tested the water before stepping under the spray.
Voices filtered through the closed door, deep and loud. In her heart she knew Chase could be trusted. His brothers had respect for him, irrespective of their teasing. It was there in the way they’d surrounded him, clearly protective as he’d arrived home with a stranger on his arm. The Calhouns were smart. They’d figure out who she was hiding from sooner or later, and she’d rather come clean with them first.
She turned off the water, stepped out of the cubicle and toweled herself dry. Slipping into a pair of track pants and clean T-shirt, she tugged on a hoodie she’d found in the drawer in her room. It fitted a little snug across the chest, but she could deal with that. A quick brush of her hair, and she twisted it back into a braid. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to face the people who’d given her refuge.
Three men sat on bar chairs at the kitchen counter while Chase soothed Zoe over his shoulder. She gurgled happy noises while the men laughed and talked around her. Silence descended in the room as Chase looked up. The three men eyed his face before turning on their chairs.
Marty smiled warmly. Mason sent her a flirty look. Carter’s easy grin tugged at his lips.
And Chase. Oh, Lordy. The hand cupping Zoe’s back was almost as big as her baby. There was something ridiculously heartwarming about the man cradling her child, as if he was born to it and not minding the task at all.
She crossed the wooden floor of the cabin, for the first time not feeling like she was doing the walk of shame. If it had been her father and brother sitting on those chairs, they’d be judging her every step.
Marty’s eyes narrowed on her, his gaze searching, as if he was trying to peel back the lid on a box of old memories. “Welcome to the Triple C, Charlie.”
“Thank you,” she murmured as she reached out her arms for Zoe.
Chase walked around the counter to meet her, easing the baby off his shoulder, smiling as she protested. “She was quite happy listening to talk of horsepower and transmissions.” He cradled her in the crook of one arm and tickled her belly over the fleecy all-in-one pajama jumpsuit. “I think she might be getting hungry though.” He pointed to the wet patch of dribble Zoe had left on his shoulder. “She’s been sucking on her fist.”
Charlie inhaled the scent of everything Chase. Something fresh and woodsy, layers of man and fresh country air, untainted by the smell of burning rubber, grease and racing fuel.
“It’s about time for a feed. If you’ll excuse me?” A little too early for one but being near him made her hands itch to touch. To see if he was as solid as he looked, to feel the heat that radiated from him under her palms.
“Before you go, Charlie … How about you show us some of your designs? Since we’re all here now, why wait until tomorrow as planned?” Marty’s words hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before Charlie’s gaze shot to Chase.
He shrugged. “I saw your sketch pad in the attic. It was open on the blanket next to you. The little I saw was impressive. You can save the full portfolio for later, but I think Dad would like the work I saw tonight.”
Her heart beat a little faster. The chance had come to prove herself. “I did graphic artwork in marketing, but my passion lies in design.”
“Hand it over then, girl. Passion is what we’re looking for.” Marty smiled encouragingly at her.
Charlie’s heart lodged in her throat. “Sure.” She pulled the sketch pad out of the carryall and placed it on the kitchen counter next to Marty. “They’re only rough. They still need color and touching up.”
Marty’s hand hovered over the cover of her tattered sketch pad, the shake in his fingers a jerky, uncontrolled movement. He peeled back the cover to study the artwork.
Charlie took a moment to study him. A big man, as handsome as his sons, except with the wisdom of age etched into his face. This was how Chase would look in thirty or so years. Under a mop of sandy hair, streaked with gray, kind blue eyes raised to meet hers.
A smile spread his lips as he revealed the sketch. “Son, I think you’re going to like this,” he said, looking at Carter.
Charlie waited, hugging Zoe close, as he pushed the pad along the counter in front of Mason and Carter. She looked up and caught Chase’s gaze on her, his expression unreadable. Doubt, fear, apprehension tumbled together in her stomach.
“Like it? I love it. You’re a genius, Charlie.” Carter smiled broadly.
Charlie released her breath. “The moment I saw the Chevy, I knew what it needed.” Excitement fired her imagination, her vision tumbling out into words. “Power in the horses galloping across the sides. Strong hand-brushed strokes to emphasize the outlines. A mare and a stallion. Satin black and rich chestnut. The Triple C logo kicked up by the rear hooves against a mountain background in hazy shades, muted greens and muddy browns so the horses pop in 3-D.”
“You gave the sketch life, girl. I can’t wait to see the finished result.” Marty waved her over. “Come over here and tell me more.”
Zoe settled in against her, not yet hungry enough to fuss, relaxing as the tension released from Charlie’s shoulders. If it had been her father, he would have insisted on digital imaging, denying her the satisfaction of putting her own artistic signature on the finished product. “No decals. Decals deteriorate over time. They fade to ugly and then you start again. I’m thinking airbrush on a hand-drawn template to make it real and personal. Art rather than marketing. Eye-catching rather than standard mass-manufacturing style.”
Marty nodded. “The best way. That’s how I’d do it too. Now that I’ve seen your work, I think we can talk business.”
“Sir, it would be an honor to work with you. I really want this job, if you’
ll give me the chance.” Charlie shuffled her feet. “But I can’t give you work references.” Please don’t let him withdraw his offer.
She caught the look that passed between the three brothers as their father continued to study her thoughtfully. Mason’s smirk met Carter’s eye-roll while Chase’s face remained expressionless.
“Why not?” Chase stepped toward her, hands on hips, feet apart. Not threatening, just there—a solid brick wall waiting for her answer.
Zoe squirmed against her, and Charlie ran a soothing hand over her baby’s downy head. “My previous … employer … and I parted on bad terms.”
Marty’s eyes narrowed. “How bad?”
Darn it, she couldn’t lie to him, not with Chase’s eyes piercing a hole in her soul. “Real bad.” If she blew her chance here with the Calhouns, she’d have to move on, and she didn’t have a plan B yet.
“Anyone else we can contact?” Chase kept his gaze locked on hers, a deep sea of blue that could so easily make her spill everything.
“I’ve only ever had one employer.”
Marty eased off his seat. “Stand down, Chase. You’re like some damn guard dog waiting to snap at a piece of butcher’s meat. The girl’s not exactly a wanted criminal now, is she?”
“But we don’t know that, do we, Dad?” Mason interjected.
“I can assure you I’m not.”
Marty sighed. “How bad is your situation, girl?”
Charlie looked past Chase at his father. “I need a job, a place to stay, and someone I can trust to take care of Zoe while I’m at work. Please, Mr. Calhoun, it’s just that I’d prefer you don’t approach my previous employer. He wouldn’t give me a good reference.” And when her father finally caught up with her, he’d make her suffer the consequences—publicly, in the most humiliating way he could find. “I’d rather prove myself to you.”
“What would you like from us then?”
“I’ll work on Carter’s truck for a roof over our heads and a bed to sleep in. If you like what I do, we can negotiate a wage and then I can afford my own accommodation.”
By then she would have had time to establish herself, to prove to herself she could do the job, earn a living to take care of herself and her daughter. That she could stand alone outside the framework of the family business and follow her own course in life.
“What about Zoe?” Marty asked.
“I’d budgeted for daycare or a babysitter when I applied for the job in Kalispell. If you can recommend someone here in Bigfork who provides that service, I’d appreciate it.”
All looks zoomed in on Chase. “Oh, hell no. Wait a minute—”
“Makes perfect sense. You’re the one with the office.” Carter slapped his brother’s shoulder.
“And with your mothering skills—” Mason grinned as Chase shot him a filthy look.
“It makes sense for Zoe to be where her mom is. We raised two baby girls and four boys in the garage, and you all turned out just fine. No reason we can’t raise another.” Marty’s tone allowed for no argument. “Airbrushing takes place in the booth, Charlie. No health risks for her if she stays in the garage while you work. I’ll be honest, girl, I like what I see in those sketches. I think you’ll be a good fit here at Calhoun Customs. Now, I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re in and be assured, you can ask us for help with it, but I don’t want to invite discord to my doorstep. Understood?”
Charlie nodded. “I understand, sir. I don’t want any trouble either.” And, damn it, she’d do everything she could to make sure trouble stayed as far east of the Montana border as possible.
Chapter Five
Trouble. Chase settled Zoe into the porta-crib he’d set up in his office. Outside the window, Charlie leaned over the fender of Carter’s ’57 Chevy marking out the lines of her design with tape. And damned if she didn’t look good doing it.
In the three days since he’d taken her home, he’d gotten used to having the two girls around. The smell of baby powder in the air, Charlie’s shoes in the mudroom out back, Zoe’s clothing in the drier. The cabin no longer felt empty. A dangerous sign of trouble.
Zoe protested in the porta-crib, rubbing her eyes. Overtired. He picked her up again, placed her against his shoulder and held her there with one hand. It blew him away that she was so tiny; his hand almost completely covered her back. He used the other hand to Skype-call Trinity. He’d put off the conversation for long enough while they’d ironed out the details of having Charlie on trial in the garage. Charlie, whose last name he still didn’t know, and she danced around telling them. He waited while Trinity’s number rang, then her face appeared on the screen.
“Hey, Mother.” Trinity stood with her racing suit stripped to her waist, the fire-retardant skins she wore under it hugging her slim shape.
Chase groaned. “Not you too?”
Trinity sipped from her bottle of water. “You caught me on a break. I got pole position for the Delaware 400. Hurry, they’ll want me at the board to dissect the qualifying round any minute now.”
“Proud of you, girl. I guess now’s not a good time to talk to you about Dad?”
Trinity frowned. “Now’s as good a time as any. What’s up with Dad?”
Chase sighed and leaned forward, bringing Zoe down off his shoulder and settling her into the crook of his arm.
Trinity gasped. “Oh. My. God. Chase Calhoun, is that a baby? What have you been up to in that town?”
Chase grinned. “Sounds like a question more suited to Mason than me.” He waved to Paige, Trinity’s mechanic and Mason’s ex-girlfriend, who appeared in the frame next to his sister. “Hey, Paige.” He saw the sad look on the girl’s face. “The baby isn’t Mason’s either.”
The two girls looked at each other. “Whose is it then? Not Carter’s, surely?” Trinity peered into the screen to try and get a closer look. “Grace would have known if it was, being his twin and all.”
“Settle down. She’s not any of ours.”
“Good. Because the only one left would be Dad.” She wrinkled her nose. “And that would just be … eww.”
“Listen up, brat.” His tone softened with affection for the baby of the family. His favorite sister. Not that he’d ever let Grace find out. It would give her yet another reason to butt heads with him. Another excuse to stay away. “Dad hasn’t been well lately. I took him to the doctor and we had some tests done.”
Trinity’s smile slipped from her face. “Oh no. Is he going to be okay, Chase?”
“He has Parkinson’s, honey. It’s in the early stages and we are doing everything we can for him, but you know how Dad hates taking medication.”
“Well that just sucks.”
“Pretty much.”
“How long before … you know …”
Chase didn’t want to think about how long they had left with him before the disease stole his control. “It’s creeping in like a dark and dirty shadow right now. But once it takes hold, who knows. Will you be coming home at the end of the season?”
“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. Brant has sold the team to some guy in San Francisco. Looks like he’s got his own drivers and pit crew. Which could leave Paige and me on the sidelines. I was thinking of retiring at the end of the season.”
“Sounds like perfect timing. Dad wants you to come home, but he doesn’t want you to sacrifice your career for it.”
“What will we do there, though?”
“Dad’s going to need help once he starts losing mobility. Mason’s already doing some of the work, in between helping Carter at the ranch. We could use Paige’s expertise. Yours too.”
“I haven’t swung a wrench in a long time, Chase.” Trinity grimaced. “And I’m not sure Paige would want to be anywhere near Mason. But I’ll work on it, okay?”
“Great. Let me know.”
“Okay. Gotta go. They’re calling me to the board. So, whose baby is it?”
Chase smiled. “Charlie’s.”
Trinity frowned. “Charlie?
”
“Our newly hired graphics artist. She’s new in town and doing a trial run on Carter’s pickup. She does good work.”
“Really?” Trinity drew the word out and ended it on a mischievous chuckle. “You make a good baby-daddy. Is there a Mr. Charlie on the scene?”
Chase frowned. “None of my business. Or yours, brat. Get to work now so you can hurry up and come home.”
She blew him a kiss. “See you, Mother.”
He blew one back. “Stay safe out there, okay?”
“I always am. The last race will be for Mitch. I’m bringing a car home with me, so hang on to your Charlie, because I’m gonna need some good graphics.”
His Charlie. That shouldn’t make his stomach flip or his heart rate increase, but it did. He looked out the window to where she worked, deep in concentration. Then down at Zoe, content in his arms, her tiny little hand fisted in his shirt, stealing another piece of his heart with every day that went by. Whatever secrets Charlie was hiding, he almost wished they wouldn’t surface any time soon. But that would be irresponsible thinking if her secrets had the power to harm his family.
“I’ll see what I can do, princess. Go now.” He waved her away and offered a thumbs-up to Paige, who stood fiddling with a wrench in the background, turning it over and over in her hands. No doubt the thoughts would be doing the same thing in her mind at the mention of Mason’s name. Another old Band-Aid he’d like to rip off, so everyone’s scars could heal.
“I’m gone.” Trinity pressed her lips to the screen. “That’s for the baby, not you. Bye.”
The screen blanked out as his sister ended the call. Chase smiled. It would be damn good if he could get the whole family home again. He scrolled down his list of contacts and hit dial on Grace’s number. It rang out. He’d try again tomorrow.
“Aunty Grace is no doubt somewhere out in the Arizona desert on that Harley of hers. She’ll be a tough one to convince. It won’t be easy to bring that vagabond home.”
Zoe answered with a hum and blew spit bubbles at him. Chase laughed and wiped the drool off her chin with her bib.