He lunged past, disappearing into the room. Andee’s scream raised the hair on Chase’s arms. He backed steadily down the hall, only stopping when an infant squalled.
A smile spread across his face. “Thank you, God,” he whispered.
****
Honor sniffed back tears and wiped her eyes. She couldn’t stop smiling. Seeing the reverent look on her friend’s face as she held her son to her breast made her want to weep and laugh and dance with joy. Davis stepped up to the bed and gently stroked the tiny dark head. When he reached for his wife with love blazing in his eyes, Honor slipped from the room.
Chase lay sprawled across a couch in the waiting area. Sitting down in the chair opposite him, she blew her nose on a ragged tissue.
He opened one eye. “About time someone showed up to tell me if it’s a boy or a girl.”
She sniffed and blew again. “Boy. Eight pounds ten ounces. He looks just like Davis.”
“Have they named him yet?”
Honor crumbled, tears streaming down her face. She tried to speak and choked on a sob.
Swinging his legs to the floor, Chase sat up and stared at her with wide eyes. “How bad can it be? Alphonse, Dagwood, Neville? I’ve got it, Siegfried!”
She snorted and snuffled, smiling through her tears. “There’re calling him Jackson.”
“Jackson, isn’t that your last name?”
She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Andee said I saved her sanity by showing up when I did, and she couldn’t very well call him Honey.”
“Not unless she wants the poor kid to get beaten to a pulp on the playground.”
His teasing dried the last of her tears, and she let out a tremulous sigh. “I have a namesake. Isn’t that incredible?”
Reaching out, he took her hand and enfolded it in his warm ones. A tingle shot up her arm.
“It’s something special. Congratulations.”
“Thank you for bringing me, Chase. I’ve never witnessed anything so magical in my life.”
“If you say so. Sounded more like torture to me.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand once before releasing it. The feel of his hard, rough fingers on hers was a little too comforting. With her defenses about as effective as the soggy tissue, she couldn’t risk getting too close. “Enduring the pain makes the reward all the sweeter.”
“I know Davis is hoping Andee will see it that way.” He rose to his feet. “If you don’t mind, we should probably head home. I have an early morning scheduled, and I’d like to get a couple hours of sleep.”
She jumped up. “Of course, but don’t you want to see the baby first?”
“Sure.”
When they entered the darkened room, the nurse looked up from the chart she was notating and put her finger to her lips. “Everyone fell asleep,” she whispered.
Andee lay on her side, her hand limp in her husband’s grasp. Sweaty red curls were plastered to her forehead, and lines of strain etched the corners of her eyes. Davis slumped in a chair, snoring softly.
Taking Chase’s hand, she led him to the crib. A heat lamp shone down on the tiny bundle wrapped in a blue striped blanket. His lips made sucking motions as he slept. Her heart contracted when Chase’s arm came around her in a companionable hug.
“That’s one beautiful baby,” he whispered.
“Yes, he is.”
They stood silently at the crib until the nurse shooed them toward the door. Stepping out into the hallway, Honor cast one last look over her shoulder and blinked beneath the fluorescent lighting. “I guess we should go.”
He took her arm and led her toward the elevator. “I’m not the only one who has to get up at the crack of dawn. Didn’t Andee put you in charge of the café?”
Moaning, she pushed the down arrow. “I’ll be too tired to make coffee, let alone wait on customers.”
Even at half its usual wattage, his smile made her stomach jump.
“Marge will scare you into action. She’s one tough broad.”
They rode down to the first floor with elbows bumping. “Good point. If yesterday’s performance is anything to judge by, she was a drill sergeant in a former life.”
“Wrong.”
Outside, the warm night breeze sent a piece of newspaper skimming across the parking lot in front of them as they headed toward his pickup.
“She was actually a drill sergeant in this one. Spent twenty years in the army.” He opened the truck door and helped her up onto the seat with a hand at her elbow.
Honor yawned hugely. “That would explain it.”
Silence enfolded them as they followed the highway toward Redemption. Chase turned the radio on low and hummed to a Garth Brooks tune. Thinking about baby Jackson, she leaned into a corner of the seat and closed her eyes. He’d felt so tiny and precious when she held him, so utterly vulnerable. Andee and Davis were over the moon with happiness, and she hadn’t been able to control a burst of jealousy at the sight of their perfect nuclear family. A few months back she’d hoped—
“Keep scowling that way and you’ll get frown lines.”
Her head whipped around. “Was I frowning?”
“Looked like you were contemplating murder. Dismemberment at the very least.”
Her lips curved. “You read all that from my expression, even in the dark?”
“I’ve got eyes like an owl.”
A semi rumbled by on the highway headed in the other direction. She studied him in the brief illumination, saw the good-natured smile, the twinkle in his eyes. “You know, I actually think you’re good for me.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Your utter amazement isn’t exactly flattering.”
“You humor me out of wallowing in self pity. For that, I’ll forgive the excess charm.”
“Glad to hear it.” Reaching across the seat, he picked up her hand. When she tried to pull away, he tightened his grip. “I bet you weren’t always this suspicious. Who destroyed your trust in men?”
Maybe ranting about Scott would be cathartic. At the very least, she’d ram home the point that she was taking a break from men. Especially good-looking charmers with an agenda of their own. And she was dead certain Chase fell into that category.
She pulled her hand away. “My grandpa was sick with Alzheimer’s before he died.”
“Davis mentioned it.”
Frowning, she wondering what else Davis had said. “Anyway, he would talk on and on for hours about the family plantation, worrying about the effect of the dry summer on the crops, complaining about the unreliability of the workers, describing ongoing renovations. Listening to him, I felt like Scarlett O’Hara.”
He grinned. “You remind me a little of Scarlett. The stunning looks and snippy attitude.”
“Very funny.” She picked at a worn spot on her jeans. “Grandpa had all the doctors and nurses at the clinic where I took him for treatment convinced he was a southern gentleman waiting to return to the old homestead to live out his final days.”
“Wasn’t he?”
“Not exactly. He was a gentle man from Georgia. The rest was a faded memory. Even our ancestors lived on a shoestring. When his parents sold the plantation near the end of the Great Depression, it was nothing but a disintegrating heap of stone and brick. I mortgaged Grandpa’s house in Atlanta to the hilt to pay for his medical bills.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He didn’t know. He was content, living in his memories.”
“I mean I’m sorry you had to go through that. It couldn’t have been easy.”
She sighed. “Some days were harder than others, but Scott bolstered me up when I was down. He cajoled me out of my depression.”
He threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed. “I hear a big but coming. Who’s this Scott guy?”
“One of the doctors at the clinic. Actually an intern with a staggering pile of student loans.”
“Oh Jesus. He didn’t really believe—”
“Took every word out of Grandpa’s mouth as gosp
el. We were discussing engagement rings when he finally figured out it was all a delusion.”
“The rat-bastard dumped you?”
The edge in Chase’s voice sent a shiver through her.
“Couldn’t get away fast enough.”
He pulled to the curb in front of the café and shut off the engine. Turning in the seat, he stroked a finger down the side of her face. “Not all men are assholes.”
She shrugged. “Maybe not.”
“Do you still love him?”
“No, but it was a—painful awakening.” She let out a breath. “Looking back, I think most of my feelings were born out of desperation and loneliness. He made me laugh, and I needed that. But a solid, lasting relationship isn’t built on good times and decent sex. There has to be more.”
“I’ll say. If the sex didn’t rock your world, you should have dumped him.”
She sputtered with laughter. “I was thinking along the lines of respect, compatibility, and genuine caring.”
“After what you survived, I respect the hell out of you.”
The stroking finger touched her bottom lip, setting her insides quaking.
“I care, and if you give me a chance, we can find out if we’re compatible.”
Edging backward in the seat, she swatted away the tantalizing finger. “The whole point in telling you my sob story was to make it clear I’m taking a break from men.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
She stared at him and frowned. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Not to me.”
“I need an unclouded perspective to plan my future. I don’t want it muddled up because you feel like scratching an itch.”
“Afraid you might like it?”
His voice slid across her senses like rippling silk. She closed her eyes. “Maybe.” When his hand cupped her chin, she leaned into it. “Can we have this debate later? I’m exhausted.”
“You bet.”
The hand dropped away, and regret caught hold. When the truck door opened, she blinked in the sudden light. Seconds later he was at her side, easing her down from the seat onto the sidewalk. She slid against him until her running shoes hit pavement. Holding her loosely around the waist, he studied her for a long moment.
“Nope, I won’t push. You need some sleep.”
The sharp edge of disappointment cut deep, though she fought against it. Tangling with Chase was not in her best interests. Her head knew it. Her body wasn’t so sure.
Climbing the stairs to her new home, she fished the key from her pocket and turned to face him. “Thank you for the ride and hanging out at the hospital with me.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it.”
Moths fluttered around the bulb shining over their heads. As the silence lengthened, his green eyes darkened and took on a sensual glint. Her breath caught when he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The safety of her apartment lay steps away, but her feet remained rooted to the doorstep.
His face lowered slowly, so slowly she could see the individual whiskers in the stubble along his hard jaw, the tiny lines radiating from the corners of his eyes, the shades of gold in the hair brushing his collar. His lips touched hers, gentle at first, then with intention. Cupping her face in his hands, he teased her mouth open and lay claim. Her head spun as she gripped his wrists and kissed him back, nearly melting at the utter eroticism of his thrusting tongue. When he released her, she staggered against the door and raised her hand to her lips.
He let out a shuddering breath. “Go to bed, Honey. We’ll finish this sometime when you’re not so vulnerable.”
The clattering of his boots down the stairs echoed the pounding of her heart.
Chapter Four
Only two customers remained in the café. Entrenched at the counter with coffee and blueberry pie, the old men argued over who was better for Texas, Eisenhower or Reagan. Honor wiped down tables, her shoulders aching. Thank God they closed in fifteen minutes, and she could head upstairs and crawl into bed. Despite her exhaustion last night, thoughts of Chase and the kiss they’d shared had kept her awake until the alarm shrilled at five-thirty. Right now, all she wanted to do was collapse.
A movement outside the window caught her eye. When a sleek white convertible parked at the curb, she moaned. She couldn’t deal with more customers, especially not the rich, pampered sort stepping out onto the sidewalk. The woman was tall, blonde, and tanned, a walking, talking Malibu Barbie smiling up at her companion. Her Ken wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed. Perfect.
For Andee’s benefit, she pasted on the semblance of a smile as the bells over the door jingled. She would not alienate her friend’s clientele. The mantra ran through her head like a tape on automatic rewind.
The woman met her gaze with a questioning tilt of her head. “Are you Honor?”
Her brows shot upward. Even half comatose with lack of sleep, she would remember waiting on this pair.
At her nod, a smile stretched across the blonde’s face, and realization dawned. She’d spent several wakeful hours last night trying to forget a very similar smile.
Stepping forward, the woman extended her hand. “I’m Jenna Paladin, and this is my fiancé, Troy Nichols.”
Honor shook it. “You resemble your brother.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “I suppose there are worse fates.”
The octogenarians at the counter broke off their conversation, and the one named Elwood spun on his stool. “You gonna ignore your granddad or say hello?”
“Hey, Gramps, I didn’t notice you over there.” She bit her lip. “I was too busy working up the nerve to ask Honor for a gigantic favor.”
Her fiancé gave her hand a squeeze before turning to face her grandfather. “Afternoon, Mr. Paladin.”
“Good to see you, Troy.” He peered out from under the brim of his black hat, his rheumy green gaze focused on Jenna. “What sort of favor you asking her?”
The funny old cowboy who’d spent the last two afternoons haunting the café with his cronies was Chase’s grandfather? She should have figured it out sooner. The moss colored eyes and flirtatious grin were dead giveaways.
Turning, Honor faced the sister, dread settling heavily in her stomach. Dropping the wet rag on the table, she straightened, pretty certain she knew the answer to the question before she asked it. “What can I do for you?”
Blue eyes brimming with hope, Jenna flashed the Paladin trademark smile. “Chase said you might be willing to cater our wedding.”
“You’d be better off finding someone else. I don’t have any experience.”
“There is no one else, and my wedding is in two weeks!” Tears welled in her eyes. “He said you can cook.”
“I can, but—”
“That’s all I need to hear. Please say you’ll do it. Please!”
Honor’s heart squeezed at the desperation in her tone. “Two weeks is so soon. We could plan a menu, but I don’t know anything about local suppliers—”
“Marge will help you with that, wouldn’t you?” She cast a begging look toward the woman standing in the kitchen doorway with arms crossed over her white apron. “And you wouldn’t have to worry about the meat. Chase said he’ll ask a couple of his buddies to man the barbecue. All you need to prepare are appetizers and side dishes.”
“Make a list of everything you want to order, and I’ll call it in to our supplier,” Marge said, her gruff tone belying the sympathy in her eyes.
Jenna threw her a grateful glance. “If money is an issue, we’ll pay whatever you ask.”
“Hey!” Elwood said, sliding off his stool.
Honor pressed her hands to her throbbing temples. “I don’t care about the money. Well, I do, but I’m sure we can work out a fair price. I just don’t know...” She was a sucker for a hard luck story, the first person her friends called for a last minute babysitter, to watch their dog, water their plants. The list was endless. She knew it, but still couldn’t spit out the word no. “Oh, Lord, I supp
ose I could pull it off.”
Rushing forward, Jenna hugged her so hard she gasped for air.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”
She was already regretting her impulsive agreement. “We would need servers to carry around trays of hors d’oeuvres.”
“Ask Brittany. She and her friends are always looking for a chance to make some extra money.”
Frowning, she stared at Marge. “Who’s Brittany?”
“You’ll meet her tomorrow. She waits tables on the weekends. Andee usually takes over in the kitchen so I can have a day off.”
“Oh.”
“She’s a local girl, a high school senior,” Jenna added. “She and her friends would be perfect.”
“But if she works in the café on Saturdays—”
“We’ll get along just fine without the two of you,” Marge interrupted. “By the end of the month, Andee will be itching to get back to work. And it’ll be slow in here for lunch, what with half the town at the wedding.”
Troy glanced at his watch and cleared his throat. “Now that you’ve worked everything out, we should probably be going—”
“But I have a million details to discuss with Honor.”
“And I have a meeting with clients in—”
Jenna slapped her forehead. “Sorry, I forgot all about it. I need to run by the day care center and pick up my paycheck. We’ll go.” Turning, she caught Honor’s arm. “Will you come out to the ranch tomorrow so I can show you the set up and decide on a menu?”
“Uh, sure, but it’ll have to be after the café closes.”
“Not a problem. Do you need a ride? Chase said—”
Her cheeks heated. What else had Chase told his family about her? “No thanks. I’m using Andee’s car until she’s back on her feet.”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” Casting a look over her shoulder as she followed her fiancé across the room, Jenna shot her one last smile. “Thanks again, Honor. You’re saving my life. Bye, Gramps.”
The door closed with a discordant jangle of bells, and Honor let out a breath. “Now I know what it feels like to be run over by a truck.”
Elwood chuckled and leaned on his cane. “Jenna has that effect on people. Let’s go, Lyle, before Marge boots us out.” He winked at the cook.
Honky Tonk Hearts Volume 2 Page 4