Wearing yesterday’s clothes, he left the apartment. The sight of the doll still hanging from Joey’s green necktie sent his blood pressure soaring. When he got his hands on him, the kid was going to wish he’d called the sheriff instead.
Taking the stairs two at a time, he headed for his truck, ignoring his growling stomach as the smell of bacon wafted on the stiff breeze. It took three minutes to reach the Cahill’s older, ranch style house. Knowing he looked like hell with a scruffy chin and wrinkled shirt, he made an effort to compose his features before rapping on the door.
Mrs. Cahill answered, still wearing a blue chenille bathrobe. Her eyes widen at the sight of him. “Chase, my goodness, I wasn’t expecting you.” Her lined cheeks took on a pink hue. “I think Missy went out early.”
More likely she hadn’t come home.
“Actually, I’m here to speak to Joey, if you don’t mind.”
“He’s sleeping. The boy doesn’t get up until I drag him out of bed now that summer vacation’s started.”
“Would you wake him? It’s important.”
Her brow creased, and she pushed a shaking hand through her short gray curls. “What’s he done now?”
“Look, Mrs. Cahill, I understand your concern, and I’d be happy to discuss the situation with you.” He took a calming breath. “But first I need to talk to Joey. It’s possible he hasn’t done anything.”
“I’ll get him.” She disappeared down the hall and returned a moment later. “He’s dressing.”
“Joey and I are going to take a short drive, if that’s all right with you. I’ll have him home in an hour.”
She nodded and tightened the robe around her waist, straightening to her full five feet. “I know you wouldn’t lay a hand on a child, no matter what he’s done.”
He touched her arm. “Of course not. He’ll be perfectly safe.”
They waited, listening to the loud ticking of the clock on the entry wall, until Joey appeared. He wore baggy tan shorts, a Texas Rangers T-shirt, and a scowl that didn’t disguise the fear in his dark eyes.
“Geez, Chase, it isn’t even seven. What’s so important it couldn’t wait an hour or two?”
He had to admire the kid’s bravado. In his position, he wasn’t sure he could have pulled it off. “Let’s take a drive and talk about it.”
The boy cast a pleading look toward his mother. She remained mute, her lips tightly compressed.
“Fine.” Dragging his feet, he followed Chase to the truck.
He pulled out of the driveway and drove, not stopping until he reached a wide spot in the road next to a stand of scrub oak. Turning off the engine, he gripped the wheel. “You want to tell me why you did it.”
“Did what?”
He turned to face the boy, wondering if he’d be able to keep his promise not to beat the daylights out of him. He felt the vein at his temple throb.
Joey paled and dropped his gaze. His shoulders slumped. “I thought if she left, you and Missy would get back together.” His throat worked, and his voice quavered. “I know you said it was over, but I thought...”
“You thought? Did you stop to think about Honor, even once? Did you think about how she’d feel when she found those dead animals? I’ll tell you how she felt, sick and frightened.”
Tears ran down the boy’s face. He swiped at them with a clenched fist. “I wouldn’t hurt her.” His voice rose. “I just wanted you to pay attention to me again.”
Chase closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Joey’s words hurt almost as much as his tears. But it didn’t change what he’d put Honey through. “I know you found the armadillo on the highway, but the prairie dog wasn’t road kill. Seeing what you did to that animal scared me more than a little.”
The boy sat up straight and clutched his arm. “I didn’t kill it; I swear. The neighbor’s dog did. I just shoveled it up and put it in a bag.” He swallowed, and his narrow shoulders shook. “You have to believe me.”
“And the doll?”
“There’s a whole box of them up in the attic. They were Missy’s.”
He stared through the windshield, watching the prairie grass sway in the wind. “I intend to tell your mother exactly what you’ve done. I’ll let Honor decide if we call the sheriff.”
“Would he throw me in jail?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“I don’t know what he’ll do.” Let the kid think the worst for a while. He deserved to sweat. Chase started the engine. “Right now we’ll go talk to Honor, and then you’re going to scrub her door.”
****
Business was slow. Honor sat in the back booth of the café with the Longtrees, discussing their anniversary party. Redemption’s mayor was a long drink of water, as her grandpa used to say, with a full head of salt and pepper hair. His wife was short and plump and had too few lines on her face for a woman in her sixties.
“I don’t know about these changes to my menu you’ve suggested. Taking out the fried cheese and adding shrimp instead…” Rita’s lips puckered, pulling taunt skin even tighter. “Are you certain?”
“It will make for a more balanced buffet table, honestly.”
Honor saw Chase the moment he entered. He stood in the doorway with the same young boy she’d seen him with before. Missy’s little brother. He gave her a nod, his gaze sober, and headed for the kitchen.
Sliding out of the booth, she stood. “I’ll leave you to finish your breakfast and think about it. Let me know what you decide.”
“Well, really, I—”
“Don’t get in one of your huffs, Rita. What the girl said makes sense.” The mayor’s voice boomed through the restaurant.
Honor let the kitchen door slap shut behind her.
Marge stood at the grill with her hands fisted on her hips, eyeing Joey Cahill the way she did a clogged drain. “He’s responsible for the armadillo and the prairie dog?” At Chase’s nod, she shook her head. “This is going to break your mama’s heart.”
If possible, the boy turned even paler. Honor stepped forward, catching their attention.
Joey squared his shoulders and faced her. “I’m here to apologize,” he whispered.
Chase opened the supply closet. “Honey, why don’t you and Joey go upstairs? I’ll bring soap and a scrub brush up in a minute.” He raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’d like me to call the sheriff before he washes away the evidence.”
Honor thought the boy might pee his pants. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Come on, Joey; let’s talk.”
“Take your time,” Marge said. “Andee should be here any minute, and I’ll handle the customers until then.”
“Thanks.” Holding the screen door open, she followed the boy up the stairs. When she reached the landing, she sat on the top step and patted the spot beside her. “Sit.”
Joey gave the hanging doll a furtive glance and did as she asked. His throat worked, and his eyes watered. “I didn’t mean nothin’ bad by it. I just wanted you to leave town. I’m sorry, really, really sorry.”
“I’m sure you are. What I don’t understand is why?”
He picked at a scab on his knee and avoided her eyes. “I wanted Chase to like Missy again, and I knew he wouldn’t with you around. He said we’d still do things together, but lately he’s always busy.”
Chase paused on the stairs and met her gaze. The guilt in his eyes tore at her heart.
He set down the bucket and squatted beside them. “I was wrong not to make more time for you, but it doesn’t excuse what you did.”
“I know.” The boy let out a shuddering breath. “Tell me how I can make it up to you.”
“You can start by scrubbing the door.” Honor gave him a thoughtful look. “We’ll see what your mother has to say, but I think community service might be the answer. You could help out at the animal shelter or by picking up trash in the town park.”
“I can do that.” The boy sounded almost eager.
“Right now, clean the door, and make sure you do
a good job. I need to talk to Chase and then get back to work.” She stood, and Joey popped up beside her.
Tentatively, he touched her arm. “I really am sorry I scared you. You’re a nice lady.”
“Thank you, Joey.”
Leaving him with the bucket and scrub brush, she walked down the stairs and followed a path through the empty lot beside the café. She stopped at a gnarled mesquite tree and turned to face Chase.
“You handled that better than I did. I was ready to wring his neck despite promising his mother I wouldn’t.”
Honor shrugged one shoulder. “He doesn’t seem like a bad kid, just lonely and a little too imaginative for his own good.”
Lines radiated from his eyes as he squinted into the sun. He kicked at a dead patch of grass with the toe of his boot. “I know I’m partly to blame. I made it clear Missy and I were through, but he didn’t believe me. Didn’t want to, I guess.”
“Probably not. You’re fun and exciting. The kid obviously idolizes you.”
He snorted. “Some roll model. I went back on my word.”
She jammed her hands into the pockets of her shorts. “There’re always consequences when you say things you don’t mean. Someone usually gets hurt.”
“Honey—”
She interrupted. “You haven’t misled me, Chase, not once, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.” Lying next to him last night had made her realize she couldn’t drag their relationship out any longer, not if she ever wanted her heart to heal. “I’ll be in town for a couple more weeks, but I don’t think we should see each other.”
His brows lowered, and he swore. “I can’t accept that. We need to talk.”
“There isn’t much point.” Blinking against the threatening tears, she turned her back. “I have customers waiting.”
She hurried through the dried grass, back straight, holding onto her composure by a thread. Walking away from Chase was killing her, but it was the best solution.
The only solution.
****
Chase gave Muffin a swat on the rump as he opened the breeding pen gate. “Go get her.” The bull didn’t need to be told twice.
Clutching the railing, he stared down at the ground.
His father leaned against the fence beside him. “I can’t stand your long face for another minute. Why don’t you talk to Honor?”
“She won’t answer her cell phone.”
“Then go see her. Hell, I don’t care what you do, but you’re making me crazy moping around here.”
He gritted his teeth. “I’m trying to respect her wishes.”
“According to your granddad, her wishes aren’t making her happy. He told me he hasn’t seen a smile on her face since the whole fiasco with Joey Cahill.”
Chase jerked open the gate after the bull finished, letting him out of the pen. Muffin sauntered away, his tail swishing. “I can’t force her to see me.”
His father turned and stared at him. “Maybe you wouldn’t have to force her if you told her how you really feel.”
“She knows that I—care.”
He ran a hand through his graying hair. “I did you a disservice by closing up after your mother died. It took away all your trust in women.”
Chase snorted. “Isn’t that a little dramatic? I’d expect a lame comment like that from Gramps or Jenna, but not from you.”
“Maybe, but it’s the truth. You don’t give a woman half a chance before moving on to the next one. Are you really going to let Honor walk away?”
“It’s not what I want.”
His father’s voice rose. “Then find the girl and do something about it. What do you have to lose?”
His heart quickened. Had he really been a stubborn fool, hanging on to his pride and throwing away a clear shot at happiness?
Yes.
“Not a damn thing.”
But I just might have everything to gain.
****
The knock was soft but persistent, a gentle rapping that grated on her nerves. Not in the mood for company, Honor circled two possibilities in her hunt for a used car, a compact with only sixty thousand miles on it and a snappy little sports model with twice that many. When the knocking continued, she sighed, dropped the classified ads on the table, and went to answer it. Probably Andee with yet another reason why she should stay in Redemption. The woman was like a dog with a bone.
She jerked open the door and froze. Not Andee.
“You going to let me in?”
“Do I have a choice?”
Chase grinned, the slow smile stretching across his face. After a week without seeing him, the smile hit her like a kick to the ribs, stealing her breath.
“Everyone has choices. We can either talk inside or out here.”
She studied the set of his shoulders and the determined glint in his eyes. “Let me put on some shoes.”
His eyebrows shot up beneath the brim of his hat. “Seriously?”
She walked away, pulled her sneakers out from under the bed, and laced them up. “I know what happens when I let you into my apartment.”
Chase chuckled. “Just one of the many things I love about you, Honor.”
She glanced up. “What?”
Leaning against the doorjamb, he smiled at her. “You always keep me guessing. Life will never be boring with you around.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, the pressure in her chest nearly suffocating her. “You’d better start looking for someone else to add spice to your life. I’m hitting the road just as soon as the Longtrees’ party is over and I buy a car.”
“Now that’s what I wanted to talk about.” He shut the door and followed her down the stairs. “Where are we going?”
“How about the park? It’s a nice evening, not too hot.” She gave him a cool look. “There should be plenty of people around to keep you in check.”
He shook his head. “You don’t trust me an inch.”
“Nope.”
When they passed his pickup, he stopped and opened the door. “If we’re taking a walk, you may as well come along.” Bo leaped to the sidewalk and shook. Ambling over to Honor, he sniffed her hand and wagged his tail.
She scratched the hound’s ears. “You brought your dog?”
“He wanted to go for a ride, and I wasn’t presuming anything about where I’d be sleeping tonight.” His gaze was sober. “I’m here to talk.”
Hope trickled through her like a spring thaw, softening her determination to hold him at arm’s length. When he clasped her hand and swung it between them, she didn’t pull away.
They crossed an open, grassy area adjacent to the playground and sat on a bench. A little blonde girl shrieked and laughed as she kicked her feet, swinging higher into the air. Two toddlers dug in a sand pit while their mothers chatted together in the lengthening shadows. Bo wandered around the play structure, his nose working overtime.
“This hasn’t been easy for me, Chase.” She cast him a quick glance, saw he was watching her with an unwavering regard, and looked away. “If I don’t go, I’ll wind up hating you. You’ll tear apart all my self-confidence, and I’ll be in a worse place than when I arrived in Redemption. I can’t do that to myself.”
“God, Honey, I wouldn’t want you to, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
“You don’t get it.” She heard her voice break and steadied it. “Call me a fool, but I fell for you. Hard.” Taking a deep breath, she let the feelings bottled up inside her poor out. “I love you.” Her voice rose. “And that’s why I have to leave.”
He turned to face her. Knees bumping, he tightened his grip on her hand. “I’ve been miserable.” He cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Honest to God, Honey, I never thought I’d let any woman get to me this way. Knowing I may never see you, or touch you, or kiss you again hurts me here.” He pressed their entwined fingers against his chest. “I can’t lose you.”
She couldn’t breath. His eyes held such deep caring, she was almost afraid to believe. “What
are you saying?” she whispered.
“I love you, too. For the first time in my life, I want to commit to someone. I want to tell the world I belong to you.” He stroked her cheek. “I know I’ve been slow figuring it out, but please tell me it’s not too late.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. With a shaking hand, she wiped them away and smiled. “It’s not too late. It could never be too late. Are you sure about this, really and truly sure?”
“One hundred and ten percent. I’ll go out and buy you a big old rock like Nina has if it’ll help convince you.”
She choked on a laugh. “Let’s not get carried away. You said you love me, and that’s enough for now. I trust you.”
He stood and pulled her up from the bench, holding her in his arms. “What if I don’t want to wait? I’m crazy about you, Honey.”
He kissed her, starting off with a gentle caress that exploded into passion. Knees trembling, she pressed against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. His tongue stroked and teased. When they finally came up for air, he gave her a heavy-eyed look so full of desire, her body clenched.
Gasping, she sucked in a breath. “I know one thing I don’t want to wait for.”
He grinned. “Now what might that be?”
She gave him a poke in the ribs. “Now there’s the Chase I know and love, cocky and confident to the end.”
“This is just the beginning.” He cast a glance toward the toddlers throwing sand in the air and their mothers eyeing them with disapproval. “Let’s go home where I can show you exactly how I plan to spend the next fifty or sixty years.”
She leaned back in his arms and frowned. “Chase Paladin, is that your idea of a proposal?”
“Does it need work?” His brows drew together. “I could get down on one knee.”
“I prefer you right where you are.” Standing on her toes, she kissed him. “You meant it from your heart, and that’s what counts. I accept.”
He gave a whoop and swung her in the air. “Hot damn, woman, we’re getting hitched.”
Full to bursting with happiness, she looked into Chase’s laughing green eyes and saw everything she’d always wanted, everything she’d come to Redemption to find, a bright and shining future.
Honky Tonk Hearts Volume 2 Page 11