by Lea Hart
Reese glanced at the woman who was largely responsible for making him a fortune and grinned broadly. Ronnie had taken him on as a client several years ago, and he’d never been happier or richer. He was among the first wave of athletes that had allowed her to manage their money, and he was damn happy he had. “I may have to kill you after all. I can’t believe you broke Ronnie DuMond’s heart. The woman has made me a rich man, along with several people in my family. How could you screw up so badly? First Brian and now you. I should just put you both out of your misery and be done with it.” Shaking his head, he watched her move toward a client who had received an award.
Chase studied his closest friend and frowned. “So you would throw away ten years of friendship in favor of Ronnie?”
“Absolutely.” He took a sip of his drink and muttered to himself. “How could you go after her like she was a regular girl? You’re an idiot and deserve whatever she’s dished out.”
“I had the team. I got caught up in trying to come out of the season with a decent standing, and before I knew it, a month had passed.”
“I hope it was worth it.”
They both observed Ronnie moving around the room as she spoke to different people. A hot young quarterback was following her around trying to get her attention. It didn’t seem to be working because she barely glanced at the kid. He didn’t appear discouraged though, because he trailed her like a puppy. Stupid kid thinks he has a shot, Chase thought.
Reese tipped his head in the direction of the man who was following Ronnie. “That’s the type of man she should date. Scott Clemin just signed a deal worth over one hundred million dollars, with fifty of it in the first two years. He’s looking at her like she’s the answer to his dreams, and she just might be. He’s closer to her age and doesn’t have a lot of baggage, so he’s probably a good choice.” Tipping back on his heels, he studied the possible couple and considered the odds of their success. “They could work out together.”
Chase wondered how they had become comrades in the first place. “I appreciate your loyalty. You’ve just told me that I’m too old and not rich enough to date her.”
“You put her on a shelf and expected her to still be there when you got back. You, my friend, are exactly where you deserve to be. I like Ronnie, and she’s proven herself to me and my family a hundred times over. She’s smart, loyal, and can tell a dirty joke. I’d trade her in for you without a second thought.” Straightening his tie, he laughed to himself.
Chase threw his friend a dirty look and noticed he paid little attention. “You are loose with the advice tonight, man. Just because you’re married doesn’t make you an expert.”
“I am an expert because I have an amazing life. My wife loves me, and I love her. She would stand between me and a speeding train, and she’s given me two amazing kids and has a third baking away. There is no one more loyal than her, and that makes me pretty much invincible. I just want you to have a little bit of the happiness Ginny and I have, and you’re not going to get it by behaving the way you do.”
Chase observed Scott capture Ronnie’s attention and felt sick to his stomach because the smile she just gave the kid was similar to one she’d given him several months ago. How could he have screwed up as badly as he did? He was too old not to know better. Maybe he could figure out a way to have a ten-minute conversation with her, face to face, and see if there was anything left between them.
Reese clapped him on the back as he looked out over the room without seeing anything. She had cut him off, but he had handed her the scissors, so he couldn’t blame her. He noticed the kid resting his hand against her back and thought about killing him. Before he fully formulated a plan, he realized she deserved to be happy, and clearly, it wasn’t going to be with him. So why not Scott Clemin? “Let’s get something to eat and another drink. The evening is already a loss, so I better not add getting drunk in public to it.”
“Always a good idea. Ginny will not be happy if we show up shit-faced. Trust me, there is nothing worse than a pissed off pregnant woman. Especially if you’re married to her.”
They moved toward the buffet, and Chase tried to keep his impulse to kill the stupid kid with his hands on Ronnie under control. Ending up in jail was not how he planned on ending the evening.
CHAPTER THREE
San Francisco International Airport
Sunday
Ronnie sat in her favorite little restaurant and waited for her meal to arrive. Only in San Francisco could you get a great bowl of chowder and yummy bread in the airport. She discovered it when she was in college, and thankfully, it hadn’t really changed. She pulled out her glasses and checked her kindle to see if the book she was interested in had completed downloading. The waitress delivered her meal along with a glass of wine, and Ronnie was pretty much in pig heaven. She tried the soup and found it delicious as usual. Her book popped up on the screen, and she was about to start reading when she felt someone looming over her. Looking up, she stared into stupid Chase Bedford’s handsome face. Her heaven just turned into hell.
“I know they won’t let you into the airport with a gun, so I figure this is my best opportunity at having a conversation with you—without getting shot.” Wedging his large frame into the chair next to her, he set his bags down. He was going to see how much he could get away with and was counting on her good manners to not make a scene. He watched her eyes narrow and realized he might’ve miscalculated the temper and memory of a southern woman.
“Never underestimate me, Chase.” She flipped her hair and gave him a once over. “I wouldn’t waste a perfectly good bullet on you. If I was going to kill you, then I’d make sure it was slow and painful. A bullet is too good for the likes of you.” She took a sip of wine and resumed her meal, effectively dismissing him. The waitress came up to check on her and just about fell over herself when she saw Chase. He was a beloved figure in this town, having played for the San Francisco team for over ten years and winning three Super Bowls. He also held the record for most regular season wins with one hundred and eighty-six victories. Fans pretty much thought he walked on water. “He’s just leaving, so he won’t be having anything.”
The waitress looked at her, horrified, as though she had suggested poisoning small children and puppies rather than dismissing a man with the manners of a snake and a heart of stone.
Chase patted the waitress’s arm and gave her a smarmy smile. “It’s just her way. Don’t pay any attention to her. I’ll have the same thing she’s having, only with a beer.” He felt Ronnie kick him under the table and knew he was skating on thin ice. But at least she was paying attention to him. It didn’t much matter if it was positive or not.
“I didn’t invite you to join me, and you’re being rude.” She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a smile that was as warm as the arctic. “Not that I expect much from you.” She felt his hand rest on her leg under the table, and she was about to push it off when he gave her a warning glare.
“I’m really popular in this town, and I do not want to have to protect you from my fans if they see you’re not being nice to me.” He felt her leg relax under his hand, and he let out a small breath. “I just want to apologize in person. I’m sorry it took me so long to call you after our first date. I got caught up in work, and I lost track of how much time had passed.”
“I told you on our first date I didn’t think it would work out because of your job and how far away you lived. And I was right.”
“I thought about you every day, and I’m sorry, Ronnie. I would like another chance to see what we have together.”
“We don’t have anything together. You’ve shown me who you are, and I’m paying attention to it. I’m not interested in pursuing anything with you.”
“Is it because of Scott Clemin? I saw him following you around last night at the party.”
“I’m not telling you who I’m interested in.” She returned to her meal and tried to ignore him, but found it nearly impossible, becaus
e he was staring holes into her with his big brown eyes. Turning toward him, she gave him a questioning look. “So this is your plan?”
“Yeah. What do you think?”
“I think you need a new one, because this one sucks.” She tore off a piece of bread and dunked it into her soup. As she devoured it, she smiled in his direction.
The waitress arrived at the table with Chase’s meal and his beer and practically kissed his feet in an attempt to make him happy. Rolling her eyes, Ronnie took a sip of wine and waited for her to leave.
Chase lifted his beer in her direction and waited until she lifted her glass. “To sucky plans and second chances.” A tiny smile fell across her face, and he felt like he just threw the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl. Having done it a couple of times, he welcomed the sensation.
“I should thank you, Chase, because your lack of interest made me change a few things in my life.” Leaning forward, she studied him and decided to tell him what he’d done for her. “I’m going to tell you a story, and hopefully, it will entertain you while you have your meal.”
He tried to take her hand, but she moved it out of reach and picked up her wine glass. “I’d love to hear a story,” he responded.
“I’ll start at the beginning…Brian broke my heart and embarrassed me terribly…it took me a long time to get over it. In fact, you were one of the first men I dated after I decided to get over myself and reenter the dating world. I thought the kiss you gave me was pretty spectacular, and I was excited to get to know you, but it didn’t work out. At first, I was mad as a tiger with its tail caught. And then I realized my mad was just covering up my sad. It made me unhappy because I felt like it was a lost opportunity, one I really desired at the time.
“I wallowed for a bit and then realized that I was in danger of either retreating like I did after Brian or becoming a woman with a bad attitude. I decided neither was a good option, so I put myself out there and started accepting the invitations that came my way. What I learned is that more is better, and there are a lot of men out there who know how to kiss. Your behavior made me get out of my own way, and I should thank you. I’ve been having a ball over the last couple of months, and I’ve discovered there are many men in the world, and a lot of them are interesting and fun and want to kiss me. So for the first time in my life…I’m having a good time, and I’m not worried about where it will end up or what it means.” Smiling, she lifted her glass in his direction. “Thanks, Chase.”
Staring, he found himself speechless. He couldn’t form a sentence or get his thoughts organized. His brain was filled with images of Ronnie having the time of her life and kissing any man that came within a foot of her. His mistake just took on a whole new meaning. The waitress came up to check on them, and he stared at her blankly. He heard Ronnie say something and watched the woman walk away.
“Eat up, Chase. Your food is getting cold.” She opened her purse and pulled out money to cover her meal. “I should get going, because my flight will be boarding soon.” Gathering her things together, she noticed Chase remained quiet as he stared vacantly over the restaurant. “Take care.” She patted him on the shoulder and then made her way out of the restaurant. All in all, this trip had turned out better than she could have hoped for. Somehow, the universe was giving her all kinds of opportunities to close doors. This must mean something extraordinary was coming her way.
********
Ronnie was just getting comfy in her seat when someone walked up and started putting their things in the overhead bin. It seemed she was going to have a seatmate for the flight across the country. Glancing over, she observed Chase lower his big frame into the seat with a grim expression. He appeared about as happy as a man who’d just lost his dog. “Why so cheery, Chase?”
Ignoring her, he pulled out the things he wanted for the flight then shoved his bag under the seat. Sitting next to her for the next five hours was God’s way of making him pay for his sins. While he couldn’t blame Him, he didn’t appreciate his sense of humor. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ronnie shrug and turn back to her kindle. “How many men are you kissing?”
The sound of thunderous laughter filled the first class cabin as she fell apart. He didn’t think it was that funny, and it certainly didn’t warrant the snorts that were coming out of her. She sure was loud for such a small woman. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited for her to stop. He could see a couple of people try and peer over their seats to find the person who was making such a ruckus. He felt like pointing to Ronnie, but held himself back at the last moment. He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. She smiled at him through tears and waved her hand in front of her face. Imagine what she would have done had he asked her who she was sleeping with. Shaking his head, he waited until she got herself together.
It felt good. She hadn’t had a laugh like that in a long time. The sight of NFL legend Chase Bedford asking her who she was kissing was hilarious. After he didn’t call back, she did some research and discovered he was a big deal in the world of football. Which didn’t make a lick of difference if he couldn’t find two minutes to call her, but it was interesting nonetheless. She discovered he’d had a colorful life while playing ball, and she imagined a woman never held his interest for long or had ever refused one of his advances. At least that was the picture painted of him. She wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and searched for her bottle of water. Once she took a sip, she glanced over and noticed he wasn’t amused. Well, too bad for him. It was about time he developed a sense of humor. “Thanks for the hanky. I’ll send you a new one when I get home.”
The flight attendant came to check on them, and she ordered bourbon. Sitting next to Mr. Charming for the next several hours was going to require a little alcohol. She heard Chase order a beer and smiled to herself. Maybe he wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted when he wanted it. Who knew, and quite frankly, who cared? She slipped her headphones on, wrapped her pashmina over her shoulders, and pulled out one of her magazines.
Chase sat in his seat and watched Ronnie get herself comfortable. When she put her headphones on, he knew she wasn’t going to answer his question. If she was so willing to kiss anyone who came her way, then she should just kiss him. The minute the thought entered his head, he realized she might not want to because he had ignored her after their date. Why should he care about Ronnie anyway? She wasn’t that special. Hell, there were a dozen women who would probably love to go on a date with him. Who needed a woman with such a difficult personality? Not him. No, sir. Ronnie was smarter than him, probably richer, and had sarcasm in spades. She would be a lot of work, and he wasn’t interested. He needed a woman who was gentle, kind, and easy to please. Right…who was he kidding? He’d had that, and he had been bored out of his mind.
The flight attendant handed him their drinks as well as a small dish with warm nuts. He set his drink down and then tapped Ronnie on her shoulder. She glanced over and gave him a sweet smile, and his gut twisted. Their fingers brushed when he placed the drink in her hand and electricity ran up his arm. She rolled toward the window and started reading her magazine again, apparently completely unaffected by him. Damn, woman.
Ronnie was about to pull out her second magazine when she heard the announcement for takeoff. The flight attendant came by and collected their glasses, and she noticed Chase wasn’t looking any happier. “I should warn you that I have a habit of falling asleep on strangers when I’m on a plane. So if I start leaning your way, just push me back over.”
“Why don’t you just lean against me now that way we can avoid the pushing you over later on. I’m exhausted, so I’ll probably fall asleep pretty quickly.”
“No, thanks.”
“Why not, Ronnie? It’s not like I’m a stranger.”
She watched him lift up the armrest and give her a challenging stare. Interesting. Chase Bedford was testing her in some way, and she didn’t know what he was hoping to accomplish. But it was something. “I think it would be inappropriate, bas
ed on our current relationship.”
“You’re kissing any man who comes your way, so I’m not sure why you’re suddenly concerned with what’s appropriate and what’s not. You said yourself that you’re free and easy and enjoying the bounty of men out there.” A dark thunderous expression crossed her face, and something about that was satisfying. He knew he was poking the bear and didn’t care.
“That is rude and completely untrue.” Pushing the armrest back down, she gave him one last glare before turning to the window. “I can’t believe you said that.” She felt his big hand on her shoulder, and she twisted around to see what he needed.
“I’m sorry, Ronnie. I hate the idea of any man’s lips on you.”
“Chase, if that were true, then you never would’ve left me alone for a month. I think you just want what you can’t have. What you’re feeling right now has little to do with me and everything to do with desiring what’s not immediately available to you.” She patted his hand and gave him a small grin. “Don’t worry. It will pass quickly. Someone will come along any minute, and you will hardly remember my name by next week.” She pulled her pashmina over her shoulders and closed her eyes.
Chase knew that wasn’t true. It was probably time for a little self-reflection to see if he could figure out who and what he needed in his life. He was too old not to have a pretty clear idea of where he wanted to be. He lifted the armrest again. They might as well be comfortable for the long flight, and if she was going to lean in his direction, then he was going to be ready.