by Lea Hart
“Thank you, Mrs. DuMond. I would love to come to the party.”
“Good luck. I think you’re going to need it.”
Nodding his head, he followed Ronnie’s mama out of the kitchen and knew he was going to need all the luck he could get.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Monday
After stopping at the house, Chase made his way down the long dirt road that led to the horse barn. Tally, who was in charge of the place, relieved him of the food he brought and his bag and pointed him in the direction that would hopefully take him to Ronnie. After walking for about a mile, he realized he should’ve changed out of his street clothes and into his usual uniform of T-shirt, shorts, and running shoes. Tally had failed to mention how far away the barns were, so he hadn’t taken the time to change. His only thought lay in seeing Ronnie as soon as he could to straighten out their misunderstanding. Looking around, he appreciated the beauty of the land and animals. He would be happy to buy a place like this for Ronnie. He remembered her telling him she wanted a farm of her own.
He was in Folsom, which was just under two hours away from New Orleans. The farm was around one hundred and eighty acres and had four stocked ponds, horse barns, wild turkeys, coyotes, and foxes. It was beautiful with the big trees and huge expanse of land. He could see how this would be a magical place for a kid to spend time at. No wonder Ronnie loved it. Looking away from the one of the ponds, he spotted Ronnie walking his way. She wore old jeans, a T-shirt, and boots, with her hair falling out of a pony tail. She was the best thing he’d ever seen. Deciding to go on the offensive, he called out to her. “Since you wouldn’t answer my calls, I had to come find you, Ronnie. Don’t think that you can get away from me.” He watched her stop in the middle of the road and stare at him in disbelief. “Honey, I came to get you, since you won’t answer my calls.”
Standing there mute, she tried to make sense of what lay before her eyes. How in the world had Chase Bedford come to the horse farm? Shaking her head, she stared and tried to make sure that he wasn’t a mirage. “You could try calling next time. You could’ve saved yourself a trip.”
Closing the distance between them, he came up and stood silently in front of her. Drinking her in, he let his hand run down her arm and capture her hand. “I called you about two hundred times, and my calls never went through. So I decided to come down and see how your visit was going in person. I don’t want to be accused of not being interested. I’m true to my word, Ronnie.” He felt her hand tremble slightly in his, and he held it tighter in response. “I’m serious about you, and I’m not giving you a chance to get away from me just because we seem to have a technical glitch.”
Raising her eyes from her boots, she glanced up at him with tears in her eyes. “My goodness, Chase. I don’t know what to say.” Lifting her free hand, she traced his cheeks with her fingers. “I missed your face…that I know for sure.” Rising up on her tip-toes, she pressed her mouth to his and felt his big arm encircle her in a fierce hug. “What a nice surprise.”
“I never want to be the cause of your tears, and I’m sorry that our phones didn’t work.” Lifting her up so that they were face to face, he captured her lips and showed her how much he missed her. Her legs came up around his waist, and he moved his hands to her behind and held on while they kissed one another for real.
Tearing her mouth away, Ronnie took a breath. “Welcome to the horse farm. I’m sure glad you’re here.” She let her legs go from around his waist, and he gently let her slide down his body. Smiling, she felt his happiness at their reunion. “Mama must have decided that you were okay to give you directions out here. How did you manage that?”
Running his hand down her face, he kissed her cheek. “We had an honest conversation, and I told her how I felt. She believed me, but it was really Essie’s approval that was the deciding factor. She sent me with some food and told me to pick up a chocolate cake. I left everything with Tally up at the house.”
“Well, if Essie gave her approval, then that pretty much seals your fate. She has the sight, you know.”
“What is the sight?”
“Essie comes from a long line of traiteurs, which are faith healers. The tradition comes from the Cajun culture, and it’s a mixture of Catholic prayer and medicinal remedies.” Taking his hand, she led him over to the shade tree that stood next to one of the ponds. “Some traiteurs have the sight, and Essie happens to be one of them. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but she knows things about people, future events, and when to steer clear of something.” Sitting down next to the water, Ronnie beamed at the man who had come to get her. Essie had told her that he would, but she didn’t really believe her. Now she was going to get the big I told you so that she always enjoyed. Chase sat next to her and pulled her into his lap. “I’ve gotten your nice clothes all dirty. I’ve got horse all over me. I helped wash three this morning after I rode.” Sweeping her hand over his chest, she asked, “Why’d you come all the way out here?”
Tipping her head up, he pressed a kiss on her mouth before answering. “Because you wouldn’t answer your damn phone. I came to get you, woman, and I don’t want you to give me any sass about it.”
“My goodness, you sound like you could be from the south. Are you trying to charm me?”
“No…yes. Hell, I’m not sure. All I know is that I don’t want you to get away from me.” Running his hand up her arm, he continued, “You are all sass and sway, and you use it to keep people at arm’s length, that and those ten dollar words that you like to use. But I’m not going to be held at arm’s length, Ronnie. I’m working my way into your mind and heart, so I will not have you use something like telephones not working as an excuse. I’m here, and I’m staying.”
Swinging her leg around, she faced the man that she was starting to fall for and hugged him with everything she had. “Oh, Chase…that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“I doubt that, but maybe it’s true because I’m the right man for you.”
“Maybe so.” Releasing her arms, she grinned at him. “Would you like to go up to the treehouse and make out?” Twisting, she pointed up to the tree that they were sitting next to. “I’ve never had a boy up there, and I was wondering if you might be interested.”
Tipping his head back, he studied a large structure that sat in the arms of the tree. “That looks like a tree mansion. How many kids can fit in there?”
“Well, there are five of us DuMond kids, and there are about thirty cousins. We’ve never all tried to get in there at once, but fifteen kids can fit in there comfortably. Now my nieces and nephews are enjoying it. My brothers just gave it a fresh coat of paint inside and out.”
Standing up with Ronnie in his arms, he walked toward the ladder that rested against the tree. “Let’s go take a look. Since I came all the way out here, do you think I have a chance of making it to second base?”
“I don’t know. It depends how well you do getting to first.” Laughing, she scrabbled up the tree and watched Chase follow her.
********
“We are going to have to thank the person that left these blankets up here,” Ronnie said. She lay on top of Chase—naked, sweaty, and completely satisfied. A small breeze moved through the windows, and she felt goosebumps rise on her skin. “I wonder if this is what my siblings did when they had someone up here.”
Running his hand along her back, Chase waited for his breathing to even out. He’d just experienced one of the most intense orgasms of his life. He’d been connected to Ronnie, body and soul, and all of the things that had been buzzing around in his head had finally found a place to land. This woman had his heart, and he would do anything in the world for her. He felt her rest her head against his chest, so he kissed her and wondered if he should ask her father’s permission while he was here. “I’m happy to know that I was the man that you brought up here.”
“Me, too.” Rolling off, she sat up and searched for her clothes. “You are exceptional at all of the b
ases, sir.” She leaned over and grabbed her panties and wiggled them on. “Now I need a shower and some food.” She felt him against her back as he dropped a kiss on her neck. Twisting, she kissed his cheek. “You scare me, Chase, but I’m going to try and get over that, because I think you might be the real thing.”
“Honey, you scare the shit out of me. That’s how I know you’re the one for me. I’ve told you that before, and it’s still true.” Turning her in his arms, he wrapped her up and laid his head against hers. “This is where we start, Ronnie. With fear, doubt, and shaking hands. We’re starting now and stopping only when we get on the other side of whatever is going to stop us. We’re going to start where we are with what we have and create a life together.”
“All right, Chase. We start here.” Kissing his arm, she closed her eyes and uncaged her heart. Might as well see how brave she could be. “I think I’m going to need some of that chocolate cake.”
Kissing her head, he released her and stood up. “Let’s go get some then.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Saturday
“I hope you’re ready, Chase.”
Tracing her fingers, he looked up. “Ready for what, sweetheart?”
Putting her phone down, she gave him a brave smile. “My two brothers and their families are on their way here. I have a feeling that Daddy sent them as the advance guard. They’re coming here to check you out and see if you are worthy of their baby sister’s attention.” She got up from the table and cleared their breakfast plates. As she rinsed the dishes, she felt his arm snake around and turn off the water. Leaning into him, she sighed.
“What are you worried about?” he asked.
“I don’t want those two boneheads to scare you off. I know they’re going to be obnoxious, just like they always are. It doesn’t matter that they are both over thirty with a successful business, families, and children. They still act the same way they always have: loud and rude.”
“Honey, loud and rude are my specialties. Who do you think I’ve been hanging out with for the last fifteen years? I’ve played professional sports since I was twenty-one. Where do you think loud and rude came from?”
“That’s true. You all are probably going to get along like a house on fire.” Laughing, she turned the water back on. “You give them everything you have, sweetie.”
Chase stepped around her and stood in front of the dishwasher. “Hand me the plates, and we can get this done quickly.”
“They’re not going to be here for a while. We don’t have to rush.”
“I want to have enough time to go back to the treehouse before they get here.”
Shoving an elbow into him, she shook her head. “Your luck already happened this morning. I have to put a couple of the horses on the hot-walker before the kids get here. I know some of them are going to want to ride.”
“What is a hot-walker…again?”
“I’ll show you when we go out there. If you don’t have time to lunge a horse or take them out, you can put them on, and they get a little workout. You can’t put a kid on a horse if you haven’t exercised the horse a little. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
“Did the horse I rode this week get put on the hot-walker?”
Drying her hands, she smiled into his eyes. “Of course, I didn’t want to take the chance of you getting thrown off.”
“Thanks for the lessons this week. I enjoyed riding around the farm with you.”
“Me, too. I’ve never done that with anybody. I’m glad that we got to ride together.” She led him out of the house toward the road that would take them to the barn.
Holding her hand, Chase enjoyed the feel of her beside him. “We still didn’t figure out why my calls didn’t go through?” Looking down, he noticed Ronnie grimace. “Or maybe you did.”
“Now, I don’t want you to get mad. It was a mistake that anyone could make.”
“What happened, honey?”
“I blocked your number after I got mad at you back in November. It seems that I never unblocked it, and that’s why your calls wouldn’t go through.” Patting his arm, she kept her eyes down on her boots. She felt him stop and looked up. Feeling relieved, she saw a smile on his face.
“You’ve unblocked my number…right?”
“Absolutely. Completely unblocked.”
He resumed walking and held tight to her hand. “Let’s try and keep it that way. Okay?”
“Absolutely.” Hearing his laughter helped her relax. He was a good man, and she needed to start trusting that would always be true.
********
Chase stood in the pool with Vance and Vaughn and threw kids up in the air so they could splash their moms on the other side of the patio. It had been going on for about fifteen minutes, and he wondered how long they were going to get away with it. He had a feeling that one of the women was going to put a stop to it soon. So far, the brothers had been welcoming. It turned out that they were both huge football fans, so they were friendly with him. He knew he wasn’t off the hook, but it was a relief that they were going to hold off the heavy artillery for a while.
Vance watched the man who was interested in his sister throw his youngest kid high in the air. The screams that came out of the kid were enough to scare the fish out of the pond. “So how serious are you about Ronnie?” His six-year-old daughter swam up to him, and he picked her up in his arms. “Ally, what do you think about this man who likes your Aunt Ronnie?”
Ally studied the man, and like any six-year-old, she pronounced her opinion loudly. “He’s all right, but he talks funny. Mama says he’s from the North, and I shouldn’t make fun of him. He threw me real high, so I guess he’s okay.” Wiggling out of her daddy’s arms, she swam away.
Laughing, Chase responded, “To answer your question…I’m dead serious about your sister. I’ve just accepted a job in South Florida, and I have my agent putting an offer down on a house for me. I figure being up in Jacksonville is not going to work for what I have in mind.”
“I’ve read about you, and you had a wild reputation during your playing days. How do I know that you are going to be satisfied with one woman?”
“A lot of what you read isn’t true. But I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I did not enjoy my youth, because I did. But I grew up, and I have no interest in that lifestyle. Your sister is more than enough for me, and I will be lucky to win her respect and trust.” Looking over at the women sitting around the table, he beamed at Ronnie. She had the youngest girl in her lap, and she rocked her as she fell asleep. Nodding his head in the direction of the women, he said, “That’s what I want.”
Vance studied him and put his hand out. “Good luck, man. You’re going to need it, because the women in this family are hell on wheels. All that strategy you used during your career to win those Super Bowls, you’re going to need that and more to keep up with my sister.” Vance watched his wife stand up and wave to him. “But it will be worth it.” He made his way over to the edge and met his wife by the side of the pool. Giving her a quick kiss, he dragged himself out of the pool. “Who’s hungry?” All the kids shouted yes. “I’m starting the bar-b-que. So you all have another fifteen minutes before the hot dogs are ready.”
Ronnie sat with Izzy and Annie and caught up on the local gossip. Sweet Arabelle was asleep in her lap, and she kissed her damp head and inhaled her sweet baby smell. It didn’t matter that she was three. She still smelled delicious. “So what do you all think of the football player that followed me home?”
Izzy admired the man standing in the pool throwing her children up in the air. “If you don’t want him, then you can give him to me.” She laughed and took a sip of her drink. “I’m just kidding, but Lord have mercy…he’s an attractive man.”
Annie patted Izzy’s leg and then tapped her glass against her sister-in-law’s. “I agree. I’m happily married and still in love with my husband, but that doesn’t mean that I’m blind. Throwing that football for so many years certainly hasn’t hurt him
. Look at his arms.”
Tossing them both a disapproving smile, she let out a small giggle. “You all are naughty.”
Izzy and Annie looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders. “So?” Izzy replied.
They were interrupted as the kids started climbing out of the pool. Annie picked up her youngest from Ronnie’s arm and took her in the house. She needed to nap a little longer if they were going to survive the car ride home that evening. “After I put her down, I’ll bring out the food.”
Ronnie began handing out towels to her nieces and nephews. “You all get dried off and go sit at the picnic table. I’ll bring you some drinks.”
Beau, the oldest of the kids, walked over. “I’ll help you, Aunt Ronnie.”
Putting her hand on his head, she stared down at him. “You are still my favorite.”
“I know. It’s because I was your first nephew.”
“True.” They walked into the house hand in hand.
Vaughn, Ronnie’s younger brother, leaned over to Chase. “Ronnie gets Beau whatever autographs he wants, and she’s taken him to games over the last year. He thinks his aunt is the coolest person in the universe. If you two get married, then all of his dreams will pretty much come true. He’s a huge fan of football and just started playing this year.”
“What position does he play?”
Vaughn grinned as he looked out over the group of kids. “Quarterback. We went to one of his games, and he played well.”
“Maybe we can toss around the ball after lunch.”
“That would make his day and give him bragging rights for years to come.” Standing, he walked over to bar-b-que and helped out his brother.
Chase wandered into the house to see if Ronnie needed help. Stopping at the kitchen door, he heard Beau and Ronnie talking. Not wanting to interrupt, he waited quietly.
“Are you going to marry him, Aunt Ronnie?”