by Lea Hart
“Awfully nice of you,” he smirked. Watching her eat toast, he wondered how she was really doing. If her looks were any indication, then she was pretty bad off. “How are you feeling today? I heard you and Ella went to Walmart and you almost lost your shit.”
“I did not almost lose it at Walmart. We bought some nail polish and other junk, and then we went to a bar and got drunk.”
“The other story I heard was much better.”
“The day is young, so don’t count me out yet. I’m right on the edge, and it’s hard to predict when the next storm is coming.”
“You have my number in your phone, right?”
“No.”
“You should put it in there, in case Chase is busy and you need a ride home or if you want me to come get you out of jail.”
Patting his hand, she took another sip of coffee. “Good to know. You can never have enough people in your life who will put up bail.”
“That’s true.”
Chase walked in and observed the cozy scene between his girlfriend and Scott. “You better not try and kiss her again.” Walking over to get more coffee, he muttered to himself about who he could trust and who he couldn’t.
Scott laughed. “Have you seen her yet this morning? She’s too scary to kiss.” He watched Ronnie shrug and give Chase a smile.
“I wake up to her every morning, so yes I saw her. She looks as beautiful as she always does.” He kissed her head and sat next to her. Grabbing her hand, he stared into her bloodshot eyes and smiled. “How are you feeling, honey?”
“Like I drank too much and have recently been hit by a car and had my dream of children ripped out of my arms.”
“That good?”
“Yep, that good.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and drank her coffee. If she took one thing away from her conversation with Ella yesterday, it was to quit hiding from what was going on. She felt like crap. She probably would for quite some time, so it was probably best to just accept it. Otherwise, she could be the one in Walmart with flying arms and a small blaze that she was responsible for. “Can you take me to the Dollar Store later on?”
“Sure. Are we searching for anything specific?”
“No. I just like to go and see what they have. I find it therapeutic to walk the aisles and check out the merchandise.”
“All right. Let’s plan to go after lunch.”
“Perfect. I’ll take a shower and then work for a bit. I have to make my money-grubbing clients richer, so they can buy stuff they don’t need.”
“Said the woman who is going to troll the aisles of the Dollar Store for plastic crap from China,” Scott responded.
Rising, she patted his arm before walking away. “I’ve got more money than God, so a couple of trips to the Dollar Store are not going to break me.”
“Honey, before I forget to tell you, Jack called. Ana heard about the shenanigans yesterday, and she felt left out. He said something about her wanting to do more than drive the get-away car. Give her a call when you have a chance.”
“I will. She had her big presentation yesterday. That’s why we didn’t invite her. I will make sure that she’s included for the next one.”
Chase watched her walk out and stared at Scott. “Why do you always look confused when you are around us?”
“Because you live in crazy town and think it’s normal. Why does Ronnie have more money than God?”
“Because she’s smart and has tripled the size of her inheritance. You are damn lucky that she took you on as a client. Hell, your grandchildren are going to be thanking her.”
“Let’s go work out, so you can be back in time to take your girlfriend to the Dollar Store.” He snickered to himself. “I bet you never thought you’d end up here after winning three Super Bowls.”
“You’re right. I never thought I would be lucky enough to meet a woman like Ronnie and get her to fall for me. I know at your age this probably seems pretty dull. But from where I stand, this is fucking paradise.”
Staring at a man who had long been his idol, he wondered if he’d lost his mind. Or maybe he had found it, and it was him that had it all wrong. “Congratulations, man. It’s not often in your life that you can say those words. I don’t get it now, but I’m sure someday I will.”
“Only if you’re lucky. Let’s head out to the stadium, because it seems like I have a date at the Dollar Store this afternoon.”
“Are you still taking Ronnie up to Jacksonville tomorrow?” Scott asked, as they made their way out of the house.
“That’s the plan. We’re going up for a few days and then flying to New Orleans to have Easter with Ronnie’s family.”
“Well, good luck with that. Are they all as crazy as her?”
“I like every single one of them,” Chase answered.
“Like I said, good luck.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Walking into Chase’s house, Ronnie wasn’t sure what to expect. He lived in the quiet Brierwood neighborhood that ran along a river with homes that had been around since the sixties. The homes were eclectic and beautifully renovated, and it seemed as though it had been an executive neighborhood at one time. It was an excellent sign that he didn’t live in one of those McMansions that faced a golf course. His home was a classic ranch that favored the Frank Lloyd Wright school of design. It was perfectly restored, and she knew modernized because she remembered what it was worth when she had looked at his portfolio.
“Welcome home, honey. Once you see the house, you can tell me if we should keep it or if we should just sell it. I can’t imagine having much cause to come up here, but maybe with your golfing clients, you’ll need to have something close to Sawgrass.” He unlocked the door, and they were greeted with cool air. “Janet got the house ready for us and left us something for dinner, so all we have do is unpack and relax.”
“Your home is lovely, Chase. What a nice surprise to see that you have good taste.” Walking into the open living room she started to notice all the details that made it so beautiful. “You really honored the integrity of the home when you updated it. Bravo.”
“I’m glad you like it. All I really changed when I moved was paint colors. The previous owners had it completely restored.”
Running her hand along the back of the low slung couch, she admired the Eames chairs that faced the patio. “Are these the real thing?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t they be?” Laughing, he walked up and took her hand. “Did you wonder if I had a black leather sofa and glass tables?”
“I might have, but I can see that you have lovely taste, and it’s just one more thing to like about you.”
“I don’t want to mislead you because I had a black leather sofa in my first condo after I went pro. I thought I was the bomb with my loft in San Francisco and my cool sound system. Looking back, I should probably be embarrassed about how cool I thought I was.”
Laughing, she tried to imagine Chase right out of college and playing pro ball. “I need to see some pictures of you back then.”
“We’ll see.” Taking her hand, he led her toward the patio doors. Let me show you the pool and the river out back. “I have a dock, but I haven’t had time to get a boat yet. I guess it worked out because I know how you feel about the purchase of depreciating assets.”
She elbowed him and laughed. “Sweet talker.”
“We may want to have a place up here, because we’re only two hours from Disney World, and when the kids get big enough, I’m sure that we’ll be going there regularly.” He felt her stiffen against him.
“Chase, you don’t know that we’re going to have a family.”
“Oh, yes I do. There are lots of kids in the world who need a home, and we are making a great one. Plus, we are going to be amazing parents, so we are going to have a family one way or another. It doesn’t much matter to me how they come to us.” Bending over, he stared into her face and watched the tears start to fall down her face. “It’s okay, honey. Just because it doesn’t mat
ch the picture in our head doesn’t mean that it’s not a good picture. Hell, we don’t know; it could be a better one. Lord knows the children we would make. They could be stubborn, loud, and opinionated, and we still don’t know if we can make babies or not. So those are probably still coming our way at some point.”
“You talk about it like we’re shopping for a car or something.”
“No, I’m not. But I’m not picky about how we make a family. I just want to make one with you.”
Turning, she folded herself into him. “Chase Bedford, you are a good man. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed his chest. “I love you.” Rubbing her nose against his shirt, she let out a sigh and thought about babies.
Pulling away, he looked into her face and beamed. “I need you to repeat what you just said.”
“I love you, Chase.”
“Okay, it wasn’t my wishful thinking. It actually happened. Veronica DuMond Bedford loves me.”
“I think you took a big leap there, sir. Because I don’t remember agreeing to take your name or you asking me to be your wife.”
“All in good time, honey.” Wrapping her a little tighter, he kissed her head. “We are going to be good together, Ronnie. Our home is not going to be a quiet one, but it will be filled with love. I promise you. You can’t ask for more than that.”
Staring up at the man who she trusted with her life, she beamed. “I agree, Chase.”
Opening the slider, she took a step out to the patio. “I love how close you are to the water. What is that out there?”
“That’s the St. John’s River. It’s the longest one in Florida. I’ve never spent any time on it, but people say it’s beautiful. You can go fishing, and swimming in some parts. There is marsh land farther down with some nice big gators. We should go on a tour sometime and see what it’s all about.”
Leaning down to stick her hand in the pool, she felt the warm water against her skin. “That might be fun. I’ve never taken the time to explore the state since I moved here. I set up my business and went straight to work. Now I have someone to do fun touristy things with, and I’m ready.”
Taking her hand, he led her toward the water. “I came up here, bought the house, went to work, and haven’t done much else. Other than finding the woman who I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. But I haven’t made it to many tourist spots.”
“One step at a time; there’s no need to rush into anything.” They walked out to the dock and looked out over the water. “I had no idea it was so vast. When you said river, I pictured something small. Having a boat would be fun. What kind would you get?”
Sitting down, he watched her walk to the end of the dock. “I don’t know. I haven’t had much time to think about it. I don’t know much about them, so it would take me sometime to decide.”
Walking back, she sat next to him and leaned against his shoulder. “Are you sure, Chase?”
“About the boat?”
“No. About me…about us. I’m very likely not going to be able to have children, and I can’t have you look at me a couple of years from now and resent the place we’re in.”
“I know that I want to build a life with you, and whatever comes our way will be a blessing.”
“But I have a lot of stuff to work through. I may be on the edge of a breakdown, and I have a feeling that it won’t be pretty. I may not always be that girl that you spoke with on the phone all those months ago. I may end up losing my mind in Walmart like Aunt Cecilia. You may want to get out while you can.”
“I have no interest in getting out. I love you, and you don’t have to be perfect for me to feel that way. I’m here, honey, and I will never leave. Even if you set an accidental-on purpose fire in Walmart. You can count on me because I will never abandon you, and I will always fight for us. You have a strong mind and a fragile heart, and you have to trust that I will always protect you.”
“That is the finest thing one person has ever said to another. And I can’t believe how lucky I am that I had the good sense to go after you.”
Throwing his head back, he let out a bark of laughter. “You never went after me. I came after you, and I never stopped. You didn’t have a prayer of escaping me.”
“That’s true. I amend my earlier statement and will say that I’m lucky you chose me.”
Kissing the top of her head, he smiled to himself. “I did choose you, and you don’t have to always be shiny and bright for me. In fact, that might get annoying.” Wrapping his arm around her, he went on. “I like you more when I know you’re human, because that means that I can be, too.”
“Well, you did carry me out of a bar when I was drunk and crying. I guess it doesn’t get more human than that.”
“Do you remember when Scott was giving you a hard time the next morning and said you looked scary?”
“Yes, he screamed when he saw me. I can tell you that is not something I enjoyed with a hangover. Especially in my own kitchen.”
“Well, he asked me if I saw you, and at the time I thought that was a weird question, but later on, I realized that you always look the same to me. Beautiful and hungover with crazy hair appears the same to me as when you’re dressed up and ready to go out to dinner. I see beyond it all, and I see you, and it always seems the same to me. Perfect.”
“Now I know that you’re just as crazy as me.” Placing her hand on his face, she pulled him down and kissed him. It was a perfect moment on a lovely evening in the arms of a man who was going to change her life. “I feel much better, and I believe I’m physically healed. So maybe we could practice that baby-making later on, even though we don’t have a chance in hell of making one.”
“I believe it’s important to stay in peak physical condition because you never know when you’re going to be called in for the big play. Practice is vital, so we should keep on top of our training and not be results oriented. We will continue on and make sure that when and if we get the go signal that we’re ready.”
“I know why they paid you so well. That was an inspiring speech and one I will take to heart.”
“I’m glad it worked. Do I have to feed you before we start practicing?” Chase asked.
“I think that might be a good idea. You don’t want me to under-perform because I lack the proper nutrition.”
“That’s true.” Standing up, he held out his hand to help her up. “Let’s take a swim, and then we can eat on the patio.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“I haven’t even shown you the house yet.”
“As long as you have a bed, I think it’s going to be fine.”
“I do. King size…lots of room.”
“Perfect.”
********
Watching the sun set over the river, Ronnie let out a contented sigh. “Sometimes when your life falls apart, it comes back together in a way that’s far better.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“What made you fall in love with me?”
Placing her hand over his, she smiled into the fading sun. “When you took me to the Dollar Store and didn’t complain. You walked around with me for over an hour and let me look at all the stuff and you didn’t make fun of me when I bought all the crap for the kitchen. I figure, if you can do that, then there’s nothing you won’t do for me. Forget the fact that you’re handsome, accomplished, kind, a master in bed, and rich. It was the Dollar Store that got to me.”
“I sure like your description of me; makes me seem like a catch.”
“You are a catch, and I caught you, so now you’re mine.” Leaning over, she gave him a gentle kiss. “To think…I wanted to shoot you a few weeks ago.”
“I’m damn glad that I got that turned around. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and I plan on seeing the love side a lot more than the hate side. And I’m also going to make sure that you never find your gun. Because I may give you some cause over the years to want to use it.”
“I doubt it.” Looking
out at the water, a frown fell across her face. “I hope I can pull myself out of my pity party before you get sick of me. I know I have a hundred blessings in my life, so I shouldn’t allow myself to wallow. But I have to tell you, there are moments that feel awfully black to me. I wanted to have some babies of my own, and I always thought it would be easy.”
“I think you should just feel what you feel and not judge yourself. I’ve seen you get better every day. As long as you don’t try to pretend that it’s all okay, then I think you will be fine. Recovery doesn’t happen in an instant, so try and be patient.”
“All right.” Watching a boat skitter across the top of the lake, she thought about how much fun it would be to do that with Chase. There were a lot of things that were fun to do with him, and as he stood up next to her with his hand out, she hoped that they were going to do her favorite thing with him. She finally understood why Ana and Ella were always so cheerful. “I’ve eaten and I’m mostly healed, so I hope you’re ready for me, Chase.”
“Me, too, honey. Remember, I’m an old man, and I need you to be gentle with me.”
“Okay, gentle it is.” Placing her hand in his, she followed him into the house. The faded orange sky was a perfect backdrop for what was about to happen.
*********
Walking into the bedroom, she noticed that the room was filled with the last of the light from the sky. “Is anyone going to be able to see us if they pass by on the river?”
“No, honey. This glass allows you to see out, but no one can see in. So we enjoy the view, but no one will see what I’m about to do to you.”
Stepping away from him, she smiled. “And what is it you’re going to do to me?” Watching his heated gaze filled her up with confidence. “It looks like you may have some good ideas.”
Stepping toward her, he moved his eyes leisurely over her body. “Oh, I have a bunch of ideas.” Kissing her, he reveled in her hot silky mouth as his hands found some of his favorite places on her skin. Taking his time, he pressed his lips to her temple, her ears, her jaw, and neck before exploring the rest of her body. Hearing her murmur her appreciation as her hands moved over his skin sent him into overdrive. He lifted her easily as laughter escaped her mouth. “I promise we can go slow. I need to make sure that it’s not too much.” He leaned over and threw the comforter off and peeled back the sheets before gently setting her down. Lying down next to her, he ran his hand up and down her body. “It’s all up to you, so I’ll lie back and do what you tell me.”