by Lisa DeVore
“Why don’t I believe you?” her eyes narrowed.
“I brought up asking Andrea and Jena went nuts.”
“Do I need to write you a script? You stick your foot in your mouth more than food.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a gift,” Chase muttered.
“You have the receipt?” she asked putting her hands on her hips.
“Funny.” Chase walked to the sink and washed out his cup when a thought popped in his head. “Why did you show him out the front door?” Did she know something she wasn’t telling them?
“I had a few things I wanted to say to him…privately.”
“Such as?”
“It wouldn’t be private, now would it, if I told you?”
Chase’s suspicions were interrupted when Andrea burst through the kitchen door.
“Missy, you just took ten years off my life,” Mrs. R. exhaled loudly with a hand to her chest. “What is it with you people?”
“Sorry. Hey, when are we leaving? Can you get me some chocolate when we go to the store?” Andrea asked hopefully.
Chase cast a questioning look in Mrs. R.’s direction.
“Figured I’m here already. You ready to go, Andrea?” she added quickly.
“Yep. Bye Uncle Chase.” Andrea ran around the table, giving Chase a peck on the cheek.
“Yeah, be good,” he replied while giving Mrs. R. a “What are you up to?” look.
Mrs. R. grabbed her purse and snipped at him. “Use your time wisely, young man.” The door shut behind them leaving Chase in the house with Jena…alone again.
****
Jena read the letter for a second time and quickly stuffed it in the envelope. Why would Jasmine do this to her?
The whoosh of the kitchen door startled her. She rolled her eyes when Chase entered. “What are you still doing here?”
“You could at least pretend you’re happy to see me.”
“I’m a lawyer, not an actress.”
“No, not an actress,” he agreed. “What in that envelope has you so upset?”
“Why would you think I’m upset?”
“Jen, it’s me you’re talking to. Let me help you.”
“You’re the problem,” she huffed as she dropped onto the couch.
“Okay…” he drawled sitting next to her. “What’s in the envelope?”
She hated the way he latched onto something and wouldn’t let it drop…she hated how her nerves danced across her skin whenever she was around him…and the way she noticed his bulging biceps when she was in the middle of a crisis. All he did was make her nervous and on edge. Jena wished she had the same ease around him she had so many years ago. There was nothing she couldn’t share with him. Her hand tightened around the envelope.
“Jen?”
He was going to find out anyway. She handed him the letter and watched as he read.
His forehead wrinkled while looking at her. “What’s this about?”
“Did you read it?”
“Yes,” his voice rose. “It’s a bunch of lawyer mumbo jumbo.”
“We have joint custody of Andrea,” she blurted.
“Yeah. So?”
He wasn’t getting it. Rubbing her hands up and down her face, she sighed. “I live in Ohio. The logistics will be a problem.”
“Move here. What’s one more lawyer in Clearwater?”
“My life is in Ohio.”
“So, you just assumed you would get full custody?”
She answered him with silence.
“She’s my niece too, and I’ve been a constant in her life.”
Ouch. He was playing the guilt card. “I’m Jasmine’s sister,” she paused, but got no reaction. “Andrea should be raised by a woman, not a traveling musician.”
He laughed before responding. “Yes…I’m in a band. Some people have even heard of us.”
Noting the sarcasm she replied with an equal dose, “I’m not going to allow my niece to be raised by a man I barely know traveling from bar to bar.”
“That’s what you think of me? Hmm.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, before replying in a sharp tone, “Well, I hate to break it to you, Beautiful, but I have every intention of raising my niece. You’re going to have to figure out how to deal with that.”
The air left her lungs. A slap in the face would have been gentler. He had called her “Beautiful”—the nickname he used on her years ago. The mention of that single word left her reeling. He didn’t even realize it.
“If you decide you want to work something out, give me a call.”
He stood and walked out. Just like that. Placing a hand to her stomach, she tried to control her emotions by taking calming breaths. This emotional roller coaster was too much. Jena’s eyes drifted upwards. Jasmine, what were you thinking?
She jumped at the sound of her cell phone ringing on the side table. Jena read the words “Blocked Call.” Frowning, she answered.
A voice hissed the words in a whisper, “I’m watching every move you make, Jena Shea.”
Chapter Seven
Jena threw the phone on the couch like it was on fire. How did the caller know her name? She sighed with relief. The Internet. It was probably some high school prank. She had bigger things to worry about. Like how to share custody with a man that lived across the country. A man who infuriated her.
What was she going to do? This had been Andrea’s home since she was a baby. No judge would needlessly uproot her when there were other options. Chase would get primary custody. Why hadn’t Jasmine told her about this change in the will? This was so out of character. They discussed everything.
Grabbing the letter from the end table she paced. She read it again. Ever since she arrived decisions were being made for her. She was a take-charge person. The time had come to take back control of her life. Chase would get under her skin only if she allowed it. She wouldn’t.
Jena reached for the rest of the day’s mail and sorted through the junk. She came to an envelope from a bank. Tearing it open, she saw the bright red word, FORECLOSURE, at the top. Her stomach lurched. After reading the letter she dropped to the couch and looked around the room. This couldn’t be possible. There had to have been some kind of mistake.
Her brother-in-law was a successful surgeon. They were respected members of the community. Jasmine was a volunteer and was responsible for the building of a children’s wing at the hospital. For God’s sake, they were wealthy!
The chaos by way of the kitchen signaled the return of Mrs. R. and Andrea from their shopping trip. She shakily tucked the two envelopes in the side table drawer and made her way to the kitchen.
“Hi, Aunt Jen! Mrs. R. bought me a chocolate bar.” Andrea’s toothless grin greeted her.
Forcing a smile she replied, “Looks like you got more on your face. Let me help you with those, Mrs. R.”
The phone ringing broke into Andrea’s chatter. “I’ll get it!”
Jena was making idle conversation when she heard Andrea say, “Hi, Uncle Chase! Are you coming for supper? I don’t know what she’s making…uh-huh…she’s here. Aunt Jen, it’s for you.”
The confidence she talked herself into evaporated. What could he want already? “Hello.”
“Hey, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn’t have handled the…situation…that way. I’m sorry.”
His words seemed sincere. “I’m guilty, too. Chase, really…I need to make some decisions with a clear head.”
“With a lawyer’s logical thinking?”
Disapproval was obvious in his delivery. “I’m not going to argue with you anymore.” She turned to find Andrea and Mrs. R. leaning into the conversation. Opening the door she stepped onto the patio and out of earshot. “Honestly, I have open wounds where you’re concerned, and I need time to heal. I need time to deal with you on a different level.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Why don’t you let me take you to dinner tonight?
We can talk this through. Maybe we can come up with some kind of compromise.”
“I don’t know…” Jena said hesitantly. Her instinct was to say no, but they did need to resolve the issue of custody. She needed to get the house for sale as quickly as possible. She didn’t want her sister’s house selling at a Sheriff’s auction.
“C’mon, Jen, live a little. It’ll be fine,” he coaxed.
“Okay, but two conditions.”
“And what would that be?”
The amusement in his voice wasn’t hard to miss. “One, no arguing. We sincerely try to come to a compromise.”
“That’s easy enough. The second?”
“It’s not a date.” Her stomach did flip-flops waiting for his reply.
“Right, okay…not a date. I can live with that. I will pick you up at 6 for our not-a-date.”
“Chase, I’m serious. It’s dinner between two old friends.”
“Right.”
“Okay,” she paused, “I’ll be ready at six. Bye.” She didn’t wait for him to respond before ending the call. Losing her nerve was a definite possibility.
Both faces whirled in her direction as she entered the kitchen and laid the phone down on the counter. “What did he want, Aunt Jen? Is he coming to dinner?”
Jena gazed at her niece, seeing her for the first time. She loved her uncle…adored him. The mention of his name brought joy to her face. How could she take her away from him for her own selfish reasons? Her heart sank with the realization.
“No, he’s not coming to dinner, sweetie.” Jena ignored the child’s sigh, afraid the next sentence would get stuck in her throat if she didn’t get it out. “Do you think you could stay with Andrea for a couple of hours tonight? Chase asked me to dinner,” she quickly added, “but it’s not a date.”
“I sure can! It’s about time that boy made a move. I was beginning to wonder about him.”
“Mrs. R., please.” Jena didn’t want her getting any bright ideas. This wasn’t a date. It was more of a business meeting. They would decide how to make this joint custody idea of her sister’s doable. She made an effort to push away the mental images crowding her mind. Her face flushed when one of them had Chase’s lips on hers.
Andrea stopped unpacking groceries and jumped down from the chair, startling Jena into reality. “I’ll help you pick something pretty to wear for your date.”
Jena protested. “Andrea, it’s not a date. Uncle Chase and I are going out to dinner to discuss…” Stopping mid-sentence she swallowed her words. Jena didn’t want Andrea to know any of her plans to go back to Ohio until she had everything figured out. “Anyway, it’s not a date.”
Mrs. R. and Andrea wore ear-to-ear grins.
“You two are a couple of busy bodies.” Jena didn’t know if she should laugh or be insulted.
“Come on, Aunt Jen, you have to get ready.”
“You go on up. I’ll be right there.” Jena waited until Andrea was out of the room before continuing, “Chase and I are going to discuss the move to Ohio.”
“I see.”
“You don’t approve.”
“My approval is not necessary. I’m only the housekeeper.”
“Jasmine considered you family. Andrea adores you. I couldn’t have got through this without you. No, you’re more than the housekeeper.”
“I won’t go to Ohio with you. I have family here, Jena.”
“I was hoping you would come. It would be easier on Andrea, but I understand.”
“Well, maybe that good-looking boy can talk you out of it,” Mrs. R. said turning back to the groceries.
“He won’t,” Jena said with confidence that was becoming less familiar. In fact, since she arrived, being a lawyer seemed as unreal to her as losing her sister. Back home she reacted on instinct. Her job demanded it. She was a leader. Here, she floundered, second guessed, and let emotion get the best of her. All these were reasons she needed to get back to her life. The life where she was in charge and no one could make her feel….needy.
“Will you sit down with me a minute, girly?”
Jena reluctantly seated herself in a chair across from her. It wasn’t difficult to see Mrs. R. didn’t approve of her plans. Equally easy to see she saw Jena as stubborn and unreasonable. She would let her have her say and then quietly retreat.
“I don’t usually interfere.”
Jena hid her smile with a cough, covering her mouth.
“Chase is a good, decent, hard-working man…and good-looking to boot. He hasn’t had much luck in finding a good woman to share his life. Women want him for the wrong reasons.”
The pang of jealousy hit her without warning. “I bet he feels so used.”
Ignoring her comment, Mrs. R. continued, “Fact is, he’s carried a torch for you, Jena. Don’t judge a book by its cover. There’s a lot more there than meets the eye. I would say hear him out. Give him a chance. He’s grown up a bit since you knew him last. Don’t be so stubborn from the hurt you let a good thing slip on by.”
“Mrs. R., I…”
“Maybe you need to take a break from all that over-analyzing you do. Let things happen. Well, anyway…” She thumped her hand on the table as she was standing. “Time to get back to work.”
“Mrs. R., I do appreciate what you’re saying. I do. But I have nothing left to give Chase. Any man. I’m no longer girlfriend material.”
“Hah! Girlfriend material? That young man wants to make you his wife. Stubborn pride gets you nowhere, girly, but alone. I know what I’m talking about.”
“Thanks,” Jena said quietly as she got up from the table.
“But, no thanks, right?” Mrs. R. grinned while pulling a bowl from the cupboard. “Stay out as long as you’d like, dear. I’m just going to stay in the guest room tonight.”
What could she say? I’m scared? Weakness was no longer part of her vocabulary. “I’ll be upstairs.”
“Find something to knock his socks off,” Mrs. R. emphasized with a punching motion.
Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Jena left the kitchen to face the other matchmaker.
****
Chase shook his head with what he knew must be a silly grin plastered on his face. He couldn’t believe she agreed to dinner. Now, where to take her? He absently walked to the wall of windows that overlooked the ocean and ran a hand through his hair.
He briefly considered dinner on the patio; candlelight, roses, the sounds of the surf crashing on the beach… “Too soon for that,” he said to the window.
He made his way to the kitchen’s built-in desk that held his computer. Sitting, he tapped his index finger to his forehead in deep thought. “Got it!” he said to the computer screen. Chase typed the name on the keyboard to find the phone number. Grabbing his cell, he made the call for reservations.
He would take her to the place they shared many candlelight dinners, dancing, and walks on the beach; the SeaEscape. He would leave her no choice but to remember the good times they shared. If he could get her to remember the love they shared maybe he could persuade her to stay in Florida, give them a chance. Convincing her wouldn’t be easy. Somewhere along the line she had become stubborn. He smiled at the thought. He had to admit he liked this new side of her. Jena had the fight in her she was missing all those years ago. He just needed her to see they could be good together…better than before. They could be a family with Andrea. She needed to fight for them, not against them. Tonight would be the first step in that direction. Satisfied with his choice he climbed the center staircase of his beachfront mansion.
Chapter Eight
Jena turned her head from side to side, scrutinizing her image in the floor length mirror. He hadn’t told her where they were going and she was uneasy with her dress choice. She didn’t want to come off the stuffy lawyer, but she didn’t want him to think this was anything more than a meeting either.
She held her palms out in front of her, examining the moisture. They were sweating. Clenching her hands into fists, stretchin
g and rubbing them together wasn’t helping. “Stop it, Jena. You’re like a teenager on a first date.”
Maybe I should change… She threw open the closet doors and peered in. Why hadn’t she brought more clothes? Because you didn’t think you’d be here longer than a few days. Now she was talking to herself? She exhaled so deeply she blew a piece of her hair into the air. She closed her eyes and took three cleansing breaths. Opening her eyes, she had to come to terms with the dress she had on—a simple black dress that fell to a V in the back exposing enough skin to nix the stuffy lawyer.
She pulled her long, blonde hair into her version of a twist and left some wavy tendrils hanging. A knock on the door pulled her from the mirror. “Come in.” She made an attempt to sound calm.
Andrea bounded through the door. “Oh, Aunt Jen, you look so pretty! Do you like what I picked?”
“I do. Thanks, honey. You don’t think it’s too dressy?” She was really asking an eight-year-old for fashion advice?
Andrea tilted her head to one side and regarded her for a moment. “You need jewelry.”
Her attention shifted to the mirror and her eyes narrowed. “Do you think?”
“I’ll be right back,” her niece announced.
Mrs. R. sidled in past Andrea as the girl went running from the room. “Wow! His eyes are going to fall out of his head.”
“It’s too much, isn’t it? I knew it.” Jena faced the mirror again with a pained expression. “I should change, because it’s not a real date, just dinner…and oh, I just don’t know what to wear.”
“First, stop your whining. Second, if you keep gazing into that lookin’ glass you’ll bore a hole through it. You look perfect.” With hands on her hips, she smiled approvingly.
Jena’s phone rang and she rushed across the room to answer it. Maybe it was Chase cancelling their dinner. She could only hope. “Hello.”
“Who are you getting all dressed up for?” the voice on the other end spat.
“Who is this?” Jena demanded, looking toward the open window. If it was a prank, they went too far.
Silence was her answer. She could hear breathing and then a click. Her hands shook.
“What was that about?” Mrs. R. questioned.