She could see the anger disappear from his face and he looked perplexed. “You’re the one who didn’t write back because your royal life got in the way.”
“That’s not true. I received one letter from you, and then nothing else.”
They stared at each other, not knowing what to believe.
Why did Chase look confused? He’d written one letter and that was it. And why did he insist her royal life had gotten in the way, when she’d written time and time again? Apparently neither of them trusted the other. That was because ten years and a whole lot of history had passed between them. Maybe they hadn’t known each other back then any more than they knew each other now.
“It doesn’t matter.” Lucie gathered up her purse.
Chase’s pride seemed to kick in and he crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive stance. “No, I guess it doesn’t. After our marriage is annulled, we won’t see each other again.”
After their marriage was annulled... She might be flying off before that even happened. There was no point to this conversation. No point to what had happened and what hadn’t happened. No point in standing in the same room with Chase and feeling a longing she didn’t want to feel.
The gray sky had turned even darker and the wind had picked up. The last thing she needed was to get caught in a storm. “I want to beat the rain getting back to my apartment. Take care, Chase.”
She’d call the minister later and see if any of the volunteers were coming back tomorrow. Although she thought she and Chase worked well together, she couldn’t be in his presence again tomorrow. She just couldn’t.
Chase let her leave without a word. What was there to say? Don’t go? It was silly of her to even think he could say it.
To her dismay, Lucie didn’t beat the rain. As soon as she pulled out of the church’s parking lot, sheets of it beat down, heavy and thick. She really wasn’t used to driving on the right side of the road, especially not with the weather front moving in.
Her conversation with Chase played in her head. Why had she said what she’d said to him? Maybe she just didn’t trust men, and that was why she hadn’t dated since her broken engagement. After all, hadn’t Terrence lied to her on more than one occasion? Hadn’t he told her he was having business meetings when he’d gone to his club? Hadn’t she seen a text from more than one woman on his phone? Hadn’t he admitted not enough sparks were there between the two of them, and he’d seemed to blame her because she wouldn’t show cleavage, because her skirts weren’t short enough, because she didn’t wear enough makeup?
He’d implied all that, and part of her had believed him. Look at the way the tabloids characterized her sometimes. She meant it when she’d said to Chase that they made her into a cartoon. They constantly held up a distorted mirror. Chase had read those tabloids. That was what he’d known about her in the past ten years. He was far ahead of her because she’d known nothing about him, certainly not enough to trust his intentions and his motives.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she wasn’t even sure why. Because she hadn’t believed Chase seemed to be the man that he portrayed himself to be?
The rain was almost blinding now. She tried to take her time to remember where she was and how to drive in this mess. Suddenly, with another cloudburst, she simply couldn’t see. The windshield wipers weren’t fast enough. Her tires dipped into an immense pothole puddle. The car slid. She wasn’t even sure which way.
All she knew was that she came to a banging halt with her shoulder slamming into the door frame. All she knew was that the car tilted sideways. All she knew was that she was in trouble, with no help in sight.
* * *
Chase was driving away from Austin toward his family’s ranch when he decided to turn around. The weather was miserable and so was he. His pride had gotten the best of him, and he’d become too defensive with Lucie. He shouldn’t have let her drive off into the storm like that.
Instead of having more regrets, there was something he was going to do about it. He was going to go after her.
Taking the first side road, he made a quick turn and headed back the way he’d come. The rain was pouring down with no regard for anything in its wake. That was nature. As he drove past the church, he saw that the lot was empty. No surprise there. Continuing toward Austin, he tried not to think. He was on a mission. He didn’t know what the result would be, but it had to be better than what he was feeling now. Was Lucie in the same state of tumult?
His windshield wipers swiped as fast as they could, but had trouble keeping up with the downpour. He almost missed the car along the side of the road. Almost.
Thank the Lord, he didn’t.
He recognized the shape and color of the vehicle that was barely visible through the rain. But a sixth sense had made him notice, and his gut clenched because he didn’t know what he’d find when he pulled off the road.
It wasn’t hard to tell that the car was firmly entrenched in a muddy ditch. He climbed out of his truck, ran up to Lucie’s car and banged on the window.
When she opened the door, she looked scared and pale. “Oh, my gosh, Chase, you gave me a fright. I didn’t know who you were at first.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, but the car won’t start and I can’t get it out of here.”
He was getting soaking wet, and she would be, too, until they got out of this. But there was no help for it.
“Come on,” he said.
But when she tried to get out of the car, she winced and grabbed her shoulder.
“You’re not fine. I’m taking you to the ER.”
“No. The media will be down on this if you do that. Really, I’m just bumped up and bruised a bit. I need a hot cup of tea and my car rescued.”
His arm around her now, he hustled her into his truck and helped her into the passenger seat. Then he ran around to his side and climbed in. “I’ll get the foreman at the ranch to pull your car from the ditch. Tomás knows how to keep his mouth shut. I’m going to take you back there.”
She bit her lower lip. “I can go back to my apartment.” There wasn’t a whole lot of force behind her voice.
“If you won’t go to the ER, I need a second opinion, and Mom will give it. It’s the Bar P or the emergency room. Your choice.”
“The Bar P,” she said with a sigh, giving him a look that told him she didn’t like any of this.
They drove to the ranch with only the sound of the rain rat-a-tatting on the truck roof. Using his hands-free device, Chase pressed the button on his mirror and called Tomás. After giving instructions, he ended the call.
“Aren’t you going to call your mom and warn her that I’m coming?” Lucie asked.
“I don’t want her to worry before she has to.”
“Spoken like a man,” Lucie murmured.
Chase cut her a glance but didn’t argue with her. He knew his mom. She was great in a crisis. But she worried up, down and sideways beforehand. They’d be there in five minutes.
“Is she still ill?” Lucie asked.
“She’s feeling better.” Though he suspected his mother hadn’t told him the truth about the matter. He wasn’t sure anything had been wrong with her. He didn’t know why she’d wanted him to be at the church instead of herself. Certainly she wouldn’t be trying to push him and Lucie together when she’d supported his father as he’d pulled them apart. Sometimes he didn’t understand his parents at all.
By the time they reached the house, the two of them were soaked to the skin. Chase didn’t ring the bell but walked right in.
“I could take you to my guesthouse, but I didn’t think that would be proper...just in case anybody does find out about this. We want to go through the right channels so there’s no reason for gossip.”
“Gossip? We’re married, Chase. There’d be gossip for
the next three months about that.”
“All right, so we’re going to keep it from happening. Mom, you here?”
His mother came strolling through the dining room. “Of course I’m here. Where else would I be? Oh, my goodness! You’ve got Lucie, and look at the two of you. What happened?”
Chase wrapped his arm around Lucie’s shoulders and took her over to the sofa. “Mom, can you get some towels, maybe a blanket? Her car hit a pothole filled with water, hydroplaned and went off the road. She’s a little bumped up.”
Lucie looked up at Chase’s mom. “I hit my shoulder on the door. It’s a little sore. With an ice pack, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Florence plopped her hands on her hips and studied Lucie carefully. “You, my girl, need some tender, loving care. Ice on that shoulder is going to make you cold. Coffee or tea?”
“Tea, please.” Now Lucie sounded like a small child. That was the effect his mother had on people.
“And the seat belt probably cut you across the ribs. Are you having trouble breathing?”
“It hurts a little when I breathe.”
“I wanted to take her to the ER, but she wouldn’t have it,” Chase explained.
“I can understand that. Come on, Lucie, why don’t you come with me? Instead of making the sofa all soppy, I’ll put you in the guest bedroom. You can get a warm shower, and I’ll give you some spare clothes I have up there. I’ll make tea and then we’ll see about that ice pack.”
“I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
Florence waved her hand in front of Lucie’s nose. “Nonsense. It isn’t trouble. After all, you are still one of the family.”
At that, Chase could see Lucie felt totally out of her depth.
“Go with Mom,” he said. “I know how to put the teakettle on. You should probably eat something, too, something with salt. You’re much too pale.”
“I’m rattled,” she responded vehemently. Yes, she was. First from their argument, and then from that slide off the road.
The two of them had forgotten for a moment that Mrs. Parker was listening.
“There will be time to fix whatever’s wrong,” Florence deduced wisely. “Come on, Lucie.”
Lucie slipped off her shoes. “I don’t want to leave marks on this beautiful floor.”
“Juanita takes care of that,” Florence said. “No need to worry. Chase, did you see to Lucie’s car?”
“I did. Tomás will bring it back here and we’ll see if there’s any damage. He’ll clean it up, too.”
As Lucie and his mother walked out of the room, Chase headed for the kitchen. He had to keep his hands busy. He’d wanted to put them all over Lucie to figure out if she was okay, of course, but for more reasons, too. Her pale skin with the slightest amount of freckles on her cheeks, that dimple at one corner of her lip begged to be touched. Her hair, even though wet, was silky and sexy. He’d wanted to sling her over his shoulder, toss her into the back of his truck and make love to her right there. How stupid was that? It wasn’t as if she was the type of woman who would do anything like that. It wasn’t as if he had any right. It wasn’t as if they had any reason other than lust for coming together.
No, he had to bury those caveman tendencies. They’d gotten him into trouble with her ten years ago, and he wouldn’t let it happen again. He was also grateful his father wasn’t home. Then he might have had to take her to the guesthouse and hide her!
A half hour later, his mother had brought Lucie back to the kitchen. They were almost the same size, except Lucie was taller. So the slacks she wore were a little short. But the peach-colored silky blouse hung on her just right. She didn’t have a blanket around her, but his mother had apparently offered her one of her cashmere sweaters. It matched the blouse.
“Herbal tea or regular?” Florence asked her.
“Herbal would be nice. Something with cinnamon?”
“Orange spice.”
Chase picked up a carafe that sat on an electric warmer. “Just the right temperature.”
“You know about that?” Lucie asked, surprised.
“I’ve been taught by a master. Mom’s an expert on tea making, brewing and choosing.”
He found an ice pack in the refrigerator and wrapped it with a kitchen towel. Then he gently placed it on Lucie’s shoulder while his mother poured tea.
“Just a bit of sugar,” Lucie said.
Florence wrinkled her nose. “I like it straight.”
Chase had made himself a pot of coffee. “And I like it black.” He cast his mother a glance before he broached the next subject.
She seemed to read his mind, because she looked over at Lucie and nodded.
“I think you should stay here tonight,” he said. “If those muscles around the ribs swell and you have trouble breathing, someone needs to be with you.”
Chase could see the warm tea was calming Lucie down, and fatigue was setting in. Instead of protesting, she asked again, “Are you sure it’s no trouble?”
“No trouble,” Florence said. “I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe. Wouldn’t you rather have us come to your aid if you need it than a doorman?”
Lucie targeted her glance at Chase. “You told your mother about Irv?”
“I told her he was protective, and that’s a good thing.”
Lucie had left her purse on the coffee table and now her phone rang inside it. She said, “I’d better check it.”
When she did, she said, “It’s my mother. She must have reached an area with cell phone towers.”
“Do you need privacy?” Florence asked.
Lucie hesitated a moment. “No, I’m fine.” She said it as if this were going to be a short call.
Chase guessed Lucie wouldn’t be having a heart-to-heart about her marriage to him.
Florence walked away to give Lucie privacy. “I’ll see what we have in the refrigerator that we can have for supper.”
Chase, however, stayed right there in the living room with Lucie. He wanted to overhear this conversation.
Lucie answered the call. When she did, she pretended everything tonight hadn’t happened. “Hi, Mum. How are you?”
Chase couldn’t hear what her mother told her, but whatever she said made Lucie happy. At least until her mother added something that drained the color from her face again.
“Yes, I suppose I can do that,” she answered. “I’ll see where I am with the Fortune offices in two weeks and then I’ll let you know. Arriving a week early shouldn’t be a problem. No, nothing’s wrong.”
Uh-oh. Lucie’s mother must have good intuition, too, if she’d asked what was wrong. Obviously she could sense something was up, but Lucie was giving nothing away. However, by the time she ended the call, Chase could see she was in turmoil.
“I thought you were going to tell your mother about our marriage the next time you spoke with her,” he said.
“I just couldn’t do it now.”
“Why? You’re here. I’m here. The accident happened. You didn’t even tell her about that.”
“I don’t want her to worry.”
“Famous last words,” he muttered.
He crossed to the sofa and sank down beside Lucie, taking her hand. “Why didn’t you tell her? Because I was here and you didn’t have privacy?”
Lucie lowered her voice. “I didn’t tell her for the same reason you haven’t told your father you’ll be moving out and quitting Parker Oil. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
She was right. Soon they’d both have to deal with those harder aspects of their life. Soon they’d be signing papers dissolving a union that shouldn’t have happened to begin with.
Florence called from the kitchen, “I found leftover roast beef and mashed potatoes that we can warm up to have with it. I can rustle up
some fresh broccoli. What do you think?”
Chase thought food was the least of their problems. He had no appetite, at least not for what his mother would be cooking up in the kitchen. He had an appetite for Lucie, and he was going to have to deal with that soon.
Chapter Seven
Sun poured in the window of the guest room at the Bar P as Lucie awakened slowly, stretching to try to figure out what hurt. Her shoulder was a bit sore. Her ribs felt better.
Last night had been mostly a blur after the phone call from her mother. Maybe it was stress from the accident or stress from being with Chase. She wasn’t sure which. He’d shown her to a pink and lilac room decorated with a luxury comforter and satiny cream-colored sheets. His mother had brought her an ice pack and a heating pad, too. Chase might have stayed, but Florence had insisted Lucie rest and get a good night’s sleep. After some hesitation, he’d left. And she’d fallen asleep.
Until a few minutes ago.
There was a slight tapping on her door. She realized someone didn’t want to wake her if she was still asleep. But she had to start her day and return to her apartment.
“Come in,” she called, tensing a bit because she thought her visitor might be Chase.
However, it wasn’t. It was Florence. Chase’s mother wheeled in a tea cart that smelled wonderful. There was a large plate with a stainless steel cover, a teapot, a teacup and a plate of pastries.
“Are you hungry?” Florence asked.
“Now that I smell food, I am,” Lucie said with a smile. “But you didn’t have to do this.”
“You didn’t have much supper.” She took the lid from the large plate that held scrambled eggs, bacon and a stack of silver dollar pancakes. “Warm syrup is in that little pitcher, and butter’s in the cup.”
“This is wonderful.”
“How’s your shoulder?”
“Not bad,” Lucie said.
Florence reached to the shelf under the top of the tray. “I brought you another ice pack. I thought you might want to put it on before you get dressed.”
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