by Ciara Knight
Chase laughed. “Glad you came to your senses. I’ll meet you downstairs in five, I should probably change out of this toothpaste covered sweatshirt. It just calls attention to my gimpiness.” He bolted into his room and changed in record time. This time, he opened the door before he grabbed his stuff and then bolted downstairs. Mia stood in jeans and a turtleneck.
Wow, she had an amazing figure. He hadn’t realized it in her baggy shirt yesterday and her sweatshirt this morning. Beauty, brains, and bodacious bod. Nice.
“You going to stand and stare or are we getting those muffins you promised.” Mia grabbed her purse from the counter, her jacket from the chair, and lead him to the front door like she was in a hurry.
He snagged her arm before she could open it. “Hey, I know you want to be here for Frank, but sometimes we all need a break.”
Mia sighed. “I know. It’s just tough, and the kids from the center will be here this afternoon, so I’ll need to get him ready. He’s always so excited to visit with the kids.”
“Frank?”
Mia nodded. “Yes, Frank.”
He scooted closer and put his hand on her elbow. “That’s just not the Frank I know. You must really be good at your job. And, Mia, your brother would be proud of you even if you take a break.”
“I, um, I know. I just don’t want to let Frank down, that’s all.” She pushed her hair back behind her ear and looked to the floor.
He opened the door with an awkward turn and bowed. “Then we should go.”
She slipped from his hand, and fled out into the cold, icy, morning.
Chase rubbed his temple. He had read too much into her emails. She was trying to help him, not date him. He’d finally found a woman worth getting to know, and she didn’t feel the same. Now he knew how the women felt who pursued him when he was a teenager and his sights were set more on seeing the world than dating one woman. Karma. It was a deserved curse.
Chapter Six
The old home turned bed and breakfast was quaint and adorable. The smell of fresh baked muffins made Mia’s stomach growl loud enough for Chase to smile down at her. Dang he was tall, and broad shouldered, and Grecian god-like.
Sounds of clinking glasses and conversation drew them into the dining room where people sat and enjoyed some fresh baked food. Bri Roberts, one of the owners of the B&B, was setting out a nice spread of breakfast pastries and muffins. She stopped what she was doing and came over to greet them. “Hi cuz, Mia. Good to see you both.” She sat the muffins down and gave Chase a hug. “I’m excited to see you, but I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow.
Chase shook his head, and Bri returned to her muffins. “No, yesterday Rex picked me up at the airport. I’m staying at the Kelley mansion for now.” Chase nudged into Mia’s side. “Besides, I thought I’d pick up some of your Silver Springs famous muffins to take back as a small thank you for letting me crash there.”
Bri’s gaze danced between them. “Ah, yeah, right. Why are you staying there instead of with your folks?”
“There’s something wrong with a twenty-seven-year-old man moving back in with mom and dad. And I didn’t want mom to cater to me.” He lifted his injured arm, allowing the extra material to flop down.
“Right. I’m sorry you went through so much, but I’m glad you and the rest of our men are coming home. It feels like we’re repopulating Silver Springs Roberts’ style. I know Molly and Sam must be ecstatic that your back.”
“I haven’t seen them yet. I’ll call them today.”
Bri turned her attention to Mia. “And you? I haven’t seen much of you since you arrived in town. I guess my cousin is allowing you some time off for good behavior?”
“Something like that.” She forced a smile, feeling like she was under a Roberts’ microscope. They seemed to be everywhere in town, and they were united like no family she’d ever seen. “I came for the great muffins, too.”
Bri nodded and backed away. “Help yourself. Be right back.” She disappeared around the corner, and Chase stood back so she could walk ahead.
“This used to be grandma Roberts’ house. Bri and Bekah turned it into a bed and breakfast. Looks like they did a great job. Bekah is probably still asleep. She’s not a morning person.” Chase grabbed a box and began picking some muffins from the big spread.
Some of the patrons sat at tables sipping coffee and munching on muffins. The room was warm, and the fire roared with a welcome home feel. “This town is unique. I think that’s why I love it here so much.”
Chase held out the box and waited for her to choose a muffin. “I used to dream of getting out of this town. I couldn’t wait to see the world. I didn’t know how amazing home was until I had a chance to miss it. Between these beautiful mountains, the fact that most people know each other, its friendly and quiet yet fun makes this the best place to live.”
“I agree,” Mia said with more enthusiasm than she meant to.
“You going to stay. I mean, after.” Chase offered a sad grin.
She chose a muffin and set it in the box. “I guess we’ll see.” The thought of Frank passing and her looking for the next job made her stomach roll with indecision.
“Hey, good morning you two.” Bekah, with the trademark lopsided Roberts’ smile, leaned on the wall a few feet away. She looked like she’d collapse at any moment from lack of sleep.
“What are you doing up?” Chase asked.
“Heard you brought a girl. I had to see this. I didn’t know it was just Mia,” Bekah rubbed her eyes and yawned.
Bri rounded the corner and handed Bekah a cup of coffee. “Drink this. And it’s not ‘just Mia.’”
Chase sat the box on the table and tugged Bri around the corner leaving Mia standing in front of half-awake Bekah’s studying gaze.
“Um, it’s nice to see you again. I’ve met you a couple of times when I took Frank out to eat or for a walk.”
“Yes, I remember. Soooo, you and Chase a thing?” Bekah asked.
Mia shook her head, all of a sudden, the heat in the room kicked up a few degrees. “We just met yesterday. Formally that is.”
Bekah sipped her coffee, and it appeared to be working. Her eyes opened a little wider and she stepped forward. “You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
“Chase Roberts doesn’t take girls anywhere. Heck, half the girls in high school followed him, or tried to get him through us or his brother and sister or even his parents. He never took a girl anywhere. Oh, he’d date, but that usually consisted of meeting girls at parties and at movies. Chase is the uncatchable catch in our town.”
Mia closed the box and fiddled with the cardboard for a moment. “Well, we were just headed this way so we road together.”
Chase returned with a strange look on his face. “Guess we’d better bolt if we’re gonna go rock climbing by lunch.” He gave a back handed wave to the girls and headed for the door.
Mia looked between them all, but no one gave any indication as to what was going on. Chase said he joked when things were uncomfortable, or when he was trying to overcompensate for something. She’d witnessed it in her brief time hanging out with him in person. Family squabble? Was it her? She grabbed the muffins and followed Chase outside once again. This time he didn’t hold the door for her, or smile, or touch her arm. He’d turned colder than the morning winter wind.
Half way back to the house she couldn’t remain silent anymore. “What’s going on?”
His strong jaw looked so tight she feared he’d break a tooth by the time they reached the driveway. “Nothing. Just knew you needed to get back. Besides, I’ve got to get to work fixing the roof.”
After a few minutes of silence, he pulled into the driveway, unlocked the truck and reached for the handle, but she locked it again. “Tell me. I know you’re throwing jokes out there to avoid dealing with something. What is it?”
They sat in silence for several seconds until he hit the unlock again, and she hit lock.
“Sto
p.” Chase growled then instantly recovered. “It’s like duck, duck, goose and I’m the goose.”
Mia placed her hand on his arm just above the amputation and he flinched then froze. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” Mia asked, but she knew. She knew that he kept the amputation covered, that he was self-conscious, and that Bri had said something to set him off. Happy Chase had disappeared and left behind a bear. “I thought you were the funny man.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, but I guess even humor won’t sooth the sting of words.”
“What is it? You can talk to me. I’m old nurse Mia, remember?”
He rubbed the back of his neck as if to relieve tension. “I don’t have my laptop.”
She smiled. “I think we can graduate to verbal communication now.”
He leaned his head against the steering wheel and took a long breath. “Okay, I guess humor does help in all occasions.” He turned to face her. “I went in to tell Bri to butt out and stop meddling. She agreed.”
Mia waited for the punch line, but he didn’t give it. “Okay, I don’t understand.”
“Roberts don’t give in that easily, especially when razzing their cousin. I mean, the entire time we grew up that’s all we did was tease each other. Now.” He sat up and lifted his amputated arm. “They treat me as if I’m fragile. It’s the reason I wanted out of the VA, it was all about percentages and worth. Do you know they break down compensation based on how many fingers are amputated? Some of the men told me I was lucky I lost the entire hand, especially my dominant, because I get seventy percent compensation. Well, I don’t want compensation. I don’t want special treatment.”
Mia let her fingers drift down his triceps until it reached his elbow.
He covered her hand. “Don’t.”
“What do you want?”
Chase glanced at her, and she saw the hidden emotion beyond his droopy gaze. “I want to be me again.”
Mia traced the edge of the skin where his arm had been severed, and he stiffened and closed his eyes. Even through the material he was uncomfortable with anyone knowing his fate. “From what I heard from Bekah, I don’t think I’d like you much before.”
He moved his arm from her grasp and reached for the door handle. “Why’s that?”
“Because you wouldn’t have given me a ride to the B&B. Heck, from what I heard, you would’ve probably made me walk uphill both ways in the snow, alone, to go to the same place you were headed.”
He tilted his head, his short hair dropping over his forehead in a sexy way. “Really?”
“Is it not true?” Mia asked.
“Huh, now that you say it, maybe it is true. I never much wanted to connect with a girl beyond dating. Never anything serious.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Was,” he said softly. “Because I wanted to live life, leave the small town and see the world.”
Mia shifted the box of muffins so she could scoot a little closer to him. “Then why are you here now?”
“Because I realized there was no place in the world like Silver Springs, and no one can replace family.” Chase relaxed a little, his shoulders lowering from his ears.
“Then give yourself a chance to settle here before you get all worked up. I think sometimes you see yourself differently than others do. You might be reading too much into it.” Mia tried to show him that his own image was a little clouded. “I bet you could still get a girl to walk up hill both ways in the snow to catch you.”
“Any girl but you, right?” Chase said with a too serious look on his face.
Mia leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Oh, I don’t know. I appreciated the ride. My feet would’ve been cold.” She opened the door and hopped out before he could say anything else. Her heart thundered so loud she could barely hear his door close and his steps crunching the snow.
He blocked her path with a heated look in his gaze. “Thank you.”
She couldn’t help but look at his lips, but she blinked the thought away. “For what?”
“For putting up with my moods. I’m sorry if I’ve been grouchy. It’s not usually my style.”
Mia dared to look up at him again, he was so close, too close. “Sometimes it’s okay to have feelings. To show emotion. It helps the healing process.”
“Spoken like a true nurse. Perhaps you’d make a good rehab nurse someday.” Chase took the box from her hands, leaned in and whispered. “But I wouldn’t advise you going around kissing your patients.
Her face flushed and her body heated. “I didn’t. I—”
“That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.” Chase took the muffins and marched up the front steps with a devious look in his eyes. “Oh, and I plan on telling the story to all that will listen. I’m tired of the pity looks. It’s time to get some old cred back.”
She rushed after him. “I’ll tell everyone it was a pity kiss.”
He stopped and turned on his heels. “That was no pity kiss honey. Next time you kiss me, I’ll make your toes curl, and you’ll never want to let me go.”
Chapter Seven
Chase snuck downstairs trying not to interrupt Frank telling stories to the kids from the center. Mia looked adorable with a child in her lap, looking up at Frank. He’d never thought a woman looked good holding a child. That IED must have scrambled his brain or something. He shook off the thought and headed out to Books N’ Beans to meet up with his brother, sister and parents. Neutral territory would be good.
He walked in the old building to the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, two stern parental faces, a little sister snarl, and a brotherly look of good-luck.
“Decided to grace us with your presence I see.” Molly stood and opened her arms, throwing herself into him.
“Hey, you almost knocked a crip over. Watch it.” Chase hugged her tight. “Can’t believe you went off and married without your big brother here to give you away.”
“I couldn’t wait for you to finally get over your hand pity party and come home.”
Chase was relieved that she didn’t treat him like he was different, but then his mother and father stood. His mother huffed. “Stop saying things like that. It’s horrible.”
He shifted out of Molly’s hug and opened his one good arm to hug his mother. She stood stone still, so he opted for a kiss on the cheek then offered his hand to his father. To Chase’s surprise, he yanked him into a bear hug. “I’m proud of you son.” For a solid minute his father didn’t release him, and the next thing he knew his mother, sister and brother joined in. Chase fought back tears and swallowed the rising lump of emotions. A marine didn’t cry, especially in public.
“Okay, okay, enough of this. I thought you were going to burn me at the stake, not hug me to death.”
Molly smacked him and sat down at the table. Emma rushed over. “What can I get our latest war hero?”
Chase swiped his eyes before he looked up. “Surprise me with something hot and sweet.” He couldn’t help but think he just ordered a Mia special. He chuckled to himself.
“What?” Sam asked.
“Nothing. I’m just finding things to be surprising since I returned.”
His mother scooted her chair closer. “Don’t think I’m not still mad at you. Not telling us you were coming, swearing Rex to secrecy. You know the entire Roberts clan would’ve met you at the airport with a real heroes’ welcome.”
“That’s why I didn’t want you to know. Mom, I just wanted some time to decompress. I came to see you guys my first day. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” Chase picked at the chip on the edge of the table.
“Fine, well, you’ve had a day now you can move home. I won’t let anyone bother you.”
He couldn’t tell her that she’d bother him. Thank goodness his dad spoke up. “Let the boy figure things out. You’d only smother him if he came home.”
Molly sat forward. “So, I hear you have the hots for Mia Alvarez the hospice nurse.”
“What? I’ve been home for not
even twenty-four hours. Boy, rumors are still crazy in this town.”
“I heard that you’ve been talking to Mia for months, and you came here to see her and that’s why you’re at the Kelley mansion, so you can be with her.”
His mother gasped. “Chase.”
“Stop. There is no truth to this.”
Molly lifted her brows at him. “I heard it from a reliable source.”
“Who?”
Sam crossed his foot over his knees and shook his head. “You’re gonna hate this.”
Molly took a deep breath. “Turns out that Ally told Melinda, because they’re best friends, and then Bri called Melinda about something regarding David returning to Silver Springs she heard through a customer at the B&B, and that’s when Bri mentioned seeing you there with Mia this morning, and Melinda told Bri about you and Mia, so Bri called me to find out if it was true. Can you imagine? I had to find out about my brother’s love life through a cousin.” Molly huffed then took a deep breath.
“You’re right, Sam. I hate this.” Chase was never so happy to see a big cup of whipped cream topped beverage be set down in front of him in his life. “Thanks Emma.”
“Can I get anything for anyone else?” she asked the rest of his family.
“Not now, thank you,” his father replied.
Emma put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good that you’re dating already. I like Mia, you two would be great together.”
Chase wanted to beat his head against the table. “And you wonder why I tried to have some time to myself?”
Sam buddy-slugged Chase’s shoulder. “Welcome back to small town Colorado, bro.”
***
The next morning Chase awoke before dawn. His body craved routine. He’d always been routine oriented. The snow outside made it tough to go for a run, but he could at least work out. He went to the basement where David had set up his workout equipment for when he returned to live here, and decided to get back to it.
Thankful that it was in the basement and everyone slept up two levels, he cranked some music and hit the weights. It was challenging to find exercises he could handle. Images of Mia putting his toothbrush in his pocket kept flashing, and he realized he could do more if he opened his mind up to modifying his life instead of wishing to return to his old one.