She grinned. “It might not take quite that long.” Unable to hold back her feelings any longer, she nodded her head and let him see into the depths of her heart. “I’ve loved you from the second your hand touched mine.” No longer interested in leaving, she pressed against him, backing him toward the bed. Slow and deliberate, she tugged his shirt from the waistband of his jeans and began unsnapping it. “Maybe now would be a good time to convince me to stay.”
“Anything you say, Mrs. Jarrett,” Chase said, grinning as they fell back on the bed together and into the love that had been waiting for them the past year.
Later, when evening shadows darkened the room and Jessie rested in Chase’s strong arms, she sighed, more content and happy than she’d ever been. “I love you, Chase, more than anything.”
“Even Tinsel?” he teased, brushing aside her hair and pressing a heated, moist kiss to the pulse beating in her neck.
“Even Tinsel,” she whispered, rolling over and wrapping him in her love. The passion burning between them reignited the moment their lips connected.
When he lifted his head, he smiled and nuzzled her ear. “How did a lunkheaded ol’ cowboy like me deserve to have such a sweet, beautiful woman like you love me?”
She smiled and rubbed her hand across his chest. “Maybe it was just meant to be.”
“The truth is I don’t deserve you at all, Jessie. But I plan to show you how grateful I am for you, for your love, each and every day.” He kissed her nose. “Happy Anniversary, my gorgeous, wonderful, beloved wife.”
“Happy Anniversary to you, my handsome husband.” Jessie grinned and kissed the brackets along the left side of his mouth, something she looked forward to doing for the rest of her life. “I think we should get your cousin something special for Christmas this year.”
Chase gave her a curious look. “Why’s that?”
“Because if it wasn’t for her we would never have met, or accidentally married, and I wouldn’t be the happiest woman on the planet.”
“The happiest?” Chase asked, settling his lips over hers for a long kiss.
“The absolute happiest.” Jessie gave him a flirtatious wink when he pulled back and melded his gaze to hers. “The only thing that would make me happier is if you made me fall in love with you all over again.”
He drew her closer against him. “Let’s get started on that right now. I love you, Jessie, forever and always.”
Cinnamon Bread Pudding
3 cups cubed cinnamon bread
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Syrup
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. maple flavoring
Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish (for a 9×13 dish, double the recipe).
Cut about six slices of bread into cubes. You need enough to fill three cups. Spread evenly in baking dish.
Beat eggs, milk, and spices until well blended. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350.
Uncover baking dish and bake about 50 minutes until the bread is set and the top is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve with warm syrup.
To make the syrup, pour sugars and water into a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Add in maple flavoring and boil another minute. The aroma of the maple at this point will make your mouth water and cause great pangs of hunger to rocket through you.
You can pour the syrup over the bread pudding in the pan if you will be eating it all then or, if you want, you can spoon the syrup over the pudding on each individual plate. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or sprinkle the top with powdered sugar if so desired.
Author’s Note
While I was working on Barreling Through Christmas, I started thinking about who would be next in the series? Then I thought about a bull rider. I considered, briefly, writing Huck Powell’s story, but since he’s already married with three kids, that just didn’t work.
What about a new character? I worked in a few mentions of Chase in Barreling Through Christmas.
I knew that Chase would be someone very focused and driven in his career, but otherwise a laid-back kind of guy. He’s got a great group of friends and supportive family with his cousin, aunt and uncle. And he’s outgoing, someone full of charisma and fun.
I thought about the kind of character who would balance Chase and came up with Jessie (named after a very special Jessie in our own little world). She might be quiet, but those still waters run very deep, as Chase would discover.
Wasn’t it fun how she keeps surprising him as he gets to know her better?
Jessie is a character that is easy for me to relate to for many reasons. I’m not big on being in the limelight and have my little comfort zone areas. I do like to decorate our home and plan parties. Writing scenes like the wedding reception in this story gives me so much enjoyment because I get to “plan” an event even if it’s just for my characters.
I chose the name Rose Above for Jessie’s business because she’s a character that rose far above her challenges with dignity and grace. I think I’d like to be more like her when I grow up.
Jessie tends to be an introvert, but creative. I even had a “denim and peaches” moment last year when Captain Cavedweller and I were on a road trip. It was bitterly cold outside the car, the world around us frozen, and the sun had just started its evening descent. I looked out across the sky and the soft peach tones blending with the wavering bits of blue made me think of denim and peaches. When I said as much to CC, he gave me one of those indulgent smiles I get when I say something along the lines of “doesn’t the sky look like denim and peaches?” He gets that type of comment with more frequency than you might think.
Have you ever had moment like Chase had when his mouth got away from him and he embarrassed Jessie? Unfortunately, I can think of a few times exhaustion and stress has made me want to slap a hand over my own mouth.
What did you think of Chase’s granny? I had such a great time creating her quirky character. The idea for the doormat she gave Chase (Come In/Go Away) and her bloody footprint bathmat came from Pinterest. Yes, I do spend far too much time there, but I find it such an amazing resource for helping shape the details of my stories.
The idea for the crazy adjustable bed started with an ad from a magazine from a mattress company. I flipped past the ad, then my “what if” meter started ticking and I turned back to the page, thinking about all the funny scenarios that could take place with a couple and a bed with two controls. I can so relate to Jessie’s frustration with the bed. CC and I purchased an adjustable bed a few months ago. The first night was horrible. One of us (and not the one writing this) kept playing with the controls, setting them higher and higher until the other one was nearly folded in half. The sandwiched person may have even become so annoyed, she stomped around the bed, took the control away, and flattened the bed. Yep, I can totally relate to Jessie’s experience!
The scene where Jessie was painting and Chase thought she was making up a paint color called Elephant’s Breath… I really did find a paint chip that color.
Oh, and I have to share about friendship bread. When I was newly married, one of my aunts gave me some starter for friendship bread. At first, it was fun to bake a loaf and set the starter back for the next batch. Then one loaf turned into two and then it was four and soon my kitchen was overrun with bread. CC finally told me to just throw out the starter and never accept another gift of it. So far, I haven’t!
My heartfelt thanks to you, dear readers, for reading Chase and Jessie’s story. If you enjoyed it, I hope you’ll tell others about the Rodeo Romance series. I hope, too, that you’ll join me for the next book in the series when it releases during the 2018 holiday season.
If you have a moment, please review Chasing Christmas. Help other reader
s find great new books by telling them why you enjoyed the story. You can post your review for Chasing Christmas here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07644MDKN/
Thank you for reading Chase and Jessie’s book. I hope we meet again between the pages of another sweet romance.
Happy Holidays,
Shanna
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The Christmas Cowboy (Book 1) — Among the top saddle bronc riders in the rodeo circuit, easy-going Tate Morgan can handle the toughest horse out there, but trying to handle beautiful Kenzie Beckett is a completely different story.
Wrestlin’ Christmas (Book 2) — Sidelined with a major injury, steer wrestler Cort McGraw struggles to come to terms with the end of his career. Shanghaied by his sister and best friend, he finds himself on a run-down ranch with a worrisome, albeit gorgeous widow, and her silent, solemn son.
Capturing Christmas (Book 3) — Life is hectic on a good day for rodeo stock contractor Kash Kressley. Between dodging flying hooves and babying cranky bulls, he barely has time to sleep. The last thing Kash needs is the entanglement of a sweet romance, especially with a woman as full of fire and sass as Celia McGraw.
Barreling Through Christmas (Book 4) — Cooper James might be a lot of things, but beefcake model wasn’t something he intended to add to his resume.
Chasing Christmas (Book 5) — Dragged into a crazy publicity stunt, bull rider Chase Jarrett has no idea how he ended up with an accidental bride.
Grass Valley Cowboys Series
Meet the Thompson family of the Triple T Ranch in Grass Valley, Oregon. Three handsome brothers, their rowdy friends (who happen to be related to Tate Morgan), and the women who fall for them are at the heart of this sweet contemporary western romance series.
The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan (Book 1) — Cadence Greer’s plans for a happy-ever-after are quickly derailed when her fiancé runs off with his secretary a week before their wedding. Homeless, jobless, and jilted, she escapes to Grass Valley, Oregon, where she takes a job as a housekeeper and cook to seven cowboys on a sprawling ranch.
The Cowboy’s Spring Romance (Book 2) — Trent Thompson has carried a torch for the new schoolteacher since she moved to Grass Valley more than three years ago. Instead of asking her out, he’s dated every single female in a thirty-mile radius, giving her the impression he’s not interested in her at all.
The Cowboy’s Summer Love (Book 3) — Always the wild-child, Travis Thompson doesn’t disappoint as he rolls from one adventure to another in his quest to keep his adrenaline pumping. He needs a release for the tension constantly building inside him, especially after he discovers the girl he’s loved his entire life just moved back to Grass Valley.
The Cowboy’s Autumn Fall (Book 4) — Brice Morgan thought love at first sight was some ridiculous notion of schoolgirls and old ladies who read too many romance novels. At least he does until he meets Bailey Bishop at a friend’s wedding and falls hard and fast for the intriguing woman.
The Cowboy’s New Heart (Book 5) — Years after her husband died unexpectedly, Denni Thompson can’t bear to think of giving her heart to anyone else. With three newly married sons, a grandchild on the way, and a busy life, Denni doesn’t give a thought to romance until she meets the handsome new owner of Grass Valley’s gas station.
The Cowboy’s Last Goodbye (Book 6) — With his siblings and friends all entangled in the state of matrimony, Ben Morgan is more determined than ever to remain blissfully single. Despite his vehement refusal to commit to a relationship, he can’t help but envision a future with the sweet, charming woman who unknowingly captures his heart.
The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan (Grass Valley Cowboys, Book 1)
Cadence Greer’s plans for a happy-ever-after are quickly derailed when her fiancé runs off with his secretary a week before their wedding. Homeless, jobless, and jilted, she escapes to Grass Valley, Oregon, where she takes a job as a housekeeper and cook to seven cowboys on a sprawling ranch.
Turn the page for an excerpt…
Chapter One
Everyone has a plan
'till they get punched in the mouth.
Mike Tyson
Cadence Greer gaped at her boss in disbelief. “I don’t think I heard you correctly, Neil. Would you please repeat that?”
He has to be wrong, her mind screamed, while her knees morphed into a consistency quite similar to watery oatmeal.
Neil Dumont took her by the elbow and steered her into one of his leather office chairs. After ordering her to put her head down between her knees, he released a long sigh.
“Cadence, I know this is a surprise, but it really shouldn’t come as a shock.” Neil sat down next to her as he patted her shoulder. She absently wondered if he had a lot of practice comforting hysterical young women, since his daughter was close to her age.
“I know, Neil, but I need you to tell me exactly what happened,” she whispered, sitting up and dabbing at her eyes with her fingers. She couldn’t fully wrap her head around the notion that all her carefully crafted plans for the future suddenly shattered into tiny irreparable pieces.
Neil was a respected founding partner of the prestigious law firm where she worked in Seattle. A family man with a wife of thirty-two years and two great kids, he was someone Cadence admired. Normally, she heeded his advice. However, when it came to Bill Aimes, she had blocked out his warnings and done as she pleased.
Slowly nodding his head, Neil handed her his pristine white handkerchief and cleared his throat, just like he did before stepping before a judge in the courtroom. Cadence knew what that sound meant. The four years she’d spent as Neil’s personal assistant left her well versed in all the sounds he made when he prepared to do verbal battle and win.
“Cadence, I warned you when you began working here to stay away from guys like Bill. I warned you when you two started dating that it wouldn’t end well. I even warned you when you announced your engagement to be careful. I know you, Cadence. You are a no-nonsense kind of girl, so don’t make me sugarcoat this. Bill sent an email out last night to all the attorneys in the office stating he was calling off his engagement to you and eloping with Miss Roberts.”
“But Bill said…” Neil cut her off before she could finish her thought.
“I’m sure he said he loved you, that you were the best thing that ever happened to him, and that he’d spend his life making you happy. What he failed to mention was that he has chased after every skirt in this office while you two were supposedly engaged and Miss Roberts didn’t exactly play hard to get. You really shouldn’t be surprised that a guy like Bill would run off with his secretary.”
“How did I not see this coming?” Cadence asked. She’d started to move on the emotional scale from devastated to angry. “How could he do this a week before our wedding?”
When Bill continually sought her out on breaks, walked her to her car after work, and invited her out for coffee, she was flattered. The hotshot attorney was tall, handsome, successful, and charming.
With a sigh of disgust, she thought about where that charm had gotten her.
For the first time in her life, she felt like an idiot and a failure. If Bill had punched her in the face, she couldn’t feel any more mistreated and hurt than she did right at that moment.
Although she refused to move in with him until after the wedding, Cadence had given notice on her apartment and sold all her furniture. Bill owned a beautiful condominium with posh furnishings and made it clear he didn’t want her hand-me-downs or second-hand finds in his sleek and modern environment.
Now she had nothing.
“What am I going to do?” Cadence stared at Neil with a look of despair in her hazel eyes.
“Take a few days off, let your thoughts cle
ar, and give your heart time to mend. Then come back to work with your head held high,” Neil said in a commanding voice. “You didn’t do a thing wrong, Cadence, except fall for a man who is completely undeserving of your love.”
“Be that as it may, I can’t keep working here. Not with him and his new bride coming back. I just couldn’t do it, Neil.”
“Cadence, don’t be hasty.” The look of determination on Cadence’s face alarmed Neil more than anything else that had transpired. “Once the dust settles, tongues will wag about another juicy bit of gossip and all will be forgotten.”
“Maybe by the others, but not by me.” Cadence stood then began pacing across Neil’s office. “I can’t keep working here knowing I’ll run into him every time I turn around. It would be like rubbing salt in a wound on a daily basis. I don’t have a choice, Neil. I have to leave.”
As she rose from the chair, Neil studied Cadence. She was the best assistant he’d ever had. If she wanted, she would have made an excellent attorney. Her mind was sharp, her demeanor cool and professional, and she noticed the most infinitesimal details — except when it came to Bill.
Chasing Christmas: (Sweet Holiday Western Romance) (Rodeo Romance Book 5) Page 29