“I’d love to see your bike.” Chase flipped the switch to turn off the truck. “Show me the way.”
“You’ve gotta think,” Zane said, “that a guy like that has a lot better things to do than humor a three-year-old.”
Maddy had to admit it was probably true. “So why did you drag him here?”
“For Riley,” Zane said. “For you.”
“Are you making a point?”
“I’m trying to get you to adjust your attitude. Chase isn’t the bad guy.”
“So, you’re the bad guy?”
She wished her stomach would stop churning. But she couldn’t shake a feeling of dread. They were playing with fire here, teetering on the edge of Riley’s psyche.
“There is no bad guy,” Zane said.
“Then why is everything so messed up?” She took a mixing bowl from a bottom shelf and placed it on the counter.
There should be a bad guy. It would be nice to have someone to blame for the situation, someone besides herself, since she was the one who should have noticed Riley didn’t understand that his father’s death meant he was never coming back. How had she missed that?
She pulled out the flour canister and scooped a couple of cups into the bowl.
“Because bad things happen to good people,” Zane said.
“They should stop.” She added salt.
“They will.”
She gripped the lip of the counter. “Quit being so philosophical.”
Zane moved closer. “What do you want me to be?”
“I don’t know.” She honestly didn’t. “Can I go to sleep now and have somebody wake me when this is all over?”
His voice was soft. “When what’s all over?”
“When Riley is back to normal and Chase Garrett is gone.”
“Sure,” Zane said, there was a thread of humor in his voice. “Well, as soon as you’ve finished making the pancakes.”
“You know how to make pancakes.”
“You make them better.”
“Food always tastes better when you’re not the one who cooks it.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“You cook all the time.”
“That’s how I stay thin.”
Zane laughed at that. “And here I thought it was because you worked so hard.”
“That too.”
She did work hard. Taking care of a house all alone was hard, especially an old house on a big property, especially when a woman didn’t have much of a repair budget. It was hard, and she was tired, but she was all Riley had, and she didn’t have time to rest.
*
Chase had found what he was looking for in the basement. Then he’d dug into Maddy’s blueberry pancakes, amazed by how good they tasted. Zane hadn’t oversold them in the least.
Now, hours later, he was in the backyard of the white, single story farmhouse. Riley was playing on a swing set and Zane was saying goodbye to his sister before heading out to meet some friends from the AEBR circuit who were still in town. They’d grilled hotdogs for dinner, and Chase had easily agreed to stick around until Riley’s bedtime. He liked Maddy a whole lot, and Riley was a great kid. And hanging out with them kept his mind focused in the present.
“Look at me!” Riley called as he pumped himself higher on the swing.
“Hang on tight,” Chase called across the yard.
“Be careful,” Maddy warned as she joined Chase at the weathered picnic table.
He was sitting on top, with his feet planted on the bench.
She climbed up beside him.
The sun was heading down behind the distant mountains, the shadows long across the sun-warmed grass. That grass badly needed mowing. The fence needed painting, and the gravel driveway was being invaded by weeds.
“You have a nice view,” he said.
“We used to own all of that.” She swept her arm across the vista of rolling rangeland hills dotted with Herefords.
“What happened?”
“My father borrowed a lot of money before he died. Nobody fully understood the terms of the loan. The creditor held back information, so when things got tight we lost the land to him.”
Chase would have liked more details. It sounded like the family had somehow got a raw deal. But he didn’t want to pry. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Lucas, Eli, and Wyatt, my other brothers, want it back. But they don’t have the money.”
“Have you given up?”
Chase didn’t think he’d be so sanguine about giving up his land. Then again, he’d walked away from his land, and he had no intention of ever going back. He supposed he might as well sell it. Right now, it was leased out. That way his options were open. If he ever had children—
He stopped that thought in its tracks. After Laura-Leigh, he doubted he’d ever trust another woman, never mind let himself fall in love with one and marry her. And he couldn’t see himself as a single father. His gaze rested on Riley. His hat was off to Maddy for the job she was doing here.
“Was this the original house?” he asked, to keep the conversation going.
She shaded her eyes to look. “Five kids in three bedrooms when we were young. I was the only girl, so I got my own room. More of a closet, really. Lucas and Eli slept in the basement. One bathroom, though. That was a challenge.”
“It seems like a good size for the two of you.”
“It is.”
They fell to silence, watching Riley.
“He’s not figuring it out,” she said softly.
Chase shifted his seat. “I know. I keep pointing to things that are new to me, and he insists I’ve forgotten. I haven’t wanted to say it head-on.”
“I did. This morning.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him you were a nice man that looked like Daddy, but you weren’t his daddy.”
“You called me nice?” There was something soft in his expression as he said it.
“That’s what you took from that?”
“It’s the second time today.”
“Is that unusual?” she asked.
“It’s also the second time ever.”
She tipped her head as she looked at him. “Nobody’s ever called you nice before?”
The sun glowed on her fresh face, and she looked angelic as she smiled.
“I’m not,” he said.
“You seem plenty nice to me, Chase Garrett. You just spent an entire day humoring my confused son.”
“You caught me in a weakened state. And I didn’t have anything better to do. This kept my mind from wandering.”
“Wandering where?”
“It doesn’t matter. I hope I can help.”
Her smile disappeared. “Me too.”
“I made you stop smiling. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I just remembered why you were here. And that it’s my fault you got hurt.”
“Maddy.” He had to check an impulse to reach for her hand.
He wanted to reassure her it wasn’t in any way her fault. Injuries happened in bull riding. It was the nature of the sport.
But she stepped down from the table. “Riley, time to get ready for bed.”
Riley gave a mighty push and jumped off the swing, coming down on all fours in the dust. “I want Daddy to tuck me in.”
“There’ll be no tucking before you take a bath. You’re filthy.”
“It’s good Montana dirt,” Riley said, quoting his uncle Zane again.
“We still need to wash it off.” She held out her hand to him.
“Daddy can give me my bath.”
“Chase doesn’t need to bathe you.”
Riley stopped dead, his lips compressing. “You give me a bath all the time.”
“That’s because I’m your mother.”
Chase didn’t know whether to step in or stay silent. He’d be happy to help Riley with a bath, but he didn’t want to undermine Maddy.
“It’s Daddy’s turn.”
Chase could see a standoff coming. He’d known little boys. He’d been a little boy, and this was about to get ugly.
“How about this?” he said, coming to his feet. “Your mommy gives you a bath, but I’ll read you both a story while she does.”
Maddy shot him an unfathomable look. He couldn’t tell if she was relieved or annoyed.
“A story!” Riley shouted, skipping forward again. “I want the Little Red Train.” He let go of Maddy’s hand and barreled for the door.
“I hope that’s okay,” Chase said to her.
She looked straight ahead as she walked.
He fell into step. “Maddy?”
“I don’t know,” she answered. “It feels like I should be mad because you interfered. But I’m relieved. It’s embarrassing to say that. A good mother would have stuck to her guns.”
“You did stick to your guns.”
“Only because you switched the target.”
He tried to wrap his head around the metaphor. “Okay, I don’t really know what that means. But Riley’s skipping toward the bathtub instead of taking a tantrum on the back lawn. I’m going to take that as a win.”
They took the few wooden steps to the back porch.
She stopped and he stopped with her.
She turned to look at him, her face shadowed, her hair billowing in the breeze. Her blue eyes were as bright as ever. And even in this light he could see her cute freckles.
“Why did you come back?” she asked.
He wasn’t sure how to answer that question, so he went for the obvious. “Because Zane asked me.”
She searched his expression. “Most men would have said no.”
“I guess I’m not most men.” He wanted to kiss her so badly.
Her voice went softer still. “I’m afraid you might be making things worse.”
“So am I,” he admitted.
She eased in and the air emptied from his lungs. He held himself steady with an iron will.
“Chase?” Her voice was breathless.
“Yes?” His was the same.
“It’s been forever since a man kissed me.”
He didn’t need a second invitation. He bent down, pressing his lips to hers and gently gripped her shoulders. Her lips parted. Her head tilted to meet him. And she kissed him back.
Her response was fuel to his fire. He wrapped his arms around her. He pressed the length of her against him, feeling the softness of her curves cradle his hard body. She felt good, so, so good.
“Daddy, I found Little Red Train.”
Riley appeared in the doorway and they jumped guiltily apart.
Chase’s ribs shot through with pain, but he couldn’t have cared less.
Riley waved a picture book. “It was under my bed. We tore one of the pages before, but Mommy taped it.”
“That’s good, buckaroo.” Chase looked into Maddy’s eyes, steeling himself to see her regret.
But there was no regret. He saw surprise and confusion. Her eyes were midnight blue, her red lips slightly swollen, and her cheeks were flushed with color. But there was no regret. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“You okay?” he asked her softly.
He got a shaky nod in return, while Riley grasped onto his leg. “We can do the choo-choo sound.”
Chase raised a brow to Maddy.
“We all do the whistle sound together when the train goes up the hill.”
“Okay,” Chase agreed, carefully lifting Riley on his good side. “We’ll do the choo-choo sound.”
*
Chase woke up disoriented and in pain. At first, he thought he was in his motel room. But then he remembered reading the train book, having a beer with Maddy after Riley fell asleep, then popping a pain pill while he waited for Zane to return and give him a lift back to town. He realized he must have fallen asleep on Maddy’s sofa.
A shaft of light from her front porch filtered through the front drapes, outlining an easy chair and the table lamp. He was covered in a blanket. His toes had gone numb, and his legs were cramped from being bent against the arm of the sofa. But his ribs were the worst. For a moment, he was afraid to move.
But then he took a bracing breath, grasped the back of the sofa and pulled himself into a sitting position. He bit back a moan, struggling to remember where he’d put the pain pills.
“You okay?” Maddy asked.
He blinked and she came into focus, a shadow moving from the hallway into the living room.
“What time is it?” he asked.
“About three.”
“And you’re still up?”
“I heard you moan in your sleep.”
“I’m sorry.” He hated that she was seeing him in a moment of weakness.
“Your ribs are broken. I think that’s a pretty good excuse.”
“Did you see where I put the pills?”
“Can I turn on the light?”
“Go ahead. You didn’t undress me or anything?” He put a hand to his chest and found he was wearing his T-shirt.
“You wish.” She clicked on a small lamp on the far side of the room.
“I do,” he said before thinking better of it.
Sure, they’d shared a kiss. And it was one hell of a kiss, but he didn’t want to embarrass her.
“The pills are on the table next to you.”
He couldn’t tell if she was annoyed by his remark or not.
“Did Zane make it home?” he asked, moving on.
“Not yet.” She was wearing a gray T-shirt and a set of green plaid pajama bottoms.
Chase had to force himself to look away. “Is that unusual?” He opened the small bottle and shook two of the yellow pills into his palm.
“Not at all. You know bull riders. There are poker games and buckle bunnies, no end to the trouble or fun, depending on how you look at it.”
“I suppose.” Chase had had his share of offers over the past few months. He’d said no to them all, but plenty of single riders had casual dates in the towns along the circuit.
“Water?” she asked.
“I can get it.” He tried to stand, but pain burned through his chest.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She headed for the kitchen.
He watched her walk away, thinking she had about the hottest body he’d ever seen. The curve of her waist and the strip of bare skin made the T-shirt and low-riding bottoms sexier than any silk negligee.
She disappeared and he heard the tap running.
“It’s been five hours since you took the last pill,” she called back to him.
That explained why he felt so crappy. The doctor had warned him to keep the dosage up for a couple of days.
“They’re okay to take every four hours,” he said as she walked back into the room.
This time, his view was her front. One glance at her rounded breasts, and he was imagining them in the palm of his hands.
She sat down next to him and handed over the glass of water. “Here you go.”
He silently ordered himself to keep his eyes front. “I don’t expect you to be my nurse.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“Thank you.”
“Swallow your pills.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He tossed them to the back of his throat.
“You can’t be comfortable out here,” she said.
He nearly choked on the pills. There was no way in the world she was suggesting he share her bed. But that was the first place his wayward mind went.
“Take Zane’s bed,” she continued. “It’s his fault you can’t get back to the motel.”
Chase coughed, struggling to recover, and then he swallowed. “I’m fine.”
“I’m serious. If he gets home, he can sleep out here.”
“I’m not taking the man’s bed.”
“You’re injured, and you’re here helping me out. I’m not forcing you to sleep on a lumpy, old couch.”
“I
t’s not lumpy.”
“It’s short, and you’re tall,” she said. She rose to her feet. “Come on.”
“You’re going to tuck me in?” Again, as soon as the words were out, he regretted them. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
“I did kiss you.”
He was surprised that she’d so casually tossed that out on the table. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, I kissed you, and you’re allowed to make a joke.”
He rose beside her, careful to keep the pain out of his expression. He didn’t want her pity.
“I’m still sorry. Because it wasn’t a joke.” He paused. “Okay, it was half a joke. But a guy can hope for a long shot.”
“And what were you going to do if I’d said yes?” She looked pointedly at his injured ribs.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” He was lying. He could barely breathe. He wasn’t anybody’s dream lover in this condition.
She chuckled. “I admire your spirit, cowboy.”
“You’re mocking me.”
“I’m mocking you. And I’m putting you to bed. Alone. So that you can recover.”
“And after I recover?”
She shook her head and made a clicking sound with her cheek. “You’re putting way too much on one kiss.”
“It was a great kiss.”
She started for the hallway. “It was a spur of the moment thing.”
“It seemed like you liked it.” He followed, not because he cared so much about sleeping in a real bed, but because he didn’t want their conversation to end.
“I thought it was—”
Riley’s voice interrupted. “No!” he cried out.
Maddy’s expression instantly changed. She rushed down the hall. Of necessity, Chase moved more slowly behind her.
“Stop,” Riley cried. “Mama!”
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Maddy crooned as she crossed into the bedroom to Riley’s bedside.
Chase came to a stop in the doorway, unsure of what to do.
In the dim glow from a nightlight, Riley was sitting up in his bed. His eyes were wide, but he didn’t look to be awake.
She sat down on the red and yellow quilt, putting an arm around his little shoulders and smoothing his hair. “You had a bad dream.”
Riley recoiled. “Stop! Stop!”
“Wake up, honey,” Maddy said.
Chase took a reflexive step into the room.
“Daddy, no!” Riley flailed his little arms.
Chase (American Extreme Bull Riders Tour Book 2) Page 5