I grinned. “So you don’t mind having me around?”
“Honey, you’re going to be my new right hand man…woman.”
“Person,” I supplied. “Do you have anymore outstanding loans due?”
He shook his head, but then stopped and nodded slowly. “A few. Though none of them as large as Don’s.”
“Did you charge him interest?” I asked. “What about a contract?”
He sat forward in his seat. “Well, well. Tough and smart. There was an agreement drawn up, but it’s been so long since I’ve read it…and its nothing like the contracts you’re thinking of.”
“Were there any stipulations, consequences? A set date for him to have paid you back by?” I asked.
“How do you know so much?” he truly looked stumped.
“Uncle Jerry, my parents love their money. I hear them talking all the time. They just don’t think I’m listening.”
He pointed at a small filing cabinet under the window, “Have at it.”
Two hours later I was elbow deep in paperwork and various large worded contracts. I didn’t understand half of the stuff I was reading. I figured out most of them had been fulfilled. What I found was that Chase’s grandfather, in his older age, liked to be generous with money. And the actual contracts themselves were shocking.
Because most of them were written on paper napkins.
I was on the floor, laying on my stomach with Whiskers napping in the sun next to me, trying to read the scrawled writing, always in blue ink, when a pair of brown boots stopped in front of me.
I tilted my head back, “Chase!”
He knelt down and examined the chaos. I had piles circled around me. Normal contracts that had been followed to the letter were back in the cabinet.
But the agreements scrawled in blue ink on napkins…
I had a tally going on a scrap piece of paper, and the money that was owed to Chase was nearing the half million mark.
“So you’ve found Grandpa’s cabinet.” He shook his head, taking off his hat and resting it on his knee. “What do you think?”
I sat up, picking a wadded napkin with lipstick smeared on the back out of the pile closest. “Well, someone at Tom’s Steakhouse is…three grand richer. Did you know about this?”
He nodded, rubbing his jaw. “Yeah, pops got soft in his old age. Couldn’t say no to anyone.”
“Have you even added these up?” I asked. “Do you know who much money he gave away…” I snagged a coaster from a bar in Helena. “Ten thousand to Lou. Who’s Lou?”
“Good question,” he took it from me and flipped it over. “I haven’t seen this one before.”
“Chase, there’s another drawer I haven’t even been through yet.” I hoped the ranch wasn’t in trouble because of what his grandfather did. What if Chase lost it? If they didn’t have enough money? The land might be worth millions, but he’d have to sell it to have access to it. “You have lawyers, are they doing anything to fix this?”
He shook his head, sifting through the napkins with a detached, almost resigned expression. “No, we have no way of knowing who these people are, except for Don. No numbers, no last names. We didn’t know about his loans until he died. That’s when we discovered what was in his cabinet. He kept the sucker locked and the key on his belt.”
“Why did you keep all of these, why not throw them out?”
He smiled, settling his hat back on his head and taking my hands and helping me to my feet as he stood. “Because every once and while, we get a phone call from someone whose conscience has gotten to them, saying they’d like to pay us back.”
“I don’t understand,” I gazed at all the napkins around us on the floor, my mind whirling. “Why would Jerry…”
Chase pulled me out of the office and shut the door. “Jerry has a funny way of doing things. Just think of it as his way of welcoming you into the family.”
“So sharing finances means I’m accepted?”
“No, passion means you’re accepted.” He said. “Jerry’s done this before. Did it to Grant’s wife. Holly got so mad, thinking we’d hit hard times. She called around, trying to see if there was a way to get the money back. She didn’t know that we don’t actually need the money.”
I faltered, almost missing a step on the stairs. “Hang on, you mean that missing half a million doesn’t hurt you financially?”
“Nope.” I was following him, not really paying attention to where we were going. When he stopped, we were outside my room. “Get your jacket, we gotta go.”
Go…where?
“Oh my god,” I’d lost track of time. “Is it noon?”
He nodded, leaning in the doorway, watching me as I pulled on my hiking boots and rummaged though the closet for my jacket. I pulled my hair back into a pony, didn’t bother looking in the mirror, which was another first for me, and ran back into the hallway.
Chase stayed leaning in the doorway, just smiling, not saying anything.
“What?”
He lifted a shoulder, “I like you Briar.”
I tied my jacket around my waist, starting for the stairs. “I thought you loved me.”
“That too,” he said from behind me.
I turned around on the landing and bit my lip, thinking I might as well tell him now, rather than later. “I did something.”
“What?” he studied me curiously from under his hat, and kept smiling.
Jerry hobbled past us on the stairs, grinning. “She told Don his mother would be ashamed of him.”
I nodded, “Right, I might have overstepped my bounds.”
Chase didn’t mind, in fact. He was just as happy as Jerry. I thought he would have been mad, just a little. I mean, I stuck my nose in someone else’s business. But it was obvious Chase didn’t like him. So when he told me that I could call him anything I wanted and add interest to the amount Don owed him, just to stick it to him even more, I was shocked. Pleasantly shocked.
So I did what any pleasantly shocked girl in love would do.
I tugged my cowboy in the nearest darkened corner for a kiss.
Chapter 19
Uncle Jerry almost caught us when he came back out of the office. I shoved Chase into the bathroom and we waited, holding our breath, trying not to laugh. His footsteps slowed, cane making soft thuds as it hit the carpet.
“What should we do?” I whispered.
“Shit, uh, I could lock the door, and if he knocks just tell him I’m using the bathroom.”
But what if he started wondering where I was, considering Chase and I didn’t stray too far from each other. I was sure he’d figure out, eventually, I’d been in the bathroom with him.
And wouldn’t that be an interesting conversation to have with his uncle.
Chase threw open the window and slipped outside. He held out his hand. Directly below us was the flat roof over the porch. I backed up, thinking this was a bad idea.
“Chase, are you sure about this?” it seemed like a long way down.
“Do you want to explain to Jerry why we were in the bathroom?”
Uncle Jerry’s footsteps stopped outside the door and I dove out the window. Chase closed it and we ducked just as the bathroom door opened.
We were going to have to figure out a way around his aunt and uncle, or a find a place to sneak off to.
“Do they ever leave the house?” I asked, creeping along side him on the roof.
“Yeah,”
“Together?”
He stopped and studied the drop down to the porch. “Well, not often.”
“Chase, how the hell did you get up there?” one of the hands, a burly guy in overalls, came out of the barn, shading his eyes against the sun as he looked up at us.
“He was showing me the fire escape route.” I sounded convincing…and I’m thinking he bought it.
“Hang on, I’ll get you a ladder.”
With Chase and I back on the ground, and his aunt and uncle totally clueless about what we’d been doing, I followed h
im around the front of the house where he had horses waiting for us. “You’ll be riding Ruby,” Ash shook his head and pranced as we passed him. “Hang on buddy. We’re not ready to leave yet.”
“Are you going to lead me again?” I got my foot in the stirrup, and with a little help was in the saddle holding on tight.
“You want me to?” He swung up on to Ash, and I let out a sigh. I’d never thought I’d fall for a boy like Chase. To be honest, I didn’t know guys like him existed. There was something about his steadiness and confidence that made me think, if he could do it, then I could too.
“I think I’ll be okay,” I had the reins in my left hand, and got Ruby walking beside him. I was more confident, but added, “don’t go too far.”
“I won’t.”
I was doing well with his directions. Every once and a while he’d correct me, show me a better way, and I’d commit it to memory. I loved horseback riding. I felt free.
We reached the herd about half an hour later. Grant was happy to have Chase back. He took his place flanking, whatever that meant. I rode a little ways behind him, watching the cattle. It was a huge herd. Chase said there were six hundred in this group.
Grant and the cowboys, with Chase’s help, and even my help, got the herd though the gates and into the pasture a couple hours later. I mimicked what Chase was doing, waving my hands to make them move, using Ruby to block them from trying to get past us.
By late afternoon it was time to head back in the direction of the big house, after a short break to stretch our legs a little bit.
I rode beside Chase. We followed Grant and the cowboys, picking up the pace a little since there weren’t any cows to worry about.
By the time we got home, I was thinking I’d had enough for one day. I was sore and tired, and I needed a shower. Also, I was starving. We stopped the horses in the yard. Chase left Ash to help me off Ruby.
Oh. Dear. God.
The second my feet hit the ground I wanted to double over. How could he do this? Parts of me hurt that I didn’t know could hurt. I felt like a freaking pretzel. I was afraid to walk too, because I knew it would look funny.
I managed two steps. Didn’t get far at all when my left leg seized up. “Cramp!”
He tuned back and sighed, “Damn, I’m sorry.”
I sat on the porch steps and began rubbing it out of my leg, watching Chase take the saddles off the horses. He set them on the railing and shut the gate to the yard so they wouldn’t get out.
“I was just excited to have you with me. I didn’t think about how you’d feel after a day like this.” He knelt in front of me, shaking his head. “How’s it feel?”
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll get used to it. Don’t tell me you never had a cramp from riding a horse all day. Now help me up.”
He gave me a hand up and we went into the house.
“Clean up,” Millie shouted once we’d shut the door. “No telling what you’re covered in. I won’t have eau de manure wafting around the dinner table.”
I sniffed my shirt, following Chase upstairs. “I can’t smell anything…”
We passed Whiskers in the hallway he hissed, running sideways, his back arching and hair standing on end.
It had to be the smell of the cows, because normally he liked me.
I showered, pulled on a pair of yoga pants and one of Chase’s shirts since I hadn’t done laundry and fell into bed after dinner. Forget it. It was nine o’clock. I was gone. So far gone, it would have taken and act of God to get me out of bed…or a really determined cowboy.
“Briar,”
“What?” I pushed up and looked around. It was bright and sunny. Someone had opened the curtains. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Sunday.” Chase was hovering over me. He smelled like leather and mint. Normally the leather smell hung around him. He must have just brushed his teeth.
“Okay, thanks for telling me.” I snuggled into the pillows and pulled the covers over my head. They didn’t stay there for long. He pulled them right back down. “Please, I’ll do anything, Chase, just let me lay here and be the pretzel.”
“Sunday, as in, church day. We’re going to be late.”
I shot up and smacked my head against his. “Oh, God.”
“Damn,” he groaned, slumping beside me on the bed.
“Sorry,”
“It’s okay, I’m good. How about you?”
“Well, I’m awake,” I rubbed my forehead, sliding out of the bed. “I’ll hurry.”
“Great, I’ll tell Millie and Jerry to go on ahead.” He pulled out his phone, dialing. “Hey, Briar slept late. We’ll be right behind you.”
I picked out a jeans skirt and a lace blouse, hoping they would be good enough. Then I looked at Chase. Jeans, western style button up shirt, and boots.
Yep, I was good.
I ran to the bathroom and threw on my clothes, brushed my teeth, and clipped my hair back to tame it. “Ready.”
Chase stood as I came out of the bathroom, “Great, we’ll sneak in the back and hopefully no one will notice.”
I grabbed my purse and boots. We headed down through the kitchen to the back door. Chase forgot his keys, since he hadn’t planned on driving, and went back inside to get them.
It was such a beautiful morning. I walked down the porch and sat on the steps, pulling on my boots. They were starting to feel more like mine, a little broken in, and comfortable. The sky was a pretty, clear blue. White clouds swirled in the distance at the peak of the mountains. The birds chirped. I took a deep breath, glad I hadn’t slept in longer. The sweet smell of Millie’s flowers floated on the breeze.
It was so perfect. Nothing in Florida could compare to a quiet Montana morning.
I breathed deep again, taking in the sweet smell, letting it sink into my lungs, and coughed. Rasping and wanting to retch from the thick smoke filling my mouth, I bent forward to drag in a breath, and pulled myself up, following my nose.
The smell of smoke grew stronger. I coughed even more. Around the side of the house I laid eyes on the big red barn.
Flames.
“Chase!” I dropped my purse, tearing down the side yard.
Hay bales were stacked next to the barn. Not very high, some didn’t even reach over my head. But the fire was eating away at the dry hay, getting closer and closer to the barn.
“Help,” I screamed, searching for something to douse the small blaze. There had to be a hose, a bucket…nothing. I ran back around the house. “Chase!”
He came out of the kitchen, jingling his keys. “What’s wrong?”
“Fire,” I pointed at the smoke.
He ran with me around the side of the house. There was a hose I hadn’t seen and we unrolled it, turning the water on as high as it would go. Within seconds a disaster had been averted. The hay sizzled. The smoke thickened momentarily. But the barn was safe.
I pulled my shirt up, covering my face, while Chase moved closer, still soaking the hay. “Is it out?”
He kept the stream of water going, “Yeah, luckily. Its still kind of wet from the last rain…doesn’t make any sense why it would catch fire. It’s not even hot.”
We could have had an inferno on our hands. It would have destroyed the barn. One of us could have been hurt. The fire could have spread to the stables. To the horses or the cows.
My head swam. I blinked hard to clear the blurriness out of my eyes. Feeling lightheaded, I sank to the ground on my knees, trying to remember to breathe.
“Briar?” Chase dropped the hose and ran toward me. “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t answer him.
“You’re scaring me. Say something.” He crouched beside me, grasping my shoulders, but I couldn’t look at him. “Briar?”
I was too busy staring at a book of matches on the ground.
I crawled forward, not touching the matches. They were real. I wasn’t seeing things. If I hadn’t wound up on the ground I wouldn’t have seen them hidden by the grass and bits of hay.
“Chase, look…” I sat aside and he came closer.
“What the hell?”
“No, don’t touch them!” I pushed his hand away. “Fingerprints. There might be fingerprints. Haven’t you seen any of those cop shows?”
He nodded, rubbing his hand up and down my back. “Yeah, we’ll get it into a plastic bag and save it.”
“I’ll get one,” I didn’t make it to my feet. Chase tugged me back down and shook his head. “What’s wrong?”
“You. You nearly passed out. Just stay put. You scared the shit outta me, Briar.”
“It just hit me,” I said. It’s not until you almost lose something that you realize how much it means to you. I hadn’t been on the ranch for long, and I hadn’t really looked that deeply at my surroundings, not past Chase. All of my focus was on him. I knew how I felt for him. How I felt so deeply for this place blindsided me. Hit me so hard I didn’t know which way was up. “I was thinking something could have happened… I don’t know, I guess I didn’t realize that I love it here so much.”
“Just hit you, huh?” his laugh was relieved and I felt some tension ease out of him. “Here I was thinking you got burned.”
“No, I’m fine,” I picked up a stick and flipped over the book of matches so we could read the logo. A chill slid down my spine. “That looks awfully familiar.”
“Big Bear Bar,” Chase cursed. “Don’s place.”
“Oh, God.” My stomach rolled. “You don’t think he did this because of what I said on the phone, do you?”
“No, Briar.” Chase hugged me. “He would have come to me to have it out, not gone like a coward behind my back.”
“You sound so sure,” I wanted to cry.
“I promise. He wouldn’t do it because of what you said. In fact, he wouldn’t burn down anyone’s barn. He may be a selfish bastard, but he’d never hurt a soul.” Chase rested his head against mine. “We’ll figure it out. Soon as Millie and Jerry get back from church.”
I rubbed my eyes, keeping from loosing it totally. “Why not call them now?”
“They won’t answer, and if they did, you’d have the whole congregation following them home. They’ll probably show up anyway, once this gets around.”
Chasing McCree Page 14