Aidan: Loyal Cowboy: Aidan: Loyal CowboyThe Family Plan

by Cathy McDavid

  His smile wasn’t returned.

  Holding out a hand to Jolyn, Chase said, “Mind if I cut in?”

  * * *

  JOLYN DIDN’T COME willingly into Chase’s arms. She might not have come at all if Mike hadn’t nudged her along. For someone who’d been practically mauling her in public, he appeared unconcerned by another man absconding with his dance partner.

  Was that because Mike didn’t consider Chase competition? Settling a hand on the small of Jolyn’s back, Chase decided to give her superintendent a serious run for his money.

  Luck was on his side. No sooner did he and Jolyn take to the floor than the band switched to a different number, one with a slower, sultry tempo.

  With Jolyn pressed so close their hips bumped with each step, and it was hard for Chase not to imagine taking her to bed. Truth be told, he’d been thinking of little else lately.

  Watching her dance with Mike, standing idly by while the other man’s hands roamed all over her, had made Chase crazy with jealousy. He wanted it to be his arms circling her waist, his shoulder she rested her head on, his lips kissing hers. He would have remained in the dark corner where he’d taken refuge all night if Mike hadn’t laid one on Jolyn. Chase had barely refrained from wringing the son of a bitch’s neck.

  Rather than give the local sheriff a reason to arrest him, he’d asked to cut in.

  He didn’t regret his impulsiveness. Having Jolyn to himself, staring at the delectable V of bare skin showing through her open shirt collar, beat spending the night in jail by far.

  “You’re a much better dancer than you used to be,” she said, raising her eyes to meet his.

  The jolt from even that small contact went clear through Chase, and he missed a step. “Hannah’s been teaching me.” He didn’t add that his cousin thought he should brush up on his skills in preparation for when he started dating again.

  “I saw her earlier. And her friend. He seems nice.”

  “He’s okay.” Chase had no desire to talk about Hannah or her date or anyone else. He much preferred concentrating on Jolyn and her lush, lovely breasts, the tips of which rubbed across his shirtfront whenever she moved just so.

  She apparently wasn’t of the same opinion when it came to conversation.

  “Your Aunt Susan and Uncle Joseph left a little while ago.”

  “Uncle Joseph’s gout is acting up.”

  “Where’s Mandy?”

  “With Elizabeth.”

  “Did she enjoy the advanced students’ performance?”

  Chase turned his head so that their temples were touching and said in her ear, “Shut up, will you?” He slid his hand up her spine and then back down. Slowly, so that his fingers caressed each vertebra.

  She let out a small gasp. It was the only sound she made for the rest of the dance.

  He took full advantage of the silence. Fitting her more snugly in his embrace, he let go of her right hand in order to circle her waist with both arms. She had no choice but to link her arms around his neck. Swaying more than dancing, they moved to the music.

  Chase realized it was time to stop kidding himself. His attraction to Jolyn had long passed the friendship stage.

  So, what was he going to do about it?

  He lifted a hand to her chin and tipped her head up, forcing her to look at him. God, she was amazingly beautiful and totally oblivious to it. In a flash, he made up his mind.

  “Let’s go.”

  “All right,” she said, so softly he read her lips more than heard her speak.

  Chase pulled Jolyn behind him, cutting a path through the dancing couples. If he didn’t get her alone right then and there, the sheriff really would have a reason to arrest him.

  Once outside, they passed the picnic area where old Mr. Parkerson sat chewing tobacco and sneaking sips from his flask of whiskey.

  They didn’t stop until they rounded the back corner of the building. Across the walkway was the competition arena where he’d won first place in two classes with Matilda that morning. He considered taking Jolyn under the bleachers, then vetoed that idea. Too many memories of him and SherryAnne as teenagers. Changing directions, he headed for the officials’ booth, a small, block building to the right of the arena.

  She didn’t ask where they were going or what they were doing, not even when they ducked beneath the shelter of the overhanging roof.

  Once they were hidden in the shadows, he trapped her between the side of the building and the equally unyielding length of his body, then forced himself to take it easy. Now that he had Jolyn to himself, there was no need to hurry. Bracing his arms on either side of her head, he lowered his mouth to claim hers.

  The instant their tongues touched, someone set off a firecracker in the distance. Chase heard the whistle, felt the bang as if it came from inside him. Another firecracker followed, but by then he was so lost in Jolyn he barely noticed.

  She returned each thrust of his tongue with one of her own, exploring his mouth with the same eagerness he explored hers. Unable to get enough, he moved his hands to her waist. She moaned her pleasure into his mouth. He responded by brushing the undersides of her breasts with his thumbs.

  She didn’t tell him to stop. If anything, she encouraged him to take greater liberties by arching into him. He did so, covering her breasts with his hands and shaping them to fit his palms.

  Her breath hitched. His lodged in his throat. Another minute of this and he would take her right there behind the officials’ booth.

  A small voice in the back of his brain told him to stop. This wasn’t how he wanted his first time making love with Jolyn to be—hiding in the dark with a third of the town not a hundred feet away. He’d much rather woo Jolyn in a very quiet, very secluded place. Dinner, candles, wine and lots of moonlight. Then, when they finally came together, the resulting fireworks would put any Fourth of July celebration to shame.

  Another firecracker went off. A man hollered, “You kids quit that before you set the field on fire.” Youthful laughter ensued and then the echo of running footsteps.

  Reality returned and with it, reason.

  Chase did the very last thing in the world he wanted to do at that moment—he disengaged himself from Jolyn’s embrace.

  “We should get back to the dance.” He was going to add “Before anyone notices,” but realized everyone probably had noticed their abrupt exit and there was nothing they could do to save themselves from the gossip mill.

  He didn’t care. Let people talk.

  “Jolyn?”

  “Yes,” she murmured.

  He took her hand, turned it over and raised it to his mouth. Unfurling her fingers, he pressed a kiss to the sensitive center of her palm, earning a wistful sigh for his efforts.

  “I wouldn’t have stopped if we weren’t in such a public place,” he said, continuing to hold her hand captive. After tonight, it would be difficult to get near her and not touch or hold her.

  “That’s the only reason I let you stop.” Her hazel eyes, nearly black in the moonlight, sparkled with a mischief he hadn’t seen since they were kids.

  The awkwardness of the last week was gone, replaced with an intimacy shared by just the two of them. Chase dropped a quick kiss on her lips. They would make love, and soon, just not tonight. Folding her hand in his, they walked back to the community center and the dance.

  “Sorry for breaking my promise,” he said.

  “What promise is that?”

  “The one a
bout not kissing you until the clinic was done.”

  “Close enough. We’ll be finished next week.”

  “What are we going to do about us when that happens?” If Dottie heard about his and Jolyn’s moonlight tryst, which she would unless she were blind, deaf and living in a cave, she might cause trouble for Jolyn. Chase was determined not to add to her difficulties.

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  “If you’re willing, I’d like to see where this thing with us goes.”

  She hesitated before answering, and Chase began to doubt his spontaneous admission. But having had a taste of her passion, he wasn’t sure he could give her up without a fight.

  “There’s this situation with my family. It’s…complicated and not easily resolved.”

  “Does it involve me and Mandy?”

  “Not directly. Though you might be affected.”

  “I don’t understand.” They approached the edge of the picnic area. As if by silent agreement, they stopped beside a light post.

  “And I can’t explain,” she said. “Not yet. Maybe after Monday.”

  “What happens then?”

  She shook her head. “I’d tell you if I could.”

  A personal matter that didn’t directly involve him and Mandy? Chase’s curiosity was piqued but he let the matter drop.

  “Monday, huh?” His fingers glided up the length of her arm.

  “Yeah.”

  “I suppose I can wait.” Not that he had a choice. “Let me get you back inside to Mike.”

  “Mike?” She gave him an odd look.

  “He’s not your date tonight?”

  “No. What gave you that idea?”

  “The way he was coming on to you while you two were dancing.”

  She laughed. “He was asking me about Anita. It seems my superintendent has the hots for your assistant.”

  “I’ll be damned.” Chase’s laughter joined hers. “Guess I have to take back all the rotten things I thought about him.”

  “What rotten things?”

  “Never mind.”

  He took her by the elbow and escorted her inside. Instantly, two dozen pairs of eyes were fastened on them. Chase was able to ignore all the stares except one. He met Dottie’s head-on without flinching.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jolyn sat at the dining room table, papers spread out all over the place, eraser shavings covering the tabletop and her lap. The small handheld calculator she’d been using since starting her business was giving her fits, and she promised herself she’d invest in a heavy-duty desktop model at the first opportunity.

  “Does this exclude or include wallpaper?” her mother asked, studying the paper in front of her. “I can’t read your handwriting.” She was seated at a computer station tucked into one corner of the family room, typing a bid proposal for Jolyn. They could see each other and talk across the open arched doorway between the two rooms.

  “Exclude,” Jolyn answered, punching more numbers into the finicky calculator and calling it names under her breath.

  Paperwork, in her opinion, was an evil necessity, and the ten hours a week she spent on it were the worst part of owning her own business.

  If all went well, her new office would be ready to occupy in a few weeks. She wished it could be sooner, but paying work came first and then the repairs at Cutter’s Market, most of which were done.

  In the week since Red, White and Blue Ridge Days, she’d been asked to bid on a restroom renovation at Sage’s Bar and Grill and a storage shed at the school. Not quite the big jobs she needed to grow Sutherland Construction, but better than nothing. She reminded herself that most businesses operated at a loss their first year, a fact that didn’t console her. Jolyn hoped to avoid being a statistic. To accomplish that, she’d have to win two or three jobs the size of Chase’s clinic over the next six months.

  Living in a small town worked both for and against her. Being the only licensed general contractor did give her an advantage. Unfortunately, a small population meant that there might not be enough work to keep her company afloat. If things didn’t pick up, Jolyn would have to expand her territory to Pineville or Globe, where general contractors were plentiful and competition was stiff.

  Paperwork wasn’t the only downside, she thought dejectedly. If not for her parents, she wouldn’t have made it this far, and she owed them a great deal.

  Dottie had proven invaluable. She typed Jolyn’s bids, placed phone calls for her, scheduled deliveries, checked on prices and balanced her books.

  “You’re going to need more than that laptop of yours when you move into your office,” she said, lowering her reading glasses and peering at Jolyn over the rims.

  “Yeah, I know.” She cringed inside at the thought of spending more money on overhead.

  “I’ve been thinking.”

  “About what?” Jolyn asked distractedly.

  “That I could lend you this computer. Just until you can afford a new one.”

  Jolyn’s head came slowly up. She squinted at her mother. “But don’t you need it?”

  “We can manage without it for a while.”

  “I really appreciate the offer, Mom, but no. We’ll squeak by using my laptop until I can swing an upgrade.”

  “If you’re sure.” Dottie pushed her reading glasses up her nose. The next second, her fingers were flying across the keyboard.

  Jolyn smiled. For all her mother’s quirks, she liked working with her. They were a good team. And while nothing formal had been said, they both assumed Dottie would come with her to the new office on a part-time basis.

  As long as her mother’s health permitted. Jolyn tapped her pencil on the table, recalling the latest in what had become a long line of frustrations played out over the course of the last five days.

  As promised, Dottie had placed a call to her doctor on the Monday, getting the full scoop on her suspicious-looking lumps. The doctor was quick to assure her that “suspicious” didn’t mean “cancer.” A biopsy was required for an accurate diagnosis.

  Today was Friday and Dottie’s doctor had only that morning scheduled her procedure. After more than a month of stalling, she’d finally agreed to take the next step and had been waylaid because of a missing document.

  Tuesday morning had launched a flurry of communications back and forth between Dottie, her doctor’s office, Pineville General Hospital and the insurance company. Jolyn considered herself something of an expert in dealing with insurance companies but even she couldn’t budge the HMO mountain.

  Yesterday, Dottie had finally located the missing document and faxed it to the insurance company. Not an hour ago, her doctor called to confirm and to give her preop instructions. The hospital would admit her Monday morning at 7:00 a.m. If all went well, she’d be released that afternoon.

  Her parents were planning to drive to Pineville on Sunday and stay overnight with Steven and his girlfriend in their new house. Jolyn would leave Monday morning, meeting up with Steven at the hospital right before surgery so they could sit with their father.

  Tension in the Sutherland home had reached an all-time high. Keeping busy helped relieve it. One more reason Jolyn was glad for her mother’s assistance.

  The printer whirred to life and spat out the bid Dottie had typed. She scanned it before getting up and walking it over to Jolyn.

  “Thanks, Mom. I’ll drop this off to them first thing in the morning.”

  “What about Chase’s final
billing?” her mother asked, sitting in the chair adjacent to Jolyn.

  “I’m taking that, too. I want to go over it one more time tonight. Make sure I haven’t missed anything.”

  There’d been several changes to the scope of work during construction causing Jolyn to adjust her price. Though she and Chase had discussed the changes in advance, she didn’t want to inadvertently overcharge him.

  “You two getting along okay?”

  “Yeah, why?” Jolyn asked hesitantly, aware that she and Chase had created a stir at the dance on Saturday with their mysterious absence and public hand holding.

  “Just wondering.”

  Her mother seldom just wondered. Sensing she was on a fishing expedition, Jolyn kept her tone light. “I haven’t seen him since Wednesday when we did a final walk-through of the clinic.”

  As it frequently did when reminded of Chase, her mind drifted to their last kiss, a brief but heady stolen moment at the entrance to his clinic. She missed him terribly and couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

  Construction was officially complete as of yesterday when Mike finished the final punch-list items and the building inspector signed the temporary certificate of occupancy. Jolyn alternated between elation and disappointment. She’d grown accustomed to being at Chase’s place nearly every day.

  He still had a lot to do on his end before he was ready to open for business. He had veterinarian and office equipment to install and test, supplies to inventory and store, a computer system to set up and specialized software to load, not to mention the all-important soliciting of patients.

  “I saw the invitation to his open house,” Dottie said. “I can’t believe it’s tomorrow. They aren’t wasting any time.”

  Mandy and Elizabeth had ridden their bikes all over town, personally delivering the invitations to everyone. Pets and their owners were welcome. Refreshments, for both humans and animals, would be served.

  “I understand the open house was Anita’s idea. And it’s a cute one.”