The “quick” picture ended up taking roughly twenty minutes as different poses and groups of people were shuffled through. Of course, as the best man, Chase was in most of them, and he was dang proud to be. It didn’t hurt that Adam had allowed him to wear his nice dress hat.
As he walked toward the tent, he turned back to look at Adam and Destiny posing in a kiss. The photographer was kneeling in the snow getting the whole scene. It was just the two of them and the perfect pink-clouded sky.
A rush of chills went through him. Adam was married. He grinned.
Adam must have felt him staring since he turned back and saluted him. Chase saluted back. They’d done that since they were kids.
Chase laughed, and Adam laughed too.
“Come on now.” His mother linked arms with him. His father stood on her other side. “Let’s get some dinner. I had to starve myself for the past month to fit into this dress.”
Chase put his hand over his mother’s on his bicep and grinned down at her. “You look pretty, Mom.”
Casting her eyes at him in appreciation, she gave a wistful smile. “I’d better. I can hardly breathe.”
His father laughed. “Ah, you always look beautiful, Gina. We need to take ourselves on a vacation.”
“Yes, we do.” She blinked when his grinning father pulled out two tickets. Chase smiled knowingly. “Paul … What is this?” His mother’s voice had gone up an octave.
“Thought we deserved some after-wedding honeymoon ourselves.”
His mother threw her arms around his father’s neck. She’d been dropping hints about taking a European vacation for as long as Chase could remember. “Really?” She looked at the tickets. “For a whole month? Oh, Paul, thank you.”
“You’ve waited long enough.” His father laughed lightly and winked at Chase. “Plus, I couldn’t handle any more of the dude ranch talk.”
“It’s not a dude ranch, Dad. It would be a corporate retreat.”
His father pointed at him. “Well, if the bank doesn’t think it will work, then I guess it won’t work. So we don’t need to talk about it anymore, now do we?”
Chase sighed. He’d been arguing with his father about it since he’d graduated last May. His father had agreed to give him land in the south pasture to build on, but he had to come up with the up-front costs. “I’m not giving up, Dad.”
“I know.” He sighed and kissed Chase’s mother. “But I don’t want to talk about that. Things have calmed down around here, and I’m needing some time away. I’m too old for talk of another business.”
“A business that will make us a lot of money.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” His father smiled as his mother kissed him again.
“I can’t believe it.” She squealed.
“Believe it.” He elbowed Chase in the arm. “Will ya just cover all the chores this month?”
Chase grinned. “Of course. Go have fun.”
His dad winked at him.
At least his father was thinking about the corporate retreats. His father needed to get used to the idea so when Chase got the money, he would be ready.
Chase smiled and moved toward the tent, giving them some alone time. He looked inside and was happy and amazed at the sight. Well, not amazed. He had known Janet would pull off the flowers, but there were also white lights strung everywhere. It was like a dance at the fair, but better.
There was a jumbled maze of people, some in line for the catered hot food on the sides, some already on the dance floor.
Chase headed to the wedding party table smiling and shaking hands with the other people, laughing and telling bad jokes about how Adam was chained down now.
Taking his plate, he moved to the food line. He was starved. He’d had two protein shakes that day, but there hadn’t been much time for anything else. Still, he was happy he had gotten his brother’s gift delivered to their new home, which he’d helped his brother build over the past six months on Moon property. The house was about half a mile down the lane from his parents. They’d put in an access road and plotted out the architecture in a software program. Now, he was pleased he could say that he and his brother, along with a crew they’d hired, had built the house together. It helped to have Porter Wilson consult on the project. He and his brother had put in some hours pounding nails with them, too.
It was beautiful. He was excited to see what his brother thought of the gift he’d delivered to their backyard.
Chase stood in line, glad to see everyone else happy. Then, he saw her again. Honestly, she was hard to miss with her platform shoes and striking brown hair. Her makeup was … big was the only word Chase could think of. Eyebrows painted on. Thick eyelashes. She looked like she had just stepped out of a movie. Beautiful. Composed. He noticed Stan Hayworth, an old football buddy from high school, clearly admiring her too. Stan walked up to her, asking for a dance. She shook her head and turned away.
Chase couldn’t help the laugh that rolled out of him at her blatant rejection. He liked Stan, but he would definitely razz him about it later. Stan had always been the prince of the ball. When he thought about it some more though, Chase’s grin slipped into a frown. He remembered that he shouldn’t laugh because Stan had recently divorced his high school sweetheart.
Getting to the front of the line, he scooped up some warm pork, green beans, and mashed potatoes. This kind of home cooking was his favorite. He got some salad and a roll. When he finished, his plate was piled high enough that he had to walk carefully on the way back to the table.
“Hey, Chase!” Someone called out. Chase turned, recognizing Porter Wilson. “Remember that game—that throw for the winning touchdown?” He hiked a roll through the air like a football.
Without thinking, Chase snatched the roll out of midair. Everyone cheered, and it felt like it was a success until he turned back and stumbled right into Fancy, dropping his plate. Food went flying, and half of it splattered against Fancy’s dress.
“Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed and jumped back. All Chase could do was stand there and watch in horror.
Fancy’s very pink chiffon dress was covered in food from top to bottom. With her brown hair stacked in curls on top of her head, she still looked pretty, but now, she had crocodile-sized tears rolling down her face.
Chase followed Fancy around for twenty minutes looking for some way to help her before she left in a rush, glaring at him. “You’ve always been impossible, Chase Moon.” He had just gotten another plate and settled down at the wedding party table when he heard the lead singer, Amber, from Iron Stix announce the first dance.
Destiny and Adam went to the center of the dance area. Chase watched as all those lessons over the past couple of weeks in the living room paid off. He took a bite, his mood lightened by seeing the pure love on his brother’s face. Destiny looked radiant, and pure happiness rolled through him.
Watching them dance, Chase had to fight a deep ache. He wanted that, the look Adam shared with Destiny.
Call it brother’s intuition, but he’d known Adam was meant for Destiny. He grinned to himself. Okay, he hadn’t exactly known it all the time, but it had become more and more clear. In the end, he’d been happy for him.
Chase tried not to let the uncertainty of his own love life cloud his mind. Instead, he focused on his brother’s happiness.
Then he looked around, noticing several couples from Snow Valley out on the floor dancing—Luke and Annie, Cole and Lucy, April and Wade, Paisley and Clay. He also noticed Quentin Hudson and someone he didn’t recognize. He nodded to all of them as they moved past him. Wow, it seemed like everyone around him was getting a taste of happily ever after.
The song changed, and once again, from the corner of his eye, Chase noticed Autumn.
Standing so pretty. So straight. Great posture, his mother would say. Tall, delicate. A girl he never would have dated in high school. No, in high school he had liked the rodeo queens. In college, he had liked a lot of different women.
Too bad the last woman h
e’d dated had taken him for a ride emotionally. His mind flashed back to Jenny, a women’s lib advocate with more momentum than a raging bull. She was anything but a ranch girl. Fierce. Out to change the world by correcting all the wrongs against humanity. He’d met her in political science class and liked her fire. Too bad he’d been burnt. Basically, she’d told him his life ambition of living on a ranch wasn’t enough. So he’d spent the last couple of months forgetting her, or trying to at least.
He watched Autumn busy herself on the sidelines, helping with the food. He knew that wasn’t her job. She was here to take down flowers at the end. Through the makeup and her brave front, she looked terribly sad.
He didn’t recall ever hearing about this girl. Obviously, she was working for Janet, so how come no one in town had taken the time to tell him about the eligible girl at the flower shop?
Taking a chance, he finished his last bite and stood, making sure to wipe his mouth and fix his hat on his head.
“Chase, come dance with me.” Lacy Hamilton, Janet and Michael’s daughter, took his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor.
Unable to resist, he gave in to Lacy. Right then a country-western song came on, and he started flipping and throwing her around a bit.
Lacy laughed, her twelve-year-old hero worship evident. At the end of the song, he pulled her in for a quick hug.
When he looked around, Autumn was gone. After a moment of glancing around, he saw her dancing with another friend from school. A bit of jealousy crept into his thoughts.
As he turned away from her, he saw Adam and Destiny dancing and knew he’d just caught a chance to dance with the bride. When he cut in, Adam was gracious and grinned at him. “I saw your gift in the backyard.”
Flabbergasted, Chase chucked him in the shoulder. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”
Destiny smiled brilliantly at Adam and winked at him. “It was. Thank you. We love the gazebo.”
Chase smiled and hugged them both, unable to fully absorb how it had all changed now that they were married.
He offered his hand to Destiny, and they began dancing. “You look amazing, Dest.”
She grinned. “Hey, you do too. I saw you working your antics on Fancy.”
He let out a sarcastic laugh. “Right.”
She squeezed his shoulder and laughed too. “Poor girl.”
Chase shook his head. “I felt bad about her dress.”
Letting out a derisive laugh, Destiny sighed. “I think Fancy’s dress is the last thing she’s mad at you for.”
Chase looked away. “I didn’t mean to lead her on.”
Destiny squeezed his hand. “I know, and she knows. She’s just always had feelings for you.”
Chase did feel a bit guilty over Fancy. “It’s never been that way with Fancy.”
Destiny gave him a light punch in his arm. “Don’t worry, Chase. There’s somebody for you. Forget stupid Jenny.”
The man-eater who’d broken his heart. “I don’t even remember a Jenny.”
Destiny sighed. “Chase, c’mon. You’re pretty much amazing. The problems were because Jenny was …”
“Bratty, spoiled, and hated men. Did you know she refused to let me open the door for her, but she never complained when I paid for a meal?”
Destiny smiled. “I can tell you never think about her at all.”
Grimacing, he shook his head. “Yeah, let’s not talk about her.”
Destiny laughed and gestured to a certain area of the dance floor. “Well, it looks like Fancy’s back, and she’s gunning for you.”
Chase glanced over to see her in a new dress. Her brows rose, and she stared directly at him as if to say “you are so mine.”
The song ended, and Destiny kissed him on the cheek. “Everything’s gonna work out for you, Chase. With the dude ranch, with women. I can feel it.”
He wagged his finger at her. “Corporate retreat.” He corrected and kissed her cheek. “Congratulations. Have a good time in Belize, okay?”
She brightened, and then Adam appeared and swooped her away. She laughed and waved at him. “We will. Thanks.”
Before he could turn away, Fancy was next to him, taking his hand and turning him into a country swing. “You owe me a good dance, Chase Moon.” Her body language was fierce, but her smile widened.
Chase found himself lost in country dancing with Fancy. She was good, had always been good. They’d done competitions back in high school, and it’d been fun.
As the dance progressed, he began to wonder why things had never worked out with him and Fancy. He’d heard she’d been engaged to be married, but it hadn’t worked out. She was the rodeo queen type and also the type of woman who wanted to stay in Snow Valley. Her whole family was from here. It should have worked with them.
Batting her eyes at him, she grinned. “I guess you heard my engagement was off?”
He nodded and spun her out, then back in, and took her into a table top. It was easy dancing with her. Comfortable. “I heard.”
Her eyes widened. “It could be good with us. Chase?”
The way she tried so hard, had always tried so hard with them, actually put him off. He remembered that, with Fancy, it’d never felt like he had to do anything to pursue her.
He realized his last girlfriend Jenny had been right about one thing in regards to her assessment of him. He liked a challenge, on the broncs and with dating women. This knowledge hit him hard. Had he been pursuing the wrong women? Was that his fault—he wanted something he couldn’t have?
The guitarist, Bill, from Iron Stix, cut in and asked if he could dance with Fancy.
She flashed an angry look at Bill, but Chase let her go, waving her away. “Thanks, Fancy.” Gratitude washed over him as he caught Bill’s eye. Bill had purposefully saved him from Fancy … just as he used to sometimes in high school.
Going to the edge of the dance floor, he thought about what he’d just learned. Did he look for relationships that didn’t match him as a challenge? No.
He thought of Fate.
No. He’d loved Fate. He kicked the ground. He would have married her.
Then he thought of dating Destiny. It didn’t work because she was meant for Adam, but he had enjoyed the challenge.
Looking around, he saw Autumn standing by herself next to the speakers on the outskirts of the makeshift stage. She looked lost in thought.
Dang it if he did like a challenge. He approached, feeling like he was approaching one of his broncs. “Hey,” he said quietly, wanting to put up his hand and soothe her.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Hello.”
“How’s it going?” Would he dare ask her to dance? He’d seen her turn Stan away earlier.
She looked at the tables. “Janet wants me to keep watch on the tables and make sure the mints stay full and nothing is out of place.”
“You know Janet isn’t a slave driver. I bet she’d let you dance with me.”
She frowned. “I think I’m good. Thank you.”
Rejected? What?
The perfect slow song came on. The perfect song. He wasn’t giving up. “This is my favorite slow song. Imagine that.” He started softly singing the lyrics.
She lifted an eyebrow. “And he sings too.”
Playing along, he nodded. “Oh, yeah. I can sing so well in the shower. It’s amazing. You’ll have to hear it some time.” Then he realized what he’d said. “I mean, not in the shower.” Oh man, he could feel himself blushing. “I … I’m sorry.” He could hardly believe how badly he’d messed this up.
She cleared her throat. “Okay, I guess I’d rather dance with you and hear you sing now than wait for the shower.” A smile played at her lips.
He wasn’t going to walk away, no matter how embarrassed he was. He put his hand out. “That’s just a taste of my suave and debonair banter.”
Her smile widened briefly, but she didn’t make a move to take his hand. “I probably shouldn’t.” But she didn’t leave.
As they stared into each other’s eyes, he felt something between them. It was the same thing from earlier that had made him speechless. Dang, she was beautiful. He had to have this dance. Taking a slow step toward her, he reached for her hand. “I’ll tell ya a secret if you dance with me.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “A secret?”
“Yep. It’s a doozy too.”
For a second, he thought she might walk away, but she reached out and took his hand.
Happiness wove through him. It felt like opening a present on Christmas Day. This may be simple, but it was becoming more and more fun. He put his hand on her hip and was confused at the instant link between them. Of attraction. Of desire. Of so many things.
He found the intense attraction strange. Considering her very put-togetherness, she clearly wasn’t his usual type of woman, one who liked hiking or fishing or riding. No.
“What?” she asked, shrinking from his gaze.
“Nothing.”
“No, you were thinking something.” They started swaying together.
He relaxed. “Hey, don’t accuse me of doing that.”
She smiled, for real this time.
So he took a chance. “I was just thinking about how pretty you are. Perfect, perfect makeup, perfect hair. You have an interesting look.”
“Interesting look? Is that your way of complimenting me?”
Embarrassed, he felt tongue-tied. “I meant I like it.”
She frowned and he felt her tense.
“Hey, whoa. I’m not proposing, okay?” and let out a light laugh.
Cautiously, she unfroze, but didn’t speak.
A nervous filly. That’s what she was. Gently, he led her into a two-step. “Uh, so do you like Snow Valley?”
Tentatively, she nodded.
“Good.”
For the life of him, he could not think of anything he knew about this stunning, sweet-smelling woman. “How long have you been here?”
Her eyes fluttered. “Uh …” Reluctantly she said, “Since the beginning of the year.”
“Where are you from?”
Stopping the dance, she took her hand back, but his other one was still on her hip. “I don’t think I can do this.”
Winter in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance) Page 56