“Forget it, sister,” Brooke said, dryly. When that didn't do the trick, she stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes. Brooke painfully tried not to laugh. Chase watched the exchange, thoroughly amused.
“The two of you bicker like me and my brothers did growing up.” he commented.
“Don't you mean like you and your brothers do? Ashley retorted. “I've seen the three of you in action. You argue like a bunch of little girls.”
Chase tugged playfully on her ponytail. “Do not,” he countered, falling into the childish game for just a minute.
She laughed reluctantly, and the sound of it, rich and husky, went straight to his loins. Ashley stood up, and Chase watched in approval as she sauntered toward the house, on legs long and tanned. God, they seemed to go on forever, he mused. He imagined them wrapped around his waist while he was deep inside her, and smiled at the thought. He wasn't bothered by his attraction to her, not one bit. Chase had always been a ladies' man. He loved women, and she was definitely one hell of a woman. A woman of contradictions, and of layers, Chase had begun to realize. He wanted to peel them back one by one and discover what lay beneath the surface. Of course, that wasn't easy to do when she cut him off at every turn.
“Earth to Chase.” It came through to his consciousness, and his head whipped around toward Seth, who sat cozily next to Karissa, nursing a beer.
Huh?” He grinned when he saw Ashley standing in front of him, dangling an ice cold Bud between her fingers. “You look like you could use this,” she said, holding it out to him. Taking the bottle from her, he took a huge swig, appreciating the way it felt on his already parched throat.
“Thanks, babe.” When she didn't come back with an insult, or punch him, Chase breathed a sigh of relief. Just testing the waters, he thought, as she slid back into her chair. “So, is this what you girls do all day?” Chase wanted to know. “Sit around and talk about sex? Just an FYI ~ sex happens to be my favorite topic,” he said, a lazy smile on his handsome face.
“No, that's not what we sit around and do. Well, not all day,” Ashley added, snickering. “But sometimes when you're not having it, you have to sit around and talk about having it. It's therapeutic.” Ashley enlightened him. “Or, we just listen to Brooke's stories about her sexcapades with a certain hot, hunky cowboy. That's therapeutic, too.”
Brooke just sunk down in her chair and closed her eyes, pretending not to hear a single word that was coming out of Ashley's big mouth.
“So, is that why you're so uptight, legs? Cause you haven't been getting any?” Chase thought about it for a minute. “I have to say, I find that hard to believe. I mean, a gorgeous woman like you....”
“Finding a willing male isn't the issue,” she tossed back. “Unlike you, I just happen to be selective.”
“Maybe if you'd just relax a little bit....,” he said, looking at her speculatively. “Just putting that out there,” he added, choosing to ignore that comment.
How could it be possible for a man to be so damn infuriating, and so damn hot, at the same time? she wondered. He'd managed effortlessly to flip her bitch switch. “I hardly think I should take advice from a guy whose only requirement in a 'date', and that's putting it nicely, is that she have a vagina.” Ashley smiled sweetly. Chase didn't appear insulted in the least.
“So, what are you boys up to? Just passing by?” Brooke asked, looking from one of them to the other. She wanted to change the subject, and quickly.
Seth, who had been watching the exchange between his brother and Ashley, spoke. “No, actually,” he said, directing his gaze toward Karissa. “I wanted to go over a few things with you regarding the renovations on the out building. I stopped by the shop and Evie said I could find you here, so...” he trailed off.
“Oh, okay.” Karissa felt the first stirrings of excitement. She couldn't wait to get rolling with the renovations. After Seth completed the blueprints of the floor plan, there would be some red tape. They'd need permits, they'd need to make sure everything was up to code, the building inspector would need to come out. She knew they had a long way to go, but she felt great knowing that things were going to be getting underway.
“Do you have some time right now?” he wanted to know.
“Sure. Let's go into the house. We can use the kitchen table as a work space” she offered. Brooke watched them as they headed through the glass doors into the house. She couldn't really gauge Seth's feelings, but her sister wore her heart on her sleeve, Brooke mused. She just hoped that it didn't end up broken in the long run.
June gave way to July, and the buzz around town was the impending Fourth of July celebration. It was going to be the most memorable celebration to date, the celebration to beat all celebrations, or so everyone was saying. Brooke was reserving her vote on that one. In her mind, one in particular stood out from all the rest. She smiled as it came back to memory.
“What's the smile about?” Ashley asked, glancing over at her, curiously.
“Oh, just memories of past celebrations. One of them, specifically,” she said. “I'll tell you all about it later,” Brooke said, trying to maneuver through a ton of traffic.
As she turned her car onto Maple Street and slowly approached the park, she was surprised to see that so many people were already arriving. There were droves and droves of them. Brooke couldn't remember ever having so many people show up for the Fourth of July celebration before. Although, she hadn't been home for the Fourth in years, but still. Just how populated had the town become? she wondered.
She was fortunate enough to find a parking space at the east end of the park. They'd have a bit of a hike, but that was okay. She didn't mind walking. She enjoyed it, in fact.
Brooke and Ashley were unloading the trunk when Seth pulled his truck into the space behind them. Seth and Logan climbed out of the cab, while Chase hopped down from the back. They were a sight for sore eyes, Ashley mused. The three of them resembled each other a lot. They'd been blessed with some superior genetics.
She whistled, low, and shot Brooke a knowing smile. “That's a whole lotta hotness,” she mumbled, so that only Brooke could hear her.
Brooke arched a brow and smiled back. “You. Have. No. Idea.”
The first thing Logan did was reach for Brooke, snagging her around the waist and pulling her toward him. He kissed her, deeply. She leaned into him, returning the kiss. A truck load of high school kids drove past, whistling and hooting. They grinned at each other, neither of them the least bit bothered by it.
“Hey, Ash,” Chase said, sidling up to Ashley. “You're lookin mighty fine, sweetheart.” She pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head and eyed him suspiciously. The corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk.
“Not a chance, Romeo,” she said.
Logan and Seth roared with laughter. Chase probably didn't know what to think, Logan thought. It was likely the first time he'd been shot down by a woman, ever. Chase could use a little bit of humbling, he decided. It'd be good for him. Chase didn't seem fazed at all. Instead, he flashed her a killer smile, one that could melt butter. And could work on any other woman, it seemed, except the elusive Ashley.
“I like a good challenge as much as the next guy, honey,” he said, winking at her. Ashley shook her head and half-smiled to herself. He was nothing if not persistent, she had to give him that.
Seth glanced around and came up short. “Where's Rissa,” he asked, his attention focused on Brooke. She noticed the look of disappointment on his face. The man's got it bad, she realized.
“She's meeting us here,” she told him. “She should be here any time now.”
He nodded, appearing satisfied with that bit of information.
Seth and Chase reached into the bed of the truck, each grabbing a handle of the giant cooler they'd brought along, and hefted it out. If Brooke knew them at all, it would be filled to the hilt with bottles of Bud. Logan helped her finish unloading her trunk.
Aside from the big cooler, there was another smaller cooler f
illed with lemonade, several picnic baskets loaded with all kinds of treats, a handful of bags containing various items, lawn chairs and blankets. They all began scooping up things that needed to be carried, arms and hands loaded, and started the half-mile walk to the west end of the park, where everything was set up for the day's festivities.
They found the perfect spot. The men put two picnic tables together, making one long table to accommodate the ten of them. They planned on meeting Karissa and both sets of parents there. They moved their tables underneath a giant maple tree, which offered a decent amount of shade. The lawn chairs, placed here and there, were deep and comfortable, inviting a person to sink right in.
The women unfolded blankets and spread them out on the lawn, smoothing them out carefully. Red and white checked table cloths were placed over the picnic tables, giving them a homey feel. Brooke set the cooler of lemonade at the end of the table, and the picnic baskets on the bench for easy access. They had a ton of space and didn't have anyone else sitting on top of them, which would be comfortable and ideal.
The park itself was enormous, about a mile long and nearly as wide. It featured strolling paths and rolling hills, with several elliptical pathways that interlinked, and also sidewalks. More than one hundred maple, pine, sycamore and oak trees. It was landscaped beautifully, with lush green grass, big beautiful trees everywhere, and flower beds that had been planted strategically. The four garden areas had benches and traditional decorative lamp posts throughout. On the west end, a massive fountain was the focal point. It was round and had five tiers, the smallest tier at the top, with the others becoming larger in succession. Water flowed down the fountain in rivulets, falling into the deep, wide pool below. A ledge a few feet high wrapped around the entire pool, where people could sit and simply enjoy the soothing sound of the water.
People strolled past. Men, women and children with smiles on their faces and enjoyment in their eyes. Teenagers rode by on bicycles, or sped by on roller blades. Some just sat around the fountain or on blankets in the lush grass enjoying the warmth and the excitement of the day.
It was nearing eleven, and the grills would be firing up soon. Brooke remembered past celebrations, which had been entertaining and fun. She had a feeling that they'd only improved over the years, and she was looking forward to experiencing this year's festivities with her family and closest friends.
By noon the festivities were in full swing. There was live entertainment. A few local country & western bands were performing, and the one currently playing was awesome.
There were also games and activities for all, including tug-of-war, the potato sack race, the three-legged race, the water balloon toss, jump rope and hula hoop contests, frisbee, horse shoes, craft activities, face painting, a dunking booth, and a bouncy house.
Brooke couldn't believe the abundance of food. It was brought out in intervals, and just kept coming. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork, all grilled to perfection. She loved the taste of grilled food. Brooke's stomach began to rumble and she realized that she was starving.
There were salads of every kind, baked beans, sweet corn, cotton candy, watermelon, and every kind of pie imaginable. They all ate together at their table. Brooke and Logan sat side by side, wrapped up completely in each other. Karissa sat with Seth, talking and laughing, reminiscing about the past. And much to her chagrin, Chase cozied up to Ashley. They actually seemed to be getting along for the time being and it didn't appear that Brooke was going to have to be the referee, so all was good.
“Have you ever tasted anything so yummy?” Ashley asked, in a sugary sweet voice that instantly got Chase's attention. “Mmm, I love this stuff,” she added, making little groaning noises as she pulled off a chunk at a time and let it melt on her tongue. She slowly and thoroughly licked the cotton candy off of each fingertip. He was practically drooling. “Speaking of cotton candy,” Ashley said, “isn't that your girlfriend over there, with some other guy's face buried in her breasts?” She indicated the direction with a nod of her head.
He didn't bother to look. He didn't give a rat's ass what Cotton Candy was doing, or who she was doing it with.
“I don't have a girlfriend,” he said, mesmerized by the way she licked the sweet, sticky confection from her lips, letting the tip of her tongue run back and forth along her top lip, and then the bottom, until they glistened. He was so tempted to lean over and have a taste of those very full, very delicious lips. He wondered what Ashley's reaction would be if he kissed her then and there.
Ashley smiled inwardly. He is so predictable. She was putting on a show for him, intentionally trying to drive him crazy, just because she could. He deserved it, after all. It served him right, especially after some of the offensive things he'd said to her since she'd been in town. What was that, about a week now? And in that time he'd managed to insult her on a number of occasions. Unintentionally, of course, or so he claimed.
“Oh, that's right. My mistake. You don't have one, you have an entire harem.”
“Funny, legs.” He didn't know what game she was playing with the damn cotton candy/lip licking thing, but he was willing to let her have her fun, even if it was at his expense. There was always a time and a place for payback, Chase thought, grinning.
Ashley was surprised by how well she and Chase had been getting along. They'd talked, laughed, exchanged playful banter, and had even paired up for some of the games and races. She was having a really good time, she realized. To Ashley's surprise, and delight, even Raelyn and Paul, and Diana and Nicholas has participated in some of the races.
Brooke and Logan were still completely wrapped up in each other, and had been for most of the day, which Ashley could certainly understand.
It was the first time she'd ever met Logan. She knew a little bit about him, from what Brooke had shared with her.
Initially, she wasn't sure how she felt about him, this being based solely on what she knew of his past with Brooke. It was one of those “you hurt my best friend, I'm your sworn enemy” types of deal. She felt as if she was obligated to detest him. But she didn't. To her surprise, she really liked Logan. They'd spent some time talking on several occasions, which had given her the opportunity to actually get to know him somewhat.
Based on that, and the way he treated Brooke, and was obviously crazy in love with her, how could she not like him? He seemed like an all-around good guy. Which, technically, was a contradiction to his past actions, and the fact that he'd cheated on Brooke and had broken her heart. Ashley knew very well Brooke's feelings about what had happened between them eight years before, and of course, Ashley would have felt the same way Brooke did if something so horrible had happened to her.
But sometimes good people made mistakes, too. If Brooke wanted to give Logan a second chance, then that was her decision and hers alone. Ashley just hoped that Brooke didn't get hurt again. Somehow, though, she couldn't imagine that being the case. One thing was for sure, though. Brooke was in denial. She had convinced herself that her relationship with Logan was purely sexual, but anyone with eyes in their head could see that was far from the truth.
Brooke may not realize it yet, but she had genuine feelings for Logan. She was well on her way to falling in love with him again. Hell, she'd probably been in love with him all of these years, but let her feelings for him lay dormant. Now, after seeing him again, and being with him, those feelings were awakening after a long slumber.
As evening approached, they relaxed on the blankets underneath the old maple. They'd had a long day and had used up some major energy. Now, they stretched out on the blankets and waited for the fireworks. The last band performance was beginning to wind down.
“I don't know about you guys, but I had a great time today. I haven't been to one of these celebrations in years,” Brooke stated, lying on her back with her head resting in Logan's lap. He rubbed her cheek with the back of one finger. “That being said, I'm still not convinced that this was the best celebration ever. I can recall one, in particular
, that stands out above all the rest. It was hands down the best to date.” She had a mischievous grin on her face.
“Oh, God,” Karissa groaned. “Please, let's not recount that day. It's bad enough that it will be etched into my memory for the rest of my natural life.”
Chuckles were heard around the group.
Ashley tilted her head to look at Karissa. “Now you have to share,” she said. “You can't make a statement like that and then not spill.”
Brooke started. “It was the summer following our freshman year at Harvard. Logan and I had come home for the summer,” she said, glancing up at him. He grinned, remembering the incident all too well. “So Chase must have been about....oh, seventeen at the time.”
Seth picked it up from there. “There we all were, in the midst of the festivities, when we heard this loud, raging voice coming from over by the pond. Apparently, Chase was caught with his pants down, literally, when Jessie Evanson's daddy found Chase giving his little girl a hands-on lesson in anatomy.
“Chase came tearing out of the bushes with his pants, and boxers, around his ankles, trying to run from a crazed Mr. Evanson with a pitchfork in his hand,” Logan continued. “Since Mr. Evanson was kind of old and on the chubby side, Chase was actually able to outrun him with his pants around his ankles for a while. He chased him around the park for a good ten minutes before he got close enough, and when he did, he threw the pitchfork and stuck Chase dead in the ass with it.”
Laughing hysterically, Brooke took over again. “Chase stumbled and fell, and landed right smack on top of Karissa, who screamed her pretty head off. It was Rissa's first up-close-and-personal look at a naked guy,” Brooke explained to Ashley, “and it traumatized her. I can still hear her screaming, “Eww, get it off my leg, get it off my leg.” Brooke laughed until her eyes teared.
Ashley sat there, stunned, not sure what to make of that.
Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) Page 13