Wondering who had invaded his home, he jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans. He was halfway down the hall when he recalled Jessie showing up last night, just as he and Lucas were heading in from completing the evening chores.
Rather than backtrack to his room and finish dressing, he walked into the kitchen. His wife stood at the stove stirring a pan of eggs.
“Mornin’,” he said, forking a hand through his hair, hoping he didn’t have a bad case of bed head.
“Good morning.” She turned to glance at him, but her gaze fastened on his bare chest. For the length of several heartbeats, she stared at him. A look of surprise gave way to something else, something that held heat and fascination, if he’d been willing to admit it.
Her cheeks turned a becoming shade of pink and she dropped her gaze back to the pan of eggs she cooked. “I hope you like scrambled eggs. I wasn’t sure how you prefer your eggs, and decided this was probably safe. I remember you ordered scrambled eggs when we ate breakfast together in Las Vegas.”
“I like scrambled or fried, but I won’t eat them if they are runny. That’s just nasty.”
She wrinkled her nose and turned off the burner beneath the eggs. “Agreed. I always thought runny eggs were so gross, like someone had sneezed on the plate or something.”
He hid a chuckle and rubbed a hand across his chest, recalling his half-dressed state. Jessie’s eyes followed every movement of his hand and his ego inflated a bit, hoping her interest meant she liked what she saw.
Even though the rational part of his brain was calling him an idiot, the part of him that wanted her to like him, to be as attracted to him as he was to her, took great pride in her reaction to seeing his bare chest.
He took a step forward but she turned her back to him and dished up the eggs. “I wasn’t sure what time you usually eat, but breakfast is ready.”
“Okay. Let me grab a shirt and I’ll be right back. I usually do part of the morning chores first then come in to eat while I warm up before I go back out to finish.” He hurried to his room, tugged on a thermal shirt and topped it with a flannel shirt before he returned to the kitchen.
Jessie poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him then motioned to the table in the breakfast nook. It was set for two and the mingling aromas of bacon, coffee, and hot biscuits elicited a loud rumble from his empty belly.
“This looks great, Jessie.” Chase held out a chair for her. Once she sat, he settled into the seat across from her. He bowed his head and said grace without waiting to see what she’d do. Her “amen” joined his at the end of the prayer and he smiled to himself before raising his head. “After your long drive, I thought you might want to sleep in today.”
“I’ve always been an early riser,” she said, sipping from a cup filled with hot water.
He looked at it and frowned. “Why are you drinking that?” he asked.
“I’m not a big coffee fan, you don’t have any tea, and I didn’t pack any. I’ll pick some up when I go to the store later today.” She tipped her head toward the refrigerator. “I think we need to acquaint you with fruits and vegetables.”
“Now you sound like Lori, and Ashley, and my grandmother. They are forever foisting fruit and green stuff on me.” Chase gave her a teasing look as he buttered a fluffy biscuit and took a bite. Steam curled around his face as he chewed and he gave Jessie an approving nod. “Your culinary skills pass muster. Thank you for making this nice breakfast.”
“You’re welcome,” she said quietly, then buttered a biscuit and helped herself to two pieces of bacon. “I’m so glad Lucas and Lori agreed to keep Tinsel at their place.”
“Tinspout should be just fine with them. In fact, Lori and Lucas will most likely spoil him rotten.” He winked at her and took another biscuit.
She ignored his purposeful mangling of the cat’s name. “Tinsel didn’t seem too bothered when we took him over last night. What time would be okay to check on him?”
Chase leaned back and glanced out the window. “The lights are on in their kitchen, which means they’re both up. Head over there any time after breakfast. I promise they’ll make him feel at home.” Tired of talking about the cat, he switched to her mention of going into town.
“Do you want to do some major grocery shopping or just pick up a few supplies?” he asked, watching as Jessie took a ladylike bite from her biscuit then dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Actually, it was a paper towel, but the closest thing he had to napkins.
“If possible, I think I better do some major grocery shopping. You seem to be out of just about everything. It’s fortunate you had a can of biscuit dough in the refrigerator, or you’d be eating stale bread for breakfast.”
He glanced down at the biscuit in his hand, convinced Jessie had made it from scratch. His attempts at cooking them never created such tasty results.
“We can go into the Tri-Cities to shop. They have a big warehouse store there, a shopping mall, and just about anything else you might need.”
Jessie’s fork paused halfway to her mouth as she stared at him. She returned the bite of eggs to her plate. “You… you want to go with me?” she asked.
“Sure. I need to pick up a few things at the feed store anyway. Why don’t we plan to leave here around ten? Does that work for you?”
She nodded. “That’s fine. I’ll be ready to go.”
Chase finished eating his breakfast, uncertain when his mouth and brain had decided to part ways. The last thing he wanted to do today was to serve as Jessie’s chauffeur and tour guide. Yet, here he was looking forward to spending time with her.
Unless he got his head on straight and kept it that way, he was going to be in big, big trouble where his accidental wife was concerned.
Chapter Nine
Jessie took a sip of hot chocolate and leaned her head back against the couch, watching the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree in the big gathering room.
After a pleasant Christmas Day with Chase and his friends, one of the nicest she’d had in a long time, she couldn’t sleep. She’d pulled on her robe and shoved her feet into slippers then quietly made her way down to the kitchen. The light over the stove illuminated the kitchen enough for her to prepare a cup of hot chocolate and snitch a star-shaped sugar cookie.
Chase had eaten the cookies with enthusiastic abandon when she’d made them yesterday morning. She was surprised there were any left.
The only thing he’d enjoyed more was the cinnamon bread-pudding she’d made for dessert Christmas Eve. She’d caught him snitching bites of it cold, right out of the pan, before breakfast that morning.
Despite his declaration that he had no interest in getting a Christmas tree, they’d come home with one in the back of his pickup the day he’d taken her grocery shopping. Jessie had plenty of ornaments, which she’d made sure to bring with her. Chase acted as excited as she was when the tree was up and decorated.
He’d been even more excited that morning when he opened her gift to him. When she’d seen the hand-painted set of four ornaments featuring bull riders, she knew Chase had to have them.
With a big smile, he’d hung the ornaments on the tree then handed her a package. She pulled away the snowflake-patterned paper to find a thick fleece blanket that was the same shade of blue as her eyes. The blanket could have been orange with yellow and purple polka dots for all she cared.
The warmth it provided was what interested her. She’d immediately curled beneath the fabric and tossed Chase a grateful smile for the perfect gift.
She’d debated about purchasing more presents for him, but had no idea what to give the man. Wanting to make the day special, she had bought him a stocking and filled it with things like a pair of leather gloves, jerky, and candy.
To her surprise, he’d also filled one for her. He’d done well in selecting her favorite scent of lotion and flavor of candy, as well as a paperback book she’d wanted to read. She wondered if he’d asked Stacey for ideas and decided he probably had.
At least
he cared enough to want to buy something she’d like.
Chase had been nothing but kind since she arrived. She knew she should have let him know she’d be at the ranch earlier than he anticipated, but the thought of spending the holiday with her family lent a greater sense of urgency to leave as quickly as she could. The threat of a winter storm wasn’t the driving force behind her early arrival in Hermiston.
In fact, the big storm everyone predicted had turned into a light snowfall on Christmas Eve. Jessie had never watched it snow. She couldn’t get enough of staring out the window and studying the fluffy flakes drifting down through the darkness. Chase had teased her, but he’d stood behind her for the longest time with one hand on her shoulder.
Every time he touched her, she felt like she was weightless and rooted to the floor at the same time. So many conflicting, confusing emotions flooded through her, she couldn’t begin to sort them all out.
She’d never been around a man as masculine and rugged, yet gentle and kind as Chase. His virile presence never failed to leave her thoughts scrambled like the eggs he preferred eating for breakfast. One glance at his muscular chest and she could barely recall her own name.
The thermal and Henley shirts he often wore outlined his muscles in a most disconcerting way. It was even more unsettling when he walked through the kitchen with no shirt at all. Jessie was surprised she hadn’t set fire to something, considering the distraction his form provided.
Chase was more than an incredibly handsome face and gorgeous body, though. He was a tease, enjoying a good joke and looking for reasons to laugh. He also seemed infinitely patient, at least with her.
It was hard for her to be around him, to be in his larger than life presence, and not feel overwhelmed that he was her husband. It might be in name only, but Jessie was completely attuned to him as a desirable man.
In spite of her mixed feelings and tangled thoughts, today had been special. Chase had awakened her by standing outside her bedroom door and singing a rousing rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” then called for her to come downstairs and see what Santa had left for her.
Astounded by both his good singing voice and the fact he’d start the day on such a fun note, she hurried out of bed and rushed to dress before joining him downstairs.
He insisted they open their stockings before eating breakfast. Then they waited until after the big noon meal with Lucas and Lori before opening their gifts to one another.
Jessie had given Lucas and Lori a framed photo of the two of them at the wedding. Ashley had sent her a bunch of photos via email from two of the photographers who’d been there. The image of Lucas and Lori gazing lovingly at each other was one that had made her smile.
She genuinely liked the couple and could see how good they were for Chase. In turn, he was good for them, especially Lucas.
Although she still wasn’t sure putting her life on hold for a year and moving to Eastern Oregon was a wise decision, Jessie felt more at home on Chase’s ranch than she ever had at her apartment.
Chase said he had two other hired hands, but he’d given them a week off to enjoy Christmas with their families. The week leading up to the New Year’s Eve party would be hectic, so he expected them back to work in the morning.
Jessie sighed. How on earth would she make it through the big splashy party Ashley had planned? Glamour had never been Jessie’s thing. She was a simple country girl at heart. What did she know about impressing the press?
She just hoped she wouldn’t embarrass Chase.
In truth, Jessie was looking forward to getting ready for the party even if thoughts of the actual event left her filled with anxiety and dread. She loved planning celebrations, even though she’d never done such a large one or one of such importance. However, she had planned many birthday parties over the years, helped three friends with their weddings, and even hosted a few baby showers.
She’d helped Stacey with any number of themed events and had a multitude of ideas of things they could do to make the New Year’s Eve party special. Ashley would arrive tomorrow morning and together they’d make the party one to remember.
Jessie just hoped it would be memorable for good reasons, not because it was a disaster.
She took another sip of her hot chocolate and burrowed further beneath her new blanket, grateful for Chase’s thoughtful gift. She’d been cold since she arrived at the ranch. No matter how many layers she put on or how high Chase turned up the heat, she just couldn’t get warm. Chase told her it was the change in temperature from her much warmer climate in southern California. In spite of his assurances her body would adjust, Jessie began to have her doubts. She’d been there four days and still couldn’t get warm enough. It probably didn’t help that her clothes were not very winter appropriate either. She’d picked up a heavy winter coat when they’d gone shopping, but the cold cut through her every time she set foot outside.
If it wasn’t for her need to check on Tinsel a few times a day, she would have hibernated in the house for the winter and refused to leave.
The cat had taken to Lucas and Lori much quicker than Jessie anticipated. Part of her felt slighted the fickle feline had so easily adjusted to his new housing situation. Overall, though, she was glad Tinsel felt at home with the Dunham family. In fact, the cat started purring every time Lucas entered the room. He’d pick up the cat and set him on his lap and Tinsel would curl against him, as if that was the one place he belonged.
Jessie grinned in the darkness, thinking she could have emulated the cat by purring every time Chase walked into the room. She found it increasingly difficult to set her focus on anything but her handsome husband.
It was stupid and crazy, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. She loved watching him move, hearing his voice, inhaling deep breaths of his enticing masculine scent. A year of being around him was going to tax her in ways she couldn’t even begin to imagine.
Lost in her thoughts of how much she was coming to admire and respect Chase, she gasped when she felt a weight settle onto the couch next to her.
“What are you doing up?” Chase asked, slipping his arm along the back of the couch behind her and scooting a little closer.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought some hot chocolate might help.”
His eyes reflected the lights of the tree, mesmerizing her as she held up the mug in her hand.
“Did it?” he asked, wrapping his hand around the mug and taking a sip. He licked his upper lip and smiled at her. “Mmm. That’s good. That is definitely not a packet of mix and hot water.”
“No. It’s my own special recipe,” she said, unable to pull her gaze away from Chase’s face as he took another sip.
“Why couldn’t you sleep, Jessie? Did you not enjoy the day?”
She heard the concern in his voice and hurried to reassure him. “It was a wonderful day, Chase. I had a great time with Lucas and Lori. Lucas tells the best stories.”
Chase snorted. “You say that only because he kept telling all those embarrassing stories about me.”
“I wasn’t embarrassed a bit,” she teased.
“That’s because you and Lori wouldn’t stop laughing. You two just egged on his bad behavior,” he chided.
“But the stories were so funny. Did you two really drive a hay stacker down the freeway headed the wrong direction?”
“We did. Believe me, that is not a moment I want to relive. Lucas and I, and a hundred motorists, were terrorized that day.”
Jessie giggled then grew more somber. “You have nice friends, Chase.”
He nodded in agreement. “I do. What about you? Other than Stacey, do you have any close friends?”
“Not close friends, but I do have other friends. Mostly people I met while I was in college.” Jessie shivered, thinking about how lonely her existence was until she left the farm and went away to school.
Mistaking her shiver, Chase lifted the edge of her blanket and scooted closer to her, pulling her back against his chest before sett
ling the covering over them both. “Are you ever going to be warm again?” he asked, rubbing his hand with tender strokes up and down the arms of her robe.
Too stunned to move away, Jessie briefly held herself stiffly away from him before she leaned into him. The heat of his body and his appealing scent wrapped around her, making her feel almost giddy yet oddly relaxed.
“Did you really enjoy your Christmas?” he asked.
“It was one of the nicest I’ve ever had, Chase. Truly. Thank you for that, for welcoming me into your home.”
His arms wrapped around her and she fought back the urge to release a contented moan.
Unaware of the affect he had on her, he continued holding her, sharing his warmth. “Tell me what Christmas was like for you as a kid. I don’t know anything about your family, Jessie. If we’re going to be married for a year, it might be good if I have some idea of who raised such a sweet, pretty girl.”
She lifted her head from where she’d leaned against his shoulder and looked at him. For several heartbeats, she studied his face before she finally nodded and fixed her gaze on the tree. “My parents always, and only, wanted a son. Unfortunately, for them, I came along first. When I was three, my mother gave birth to my brother and found out she couldn’t have more children. It was probably for the best anyway, because according to Mom and Dad, my brother, Derek, practically walks on water. They essentially forgot they had a daughter as they poured everything into Derek. It hasn’t changed any since we’ve grown up. Derek has been groomed to take over my dad’s farm, but he’s so irresponsible and spoiled, they can’t trust him to handle anything.”
Chase gave her a comforting squeeze and placed a kiss on top of her head. “I’m sorry, Jessie. I don’t know why parents do that, dote on one child and ignore another.”
She shrugged. Long ago, she’d come to terms with the fact that her parents didn’t care about her and probably never would. “It is what it is. I loved the farm, but I was more than ready to leave when I graduated from high school and went to college.”
Chasing Christmas Page 10