by Debbie Mason
Before Vivi could answer, Maddie said to the girls, “Lily and Annie, it’s time to get in your pj’s.”
“Aw, Mom, it’s Friday night. We…” Annie started to complain. Maddie shooed them off with the promise of a movie and popcorn.
“No, he hasn’t—”
Skye interrupted Vivi. “It’s been a tough day for him, Liz. Don’t read anything into it. Everyone’s happy you and Paul are getting married. I’m sure Chance is, too.”
“It’s just that he was so close to Anna. I don’t want him to think I’m trying to take his mother’s place. I loved her. She was my best friend.” Liz twisted her diamond engagement ring. “It’s no wonder he’s having a hard time with us getting married.” She shook her head when Maddie and Skye objected. “No, don’t try and spare my feelings. It’s obvious he’s not happy. I don’t know why I expected this to be easy. Look how long it took me to get over feeling guilty and admit my feelings for Paul. Do you think it would help if I talk to him, Vivi?”
“Umm, I, ah—” she began, only to be cut off by Nell this time.
“Leave Chance to Vivi. She’ll talk to him and make things right, won’t you, girlie?” the older woman said.
Vivi didn’t get it. They’d picked up on Chance’s feelings toward the wedding, so why hadn’t they figured out that he and Vivi were faking it? And why the hell did they expect her to fix the man? Especially Maddie and Skye, who nodded in agreement with Nell. They knew Vivi wasn’t one of those empathetic, maternal women who’d have a heart-to-heart with perfect strangers and do everything in her power to make them feel better. Unless they thought that now that she was an advice columnist, she’d turned into one. Obviously, they hadn’t been reading her column.
Rubbing her forehead with the heel of her palm, Vivi reluctantly nodded. What else was she supposed to do?
Chance returned to the dining room with a beer in his hand. His brow furrowed, he sifted his cold fingers through her hair and rested them at the nape of her neck. “What’s wrong? You have a headache?”
Because Skye and Maddie shared another one of their they’re-so-cute looks and this time Nell got in on the act, humming what sounded like “Going to the Chapel” under her breath, Vivi said, “Yeah. Once you finish your beer, we probably should get going.”
Chance looked like he wanted to high-five her. “We’ll go now.”
A phone rang in the kitchen. Moments later, Gage walked into the dining room with a grim expression on his face. He went to Maddie and kissed her cheek. “I’ve gotta take off.”
“What’s going on?” Maddie asked.
“Pharmacy was broken into. They tied Larry up and cleaned him out.”
“They’re getting bolder. You better find these guys before someone gets hurt, Gage.”
“Doing my best, Dad.”
“Larry has a good security system, cameras. You should be able to get something off them,” Chance said.
Vivi glanced at the man beside her. Sometimes she forgot he’d once been Christmas’s sheriff and now provided security for some very powerful clients.
“Haven’t so far. They’re smart. Security systems are disabled before they go in. This is the first time we’ve had a witness. Hopefully Larry will be able to give us something.”
“How many drugstores have they hit?” Chance asked his brother.
“In the last six months, five, spread across two counties.”
“Drug ring,” Chance said, his expression hard as his eyes narrowed at his brother. “You looking at Callahan?”
Gage held up his hand. “Don’t. Don’t go there, Chance. There’s never been any proof to tie him to… You gotta let it go.”
Their exchange was about more than a spate of robberies. This was personal. Vivi felt it in the dangerous, scary vibe Chance was giving off. There was a story here, and she wanted to know what it was. “Who’s Callahan?”
Chance gave her an inscrutable look that reminded her exactly what he did for a living. “Stay out of it, Slick.”
* * *
No matter that he’d consumed more than his usual quota of beer, Chance knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep in the bed he’d shared with his wife. It’s why, despite Vivi’s protests, he insisted she take the master bedroom. Now, lying in the bed in the guest bedroom, Chance decided the odds were still against him getting any sleep.
Vivi’s voice came through the wall between the bedrooms. “There’s a Darwin Callahan who lived in Logan County. Can’t be him though. He’s serving eight years for carrying chemicals for the purpose of making meth. Unless… You don’t think he’s running a drug ring from jail, do you?”
She hadn’t let up on the drive home or during A Good Day to Die Hard. Since she liked that movie as much as he did, he figured the only way to shut her down was to go to bed. Obviously, his strategy hadn’t worked. The woman was like a dog with a bone. She’d never give up. And he needed her to. He didn’t want her anywhere near Callahan. He should have hidden her laptop and cell phone. “One more word out of you, and I’m letting Princess out.” He patted the dog curled up at his side when Vivi didn’t respond. He should have threatened her with Princess earlier.
Chance had just started to nod off when he heard, “Did you let Cujo out of your room?”
“No. Go to sleep or I will.”
“Are you sure she’s with you? Because I hear something scratching.”
“Probably just the branches on the roof.”
He heard the bed creak and the window sliding open. He pictured her sticking her head out the window to investigate. She didn’t disappoint. “No, it’s not the same sound. It’s more like this.” She scratched on the adjoining wall, and he started to laugh.
“Are you laughing at me?”
“No, I—” The sound of the window slamming shut cut him off.
“Chance. Chance, there’s a bear.”
“It’s too dark for you to make out a bear. But so what if there is. You’re in here, and it’s out there.”
“I don’t find that a comforting thought, thank you very much.”
A pack of coyotes howled.
“I’m living in the freaking Wild Kingdom.”
“Go to sleep, Vivi,” he said, unable to keep the laughter from his voice.
“Yeah, it’s real hilarious, McBride.” She sounded like she was punching her pillow.
Ears perked, Princess got up at the same time Chance heard the skittering of tiny feet in the ceiling over his head. Mice. A lot of mice. Looked like he’d be heading to the hardware store first thing in the morning. He patted the dog, listening for Vivi. When she didn’t start yelling, he relaxed and closed his eyes.
They shot open when she screamed his name. He jumped from the bed, grabbing the boxers he’d dropped on the floor. “I’m coming,” he called out, hopping on one foot as he pulled them on. “Stay,” he ordered the dog.
Chance flung open the door to the master bedroom and rushed inside, flipping the light switch. Vivi stood on the pillows in a black T-shirt and panties, pointing to the floor. “Mouse,” she said in a strangled whimper. “It was… it was on the bed. A mouse.”
“Okay, honey. Calm down.” A tremor shuddered through her as he stroked her arm with one hand while shaking out the sheets with the other. “If there was a mouse, it’s gone now.”
“There was a mouse. I wasn’t imagining things.”
He didn’t think she was. Not that he’d tell her that. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get Princess.”
“Right, like it’s better to have my feet chewed off by a dog rather than a mouse.”
“She’ll sleep on the floor. Bed’s too high for her to jump up on, and she’s a mouser.”
“Doesn’t make me feel much better, McBride. The mouse is probably bigger than she is,” Vivi called after him.
She was on her hands and knees when he returned, skimming her palms across the mattress. That was one view he didn’t need to see
and neither did Princess, who growled. Chance turned off the light and put Princess in her dog bed on the floor, then walked over to Vivi.
“Get under the covers.”
She glanced from Princess, to him, to the bed. “Ah, maybe it’s a good idea if you sleep here, too.”
It wasn’t, but in terms of either of them getting some sleep, he didn’t think he had much choice. “Move over.” He climbed in beside her.
She did as he asked. Then as soon as he stretched out, she moved in beside him with a full-body shiver. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her, tucking her close. She’d end up there anyway. Vivi was a snuggler, which seemed at odds with her personality. It had surprised him the first night he’d slept with her. Guess she hadn’t changed.
“Jesus,” he said when her ice-cold feet brushed against his leg. “I should have been prepared for that. Your feet were always freezing.”
She lifted his arm, moving away from him to lie flat on her back and stare up at the ceiling. Part of him was glad she did, while the other part of him wanted her cuddled up next to him.
“Why did you leave without saying good-bye?” she asked in her raspy voice. If she was ever short of cash, she could make a fortune with that voice. It made a man think of hot sex and tangled sheets. He pushed the thought aside. She deserved an explanation.
He rolled to his side to face her. “I got a call at four in the morning with information I had to act on right away. I didn’t want to wake you up.” Her brow arched. “Saying good-bye, it’s not something I’m good at, Vivi.”
“I deserved at least that, Chance.”
He was glad he couldn’t make out the color of her eyes, see them change from violet to purple to black. She was the type of woman you want to make love to in broad daylight or with the lights on. And she was the one woman who’d gotten to him. “Yeah, you did. But I couldn’t give you what you wanted or deserved. It was better to make a clean break.”
“Maybe for you it was.”
Turns out it wasn’t. He hadn’t been able to stay away from her. Not completely. And now, thanks to Nell, they were traveling down a road he had no intention of going. It was a dead end.
“I’m sorry.” He leaned in and kissed her. He meant for it to be a brief, comforting touch, but her mouth softened, her lips parted, and that was all it took to make him forget the danger of succumbing to her siren call. With Vivi, he’d never had much control. He should have left after his first night with her. Just like he should make himself stop now.
Pulling back, he framed her face with his hands. “Nothing’s going to change, Slick. I can’t give you more than this.”
“Maybe this is all I want.”
He searched her eyes, wishing he could read the emotion lurking in their dark depths. Then nothing mattered but the way her body felt pressed against his. She ran her cold, bare foot along his leg, curling her hand behind his neck to draw his mouth to hers. “Life’s short, Chance. We might as well take what we want while we can.”
No one had to tell him that life was too short or that it changed in an instant. He’d seen too many good people cut down in the prime of life. As those memories threatened to overcome him once more, he did what he’d wanted to do since she got on that plane. He lost himself in Vivi. The one woman guaranteed to make him forget everything.
Chapter Seven
Vivi woke up in the sun-filled room with a sense of everything being right in the world. The feeling warmed her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Weird, she thought, and kind of wonderful, too. There hadn’t been much to smile about, let alone be happy about, these last few months. Now, thanks to the man taking up three quarters of the king-size bed, there was. She was exactly where she belonged. And if she weren’t dying for a cup of coffee, she’d stay snuggled up to Chance’s back, waiting for him to roll over with a lazy smile and take her in his arms.
Like he did every morning in New York. Only then she’d made an early morning run to Bagel Bagel and Roasters Coffee, sharing all that New York goodness with him in bed before he shared all his goodness with her. The man’s ego was truly well deserved. And after the night they’d shared, she could now relive those memories without the tarnish of bitterness and recrimination. She smiled and planted a soft kiss on his warm, golden skin before carefully moving away in order not to wake him.
She froze at the sound of a low growl. Cujo. Vivi peeked over Chance’s shoulder. The dog bared its razor-sharp teeth, snarling at her, the intruder in its master’s bed. Kate and Chance’s bed. The reminder cast a shadow over the glow of happiness that only moments ago had enveloped her. Vivi lay back down, staring up at the dust-covered ceiling fan.
Kate’s presence may be boxed away in the other room, but she was here—in Cujo’s heart and Chance’s. Vivi’d gone into last night with her eyes wide open. This time she knew the risk, but she’d been willing to take it. He was worth it. He needed time to move on, that’s all. Being with Liz and Paul had given her hope. A hope that had burned brighter with every kiss, every touch, every word Chance had whispered to her. If Paul and Liz, who’d been happily married to their one-and-onlys for decades, could move on, so could Chance. And last night, he’d taken what she believed to be a big step in that direction. He’d made love to her in his and Kate’s home, in their bed.
“Quiet, Princess.” Chance’s gruff, sleep-laden voice startled her from her thoughts.
As he rolled onto his back, she waited expectantly for the smile she remembered, for him to wrap her in his strong arms. Instead, he looked around the room as if he didn’t know where he was. She opened her mouth to say good morning, but as his gaze slid over her, he muttered a curse, covering his eyes with his forearm. Far from the reaction she’d hoped for. Lying tense and still under the covers, she wondered what to say. If she should say anything or leave him to deal with whatever he was dealing with on his own.
She decided to ignore his reaction and lighten the mood. The room and Chance were giving off a heavy-enough vibe. “If you keep Cujo from eating my feet, I’ll put the coffee on.”
As she threw back the covers and sat up, his fingers closed around her wrist. She glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I know how you like…” She trailed off, her gaze unable to make the journey from his body to his face. And it wasn’t his spectacular washboard abs and sculpted chest that caused her breath to catch in her throat; it was the ink on his pec. Kate and Emma’s names with the words Never Forget burned into his skin over his heart. He’d hadn’t had the tattoo when they were together in New York.
She raised her gaze and met his, forcing a smile to cover her reaction. “Black enough to curl the hair on your chest, right?”
“I’ll take care of it.” He let go of her wrist without returning her smile and swung his long legs over the side of the bed. Cujo barked and danced like a dog in a circus act, performing for her master, who sat on the edge of the bed with his broad shoulders bowed. Vivi’s discomfort grew as the minutes ticked by.
He scrubbed his hands over his face, then picked up the dog and stood. She couldn’t take her eyes off his powerfully built frame as he padded to the bedroom door. He stopped, half turning to focus on the window above her head. Self-consciously, she drew the sheet over her chest.
“I think it’d be best if you stay with Madison and Gage, Vivi.”
She didn’t know what she’d expected him to say, but it wasn’t that. “You want me to leave?” She cringed when her voice came out sounding pathetic and sad.
His green eyes moved to her face, and he winced. “Vivi, I—”
“Don’t.” The last thing she wanted from him was another apology. At least this time he’d been honest with her. It was her fault for thinking anything had changed. For believing what she felt for him was enough until he got over Kate. That Vivi would be the one to heal his broken heart, the way Liz and Paul had healed each other’s.
“I appreciate what you did for me. More than you know.”
“I’m pre
tty sure I got as much out of last night as you did, Chance.” She held the sheet to her chest, snagging her panties and T-shirt off the floor. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get dressed.”
When he didn’t move, she got off the bed and yanked on her T-shirt. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her naked before, and he didn’t have any qualms about standing in front of her without his clothes on. She supposed if she looked like he did, she wouldn’t have a problem with it, either.
He cleared his throat as she tugged on her panties. “I was talking about pretending to be in a relationship with me, not last night. Yesterday wasn’t easy; having you here made it easier.”
And yet he was kicking her to the curb. Again. She pushed the thought aside. She’d come to Christmas to get him out of her heart and her head. Instead, he was taking up more space than he had before. It was time for her to do what she’d set out to. To move on from him once and for all.
“I’m glad it did. If you’d let me, I’d help you move past losing Kate and the baby. But you’re not ready. Maybe you never will be. Maybe you don’t want to.” She held his gaze. He’d been honest with her, and now she’d be honest with him. No matter what that honesty would cost her. “I fell in love with you, you know. So I wasn’t really pretending yesterday. But it was hard. Probably harder on me than it was on you.” A wary, pained expression deepened the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, the ones bracketing his beautiful mouth. “Don’t worry, Chance. This was more for me than you. You were right last night when you told me I deserved more than you had to offer. I do.”
* * *
Princess barked, and Chance turned from where he stood staring out at the lake with a cup of coffee in hand.
Vivi’s raspy voice came from down the hall. “Bye to you, too, Cujo. Can’t say I’ll miss you. You or the mice, skunks, wolves, bears, and whatever the hell else lurks in those woods.”
At any other time, her comment would have made him smile. Only he didn’t feel much like smiling this morning. He’d woken to the gut-wrenching realization that he’d made love to a woman in his wife’s bed. In the morning light, with Kate’s subtle citrus scent lingering in the room, he’d felt her presence as sharply as if she stood beside him—looking down on him and the woman he’d replaced her with. The woman who made him forget where he was. It had nothing to do with the beer he’d consumed last night. He’d been drunk on Vivi.