Several times Lacy would glance from Ethan to Chase. He, sensing her gaze, would turn his head and look at her, their eyes locking on each other until one of them would turn away.
As they were leaving the theater, they were still laughing at the ending, all except little Ethan, who slept soundly on his cousin’s shoulder. Lacy spotted the man again. Unbeknownst to all of them, the man had sat four rows behind them. If she had turned around at any time during the movie, she would have seen him, but she had not. The movie had been engaging, moved quickly through the plot, and demanded the whole of their attention. She opened the rear door so Chase could put Ethan inside. She looked up, locking eyes with the man whom she had known her entire life.
She climbed into the passenger’s seat. Chase took his place behind the wheel. She glanced nervously around. “What’s with you?” Chase asked.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. Ever since we got to the car, you’ve been jumpy. Something happened between the time we left the theater and got to the car. Are you afraid to be alone with me?”
“We’re not alone.” She glanced in the backseat at Ethan.
“Then what is it?”
She bit her lip, deciding whether she should tell him. “My dad’s stalking me.”
Chase looked out the window. “Here?”
She nodded. “I’ve seen him twice, the first time at the ranch, and now here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Shall we call the police?”
She frowned. “He is the police. Besides, there’s a restraining order against him. I’m pretty sure he just wants to scare us into coming home.”
“Would your mother do that?”
She pondered the question. Would her mother, after all the effort she had put into making her escape so far, return home? She didn’t think she would, but then one never knows. Her mother had become a stronger person over the past month. She had to wonder though if her strength had improved enough to withstand her father. She knew her mother wouldn’t want to endanger others. She wondered just how far her father would go to get what he wanted.
They drove in silence with only the intermittent sound of the wipers intruding. After a while, Chase started drumming his fingers in tune to the blades. Lacy laughed, breaking the awkward silence. She bobbed her head, keeping time with the rhythm. Then she began drumming on the console.
Then Chase began to rap, picking up the pace. Lacy drummed faster, wildly…until she was exhausted and leaned back against the seat, laughing. “I hate rap,” she said, between giggles.
“Me, too,” Chase said with a huge grin on his face.
“Then why are you doing it?”
He shrugged. “We needed a laugh.”
“You’re pretty good at it.”
“Thanks, maybe I should take it on the road.”
She smiled good-naturedly. “You’re not that good.”
He laughed. “So now you’re a music critic?”
“I know what I like.”
“Seriously, are you into music?”
She shrugged. “Not so much. Dad doesn’t like music, so I didn’t get to listen to it around the house. He’s tight with his money so no IPOD, CD player, computer, nothing like that. It’s been different since we moved in with Angela. She likes music.” She shrugged one shoulder. “It’s starting to grow on me.”
He whistled. “Wow! Poor you. I don’t know what I would do without my IPOD.”
“I get by.”
“Not even a Facebook, or Twitter?”
“I don’t even know how to work one of those.”
“It’s easy. I’m going to teach you.”
“It wouldn’t matter. I don’t have a computer.”
“You have a library don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Then you have a computer.”
He pulled the car into the driveway. “Come on, let’s tuck the little guy in, and then we’ll have some real fun.”
She got out of the car and looked around. Her father couldn’t possibly have followed them home. They would have seen the car’s headlights against the blackened sky.
Chase hoisted up Ethan from the back seat with hardly any effort. Lacy admired his strength and realized he must work out a lot. She followed him up the stairs and opened the door to Ethan’s room.
She pulled down the blankets, and Chase laid him on the bed. She took off his shoes and pulled the covers over him. They didn’t bother with pajamas.
Chase led the way down the hallway and into a room that held two computers, a large bookcase filled with books and magazines, a credenza, a file cabinet, and an armchair. “My grandfather’s study,” he said.
“He won’t care that we’re in here?”
Chase shook his head. “Naw, I come here all the time.”
He booted up the computer and waited patiently as the Windows logo flashed across the screen. The desktop image finally appeared, showing a boy wearing jeans, polo shirt and a fresh, dazzling smile filled the background. He was sitting astride a horse, holding a ribbon out for the camera. A beautiful, young woman stood below him, smiling up at him while she stroked the nose of the horse.
“Who’s that?” Lacy asked.
Chase moaned, and his voice grew sad. “Me and my mother,” he said. “That was my last roping competition. She died the next year. I haven’t been on a horse since.”
“You must have been pretty good.”
He shrugged. “Horses were her thing.”
“I’d say yours, too, judging from the smile on your face.”
“That’s all in the past.”
He turned on the internet search engine and typed in the address for Facebook. Chase started to type on the screen. “What’s your email?”
“I don’t have one.”
He sighed and typed in a different address. He began typing. “What do you want your username to be?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “My name, I guess.”
He shook his head. “Not unless you want your parents finding you.”
She had a brief image of her father searching the web, looking for her. It wasn’t likely to happen, but still… “Make it new start.”
He laughed. “I like it.” He typed and then, “Okay, you’re [email protected]. Now we can get you some friends.” He went back to the Facebook page, typed in her new email, and made up a password for her. “Okay, that’s it,” he said.
“Just like that?”
“Yep. Now I’m going to invite you to be my friend.” He sent her a friend request, stood and gave her the chair to sit in. “Play around for a while.”
He crossed to his grandfather’s computer and turned it on. Logging on to his Facebook page, he posted a new message.
“Hey, what’s this?” Lacy asked.
“Read it,” he said.
She read the message. “Having fun with Lacy on Facebook—it’s nice to meet a new friend,” she read aloud. “Wow!” Lacy said.
He showed her how to comment back. I didn’t know meeting new friends could be this much fun, she wrote back.
She turned to Chase. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
She grew serious as she came to stand beside him. “Okay, now it’s your turn.”
“My turn for what?”
“Tomorrow morning you get back on a horse.”
His face turned to an expression of pain and desperation. He shook his head. “No way.”
“Yes way,” Lacy said. She pointed to the desktop picture of Chase and his mother. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “What would your mother say if she could communicate with you?”
He shook off her hand, spat out, “She can’t.” He stood and strode to the door. “Goodnight.”
She sighed, turned off both computers, the lights, and made her way back to her room. Her mother was in bed, sound asleep. Not bothering with pajamas, face washing, or brushing her teeth, she slid in beside her and fell fast
asleep.
She awoke the next morning and hurried to dress, intent on finding Chase and apologizing. She knocked on his door but got no answer. She trudged down to the kitchen, calling his name along the way.
The kitchen was empty. Apparently, nobody had risen yet. The coffeepot, set to automatic brew, was just finishing its cycle. She inhaled and smiled at the anticipation of a cup. She poured herself a cup and wandered off to resume her search for Chase.
He wasn’t in the study, or the den, or the sunroom. She didn’t know that much about Chase, so she wasn’t sure where to look next.
A noise outside caught her attention. She walked to the window overlooking the barn area. A huge grin broke out across her face. Chase was riding circles around the arena, sitting on a black stallion.
She watched him for a few moments, happy with his progress.
“You’re getting pretty good at this, Miss Waldrip.” She turned to her left and saw Jake standing beside her. “First your mother and now your friend.”
She flinched at the word friend; it arose suddenly without warning. She and Chase were getting along well, sure…but friends?
“He’s not my friend, he’s just…” but she couldn’t finish the sentence. She honestly didn’t know what she and Chase were. “He has a lot of healing to do,” she said instead.
“Well, he’s on the right track, and he has you to thank.”
“I’ve been thinking.” She paused before saying, “I might want to study social work in college.”
Jake raised his eyebrows. “Thinking about our future, are we?”
She smiled, looked Jake in the eye. “Yeah, I guess I am at that.”
He grew somber. “I can’t stay much longer, Lacy.”
Her smile dropped. “What does that mean?” she asked, panic beginning to rise from deep inside her.
“It means we’re almost through. You won’t need me much longer.”
“That’s not true,” she cried. “I’ll always need you.” She grabbed him. “Tell me you won’t leave me. Tell me you’ll stay forever, Jake…tell me.” The panic escalated, causing her heart to beat wildly as she broke out in a cold sweat. She walked away, returned to throw herself into Jake’s arms. How could she survive without Jake?
Lacy looked out the window at Chase. He was dismounting.
Jake felt her body relax. When Jake sensed this, he stepped away. “You’ll be okay without me.”
She looked back. Jake was gone. She sighed. “You’re always doing that,” she said aloud.
On impulse, she ran to the kitchen, poured two cups of coffee and carried them to the barn. Chase was still outside, stroking his stallion’s mane. He turned at her approach.
“I didn’t know if you take your coffee black or sweet. So I brought both.” She held both cups in front of her. “I take it either way. This is black,” she said, thrusting the cup in her left hand forward. “And this is sweet,” she said, indicating her right hand.
He took the sweet one. “Thanks,” he said.
He looked her over. “You’re still wearing yesterday’s clothes.”
“I have clean socks,” she said, smiling.
He chuckled. “Thanks again—and not just for the coffee.” He patted his stallion’s side. He looked down at the ground. “It felt good being up on him again.”
“It’s no big deal,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I owed you one.”
He didn’t know why, but for some reason he began to get angry. He thought they were becoming friends, and that she cared about him. She had only helped him because she felt she owed it to him. He looked at her eyes, realized she had been joking, and felt himself relax. “Want to go for a ride?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been on a horse before.”
“I’ll teach you.”
She looked hesitant.
He tipped his head, making a pleading face.
She laughed. “Okay.”
“You’ll need something a bit heavier than that sweatshirt.”
She looked down at herself. “No problem. I’m freezing.”
She ran off to the house to change.
“Tell our parents where we’re going while you’re in there,” he hollered after her.
She turned to wave, letting him know she had heard him. “I’ll pack us a food basket, too,” she yelled back.
“Good, I’m hungry,” he shouted.
She dashed off to the kitchen, hoping the household had begun to stir. She found Alice in the kitchen. She had her back turned to her, rolling out biscuits.
“Chase and I are going riding,” she said.
Alice swung around. Her jaw dropped open. “Come again?” she asked.
Lacy chuckled. “I know. Crazy, isn’t it?”
A broad smile broke out on Alice’s face. “Totally crazy,” she said.
“Do you mind packing a basket for us? We’re starved.”
Alice nodded. “That can be arranged.”
She found her mother making the bed. “Chase and I are going riding.”
“Riding? You don’t know how to ride.”
“Chase is going to teach me.”
“Oh, honey. I don’t know about that.”
“Please, Mom,” she begged. “Chase hasn’t been on a horse in two years. It’s huge that he wants to do this.”
“I don’t see what Chase not being on a horse for two years has to do with you, an inexperienced rider, going on a trail ride.”
She sighed. “It’s therapeutic for him.”
Brenda inclined her head toward her daughter. “My sweet girl, you’re always trying to fix things.” She began to shake her head but saw the disappointment on her daughter’s face. “Chase is a good rider?”
She nodded. “He has trophies and ribbons.”
Allen appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on?”
Lacy ran to him. “Tell her it’s okay, Allen.”
He looked confused. “I just came to get you guys for breakfast.”
“Lacy has it in her head to go on a trail ride with Chase.”
Allen opened his eye wide. “Chase wants to ride?”
“Yes, and apparently it’s a huge deal.”
“It is huge,” Allen said. “Chase hasn’t been on a horse since his mother died.”
“Tell her I’ll be okay with Chase.”
He nodded. “She couldn’t be in better hands. Chase is a superb rider. He won’t let anything happen to her.”
Brenda looked back and forth between the two of them. She threw up her hands in defeat. “Okay,” she said. “I see I’m outnumbered.”
Lacy jumped in the air and whooped with joy. Then she hugged Allen and her mother. “Thank you. I have to change now.” She dashed from the room in a flurry of excitement.
Brenda and Allen laughed. “It’s nice to see her so happy.”
Allen wrapped his arms around her. “I could say the same for you.”
She smiled and bent backward to receive his kiss. She was happy, and it felt good.
Lacy raced into the kitchen, grabbed the basket from Alice, and headed for the door.
“Don’t stay out too long,” Alice called to her. “There’s a storm moving in.”
“We won’t,” Lacy called as the door slammed shut behind her.
Chase leaned against the corral and waited for her. The two horses stomped impatiently, eager to be on the trail. “What took you so long? These guys know where they’re going, and they’re anxious to hit the trail.”
“I had to talk my mom into it.”
“Oh. Is she okay with it?”
Lacy nodded. “Allen told her it would be fine.”
He bobbed his head. “Hmm,” he said, “Good for Uncle Allen.”
She held up the basket. “I got food.”
“Good.” He took the basket from her, securing it to the back of his saddle with a cord.
“I’m not sure what’s in there. Your grandmother packed it.”
“It’ll be good,” he said.
“Grandma’s the best cook. Please don’t tell Aunt Pammy I said that. She’s thinks she’s the best. She’s good, all right, but Grandma has her beat, hands down.”
He led her to the front of the horse. “This is Whinny.” He stroked her nose. “Hey there, girl.” The horse whinnied. Lacy laughed.
“I see where she gets her name.”
“Never walk behind your horse, and you always want to greet her before you mount. Most animals don’t want to be surprised. Try it.”
She walked timidly to the front of the horse. “She’s beautiful.”
“And tame,” he said. “But not lazy. She’s by no means a daisy-eater.”
“Good.” Lacy stroked her nose and whispered her name. She whinnied again, and they both laughed.
“She likes you.”
He guided her hand to the horn on the saddle. “Hold onto this with your left hand. How strong are your legs?”
“I’m in shape,” she said.
“Good. Grab here with your right hand.” As he placed her hand on the back of the saddle, an electric shock went through her. She turned her head to the right, coming mere inches from his face. He smiled, and she blushed. “Ready?” She nodded. “When I say, ‘three’ pull yourself up with your arms and use your leg muscles to hoist yourself. Swing your right leg over the saddle. One, two, three.”
She was in the saddle in four seconds flat.
“How’d I do?”
“Great,” he said.
He mounted his horse and off they went. He chose an easy trail for her sake. Most of the time they were able to ride side-by-side. Sometimes, though, the path would narrow, and he’d have to pull ahead of her. He pointed out various types of foliage along the way. He explained the growing patterns of each one, told her which animal ate which leaves, and informed her which plants would go dormant during the winter.
They saw animal tracks along the way, and Chase was able to tell her which animal had made most of them. “See these?” He pointed out a rather large pattern about four inches long and four toes spread apart. “Mountain lion,” he said. “Grandpa’s been trying to catch it, but he’s a sly devil.”
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