“Ole CC would have been proud,” App added slapping Chase on the shoulder.
“Thanks, App. You too, Stanley. That means a lot.” The bidding ended a few minutes later on the final heifer and Chase felt a sense of relief. This had been the first sale since they’d inherited the ranch and he hadn’t realized how tense he was. He’d learned a lot from his mentor and former boss who’d been his benefactor. Chase took what he’d been willed seriously and planned to build on the legacy that CC had left and dreamed of.
Stanley scratched his balding head and gave him and Amber a speculative study. “Norma Sue and her meddling crew are right—you two make a mighty fine match.”
Chase cringed and caught the startled look in Amber’s eyes. If the woman only knew how her eyes gave her away she’d wear shades all the time. He didn’t blame her it was like the town had a one track mind suddenly. He’d never been in the matchmakers sights before and so he’d never experienced this interest until now. He clearly understood why some of his friends had gotten upset when they were wearing targets on their backs. Rafe and Cliff he didn’t think had ever had it this strong though. They’d managed to fly under the radar a bit...not a luxury he was having at the moment. And Amber was not happy about this at all and he could tell by the stiffening of her body. But she smiled. It was forced but there.
“We’re not a couple,” she informed the older man.
“You should be, you look like you get along good. Don’t they, Stanley?”
“Like two peas in a pod. While that thar auction was going on y’all was jest a workin’ together on that computer like y’all were of one spirit. It was a nice thing to see.”
Chase had enjoyed having Amber beside him helping him with his work. And she’d relaxed, though after she’d come back from her phone call earlier she’d seemed a little tense for a while. He needed to ask her about that.
“I enjoyed helping out.” Amber’s gaze shifted and Chase figured she was searching for an escape route.
App boomed again, “You two coming out to Cort and Lucy’s place on Friday night? They’re having that shindig to raise money for the shelter.”
“An early Thanksgiving bash for all the families who the shelter has helped,” Stanley interjected just as loud. “They’re raising funds for the future moms and kids who come there.”
App hiked a brow. “And they could use all the support they deserve.”
“That sounds like something I’d like.” Amber’s expression brightened and she gave App her full attention. “Anything to support a shelter and I’m all in.”
“We’ll be there,” Chase assured them.
“You don’t have to take me,” Amber said, causing both older men to frown.
“Well why wouldn’t he take you?” App boomed, his lean face drooping into a fold of wrinkles. “He’s a smart young fella and yor a pretty young woman, he’s probably chomping at the bit ta escort you out thar.”
Stanley chuckled. “You can see it in his eyes.”
Great. He really didn’t need their help. Chase saw what looked like exasperation flash on Amber’s face. “Okay, fellas,” he said, taking control. “We’ll take it from here. I’ll bring Amber and we’ll see y’all there. Thanks for coming out.”
Amber’s eyes narrowed at his agreement, no doubt she’d been trapped by Esther Mae and her buddies this morning about him. He’d suspected as much when he’d seen them hovering around her at the registration table. The matchmakers had picked up on the energy that passed between him and Amber when they were around each other. And whether Amber liked it or not it was there.
And it was undeniable.
Amber watched the last of the vehicles and trailers pulling out of the yard that afternoon and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had never felt so much pressure from well-meaning folks in all her life. It was like they all had a one track mind. She’d finally sought out Maddie when she wasn’t busy and just asked her what their problem was and Maddie had assured her that they weren’t always so pushy. But when they thought they had a match in sight they got a little zealous.
Zealous, ha!
And Chase hadn’t helped the situation at all.
She was sitting on the patio drinking a cold glass of tea when he came striding across the gravel parking area toward the house. She swallowed the lump that lodged in her throat watching his long strides and fought hard to focus. She was mad at him.
“Hey,” he said in greeting giving her a crooked grin.
She set her tea down. “Hi.”
“Look, I know you’re not happy about what happened earlier. You left pretty quickly after App and Stanley did.”
“I’m not happy. Chase, I can take myself to this benefit. You just tell me where it is and I’ll drive myself. I don’t know if you noticed but everyone in this town now has us as a couple. That’s not good.”
He sat down at the table across from her. “It’s harmless. I guess I should feel bad that you’ve shot me down that quick though.”
She colored slightly. “Look, this—whatever it is between us is a bad idea. That’s just the way it is. My life is in Houston. So I’m being practical. And focused. I’m here only temporarily.”
“I get that, but I also know life has a way of getting in the way of the best laid plans. I’m speaking hypothetically here, so you’re telling me your life is so well laid out that you have no room in it for change? No matter what?”
Amber didn’t like that question…
Chase realized instantly the question bothered Amber. She took a deep breath and looked away from him, out to the pasture. He studied her profile and realized he could look at her all day. Forever. She was a complicated woman and figuring her out could possibly be a great adventure. Okay, so he was getting a little carried away.
“I’m just saying,” she said looking back at him. “That if I do decide to change my life that it will be my plan.”
“So no room in there for God’s plan?” So he was playing hard ball now. But no one ever got to call the shots on their whole life. “Okay, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to sound preachy.”
“Thanks because I was going to say that my plans are so solid because I do believe that’s God’s path in my life.”
There was absolutely no comeback to that. “I still want to take you, one, because I want to and two, because I promised to look out for you while you’re here.”
She stood up and he did the same. “I don’t need to be watched every hour of the day. This guy has no idea where I am. He has been calling the center everyday trying to find out when I’m coming back so he certainly doesn’t know where to find me. That means you sticking with me all the time is a waste of your time.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve been getting to know you. But I get what you’re saying. When did you find out about the calls to the abuse center? That call you made this morning?”
She nodded. “My friend, Jill, she’s my co-worker said so. He’s driving them crazy and she’s really worried about me. It infuriates me that he has me jumping through hoops like this and scaring my friends. Jill is pregnant and has been at risk and doesn’t need to be worried about me.”
“He’s dangerous and going to make a mistake. You just have to stay out of his way until he does and he’s caught.” He realized giving control of her life over to others was not something Amber was good at. He sympathized with her. But right now she had to. But looking at the flame in her eyes suddenly he knew he had his work cut out for him.
Amber stared at Chase and tapped her boot on the flagstone thinking. She wasn’t sure she could do this after all, let Ned rule her life even for a little while. She’d had it on her mind all day. “I’m not sure I can just let someone run my life like this,” she said, voicing her concern.
“You don’t have patience do you?”
He had no idea how his concern for her was affecting her. On one hand she wanted to walk into his arms and hand over her care and protection. Then on the
other hand she had always fought her own battles. She’d relied completely on herself and the very idea of trusting her care and protection to someone else, the police or him terrified her. Put that on top of letting Ned interject fear and control into her life and she was really, really having a struggle.
“I have patience on some things. But this isn’t just about me right now. He’s got my friends worried and is harassing them. And I’ve never had patience for bullies.”
He surprised her with a smile. “I like your attitude.” His expression grew serious. “Something tells me though, that it’s driven by something in your past.”
“When a girl has no male to stand up for her she can either get trampled by the ones who will take advantage of that or she can stand up for herself.”
“You stand up for everyone.”
Amber ran her boot along the ridge of a piece of flagstone. “I like to hope so.”
“You do. Now let me stand up for you at least right now.”
“I can’t,” Amber said and knew it was true. She just couldn’t do it.
Late into the night Chase sat at the computer in his office going through data. He’d pulled up everything he could on the Internet about Ned Talbert. There had been a surprising amount of stuff. The man was an avid hunter and loved to have his picture and his trophy in the paper. He also was a business owner which surprised Chase. This man had a lot to lose and yet he was still harassing Amber and the people who worked with her in order to find out information. That bothered Chase.
The guy wasn’t worried about himself at this point and that made him a dangerous man.
Chapter Eleven
The morning after the sale Amber tugged open her door and walked out into the huge house. She peeked down the short hall from her room toward the kitchen, pausing to look around the corner into the living room with the long staircase up to the second floor. No one was in sight.
Relieved, she headed into the empty kitchen and grabbed a piece of paper from a pad beside the phone. She assumed everyone was either out and about on the ranch working or in the barn. She knew though that Chase was somewhere near and she needed to hurry if she were going to avoid him. She scribbled a note telling him that she’d gone to town and would be back later and left it on the counter by the coffee pot. Then she hurried outside to her car.
Ty was the only one she saw and he was out in the arena working with his colt.
Sliding behind the wheel she started her car and backed up then headed toward the exit.
Once she made it to the paved road she breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like a kid sneaking out, but the more she’d thought about it during the night the more she knew she couldn’t continue to have Chase following her around. For one, she was safe and she completely believed that. Two, the man had begun to be on her mind all the time. His kindness and interest in her last night had played with her emotions and it was just simply too dangerous being around him. Too tempting. Her life was in the city.
There was only so much that she could do on a ranch. She had enjoyed the ride but if she fell for a cowboy she would not spend all her days on a horse. She would not spend all her days twiddling her thumbs sitting at the ranch waiting on him to come home every evening from his work. She would go crazy. And, yes there was the option to have the hotline directly routed to her anywhere, but she had a life outside the abuse center and it was a full life. She loved her self-defense classes that she taught. She enjoyed being involved. What was there for her to do that would even come close to fulfilling her passions? Become a matchmaker like everyone else it seemed? Ha!
She was still looking at this as an adventure but an adventure required getting out and about and that was exactly what she was doing. The fact that she hadn’t just come out and told Chase this disturbed her. She had a feeling the stubborn man wouldn’t have listened anyway so...here she was driving into town like a runaway teen. It was silly.
She saw the town before she reached it. It sat in the distance from the four way stop like a colorful ghost town in an old western sitting on the horizon. Stark outlines against a blue cloudless sky. And in the center the bright pink second story of a building rose up like a beacon.
Amber pressed the gas and sped toward town sighing happily when she reached it. The cute, colorful town was adorable.
Who wouldn’t want to live here?
Her. It was great for a day trip though.
She parked in front of the dress shop that was a couple of doors down from the pink building which she knew was the hair salon, Heavenly Inspirations. Curiosity filled her as she got out of the car and scanned the town. Quickly, she stepped onto the wooden sidewalk and moved to the dress shop window where a beautiful dress was on display. Then, spying the candy store next door she headed that way. Chocolate would make her feel better and she really thought under the circumstances that she deserved a treat.
Pushing open the door a cowbell clanked and three women behind the counter greeted her with smiles and hellos.
“It smells heavenly in here,” she said smiling back at them. She immediately noticed that one was very timid, standing back slightly and letting the other two take the lead.
One of them stepped forward. “H, hi we’re glad you’re here. Um, can we help you?” she asked then glanced at the lady beside her who gave her an encouraging smile.
Amber studied the assortment of sweets. “I’m in the mood for chocolate.”
“We have plenty of it,” the encouraging smile lady said. Amber figured she was in charge, maybe even training the others. “All varieties and it’s all handmade with the finest ingredients. We make it in the back and if you see anything you like we can bag it up for you.”
“It looks absolutely wonderful.” Amber searched the assortment of candy, caramels, chocolate and all manner of sweets. On the end were a lot of pastries and cakes too. And she moved to look at them. They were beautiful though simple.
“We can make you any cake you like,” the timid lady said. “We do all occasions and weddings too.”
“Did you do my good friend Sadie’s wedding cake?”
The young woman in her bare twenties beamed. “Oh we did.”
“It was amazing. Both gorgeous and tasteful. And so moist. I adored it.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” the young woman said and glanced at the smiling lady beside her. “Becca taught us. She can do anything.”
“From the looks of what I see here I would have to agree.” Amber tried to figure out the three women. Becca was the owner or manager maybe. Whatever she was, she was talented.
After Amber figured out what she wanted she paid for it then took her bag. “Thank y’all I can’t wait to enjoy this.”
Yes, this was what a day trip was all about. Treating herself to specialty candies topped the list. Out on the boardwalk she paused to break off a piece of the pecan caramel fudge and pop it into her mouth. “Oh. My. Goodness,” she muttered as it melted in her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored the velvety flavors. Someone knew how to make candy. This was not the average chocolate. She popped the second half of that piece into her mouth not even considering waiting. It was amazing.
“Amber! Woohoo!” Esther Mae called hustling her way across the street.
“Hi, Esther Mae. How are you?”
“I’m better than a snail in a turtle shell,” she chuckled.
“Well that’s good.” Amber grinned, liking Esther Mae’s wit.
“You look like you’re doing well, I saw you come out of the candy store. It's divine isn’t it?”
“It’s delicious.”
”Dottie Cannon, our sheriff’s wife, she is an amazing candy maker and she teaches all the gals at the women’s shelter to make it and run a business. They train right here in the store.”
“No Place Like Home, right?” Amber asked, impressed. Until App and Stanley mentioned it yesterday she’d forgotten Mule Hollow had a shelter.
“Yes. It’s a wonderful place. Dottie's teachin
g them a trade and also other things like finances and how to work with customers and like I said, how to run a business. It builds self-esteem while also helping them stand on their own two feet. That way they don’t have to rely on anyone for support. Especially their worthless husbands. Or boyfriends.”
Amber’s mother had opened her catering business and made several mistakes as she struggled to find a way to build a life for her and Amber. Something like this would have been a great program for her when she was starting out. “I had heard there was a shelter. But I thought it was just a temporary home. I had no idea they did all this.”
“It’s great. It’s like a holding pad for them until they can stand on their own two feet. It has a great rate of success. We are so proud of it. You should come with me tomorrow. It’s our day to go help.”
“I’d love too.” This explained the odd situation on the inside of the store. She’d found that sometimes abused women were not outgoing and many of them did need the hope a job or career offered them. She really wanted to see how the place worked.
“Dottie is looking for help you know.”
“Oh no, I’m a phone gal. I help get the women to go for help. I’m not really involved with the actual safe houses.” Behind her she heard the roar of a truck engine and Esther Mae’s eyes widened as huge a silver dollars.
“Oh dear, Chase looks hotter than a red hot poker!”
Dread slammed into Amber and she whirled around to see the gorgeous cowboy hauling out of his truck like hounds were chasing him—okay maybe not chasing him it looked more like he was doing the chasing and that she might be the one in need of running. She widened her feet stance and automatically braced herself. It was a reaction pure and simple. His eyes were firing lightning bolts and his jaw was tensed up like concrete.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he growled stomping onto the plank walk like a bull on a rampage.
Chase: (Contemporary Western Romance) (New Horizon Ranch Mule Hollow Book 3) Page 7