Gold Star Chance

by CJ Murphy

  Chance held up her cinnamon roll. “Tell Kristi thanks for breakfast.”

  Sarah snapped her fingers. “Tell her yourself when you come for supper next week after your birthday. Oh, did I forget to mention that was a condition of giving you the cinnamon rolls? Must be getting old. My spawn wants to show off his archery skills for you. Bring Jax if she’s available.”

  “Good thing I love Kristi and Daniel. You,” she paused, “are just a royal pain in my ass. I’ll be there. I’ll have to see about Jax.”

  Sarah waved as the screen door slammed behind her. “Call if you need anything.”

  Chance called after her. “Will do.”

  Maggie handed her a bundle of mail. “I figured I’d bring that in. How’d you sleep?”

  Chance stood and drew her into a hug. “First, let me apologize for making you worry so much.”

  “Chance…”

  “Let me finish, please. I know what you’ve been through, what I’ve put you through. I haven’t been fair. Having a kid like me probably wasn’t any picnic either, and I grew up to be an older version of that headstrong kid. All I’ve ever wanted to do was make you, Dee, and Dad proud.”

  Maggie put a hand on Chance’s cheek. “That’s all you’ve ever done. Forgive an old woman for being a worrywart. You are who you are, and I expect nothing less. Dee and I love you, and Kendra idolizes you. It took everything I had to keep her in school when you got hurt. She had one foot in the car before I could get her stopped. She’s taking those summer classes to try and finish a year ahead of time.”

  Kendra was the little sister Chance never had. They’d talked every day since she’d been released from the hospital. Chance had convinced her to stay put.

  “She said she’s coming home for my birthday. It’ll be good to see her.”

  “I’m sure she needs to see for herself that you’re fine. It shook her up pretty bad. I’m grateful there were a few of her close friends nearby when I had to tell her.”

  “I’ve been informed she’s planning to stay at my place, whether I like it or not.”

  Maggie looked up. “Will that be a problem? Her room is just like she left it. She can stay with us.”

  “No, no. It’s never a problem to have her here. She told me she’s anxious to talk about a few of her law enforcement classes.”

  “And eventually, I’ll have two of you to be worried about.”

  “Kendra’s going to make a better officer than I’ve ever been. She’s smart as a whip. I look forward to seeing what branch of law enforcement she chooses to share that brilliance with. Until then, let’s encourage her to enjoy being a college kid.”

  Maggie released her and wrapped an arm around her waist, as they went back into the kitchen. “How about another cup of coffee, since you’ve already had breakfast?”

  “You’re on.”

  They followed Zeus into the house and talked over coffee for the next hour. Another knock at the door brought Zeus to his feet, his tail wagging.

  Chance saw her chief deputy with Midas, standing on the other side of the screen door. “Grand Central Station around here. I didn’t know I was so popular. Come on in.” Midas made his way over to Chance, and she scratched his face. Zeus whined. Taylor bent down and rubbed down his back.

  “How are you boy?” Zeus wiggled in pleasure at the attention. Taylor laughed. “I know, you’re as ready to get back to work as she is. “

  “We won’t lie about that will we, Zeus?” Zeus answered with a short bark and went to the coat closet as if he expected they would be going to work that very minute. Chance smiled and called him back, patting him on his side. “Soon, I promise. Sorry, boy.”

  “What are you doing running around over on this side of the mountain?” Chance gingerly got up from her chair and poured a cup of coffee, beckoning Taylor to an empty place at the table.

  Taylor waved at the other occupant of the kitchen. “Hey, Maggie.”

  “Nice to see you, Taylor. Now that your next babysitter has arrived, I have to get to work.” Maggie stood and headed to the door.

  Chance grabbed her hand on the way past. “Thanks for bringing in the mail.”

  “I’ll call you later, Chance. Try to behave.”

  Chance looked at her. “Tall order. I promise, I’ll try.”

  Maggie shook her head and walked out.

  Chance sighed, knowing she was making Maggie worry too much. She turned back to Taylor. “How’s Sabrina?”

  “Doc Jax stopped in to look at her this morning. Said she’s good as new.”

  Chance smiled at the mere mention of Jax. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days. “That’s great news, did she put the shoe back on?”

  “She did and made a recommendation about a few things we might try in order to prevent some of the small issues we have. Said she’d tell you about it the next time she sees you.”

  “I’m sure that’ll be this evening when she comes by to check on Zeus. I miss riding. Hell, I miss running. I feel like I’m sitting here spinning my wheels.”

  Taylor smirked. “Faith still hasn’t given you the okay to go back to work, has she?”

  The icy stare Chance threw at Taylor could have frozen the Cheat River solid. “What do you think? Everyone’s mother henning me to death. You know me; I can’t sit still for five minutes unless I’m asleep. I’m not built to sit around and recover.” Chance made an air quote with her uncasted hand. “At least if they’d let me go to the office I could do paperwork. Our grant is coming up for the K9 training, and I need to finalize all the quotes. I’ll bet you can’t even find my desk with all the things your wife needs me to sign. Even Zeus is tired of me whining. I need to get back to work.”

  Taylor’s chuckle finally broke through into a full-on laugh. “Petulant much? God, you’re worse than a five-year-old who had their favorite toy taken away. Chance, you had a serious accident less than a week ago. You need time to allow that arm to heal.”

  “Wrist, damn it.”

  “Wrist, arm, either way, you are out of commission until Faith signs your release form. As Chief Deputy, I order you to enjoy your deck while you are off on sick leave. That also means I want confirmation from Maggie before you step one foot back in your office. I’m sure she’ll be happy to zip tie your ass to the chair if she has to. Damn it, Chance. You scared the hell out of all of us. If the shoe was on the other foot and I was acting like you are, you’d kick my ass, then send Penny home to babysit me. You’ve always said you won’t have your deputies do anything you wouldn’t do. If any of our deputies were in the condition you are, you wouldn’t let them back on the job until they were one hundred percent. How do you justify bending the injury rules for yourself?”

  Chance held up her hands in defense. “All right, all right! I’ll shut the fuck up about venting to any of you. Every one of you knows what I’ve been through before, and I know myself pretty damn well. I’d never endanger anyone, and I’d never let any of you down by trying to be a half-assed back up. I’m battered, not broken.” She looked at her broken wrist. “Figuratively speaking. Now I’m done talking about this. Do you have anything else we need to discuss? I’m sure it’s time for my nap.”

  Taylor leaned forward and dragged both hands down her face until she covered her mouth. “What do you think you have to prove, and who in the hell do you think you have to prove it to?” Taylor rose out of her chair and headed to the door.

  Chance started to speak, but Taylor held up her hand. “Come on, Midas. We’re not doing any good here.”

  “Taylor, come on.” Chance rose, but the kitchen door was already closing. She stood and watched through the glass. Taylor loaded her dog in the vehicle. She started the engine and sat with both hands on the steering wheel, then rolled down the window.

  “I’ll call you later. I’ve got a mound of paperwork on your desk to clear off.” Taylor rolled the window back up and turned the vehicle around to leave.

  To her credit, she didn’t spin a single tire
or throw any gravel in the driveway. Chance put her head back and closed her eyes. “Shit, piss off all your friends and family, why don’t you?”

  Zeus stood beside her, panting softly.

  “Well boy, as long as I don’t piss you off, I guess I’ll have one friend.”

  The restlessness was getting to both of them. She’d been ordered, by Faith, not to drive for at least a week, or until the concussion symptoms abated. That order had been backed up by both Maggie and Dee. If the double vision persisted, she’d be grounded for an even longer period of time and ordered back to the neurologist. Her department-issued Yukon had been totaled in the incident. She’d have to rely on her personal Toyota Tundra until the insurance claim worked itself out and she could outfit a new one.

  “Zeus, I’m going to go nuts sitting here in this house.”

  The stables were only a few miles away. She could check on the horses. If Maggie caught her, there would likely be a verbal smack down coming. Not like she hadn’t been getting those since she was twelve. She could call Taylor and beg a ride back to the house after their walk. It would give her a chance to apologize for being an ass.

  “Well, Zeus, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Let’s take a walk.”

  ***

  Jax met Maggie at her office to discuss a list of properties that were available. Living with Marty was starting to wear on her. She wanted a little breathing room and to stop living out of her boxes in storage. It was time to find a home. She pushed through the door of the real estate office and was greeted by a wide smile.

  “Well hello there, stranger.” Maggie came from behind her desk to embrace Jax.

  Jax accepted the hug and dropped into the chair Maggie directed her to. “I think we’re past the stranger part. I’ve seen you more in the last few weeks than in thirty odd years. Have you talked to the patient today?”

  “She’s lacking.”

  Jax furrowed her brow. “Lacking? In what? Does she need something?”

  Maggie let a chuckle out. “Yes, a bucket load of patience that she’s short on. She’s like a caged animal, pacing the house and yard. Taylor called a little bit ago…said Chance bit her head off.”

  Jax grimaced thinking about a confrontation between the two friends. “Oh, that can’t be good.”

  “It isn’t. This is her first major injury since, well.” Maggie didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, she pointed to a vivid photo of Chance on the fire line, dressed in a yellow, button-up shirt. A red, brimmed hardhat was cocked sideways on her soot-stained face. She dug at the ground with a Pulaski, while a line of pine trees blazed behind her like giant wooden torches against the evening sky.

  “I saw the scars on her arm. She briefly mentioned it when I cleaned her up from that rescue out at Lindy Point. That photo is terrifying.”

  “Dee and I did more praying in those years than ever. She tried not to let us know how dangerous it was. Didn’t matter, we knew. When she got caught in that burn over, she was trying to protect a ten-year-old boy and his dog. She put them in her fire shelter with her. She was given the Chief’s Honor Award for her bravery. It cost her the career she loved. Thankfully, the boy and the dog survived. They had some injuries too, but not as bad as Chance’s. I thought we were going to lose her. I really did.”

  “I can’t imagine what she went through. I’m really glad she survived.”

  “Enough about that. Chance is always going to live up to her name. She even likes to say, ‘there’s always a Chance.’ Anyway, she’s never been able to sit still. Has to be doing something, says it feels like she’ll jump out of her skin if she isn’t moving.”

  “I told her, as soon as she gets the all clear, we’ll go for a trail ride. That should lift her spirits.”

  “True. Let’s get down to business so we can go see a few places.” Maggie shared printouts of several houses and properties for sale, as well as rentals.

  “This one has a barn, a large garage, and a good bit of land with it so you can pasture them. The land alone sells it.”

  Jax picked up the paper. A small brick home stood beside a barn that looked new. She studied a few other papers and saw something she liked in almost all of them. Maggie was good at finding what her clients were looking for.

  “I like them all except for this one. It’s too close to the main road for me. I want some privacy.”

  “I can certainly understand that. How about we take a ride and look at them up close?”

  “Let’s do it.”

  The pair headed out to Maggie’s Toyota Four Runner and drove into Canaan Valley. Ten minutes into the trip, Maggie leaned forward in her seat and squinted at the windshield. “Damn her, I’m going to kick her ass. What the hell does she think she’s doing?”

  Jax had been looking at the print outs and pulled her head up to see what Maggie was fussing about. It took less than a second for her to take in the tall figure walking along the side of the road with a dog at her heel. “Uh oh.”

  “Uh oh, is right. I’ll tan her hide.” Maggie stepped on the accelerator and brought the vehicle alongside the pair. She rolled down her window. “Chance Raylynn, you’re grounded. What in Sam Hill do you think you’re doing? Get in this vehicle this instant.”

  A contrite Chance leaned on the open window. “We’re just taking a walk. I can’t drive, and you know I can’t sit. I’ve worn a path down to the pond. Zeus suggested we go see the horses. I agreed and there you have it.”

  Maggie looked down at Zeus, then back up to Chance. “Get in the vehicle.”

  Chance sighed and opened the back door. “Laden, Zeus.” The K9 climbed into the back seat and she followed.

  Jax sat with her hand covering her mouth in a desperate attempt not to laugh. She did not want to draw the wrath of Maggie. “Hey, Chance.”

  Chance pointed a finger at her. “Don’t laugh, smartass.”

  Jax shrugged her shoulders. “You are so busted.”

  “Chance,” Maggie held her hands to the sides of her head, “you are going to drive me to drink.”

  “Pour enough for two.”

  Jax couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. “Not much has changed around here. And you still can’t keep out of trouble.”

  “What fun would that be?”

  Maggie turned and glared at Chance, who winced and held her hands up in defense. Jax was nearly bent over in her seat, tears running down her cheeks.

  “Congratulations, you’ve earned yourself a babysitter for the rest of the day. You’ll accompany us to see a few properties. Once we finish there, we’ll go to lunch, and I’m dropping you off to Dee. She can take you to the stables. Don’t argue. Don’t say one word. You hear me?”

  Chance said nothing.

  Maggie’s voice rose. “Answer me!”

  Chance threw up her arms. “You said not to say a word. Now which is it, answer you or don’t say one word?”

  Jax tried desperately to bring herself under control and was losing the battle. The giggles turned into body shaking cackles that eventually spilled over to both of the other occupants, until the entire vehicle was shaking.

  Maggie sighed. “Now look what you’ve done, messed up my mascara. Damn you, Chance. You are infuriating.”

  “And that’s why you love me.” Chance leaned forward and kissed Maggie’s cheek. “I’m sorry, Mom. I really am. I’m going stir crazy and didn’t think a walk over to the stables would hurt. I’ve been good for almost a week. I’m pretty sure that’s a record. I promise you, I was going to call Taylor to take me back home. It would have given me an opportunity to say I’m sorry for being a bitch earlier. “

  Maggie turned to her and shook her head, then looked at Jax. “Kids, big or small, they’re still a pain in the ass. Remember that.”

  Jax bit her lip to hold back another outburst of laughter. “I’ll try. I’ll even take a turn on watch. Instead of bothering Dee, I’ll stand guard over the patient. You leave her to me when we finish up.”

&nb
sp; Maggie looked over at Jax. “I don’t offer hazard pay. Are you sure?”

  “Hey!” Chance indignantly crossed her arms and looked at Zeus. “Do you hear how they’re talking about us?”

  Maggie turned completely around in her seat and faced Chance. “Zeus is smart enough to know I’m not talking about him.”

  Zeus barked at the sound of his name.

  Jax grabbed her side. “I think she’s got you there. I’d quit while you’re behind.”

  Maggie put the vehicle in gear, and the four of them headed off in the direction of the first property.

  ***

  Two hours later, the three women picked up Jax’s vehicle and drove to Maggie’s for lunch. Jax remembered the meals she’d been privileged to share with this family so many years ago. Maggie was an excellent cook. Before long, Jax pushed back from the table that sat on the deck. “Maggie, that was scrumptious.”

  “You’re welcome here any time, Jax. With or without that pain-in-the-ass kid of mine.”

  Chance blushed.

  “Well, you act like a child. If the shoe fits, wear it.” Maggie cleared plates from the table and headed inside to the kitchen.

  “How about I run you over to the stables to see the angels?” Jax took the last drink of her tea and stood up.

  “I’d like to go see them. Taylor said Sabrina is doing better and you reshod her.”

  “It looks great, and she doesn’t seem to favor it at all now. On my endurance team in California, we were using Razer shoes. They allow for a little flexing. It made a big difference. It might be worth trying a set to see if you like them.”

  “I’ll do some research and see what we have in the budget. If it’ll be better for the horse, I always try to find the money.” Chance picked up her glass and carried it to the kitchen.

  Jax watched her walk, noticing how the worn jeans fit Chance’s ass. She just gets better with age. She watched as Chance walked up and hugged Maggie. The affection between the two was so evident. Jax knew Maggie worried about her from the conversations they’d had while Chance was in the hospital. Her scolding had been given out of love and concern for her welfare.