by Debra Kayn
“Sorry.” Florentine pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “Slowpoke McDougal here took forever to come out of the house.”
Chantilly swung her leg behind her and slid off the back of the horse. “Well, it would have been nice if one of you’d filled me in on what we’re doing out here and why we had to wait until almost midnight.”
“It’s a going-away party for Bisette.” Margot opened the cooler Chantilly just noticed sitting off the blanket they’d spread out. “Here sis, have a cold one.”
Chantilly planted her hands on her hips. “Nuh-uh. You’re not getting me shitfaced and leaving me sleeping it off in some odd place only to wake up wondering what in the heck happened.” She shook her head. “You can only pull that off once—”
“Twice.” Margot giggled. “You’re forgetting the time we put you in the foreman’s cabin and threw all those clothes we borrowed from Dirk around the room.”
“That wasn’t funny.” Chantilly grinned. “You had me thinking I’d slept with three guys that night. It took me a week to beat the truth out of Bruce ’bout what you all did.”
“Come on. We promise not to play with you tonight.” Margot pressed the can into her hand. “It’ll do us all good to let loose and send Bisette back in true McDougal girl style.”
Chantilly popped the top on her drink. Stepping over to the blanket, she sat down. She brought the can to her lips and paused. The last time she’d drunk, she’d ended up with Jack and fallen in love with him. Wanting to forget how much she missed his presence in her life, she swallowed three gulps before setting the can between her legs and gazing over at her sisters.
“How long does it take you to fly home?” Margot sat down between Bisette and Chantilly.
Bisette leaned over and dragged a brown paper bag to the middle of the blanket they sat on. “’Bout four hours.” She removed a bag of potato chips and threw them at Val. “I wish I could stay, but I have two more concerts before the tour is over.” She handed Margot a chocolate bar. “Once that’s over, though, I’m canceling everything else and coming back to stay at the ranch with Dad.”
“Bisette…Daddy doesn’t want you hovering over him. He wanted you to keep singing.” Chantilly took another sip. “Didja bring anything for me? I skipped dinner and I’m starving.”
Bisette tossed a bag of soft caramel squares in Chantilly’s lap. “I know he doesn’t want us all standing vigil, but there is no way I can go on acting normal when I know he’s gonna…”
All the girls nodded. No one dared speak of what the near future would bring them. Chantilly used her teeth to peel back the plastic wrapper on her favorite candy. “Where’s your ice cream, Bisette? You brought us all our comfort foods, don’t think you can skip out. If we’re all gonna gain five pounds, you are too.”
Bisette stuck out her tongue. “Damn right I brought ice cream. A pity party ain’t the same without eating away our troubles.”
“I thought you said this was a going-away party.” Chantilly lifted the beer bottle again and washed the caramel out of her mouth.
“It is.” Val held out her drink and waited for them all to clink their bottles. “Bon voyage, Bisette.”
Margot laughed. “You all are pathetic.” She threw her arm around Chantilly. “We need to have a talk with you.”
Chantilly narrowed her eyes, but she was afraid the warning didn’t come across under the moonlight. “’Bout…?”
“Jack.”
She tipped back the bottle and drained it before standing up. Stumbling over the blanket, she stepped off into the grass and crossed her arms. “Off-limits.”
“We ended that rule when you graduated high school.” Val stood up and moved over to wrap her arms around Chantilly’s waist. “Think ’bout it, Tilly. If you were gonna be mad at anyone, you should be upset that Daddy didn’t tell you why he’d hired Jack. Hell, we’re all steamed ’bout him keeping his illness to himself.”
“Jack was only doing what Daddy hired him to do.” Bisette crawled over to the cooler, removed more drinks and passed them around. Before handing one to Chantilly, she popped the top and placed it in her sister’s hand. “Drink.”
Chantilly followed Bisette’s orders.
Florentine reached up and grabbed her hand. Chantilly sat back down and sighed. “It’s not that simple.” She drank another swallow. “I fell in love. I dreamt ’bout a future with Jack. We were past the point of learning ’bout each other, and he never said one word ’bout knowing Dad’s secret or caring enough ’bout me to realize that this was going to destroy me.”
She snorted, took another drink and then heaved a big breath. “It hurts so bad inside.” Tapping her chest, Chantilly gazed at her twin. “I wanna run to Jack, because I know he can make me feel better…”
“Then go to him. Don’t be so stubborn you lose someone you love.” Florentine rubbed Chantilly’s back. “Love is everything, sis. Daddy taught us all that in the way he loved Mom…even to this day. Why waste another moment on something that you can fix by talking?”
Chantilly tilted her chin up and stared at the stars. Her heartbeat accelerated. Is it really this simple? A part of her hoped and wanted to make things right with Jack, but the underlying sadness of the changes in her life scared her to death. She’d never forgotten what it felt like to have a mother one day, and the next, she was gone. The hurt, confusion and sorrow lived inside her every day.
“Maybe it’s better to lose him now than later when Jack’s my whole life.” She drank from the can. “Does that make sense?”
Margot scooted closer. “I understand, but you also know that no matter how much we’ll mourn Daddy and miss him, you have your whole life ahead of you.” She squeezed Chantilly’s hand. “I don’t put my trust in people very often, you know that, but I trust Jack.”
Chantilly nodded and took another sip of beer.
“I don’t even know Jack the same way you do, but I hafta tell you, he’s got a place in my heart forever.” Margot leaned back and stretched her legs out.
“I don’t understand…just because I love him?”
Margot unwrapped more chocolate. Popped a piece in her mouth. “Nope, has nothing to do with it. When Daddy needed a confidant the most, Jack stepped up to the plate and kept his word. That rates pretty damn high in my book. Jack didn’t do it to hurt you, Tilly. He did it because he’s a man of his word.”
Chantilly dropped her chin to her chest and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were all fuzzy from the alcohol. “Dammit. I shouldn’t have drunk anything tonight.” She raised her head and opened her eyes. “I’ve gotta go.” Struggling to her feet, she almost tripped over Florentine.
“Whoa…” Bisette jumped up and scrambled out of the way. “I don’t think you’ll get very far.” She laughed. “It always cracks me up how fast you get hit when you drink.”
Florentine wrapped her arm around Chantilly’s shoulders. “Where do you wanna go, sis?”
“Stop moving.” Chantilly clutched at Florentine’s hand. “I was gonna…” She licked her lips. What did I wanna do? She propelled Florentine around in a circle and stopped when she saw the horses standing in the field. Oh yeah. Jack.
“I’ve gotta talk to Jack.” She pulled away from Florentine and headed toward the horses. Her feet didn’t work right and she felt herself falling. Her face met the ground. The air rushed out of her lungs and she gasped for breath. She brushed at the grass poking her cheeks and groaned.
“Up and at ’em.” Florentine pulled her off the ground and stood Chantilly up. “Let’s get you over to the horse.”
Bisette flanked her other side. “You’re gonna hafta hold on to Florentine or you’ll find your lightweight ass on the ground and you’ll never make it to Jack.”
“Jack.” She hurried her steps. “I’ve gotta talk to him.”
Florentine giggled. “So you’ve said.”
“I do.” Chantilly glanced back and forth between her sisters. Her head seemed heavy. “Didja know that he’s an olde
r man?” She laughed. “It’s true what they say ’bout men like him.”
“What’s that?” Florentine asked.
“They’re really good in the sack.” She reached out and leaned on the side of the horse. “The field. The truck. The river…”
“Is she mumbling ’bout the places she’s had sex with Jack?” Bisette bent down and wrapped her arm around Chantilly’s leg.
Florentine grabbed Chantilly’s other side and together they hefted her up onto the back of the horse. “Sure sounds like it. Hey, Tilly, how big is Jack?”
“Florentine Lace!” Margot reproached them. “If you make her say more than she would if she was stone-cold sober, I’ll tell Chantilly what you did tomorrow and let her deal with you.”
“Jack’s mine. I’m gonna tell…I’ll tell him sorry.” Chantilly leaned forward, sinking her hands into the horse’s mane. “I love him so, so, so, so much.”
“Geez. You take the fun out of everything.” Florentine laughed and swung up behind Chantilly. “Watch it or I’ll dump you on the front porch, knock and run away.”
“Don’t you dare.” Chantilly tried to muster up a frown but laughed instead. “I’m gonna walk in the house like I belong there…’cause I do. Jack’s my cowboy and I’m gonna get ’im back.”
Chapter Seventeen
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Jack rolled over and got up off the bed. Jogging to the door, he prayed that nothing had happened to Stuart. With Chantilly giving him the silent treatment, a middle-of-the-night visit could only mean bad news. Good news saved itself for daylight when people were fully awake.
He opened the door and squinted out into the darkness. Chantilly. He stepped forward, and with help of the moonlight, he realized the grinning woman was Chantilly’s twin, and caught himself from going closer. He frowned. “What’s going on, Florentine? Is something wrong with the animals?” Please don’t say something happened to your old man.
“Everything is right as rain, cowboy.” She leaned against the post, crossed her arms and giggled. “No wonder Chantilly’s always strolled around with a shit-eating grin on her face.”
He moved to the edge of the porch. “What’re you talking ’bout?”
“You.” She pointed her finger at his lower body.
He followed her line of vision and winced. In his worry, he’d walked out in only his boxer shorts. “Hang on, I’ll—”
“We don’t have time.” She waved her hand in the air. “I’ve got something for you.” She shifted out of the way of the steps. “’Bout five minutes ago Chantilly had something important she was gonna tell you, but as you can see…” Florentine shook her head. “She had too much to drink and appears to be asleep.”
“How much did she drink?” Jack stepped off the porch and approached the horse where Chantilly sat slumped against the animal’s neck.
“Almost two beers.” Florentine walked in front of the horse and over to the other side. “We all kind of coaxed her into having a beer tonight. It wasn’t her fault. Although she’s able to handle more alcohol than the last time I was home.” She laughed. “My sis is growing up.”
Jack rubbed the length of Chantilly’s bare calf. His hands itched to drag her off the horse and into his arms. It seemed like ages since he held her close.
“Don’t just stand there, cowboy, take her off my horse. I’ve got a party to get back to and she’s dead weight.” Florentine disappeared from view behind the horse.
“I can’t.” Jack reached up to adjust his hat, realized he wasn’t wearing one and shook his head. “I still can’t get her to talk to me. She wants nothing to do with me.” He stepped back toward the house. “Jesus, this is driving me nuts.”
Florentine rounded the horse and poked Jack in the chest. “Listen up. Chantilly loves you. She came to the conclusion that—” She threw up her hands. “Hell, Jack. This is her story to tell, not mine.” She swept back her hair. “On the word of a McDougal, the best thing you can do for Chantilly is to take her into the cabin, put her to bed or on the couch, it really doesn’t matter where. Talk to her in the morning.”
He nodded.
“Well, get to it. I’m ’bout beat, and the girls are waiting for me.”
It wasn’t hard to come to a decision. Whether it was the right thing to do or not didn’t matter. Getting the time to watch her sleep, talk to her and win her back was the most important thing at the moment.
Carrying her into the house, he placed her on the couch and unfolded the old quilt to cover her. She snuggled down farther in the cushions and mewed. Her lower lip, full and moist, stuck out in the cutest pout. Jack sighed. Even sleeping, Chantilly tugged at his soul. He wanted her. He loved her.
He’d prove to her that their relationship went beyond the promise he made to Stuart. He woke up thinking about her and went to bed with her on his mind. He wanted a future with her. With Chantilly, he learned how much he wanted a solid life, a healthy commitment where two people supported, loved and encouraged each other. He could no more give that up than he could quit breathing. He loved her, and he’d bet everything he had that she loved him that much too. He’d wait for her to come to the realization that she loved him. No matter how long it took.
Jake sat in the chair beside the couch and kicked his bare feet up on the coffee table. Leaning his head back, he gazed at Chantilly and smiled. She’s always been the one.
A loud blaring noise woke Chantilly up. She sat up and gazed around trying to figure out why her room didn’t look the same. How did I get…?
Someone cleared their throat. She turned and found Jack pushing out of the chair and hurrying out of the room. Snatches of last night came back, and she wondered if he’d forgiven her or if she made a total fool of herself. She glanced down at the quilt around her feet. She swallowed. Waking up on the couch must mean that he hadn’t forgiven her for pushing him out of her life.
The buzzing stopped and Jack came back in the room with his jeans on and carrying his socks and shirt. She picked up the quilt and proceeded to fold it.
“Chantilly?”
She paused and looked up.
“I’ve gotta get going and do chores early today. I need to pick Craig up at the train station over in Gratton. He’s coming to stay for a couple weeks.” Jack buttoned up his shirt.
“Jack…can I talk to you?”
He sat down and worked on his sock. “You can always talk to me, darlin’.”
Every nerve in her body relaxed and she sank down on the edge of the couch. “I’ve totally screwed up everything.” She bit down on her lip, sat up straighter and plunged on. “I lashed out when I should have thanked you instead. I wanted to blame you for what was happening with my dad, and that isn’t fair.” Her chest tightened. “You were there for him…and me.”
Jack had continued putting on his boots during her apology. Scooting back in the chair, he patted his thighs. “Come here, darlin’.”
She stood up and stepped in front of him. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” He pulled her onto his lap. “In your position, I’d have acted the same way. You have every right to be pissed off at the world right now.” He shifted her sideways on his lap. “What I didn’t like is how you shut me out. If we’re going to make this work…” He lifted her chin and drilled her with his gaze. “You can’t walk away every time something goes wrong. If I’ve learned one thing in my life, it’s commitment. I don’t want a seasonal fling. I won’t stand for my woman to come and go whenever the mood strikes. I grew up with parents who were there when they wanted and left when something else caught their attention. I don’t want that. You can be pissed off at me, you can tell me to go to hell if you want, but don’t walk away and give me the cold shoulder. If you love me…if you want me…it’s for life.”
Chantilly nodded.
“What also upset me is you forgot something.” He skimmed his lips over her mouth. Gentle, undemanding and in such a sh
ow of compassion, his touch humbled her. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and her body shuddered. Jack laid his forehead on hers.
“What did I forget, Jack? Tell me, so I can make it right.” Her fingers dug into his biceps. “I’ll do anything.”
“You forgot…” He leaned his head back and gazed into her eyes. “That I love you. That’ll never stop, darlin’.”
“I love you too, Jack.”
One more kiss, and he lifted her off his lap. Grinning, he held out his hand. “How ’bout you and I get the chores done together and afterward you can go to the train station with me. I’d love for you to meet Craig.”
“Really?”
“Of course.” He nodded. “He’s gonna think you’re great.”
“What’s Craig going to think of our age difference?” She rubbed her arm. “I mean, it’s no big deal to us, but you’re his dad and I’m not much older than he is.”
Jack chuckled. “He’s an adult, darlin’. He’ll probably slap me on the back, congratulate me and secretly think I’m one lucky SOB.”
“I hope so. I want him to be happy we’re together.”
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll meet you in the barn.”
Chantilly moved over to grab her boots. He must have taken them off her when he put her to bed last night. “I’ll hurry.”
Jack moved toward the door, but she called his name.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you, cowboy.”
He winked, gave her one of his lopsided grins and strolled out the door. She blew out a breath that she felt like she’d held since the night she found out her dad had ALS. Oh my God. I’m going to meet Craig.
Chapter Eighteen
Stuart stood beside Chantilly outside the round pen. She stepped onto the first rung and hooked her arms over the top of the fence. Craig sat atop one of the green horses after swearing it was his job to train the horse that Daddy gave him for the summer.
