Rescued by a Stranger

by Lizbeth Selvig

  Chapter Twelve

  CHASE’S GUT CHURNED beneath his belt. Robert McCormick erupted into full-throated laughter.

  “You were there?” Chase’s question came out like a ragged surrender flag.

  Robert McCormick wiped his eyes. “Saw every second.”

  “Mr. McCormick, look, I, ah …”

  The old man shook his head to ward off Chase’s apology. “I go for a walk every afternoon, you see. Yesterday, when I got to the line of trees up the hill, I saw Krieger’s damn car and then caught sight of you runnin’ next to it. Next thing I knew, you heaved the rock and the fun started. I could barely keep myself hidden.”

  Jill removed the thermometer and stepped forward.

  “Mr. McCormick, I am sorry,” she said. “We weren’t—”

  He lifted a hand to halt Jill’s apology, too. “Best damn performance I’ve ever seen. But you took a mighty big chance with that whopper you told, boy. I guess you must not know my reputation.”

  “Oh, believe me, I’d heard.” Chase wished McCormick would finish dressing him down so they could just leave.

  “I almost walked out and played along, but it was much more entertaining to wait and see if Krieger called your bluff.”

  “Hey, I expected a rear end full of buckshot as it was.” Chase stared back, annoyed with McCormick’s obvious glee. “Do you even own a shotgun?”

  “Sure. You ain’t supposed to point one at people for fun, of course, but I tried it once, and now everybody thinks I’m meaner’n a ruttin’ boar. I don’t mind, it keeps away most of the riffraff.”

  In complete astonishment, Chase suddenly realized McCormick wasn’t the least bit angry.

  “That whole thing went a little too far. I am sorry.”

  “Hell, you saved me from another meeting with Krieger. That’s worth a lot. What was your name again?”

  “Preston. Chase. You do know James Krieger?”

  “He comes by every now and again with the gravel pit’s latest offer for my place. We don’t care for each other much.”

  “I’m sure not his idea of a birthday party either,” Chase said.

  “When I die, the highest bidder can do what he likes with this place. I got no children. It’s too small to be any use for farming anymore. You know those gravel people offered me $750,000 for this place? Almost makes me wish I needed the money. But I’d rather be a pain in everyone’s ass until I’m cold in the ground. How’s the horse’s temperature?”

  Chase let relieved laughter bubble free. The man was half-crazy blunt, yet wise to the world.

  “It’s 100.5. Normal.”

  “That’s good then. Anything else you need her for? Otherwise, I’ll put ’em out now you’ve seen her.”

  “I’m done. Thank you.”

  Chase watched with Jill in bemusement as McCormick opened the stall doors without further words. Once Belle and Gypsy had ambled to their pasture, McCormick led the way out of the barn, still content with the silence.

  He didn’t speak until they stood by The Creature. “Do you get yourself into trouble often?” he asked.

  Chase had no idea how to answer. He’d run from trouble in Memphis, and now he was living with trouble in Minnesota. Trouble in the form of a young, beautiful woman and messes that seemed to compound by the second.

  “I don’t try to find trouble,” he said, and that was more than the truth. “But in this case, I’ll tell you what I told Krieger. I regret what happened, but I’d do it again.”

  “That’s my boy.” McCormick shot him a wink as conspiratorial as any Chase had seen between gang members.

  “You’re encouraging him?” Jill tossed up her hands immediately after the outburst. “Forget it. I’m sure glad you two have hit it off so well.”

  “Hell. I’ll be nice to anyone who gives Krieger a slap upside the head. Like I said, best show I’ve seen in a while. You visiting in these parts or are you staying awhile?”

  Chase chafed at the question. He was close to getting out of here with his skin intact—he could hardly tell the curmudgeonly old man he’d gone to work for the enemy.

  “I’ll be working in the area, but I don’t know how long,” he hedged.

  To his great relief, McCormick nodded. “Who gets paid for this trip?”

  “Dr. Hardy will take care of the sulfa,” Jill said. “There’s no farm call—I’m only a messenger.”

  “I guess you’ll do as a messenger. You were right. You know some about horses.”

  “Why thank you! And I always want to learn more. Mr. McCormick, would it be all right with you if I came to see Gypsy’s foal after it’s born?”

  “Come see it, sure.” He shrugged. “Next week it oughta be here, you said.”

  “Wednesday.”

  “Tuesday.” He ambled off. “Keep outta trouble, young feller.”

  “Yes sir. A pleasure meeting you, Mr. McCormick.”

  “Hah, been a long time since I heard that one.”

  Relief flowed so strongly through Chase as they pulled away that he didn’t dare speak for fear of breaking some sort of spell. Surely he wasn’t getting off this easily. He relished the reprieve selfishly enough that they reached the main road before he realized Jill hadn’t spoken either. She concentrated on the road, her hands tight on the wheel, her face unreadable.

  “Hey.” He touched her knee. “I think that went fine. Everything okay?”

  A misty smile played on her lips. “Yeah. It was just hard.”

  “Hard? Heck, what you do when you ride is hard.”

  “This is hard because when I meet people like this, I can’t believe I’d consider leaving school.”

  “Well, honey, leaving school isn’t a done deal yet.”

  “I don’t know if the possibility of working with Colin Pitts-Matherson still exists. He hasn’t said boo to me since the lesson two days ago. Before I learned, six months ago, that Colin was coming, I’d written off the whole Olympic dream thing. Now David’s got me going again. But so does Ben.”

  “Why do you have to choose?”

  “If I was going to have a shot at the Olympics, I’d have to go where Colin goes, and riding at that level means twelve-to fifteen-hour days, seven days a week. At the very least I’d have to postpone school. I could probably take a year off, but if it was longer—like Olympics in two-years longer—I’d have to reapply to vet school. I might get back in, if I still wanted to go.”

  “Sounds like what you have to go with is your passion.”

  She was quiet a long time before she sighed. “I’d love to be selfish. Do whatever the heck I want and damn what’s left behind. Be like my father, you know? But people have done a lot of amazing things for me over the years. David has invested an incredible amount of his time and attention to help me reach my riding goals. And Ben … he’s done nothing but support me and believe in me for half my life. I can’t flip him the bird and walk away without guilt.”

  “Following your own dream does not constitute flipping him the bird, Jill. Everyone gets help in life. That doesn’t mean we’re beholden to those who give it.”

  A small spot of flame ignited in her cheeks. Here was another contrast—she might be stubborn, but she was a people pleaser at heart. The only times she’d fully stood up for herself was with Becky Barnes and whenever she sparred with him. It was that Jill Carpenter—the one dangerously attractive to him after only three days—he wanted to see stay front and center.

  She reached to adjust a temperature control, and as her hand floated back to the wheel, Chase caught it, threaded his fingers through hers, and squeezed. She stiffened in surprise, but then soft skin melded with rough, and she squeezed back. Instantaneous fire raced through his veins, and his composure fled. When was the last time holding a girl’s hand had made him senseless?

  “All I’m saying is that you can trust yourself.” He feathered his thumb along the length of hers, marveling at her delicate knuckles and flawless skin. She squeezed out another battle array of goose
bumps along his arm. “I’ve been watching you, Jill Carpenter. You’re no dumb chick. You can figure it out all on your own.”

  “You have kind of a slick tongue, mister.”

  “Yeah,” he acknowledged. “But this time it happens to be telling the truth.”

  WEAKNESS GRIPPED JILL as Chase stroked her hand. The past twenty-four hours had been like a never-ending Tower of Terror amusement park ride. From finding the dog, to the surprise that was Robert McCormick, to these … earthquake tremors caused by Chase’s thumb, the day had been lifting her up and dropping her like a rag doll without pause. She didn’t want to be attracted to Chase, although fate seemed hell-bent on keeping them together. He was either the scariest drop on the ride, or the guy running it who kept everything safe. She didn’t have the emotional strength to figure out which it was.

  They rolled into Bridge Creek and Chase let go of her fingers, but the shivers remained. Next to the barn, Jill exited The Creature and handed Chase the keys so he could check on Angel and then make arrangements with Elaina to rent the guesthouse until he could find a coil.

  “If it isn’t my sister and the drifter.”

  Dee and Colin appeared from around the barn, Dee swaying inappropriately close to the famous instructor. Jill tamped down the jealousy that tinged her irritation. Could she go nowhere without Dee materializing out of thin air?

  “She’s supposed to be at work,” she grumbled. “Is she really this shameless?”

  “She’s just flirting,” he whispered. “It seems to be what your sister does best.”

  He placed a finger on the side of Jill’s jaw and gently turned her face to his. The earnestness in his eyes took her aback, as did the perfect angles of his face and the sexy stubble on his chin and cheeks. She swallowed, as stunned as if she were seeing him for the first time. “This doesn’t have anything to do with you.” He slid his fingers to the point of her chin, tilting her head upward, giving her no choice but to accept the calm sense he was talking.

  “I know that.”

  “Good. Then go do your thing. Let Dee do hers. Don’t put yourself down a notch from her.”

  “I don’t!”

  She pulled away indignantly, but a tiny wave of shame rolled through her. She did compare herself to Dee too often. She’d never be as beautiful, as flirtatious, as fun. Even Colin was smiling. Despite that, these feelings of resentment were unusual.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” she said, feigning friendliness. “You’re not working this afternoon?”

  “I took a shift at the Faribault clinic this evening, so I have a couple of hours now. Given any more dog baths lately?”

  Jill held back a retort. “About that,” she said instead. “I can’t thank you enough. The dog is safely at Southwater, and Mother is none the wiser. Chase is headed over to check on her.”

  “Ah yes, hello, Chase. Still slumming around Kennison Falls?”

  “Not a bad place to slum. Hullo, Dee.”

  Dee touched Colin lightly on the arm. “It was interesting chatting with you, thanks for the insight. I’ll see you on Friday.”

  “Very good.”

  Dee passed them without another word, leaving Jill face-to-face with Colin. “Hi,” she offered. “Are you settling in?”

  “Yes, quite. There are some lovely riders here. Good horses as well. But I’m very glad to have run into you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Tell me, how’s that shoulder?” His narrowed eyes were one step from reproving. “And don’t bother denying you were injured, my girl. David spilled the beans.”

  Heat crawled up her neck, and one of Colin’s eyebrows arched in amusement. His shock of wavy brown hair was shot with distinguished threads of silver, and his broad face was regal with straight, handsome features. His drive-the-female-students-wild accent was a fair amount heavier than David’s, but his gene pool was clearly where David had gotten his good looks.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. David wasn’t supposed to say anything either.” She looked Colin straight in the eye, determined not to act like a wimp, despite the fact that he intimidated the crap out of her. “I figured, incorrectly, that making an excuse was not the best way to impress you.”

  “Your stoicism is admirable, but it was foolish.” Colin’s voice was stern but not unkind. “Riding injured can cause accidents and worse injuries. And you aren’t doing your horse any favors either. When do you feel you’ll be ready to ride again? For a proper lesson?”

  Dumbfounded, she could barely catch her breath.

  “My shoulder is stiff but no longer terribly sore. Tomorrow or Thursday?”

  “Put your name in my book for Thursday.”

  “I will! Thank you, Colin. I appreciate the second chance.”

  “I took the liberty of watching you teach a bit yesterday,” he said. “You’ve a very good eye. Perhaps more patience than I would have.” A brief smile toyed with his lips but didn’t linger. “Now that I know you were riding with a handicap the other day, I can see you did a competent job with your seat. If you can translate your teaching into riding, as David still insists you can, you’ve got strong potential.”

  “That’s very kind of you.”

  “It’s not about kindness. I’m looking for working students who are dedicated to advancing. You’ve got a bit of grit about you. We’ll see what we see.”

  He gave her a nod that finished their conversation, and strode off across the yard, and a slow boil of excitement rose in her belly. It swelled until it broke free in the form of a smile busting dopily across her cheeks. She fisted her hands, did a little running step in place, and spun toward Chase. In three strides she launched herself at him and planted a huge kiss on his cheek.

  “He’s giving me another chance!”

  His arms clamped around her waist, and he pulled her off the ground. “I am definitely not above an I-told-you-so.”

  “Go for it, I don’t care.”

  “I take it your day just got easier?” Chase continued holding her in strong arms two inches from another kiss.

  The kiss. Foolhardy. She hadn’t stopped to give it one rational thought, and now she didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or kiss him again.

  “Much easier.”

  “You’ll wow Colin next time.”

  “Hi, Jill!” A bright young voice hailed her from across the parking lot.

  Jill pulled away to see a lithe, pretty blonde teenager standing beside a two-horse trailer.

  “Hi, Kim! Hi, Abby!” she added as the girl’s mother stepped from the driver’s side of the towing car.

  She leaned toward Chase. “Now there’s your opposite to Becky Barnes. Kim is a great young rider with the best attitude you can imagine. Despite being related to a very famous person, by the way.”

  “Abby,” Chase said. “Hey, is that Gray Covey’s wife? I met him this morning.”

  “It is. Gray’s a great guy. And Abby and Kim could easily be terribly snooty, but they aren’t. Becky needs a few lessons from them.”

  “If only, right?”

  “I have Kim and two more lessons after her. Then I’d like to ride—something easy.”

  He hesitated as if about to question her choice, then nodded. “All right. I’ll go run my errands and check on the dog. Anything else I can do for you?”

  A surge of gratitude welled at his restraint and his question. She didn’t ask for help; she usually gave it. “No. You’ve been great. Thanks for being around today.”

  “Hey, I got a kiss from a pretty girl. Don’t need any more thanks.”

  “Yeah. Sorry. Got a little carried away.”

  He grasped her gently by her good arm. Without preamble, he brushed her lips with his, sending shockwaves into her belly. The kiss held no weight, only feathery electricity. The shock dissipated in seconds, leaving a sweet, tingling burn.

  “Don’t be sorry.”

  CHASE LOOKED AT Angel beside him on The Creature’s passenger seat. It had taken a little
sweet talking to convince the receptionist at Southwater Vet Clinic he was springing the dog on Jill’s behalf. Angel had helped, but now, sitting in the passenger seat as calm as if she’d never in her life thrown herself against a kennel door to get out of it, she alternated lolling her tongue out the windy window with throwing adoring looks in Chase’s direction.

  Jill had already bonded with the dog, but why was he encouraging it? She couldn’t keep the dog in her room and he certainly wasn’t in a position to keep an animal. Elaina Carpenter had seemed willing to give him almost any kind of deal he wanted on accommodations for the next week, but he doubted she liked him enough to allow stray pets in the pristine little house. Angel grinned doggily, and his doubts fled. Her presence made him undeniably happy, even if it wasn’t a smart kind of happy.

  Once at the barn he clipped the cheap leash on the cheap collar he’d purchased just for this outing. He hadn’t thought of his own clinic in hours. Perhaps he was simply numbing his mind with nonsense so he didn’t have to face reality, but dang it. Wasn’t that why he’d left Memphis in the first place? If it took a stray dog to change his focus, so be it.

  “Hey, you!” Jill appeared like a vision, leading a gleaming, dark brown horse, sturdily built and tacked up in a secure-looking Western saddle rather than the hornless little slabs of leather most of her students used. “Oh my gosh. Angel!”

  She barely spared Chase another glance and squatted, still holding the reins. “Typical,” he said. “Never try to compete with a dog.”

  “That’s right. How did you spring her?”

  “I told the receptionist we wanted to show her around at the stable and see if anyone recognized her. I said she’d probably be back later tonight.”

  “You’re so clever.” She stood and ran her hand down the side of his arm. Goose bumps fanned across his skin. “Thank you for bringing her.”

  “You look like you’re heading out.”

  “I got through my lessons, and I figure I’d better at least get my butt back riding before Thursday. This is another of my horses, Sun, and if anyone can rehab me, he’ll be the one. Wanna come?”