“Not by blood, but we’re like brothers. So, Hayley is my god-niece. C’mon. Dinner awaits,” Chase said.
Anna followed him to a spectacular outdoor room that included an outdoor kitchen. The green-white tropical patterned furniture was inviting and looked comfortable. Chinese lanterns lit the beautiful space. A small, nicely set table was situated close to the kitchen area and a savory scent wafted on the air.
“Since we’re country folk at heart, I thought it would be nice to have some good old-fashioned barbequed spare ribs,” Chase said.
Anna’s mouth instantly watered. “I haven’t had those in forever.”
His grin made his eyes shine. “Well, prepare yourself for the best you’ve ever eaten in your life. I also made baked potatoes, broccoli, and fresh rolls.”
“Did you really cook all of that yourself?”
Chase stepped over to the grill and raised the lid. “I most certainly did. Come here and look at these babies.”
Standing by Chase’s side, looking at the ribs, Anna’s stomach felt very hollow. “Are they ready yet?”
“Yeah. Grab our plates and let’s get to it,” Chase replied.
Anna hurried to comply. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Chase chuckled.
It amazed Anna how comfortable she felt around Chase. She couldn’t ever remember feeling so completely at ease with Greg, and they’d been together for a little over four years. Of course, when someone physically and emotionally abused you on a regular basis, it was hard to relax around them. Besides, Greg was clever. His verbal abuse started out slowly and sporadically. Just the odd little snide comment. His behavior snuck up on her, until one day she realized nothing she did was good enough, and his fists often told her so.
Anna hadn’t missed the controlled anger in Chase’s eyes when she’d told him just a little of what she’d suffered at Greg’s hands. What would he think if he knew the rest? Would he call her stupid for staying as long as she had? Would he belittle her for being so weak?
“You okay?”
She shook off the nagging questions and smiled at him. “Yep. Just hungry. Serve it up, Chef Chase.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Once their plates were filled, Chase seated Anna and surprised her by tying a huge napkin around her neck for her.
“If you’re anything like me, you’re gonna need it,” he said, putting on one. “The messier, the better.”
“You’re right about that.”
Anna abandoned any thoughts about trying to be dainty. She picked up a rib and attacked it with gusto. The meat was tender and the sauce was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.
“Oh, my God. These are incredible.”
“Thanks,” Chase mumbled around a rib. “Eat up. There’s plenty.”
Anna swallowed a bite. “You might be sorry you said that.”
“Naw. I told you that I like a woman who eats. Enjoy yourself,” Chase said. “How did your meetings go?”
“Fine. We signed another client today. It’s a pretty straightforward project.”
“That’s great. You might have to hire some more people, though,” Chase said. “I’ve got a whole bunch of work for you guys.”
Anna’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Like what?”
“Well, I don’t know if you know this, but we bought the hospital back home in Coopers Creek, and we just had another hospital ask if we wanted to buy them, too.”
Anna took a sip of water. “No, I didn’t know that.”
“I forgot to ask you if you like beer. You want one?”
“Yeah.”
Chase retrieved a couple of beers from a nearby cooler and handed her one. “Hayley fell off the monkey bars last year and hit her head really hard. She had a nasty concussion and wound up with post-concussion disorder. They had to take her to Denver to be treated since there wasn’t a neurology department at the hospital.
“So, Ty suggested buying the hospital and updating it. Adding on new departments and whatnot. We got it for a good price, and we’ve been working hard to improve it. We need more brochures made up for the various departments and for patient education about medical conditions and stuff like that.
“And if we buy this other hospital, we’re gonna need a hell of a lot more promotional material. Plus, I showed those first brochures you made up to a company that bought out most of our New York division and they loved them.”
Anna was stunned. “Are you talking about the Lisbon Group?”
Chase nodded and wiped his mouth. “Mmm hmm. That stuff is right up their alley. They’re gonna be calling you next week to set up a meeting.”
Anna put a hand to her mouth. “I can’t believe it. Thank you so much!”
“And Tom better damn well give you a raise and a promotion. You deserve it. You worked your ass off on those designs,” Chase said. “And I have a favor to ask you.”
Anna took a sip of beer. “What favor?”
“Emily is almost done writing her first romance book, and she needs a good cover designer. I bet you’d do a bang-up job with it. She went the Indie publishing route and tried out a couple of designers, but they didn’t understand what she’s after. Would you take a crack at it?” Chase asked.
“Me? I’ve never designed a book cover,” Anna said.
“Aw, c’mon. It’ll be child’s play for someone with your skills.”
Suddenly suspicious, Anna narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you doing all of this so I’ll sleep with you?”
Chase’s sexy laugh made her heart beat faster. “I can see why you’d think that, but no, I’m not. I don’t joke about business. I’d have never shown your stuff to Lisbon if I didn’t think you had serious skills.
“Horizon’s reputation is on the line and recommending people who do sloppy work would only damage it. I promise that this has nothing to do with our personal relationship.”
Anna didn’t answer right away, not sure what to think.
Chase played with his beer bottle. “Anna, I’ll never use work to get to you personally. I don’t believe in playing games. I’m always honest, and you’ll never have to wonder where you stand with me. I promise.”
Anna had never met a man who was so open and honest with his feelings before. She’d always had to try to read Greg, and if she guessed his mood incorrectly, sometimes there’d been bad consequences.
“Okay. I believe you.”
“Good.”
They ate the rest of their meal largely in silence, just enjoying the food and each other’s company. Anna helped Chase clean up, washing the dishes while he cleaned the grill. They then took Lola for a walk around the large rooftop.
Once they arrived back at the table, he said, “Has your dinner settled yet? Want to try the trampoline?”
Anna laughed gleefully and took off running for the apparatus. Chase and Lola ran with her. She spied the steps leading up onto the platform and hurried up them. Chase just hoisted himself up onto it.
“Okay, we have to stretch before we get on it,” Chase said.
“What? Why?” Anna asked.
“Trampolines are fun, but they’re still exercising equipment, and you should stretch a little bit before getting on one,” he said, sitting down. “C’mon.”
Anna frowned as she sat a short distance away. “I’ve been waiting all day for this.”
He laughed as he leaned over one of his legs and grabbed his foot. “Just a few more minutes. Besides, I don’t want you to lose your supper because we bounced too soon after eating.”
Anna conceded his point and performed the stretches she normally did at the gym—when she went, that was. When Chase got up, she rose with him.
“Let’s go warm up. You gotta get the feel of it. I don’t want you to sprain an ankle or something,” Chase said.
Anna walked out onto the springy surface with him and giggled when she bounced a little.
“Give me your hands,” Chase said when they reached the center.
Anna took his. “Now what?”
“We make like Tigger and bounce. Hoo hoo!”
Anna laughed at his impersonation of the cartoon character. “I don’t think you ever grew up.”
“And I don’t intend to.”
He guided her through warming up and then they started bouncing in earnest. Anna was enthralled by the view of the city and the way it changed when they bounced higher.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said.
“I love it up here,” Chase said. “Okay, time for me to kick it up a notch. Step over on the mats. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“What are you going to do?”
“You’ll see.”
Anna moved off the trampoline and watched as Chase bounced higher and higher. Then he started executing a series of flips and twists that left her in awe. No wonder he’s in such great shape!
After a few minutes, he stopped and motioned for her to rejoin him. She hopped over to him, loving the way he smiled at her.
“Teach me to do a flip.”
“Okay. You have to make sure to get enough height so you don’t come down at an awkward angle,” he said. “Then you just tuck and roll. Ready?”
“Yeah.”
Being on the trampoline with Chase was the most fun that Anna had had in years and she loved the way he cheered her on, congratulating her when she successfully flipped. After a little while, he stopped, however.
“Aw, why do we have to quit?” she asked.
“I don’t want you to overdo it. Believe it or not, you’re gonna feel it tomorrow,” Chase answered. “You’re using muscles that you normally don’t.”
Anna smiled as they walked to the mats. “It really is a good workout.”
“Yeah. Outside of some weight lifting, I don’t do much other formal exercise,” Chase said. “I have some buddies who I play pick-up football with, the team from work plays volleyball once a week, and I like to surf and skateboard, but those are just for fun.”
That sounded like a lot considering he also had a large office and team to oversee, and now she learned they were buying hospitals. He had told her he didn’t need much sleep, but she wondered if he was burning himself out. Why all the fun, all of the time? Was he running from something lacking in his life? She wished she had the courage to ask about his family. He never seemed to mention them.
They went back to the outdoor room, and Chase grabbed a mineral water from the cooler. “Want one?”
Anna accepted his offer and they settled on one of the couches.
Chase propped his feet up on the bamboo table in front of it. “Are you having fun?”
* * *
The smile that lit up her eyes made Chase’s heart stop for a moment. “Of course, I am. How could I not be? You fed me a fantastic meal, and we jumped on a trampoline.”
Her enjoyment of the trampoline cracked him up. “I’m glad you liked it. I’ve never had a woman like bouncing on it so much.”
“I do. I feel so free.”
Chase nodded. “I feel the same way when I’m on it. It’s hard to be sad when you’re bouncing like that.”
“Sad? What makes you sad?”
Chase shrugged. “You know. Just life.”
“Chase, the way you said that was like you had something specific in mind.”
Me and my big mouth. “You might as well know. I come from a fucked-up family. Mum and Dad divorced when I was thirteen and we moved to Cooper’s Creek the next year. My father is a son of a bitch and we’re estranged. I’m the oldest kid with my sister, Brenda, next in line. I have two younger brothers and a little half-sister. Callie is the baby of the family. Only Brenda and I are full-blooded siblings. I hate my brothers, and they hate me. I love Callie, but my relationship with Brenda is complicated.”
Anna’s brow knitted with confusion. “Slow down, Chase. You’re going a little fast.”
“Sorry. I do that sometimes.”
“It’s okay. So, your parents divorced, and your father remarried and had three more children.”
“Yeah.” Anger swept through Chase. “And like what happens a lot of times, his new family meant more to him than Brenda and me. She’s three years younger than me. She stayed with Dad instead of coming with me and Mum. She was always his favorite—until Jon came along. He’s actually my step-brother, but Dad adopted him, so he has the McIntyre name.”
Anna put a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. It sounds like a hard situation.”
You have no idea. “Thanks. I used to go see him for a couple of weeks every summer and sometimes at Christmas, but he hardly ever did anything with me. Everything was all about Jon and the little kids. Nothing I did ever pleased him. Eventually, I learned to stop caring about what he thought of me, but it took a long time.”
Anna shook her head. “I don’t understand why he wouldn’t be proud of you. You’re so successful and intelligent. And you have such a kind heart.”
Chase smiled sadly. “That was part of the problem. He used to tell me to toughen up, to not be so nice all the time.” He imitated his father. “‘McIntyres are strong men, Chase. You need to remember that if you’re gonna take over this operation’.”
“Operation?”
“I come from money. My great, great grandfather started a cattle ranch, and it grew into one of the biggest, most successful operations in Texas,” Chase said, wondering why he was telling all of this to Anna. “As the oldest son, I was supposed to inherit the business, but we had a huge fight when I was eighteen and I told him to piss off. I said that I’d make my own way without a damn penny from him. And I did.”
“Do you ever go see him?”
“I go to Texas a couple of times a year, but only to see Callie. We meet somewhere, and she’s been to Cooper’s Creek a few times,” Chase said. “I haven’t talked to Dad in five years, and that’s just fine with me.”
He was surprised when Anna took his hand and squeezed it. “Well, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the world’s biggest ass for not seeing what a good man you are. He’s missing out on so much.”
Chase squeezed her hand. “You sound like Ty and Ric. They’ve always said the same thing to me. Granddaddy and Nana, too. God, I miss them. You’d have loved them. Granddaddy was the smartest person I’ve ever known, and Nana had the biggest heart. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. Granddaddy taught me what being a real man was all about, and Nana made sure I knew how to treat a lady. Plus, they let me be myself.”
Tears shimmered in Anna’s eyes. “They sound wonderful.”
“They were.”
Lola interrupted them by depositing a stuffed toy on Anna’s lap. Chase was glad because the mood had turned much too serious for him. He couldn’t stand seeing people cry and Anna’s tears would have made him cry, too.
“Are we ignoring you?” Anna asked, petting Lola’s head as she picked up the toy.
Lola woofed and waited for Anna to throw the toy.
Chase stood up. “Well, let’s play a little, and then we should get to bed. It’s just about eleven, and I know you have to be up early.”
As they played with Lola, Chase tried to recapture his great mood from earlier, but he couldn’t quite manage it. In a strange way, he didn’t regret it. He figured that since Anna had told him a little about her bad past, that it was only fair to let her know that he had some baggage of his own. But he hadn’t told her about Brenda.
They turned out all the lights and went downstairs.
Chase followed Anna to hers and said, “I’m gonna take Lola out for the last time tonight. I’ll be back soon, though. If you need anything, let me know,” Chase said. “I had a great time tonight. Thanks for coming over.”
“Thank you for inviting me.” Her gaze turned shy. “And for being so supportive this morning. And for not forcing me to do anything.”
Chase smiled. “All of it was my pleasure, honey. I’ll never force you.” He walked closer to her. “Speaking of that, do I get a goodnight kiss?”
&n
bsp; She gave him a smile and it warmed his heart. “Yes, you do.”
Sliding her arms around his neck, she offered her lips to him. Slowly, Chase lowered his head and pressed his mouth firmly to hers. Anna surprised him by opening her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss. He responded by delving his tongue past her lips to meet hers.
She made a noise in the back of her throat and threaded her fingers though his hair. Chase tightened his arms around her, but made no move towards her ass even though he wanted to. Her hips brushing his sent hot blood through his body and his groin tightened. Oh, no. Not again. I can’t take it.
Slowly, he gentled the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, willing his body to calm down. “Thanks again for coming over. Sleep well, honey.”
She nodded and stepped back from him. “You, too. Goodnight.”
Chapter 8
Chase left her room before he changed his mind about not seducing her and took Lola down to the yard behind the Horizon building. As he waited for Lola to do her business, he asked himself what he was doing with Anna. He admitted that he was in over his head and that he needed some advice.
Taking his cellphone from his pocket, he texted Ric. Are you up? Is the coast clear to call?
A moment later, his phone rang.
“Hey, good buddy,” Chase said upon answering. “How are you?”
Ric said, “Doing great. How about you?”
“I’m confused.”
“Your usual self, in other words.”
“Screw you. This is serious.”
Ric chuckled. “Okay. Shoot.”
Chase explained the situation with Anna to Ric. “I don’t know what’s going on between us. I know what I want to happen, but she’s not ready yet. I can wait, though. I don’t want to, but I will.”
Ric’s laughter made Chase smile. “This is priceless,” Ric said. “Besides getting in her pants, what do you want to happen? Do you have feelings for her?”
Chase sighed. “I don’t know. I must because I’ve turned down a few women in the past couple of weeks. And you know that I usually don’t turn anyone down. I even drunk called Anna one night and had her tell some woman that she was my girlfriend and to leave me alone.”
Want Me (Coopers Creek Book 3) Page 8
