by Terry Towers
Looking deep into his steel blue eyes she mustered up the courage she needed, drawing from his strength. I’ve endured a lot in my life, I can get through this, she silently coached herself.
“They’re just people, right?” she said, more to herself than to him.
“Exactly. Just people.” Leaning across the seat he planted a chaste kiss on her lips and then slipped out of his seat.
Closing her eyes she took a deep breath in and slowly released it. Just people. Not better or worse. People. Her eyes flew open at the sound of the door opening. With Chase’s assistance she slipped from the Jeep, wobbling a bit due to the heels when she dropped to the ground and grabbing onto Chase for stability.
“Why in the name of God did you wear such high heels?” he asked, amusement in his tone.
Giving him a sheepish grin she shrugged. “Because they’re sexy and sophisticated.”
“Uh-huh.” Offering her his arm, he led her down the paved road toward the set of massive double-sized oak doors where the maid was standing, patiently waiting for them with a smile on her lips. The woman, with her motherly look and greying hair loosely tied up in a bun, reminded her of her mother and she found tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
Mistaking her slight shudder for nerves instead of what it was, Chase slipped his arm from her grasp and draped it over her shoulders, pulling her tight to him. Leaning down his lips grazed her ear. “Maybe we can slip away later and I can show you a few of my favourite spots on the property. There’s lots of little nooks here and there. Maybe the gazebo…” He brushed his lips along the side of her neck; the soft touch along with the heat from his breath sent a much more delightful shiver through her and she cuddled closer to him as he straightened.
“Chase! It’s so good to see you.” Bethany met them a few feet from the doorway.
Releasing Tessa, Chase took a step ahead of her and gave the woman a brief hug. “The feeling is mutual. I’m so sorry I’ve been so busy.”
“Bologna! You should never be too busy that you don’t have time for family. You of all people should appreciate how important family is.”
Both amused and slightly confused at the exchange, Tessa watched the two exchange pleasantries, acting more like family than what they were.
Chase returned to Tessa’s side. “Bethany, this is my girlfriend Tessa. Tessa this is Bethany. She’s been with the family for a very long time.”
“Long time indeed. I’ve taken care of him from the time he was a toddler.”
The corners of Tessa’s lips turned up as she looked at Chase for confirmation.
“She did. She was my nanny before she was the maid.”
“Housekeeper,” she corrected.
“Sorry,” Chase rolled his eyes. “Housekeeper.”
The woman gave his shoulder a swat. “Such an attitude, especially since I used to change your poopy diapers and bandage you up on a daily basis.”
“I’m sorry, you know I love you.” He gave the older woman another hug then turned his attention back to Tessa. “I used to be pretty accident-prone.”
“No, you used to just do stupid things. He was such a little thrill seeker. Never scared of anything, this one.” She focused on Tessa, her focus so intense it made Tessa squirm with uneasiness. This was the sort of greeting she was expecting to get from his mother. It made her curious to see what his parents were like; maybe they weren’t as scary as she’d anticipated.
Chase sighed. “Well, Tessa. It’s time to meet the rest of the family.” He nodded to Bethany. “I’ll make sure to say goodbye before we leave.”
She nodded, suddenly becoming formal. “Of course. Your parents are currently entertaining in the garden.”
Placing his hand at the small of her back, Chase guided Tessa into the main foyer of the house. Tessa stopped in her tracks as her eyes scanned the massive entryway. “This is insane, Chase.”
Insane was an understatement in her opinion, but it was the only word she could think of at that moment to describe what she was looking at. White and black marble covered the floors and there was a fountain in the middle of the entryway with a staircase circling it on either side leading to the second floor.
Scurrying out of Chase’s hold, she went to the fountain and sat on the ledge, dipping her fingertips into the cool water. “This is beautiful.” She looked up and examined the walls. The room didn’t look like it should be part of a family home, but more like a museum with statues and artwork all fighting for prominence and her eyes’ attention in the room.
“It’s a little over the top, but you’ll see, my parents know no limits.” He extended his hand to her. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
She took his hand and he led her past the fountain and down a hallway, presumably toward the gardens. Neither spoke; she was too busy absorbing everything around her, while he seemed to have switched into thought mode.
It wasn’t until she heard voices that her attention was forced directly in front of them to the closed glass doors. “They usually entertain in the gardens until dinner is ready to be served and then everyone moves to the dining room.”
“How many people are here?” By the sounds of it, quite a few. The nervousness she’d been feeling re-emerged.
“A dozen maybe. My parents, brother, his date if he has one – usually he has some supermodel type on his arm, all beauty and no substance.”
“Sounds rather vain.”
“That’s because he’s shallow. My mother owns a modelling agency and she was very fixated on physical beauty. Too fixated if you ask me and I think it rubbed off on him. But she’s my mother so...”
“Why do you have such a dislike for your brother? Growing up as an only child I would have loved to have had a sibling, especially after…” she stopped herself before the negative emotions overwhelmed her.
Chase momentarily tensed, but the tension was gone as quickly as it appeared. “We used to get along, but it feels like a lifetime ago.” They reached the glass doors and he pulled one open, stepping aside and letting her proceed in before him. “I didn’t see his car outside so I assume he’s late.”
Tessa wanted to know more. What would have transpired between the brothers to cause such animosity? Was it a woman? She silently huffed. Wasn’t it always a woman? Money or women and considering Chase didn’t seem to hold much value in lots of money, she’d guess it was the latter. Despite wanting to ask, she sensed this wasn’t the time or place to dive into such matters.
“Chase, my darling. So glad you were able to join us.” As soon as they entered the gardens the sound of a woman’s voice called from their left. Turning her head she watched a tall, slender woman quickly walk – correction, glide – toward them. Her strapless dress was no doubt high-end; Tessa imagined that it cost more than she made at the coffee shop in two months. Admittedly, it was beautiful, the white fabric clinging to her and falling to the floor.
“That’s my mother, Gabriella,” he whispered to her as they watched her approach.
I’m so out of my league here. The woman approaching them screamed money and class without saying a word. Tessa’s first instinct was to be intimidated, but the feel of Chase next to her gave her courage. He chose her. She was good enough for him so she should be good enough to keep her head held high around his family. She forced herself to stand a little straighter, chin up, shoulders back. Even if she didn’t feel confident, she’d be damned if she wouldn’t try her best at least to look it.
“And I see you’ve brought a friend.” His mother gave him a hug and then stepped back, although remaining close enough that Tessa could smell her perfume. She began examining Tessa with so much scrutiny she nearly wavered and gave in to the instinct to cower, seeking comfort from Chase.
“She’s more than a friend, Mother.” Chase pulled her close to his side and looked down at her with such affection it made her heart skip a beat. “This is my girlfriend, Tessa.”
“And does your friend Tessa have a last name?”
Gabriella asked, not looking at her son but continuing to examine Tessa, making her feel like an exhibit at a museum or some pedigreed dog up for judging.
“It’s Wilcott, Mrs. McCloud. Tessa Wilcott.”
The older woman smiled, displaying a row of pearly white, perfectly straight teeth. “Has my son told you what I do for a living, Tessa?”
“He mentioned you own a modelling agency.”
Her smile widened. “Indeed, I do. One of the most prestigious on the East Coast.”
“That’s impressive.”
The older woman’s blue eyes shone with pride as she took a step back from Tessa and ran a hand through her shoulder-length blonde hair. “I was a model and once it was time to retire I simply couldn’t leave the world of fashion, so opening an agency to help mold and guide young women seemed the logical next step for me.
“Have you considered modelling?” Tessa’s face flushed while Chase’s body stiffened beside her. Before she could respond his mother continued. “I have a client who is looking for a plus-sized model, you have nice features, you just might work. How old are you?”
Tessa’s mouth dropped open and snapped shut again. Was that a compliment? She looked up at Chase, who was glaring down at his mother.
“Mother.” The warning tone in his voice made Tessa cringe, but his mother either didn’t notice or didn’t care.
“I’m 28.”
His mother frowned. “That’s what I was afraid of. You don’t look 28, dear, but still, a little too old for what we’re looking for.” She shook her head, a look of disappointment appearing on her features. “Such a pity. I’ll give you some free advice though.”
“Umm.” Tessa looked up at Chase, but he didn’t seem to notice, he was too occupied with giving his mother a dirty glare.
Gabriella continued, not waiting for a response. “If you haven’t already, start Botox treatments, ASAP. You might also want to try filler under your eyes, it will help with the hollows that I can faintly notice beginning to form.”
Botox? Filler? Wasn’t she too young for those things? It had never even crossed her mind. Subconsciously she touched under her eye; it did seem to have hollowed in a bit… Or had her eyes always been like that? She honestly didn’t know but intended to examine with more scrutiny when she got home.
“She’s perfect the way she is, Mother,” Chase growled through clenched teeth. “She doesn’t need to have needles injecting crap into her face every month.”
“Chase. Good to see you.”
The tension in Tessa’s body relaxed at the sound of a new male voice and she did a silent prayer of thanks. She wasn’t sure if they’d been on the brink of an all-out battle or not, but she was relieved she wouldn’t have to find out.
She turned her head toward the sound of the voice and a light gasp escaped her lips. The man strolling up to them, his hands thrust leisurely into his trouser pockets, was a dead ringer for her new landlord, Eric McCloud.
She gasped a second time; this time it was louder when she put two and two together and it became clear. Eric is Chase’s brother! Oh God… She didn’t know if she should panic or not. On one hand all that was between them was a business relationship. That’s all. Nothing more or less. But on the other hand, they’d gone out – Eric had been clear that he was still interested in seeing her romantically.
Her thoughts were running a mile a minute in her head. How could she have known this? But why would she? They didn’t even have the same last name. One thing she did know for certain was that she needed to get Chase alone as soon as she could and explain things before Eric showed up. But it was hitting her again. The emotion she couldn’t get away from no matter how hard she tried. Guilt. She cursed herself for being so damned broken. She did nothing wrong. She knew this, but then why did she feel like she had?
Damn, damn, damn. Her eyes stung with tears of frustration, but she forced them back. A small part of her cursed Chase as well, he’d brought her emotions to the forefront, making her feel for the first time since her mother’s death. She’d been able to shut it all off for so long that now she was an emotional wreck.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that it wasn’t until his father’s hand was extended toward her that she noticed there were three sets of eyes staring at her. Had they said something? Asked a question? She looked up at Chase, hoping for a hint at what had been said, but his expression was unreadable. Turning her attention back to his father, Peter McCloud, she accepted his outstretched hand and quickly shook it, praying he didn’t feel the tremble in her touch.
“Are you all right, dear? My wife can be a bit overbearing…” his father said, giving her a smile.
She forced a smile onto her lips. “I’m great. So sorry. I…”
Oh my god, I’m babbling. Shut up, just shut up before you make an even bigger fool of yourself! But the paranoia and guilt were as setting in. The feelings she’d been fighting to rid herself of from the day the tattoo was placed on her body were coming back with a vengeance. She didn’t deserve to be happy and this was her punishment.
I didn’t do anything wrong! she told herself as she fought to keep the negative emotions at bay.
“Tessa has had a fair amount to deal with lately. She’s been rather overwhelmed,” Chase offered, rubbing her lower back and pressing his lips to her temple. The little reassurance from Chase was enough to relax her and push the anxiety back.
“Yes,” she said, giving Chase a grateful smile. “My life has been hectic lately. I’m still attempting to catch my breath a little.”
“So what do you do for a living?” his mother asked.
“I own a coffee shop.”
“Hmm. How quaint.”
“Well, almost. I’m in the process of opening it. It should be up and running in a few months. I signed the lease a few weeks back and we’re already well into the construction process.”
“Bit of a risky venture though.” His father slipped his hands into his trouser pockets his expression turning contemplative. “Restaurants are one of the riskiest entrepreneurial endeavours with a 25%-30% failure rate in the first couple of years. Have you run one before?”
Oh boy, here come the nerves again. She didn’t anticipate being grilled. Looking at Chase, she hoped he’d come to the rescue. Luckily he didn’t need to as several of the other guests called his parents over.
“We’ll talk later. It was nice meeting you,” Peter said before turning and strolling off in the direction of his other guests, his wife trailing behind without so much as a goodbye, leaving them alone and Tessa couldn’t have been happier.
“So, what’s your first impression?” Chase grinned and with his arm still around her shoulders began steering her toward a paved partially wooded trail.
“They seemed…” She wasn’t sure how to describe her initial reaction.
“Tedious, overbearing, egotistical... Just stop me when I hit the right word.” His grin widened.
“You seem nothing like them. I didn’t talk to them long enough to really gather an opinion one way or the other.” Though intimidating and nerve-wracking may have been ones she’d use.
“Sure you did, but that’s okay. I think they take pride in intimidating people. Father being a defense attorney and my mother, well, she’s a piece of work all in herself.”
They continued walking until they reached a small bridge that overlooked a stream and stopped there. Leaning against the white wood railing of the bridge, Chase undid the three buttons on his black suit jacket and shrugged it off, draping it across the rail next to him.
“So, question…”
“Go ahead.”
“Why do you have a different last name?”
Chapter 17
Chase
The story of his life – it was something he held tight to him. In truth, he knew he certainly didn’t have it bad, financially at least. How could you grow up in a mansion with servants and complain when there were so many children who didn’t even have enough food to ea
t or spent their childhoods being physically abused? But it wasn’t perfect either, not by a long shot.
“It’s a bit of a long story.” He attempted to be flippant about it, hoping she’d give up on her line of questioning.
She didn’t. “I have lots of time.”
He huffed and looked up at the sky. The sun was just starting to go down, leaving stunning streaks of orange, purple and red in its wake.
“Unless you don’t want to.”
He focused his attention back to the stunning dark-haired woman beside him, looking up with such love and admiration in her gaze that it took him aback. He’d never had a woman look at him like that before. Never. Not even… He shook his head; that was history he didn’t want or need to recollect.
“Of course, you can ask me anything.” He clucked his tongue off of the roof of his mouth in consideration. “Basically, my father is my biological father, but Gabriella isn’t my biological mother even though she’s the only mother I’ve never known.”
“I don’t follow.”
“My father had an affair with a woman, my mother.”
“Oh!” Tessa’s green eyes grew wide. “That must have been rough on Gabriella.”
“Yup. There’s always been tension between me and Gabriella. Every time she looks at me it’s a reminder of the affair. Even all these years later she still favours my older brother, Eric. They both do really.”
Tessa frowned and ran her hand lightly up his arm. “So what about your mother?”
“She passed away when I was not quite two years old.”
“I’m so sorry, Chase.”
He gave her a smile of appreciation before continuing with his story. “My father didn’t even know I existed until she passed and it was revealed in the will. One of my mother’s only requests was that I keep the Gamble surname, and that’s how having a different last name came to be.”
