“How would you know that?”
Rita Mae took a step back. “Because I know you better than anyone else in the world.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
The years tumbled in front of her. It was easy to be comfortable in the life she’d led since Chase had left Storm. But now that Chase was back, that little piece of her, the one that she’d buried along with the child they’d lost, was screaming out to her to remember who she was. She couldn’t go back. That would never work. But she had been dead inside. She hadn’t even tried to make a life and ended up a spinster. Sure, she had a couple of nice businesses with her sister. But that’s all she’d allowed herself over the years. She’d never taken the chance for something more that might have led her out of Storm.
She looked at Rita Mae and the realization that life had moved on without her was glaringly obvious. The reason why she’d come home from New York City after that brief time of living there, the reason she’d stayed in Storm when she knew Chase was leaving, was no longer valid.
“I know it’s been a long time, Rita Mae. But surely you remember what it was like to be in love.”
Sadness flashed across Rita Mae’s face. “This isn’t about me. Vietnam killed a lot of dreams for a lot of people. Not just mine. Unlike you, the man I loved died. He’s never coming back.”
“I know. And I’m not trying to minimize that. But the reasons I came back to Storm are no longer valid. Our parents died a long time ago. We built a life here and practically raised Mary Louise by ourselves. And she’s a fine woman who doesn’t need us the way she did.”
“What are you saying?”
She braced herself, not sure how Rita Mae would take what she was about to say. “I realized something today. I never stopped loving Chase Johnson.”
“Did you tell him that?”
“No.” She placed her hands on her face, feeling the rush of blood that her admission had given her.
“Well, that’s good. He’s liable to take advantage of that, and you, if you tell him.”
“I’m not a child. I’m an old woman.”
Rita Mae pffted and looked away.
“Well, I am,” Anna Mae insisted. “I have fewer days ahead of me than I have behind me and I don’t want to waste the days I have left wrestling with regrets. I’ve had too many years of that.”
“Anna Mae, listen to yourself. You have no reason to believe he’ll stay here in Storm. His life is in Nashville. With music. Your life is here. So what do you do if he decides to go back again? I don’t want to see you go through that heartache all over again.”
“It might be different. I don’t know.”
“Where do you think our brother is right now?”
She shrugged.
“Yeah, there you go. Neither do I. We get a Christmas card and a birthday card for Mary Louise and that’s pretty much it.”
“George isn’t that bad.”
“Who are you kidding? He’s practically a stranger to his daughter and Chase hasn’t been much better. Don’t start something that is only going to end with you watching Chase Johnson’s taillights heading out of Storm. I won’t hear of it.”
“What’s wrong with finding out if there is still something there? Maybe capturing a piece of happiness that was missing?”
Rita Mae paced in front of her. “Have you been hearing me?”
“Yes. You’re afraid Chase is going to leave again. Well…maybe he will. But isn’t that my decision to make? Can’t I at least have this time in my life without worrying about how it will affect anyone else?”
The shocked look on Rita Mae’s face made Anna Mae want to snatch her words back.
“You’d leave Storm? After all these years?”
Anna Mae sighed. “I don’t know.”
Her sister collapsed into a chair at the table. “Yes, you do. You’re actually considering making the same mistake again.”
“It wasn’t a mistake for me to stay in Storm, Rita Mae. You needed me. You’re my sister and I was glad to be here for you. And you were there for me during the most difficult time in my life.”
“But you resent me for it.”
Anna Mae shook her head.
“Anna Mae, I never wanted you to give up your life for me. If I had known that was how you felt, I…”
The look of regret on her sister’s face was not what Anna Mae had wanted at all.
“Life’s too short,” Rita Mae said. “We both know that. I did need you back then. But I never wanted to hold you back from happiness. I thought you wanted to stay in Storm.”
“I did. I do. And if Chase Johnson leaves Storm again, then who knows what will happen? But I do know that he’s the only man I’ve ever loved. Neither one of us is getting any younger. If I don’t at least try to find out if there is something worth having together, I know I will regret it.”
Tears filled her sister’s eyes. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Chapter Ten
Ginny stood outside of Cuppa Joe, waiting for Marisol to close the shop. Luis was out tonight with Mallory, which meant that no one had to rush home and make dinner. Marisol had insisted that the best way to stop talk was to be seen out in public as if nothing had happened.
She didn’t believe her sister, but Ginny wasn’t about to hide any longer. Marisol locked the door to Cuppa Joe and met Ginny on the sidewalk.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
“Where are we going?”
“Pizza. We haven’t had a good pizza in a long time.”
Ginny’s mouth immediately started to water. “Did you want to get the car and drive to a pizza place?”
Marisol frowned. “What for? The best pizza in town is right around the corner.”
“You mean the one across the street from Sebastian Rush’s campaign headquarters?”
Marisol waved her off. “It’s late. Everyone has probably gone home by now. You don’t have to worry about it.”
They walked down Cedar Street and turned left onto 2nd Street. As soon as they turned the corner they saw a big ruckus in front of Rush’s campaign office.
“What the hell is going on?” Marisol asked.
“I have no idea.”
There was a small crowd of people surrounding the news crew that was set up on the sidewalk with cameras and bright lights. Ginny immediately spotted Patrick Murphy who was dressed in his uniform.
“Patrick’s here,” Marisol said.
“I hope no one was hurt.” Ginny spotted Logan standing in front of Sebastian Rush. “What is Logan doing here?”
Ginny followed Marisol down the street toward the crowd as quickly as she could in her condition. She didn’t want to get too close, so she grabbed Marisol by the arm and stood across the street in front of the hair salon so people wouldn’t notice them.
“I told you I didn’t want anything to do with this, Rush. But you just don’t get it. You can’t force your way into everyone’s life. I want no part of you!”
Ginny could hear Logan’s voice booming above the chatter of the crowd. The news crew’s camera was trained on him as he screamed at Sebastian. Patrick was now right behind Logan, holding him back from getting close enough to strike Sebastian. Oh, but Ginny wished he could. She had never seen Logan this angry before, even when he’d found out about the affair. He’d been more hurt with her than angry.
Of course the senator could drive anyone to distraction. And Lord knew that Logan had reason enough to be furious with him.
“I want you to leave me alone! I want no part of you or your fucking campaign. As far as I’m concerned, you can rot in hell. Haven’t you done enough to destroy the good people of Storm?”
Patrick pulled Logan back, but the cameraman followed. A young woman with a microphone rushed to catch up to Patrick and Logan, who were now walking down 2nd Street. She stuck the microphone in Logan’s face and asked a question that Ginny couldn’t hear, but Logan pushed the microphone away and kept walki
ng.
“You’re going to pay for this, Murphy,” Sebastian called out. “You and your girlfriend will pay for blackening my name!”
Logan stopped and turned around. “You did that one all by yourself, Rush. Don’t you forget it.”
As the cameraman and the female reporter ran back to the campaign headquarters, Logan turned and saw Ginny standing across the street. Her heart pounded in her chest.
“Give me a minute, Marisol,” Ginny said. She walked across the street and met Logan at the corner by the bank where no one on 2nd Street could see them. Patrick and Marisol stood on the corner on the other side of the building, most likely to give them a few moments of privacy.
“What do you want?” Logan asked. She could tell by the way he paced that he was still shaking with anger.
“Nothing,” she said. “I just want to say that…you did the right thing.”
“What did I do? I told off Sebastian Rush. Big deal. The guy’s a prick.”
A weak smile pulled at Ginny’s face. “It’s a very big deal, Logan. You know that men like Sebastian Rush think they can get away with everything. They don’t care who they hurt as long as they get what they want. He wanted to use you and you wouldn’t let him. I wish I’d been as strong as you.”
“I only made things worse. If Twitter and Facebook haven’t seen enough action on the scandals of Storm, they’re about to.”
“So what?”
Logan’s eyes widened. “So what? You don’t care that people are going to be talking about you and your baby?”
“Sure, I care. But I care more that you stood up for what’s right. That makes it worth it.”
He stared at her for a long moment. Ginny would give anything to know what was going through his mind. She’d destroyed the most wonderful relationship she’d ever shared. She loved Logan.
“It’s not hard to stand up and do the right thing, Ginny. Sometimes that’s all there is.”
He turned away from her and headed down Cedar Street toward Murphy’s Pub. She waited until he’d reached the corner by Cuppa Joe to turn around and find Marisol.
Patrick glanced at Ginny as she approached. “I’d better make sure he’s okay,” he said. “Goodnight, Marisol.”
“Bye.”
Ginny stood there and looked at the chaos happening at the end of the street. The crowd was still gathered outside of Sebastian’s office, but Sebastian had disappeared along with Marylee.
She looked at her sister. “I’m not so hungry, Marisol. Do you mind if we skip pizza tonight?”
Marisol’s gaze followed Patrick. “I’ve lost my appetite, too.”
* * * *
When he was young, Chase had loved to sit on the back porch and listen to the sounds of the animals in the barn. The night had cooled the air off considerably. Patsy sat on his lap and tried to climb his chest, digging her tiny claws into his shirt to give her leverage.
As he had suspected, Zeke wasn’t too happy about Chase bringing a kitten home to the ranch, especially when Chase suggested Carol and Danny would love to play with her. He wasn’t going to be able to care for Patsy forever. Maybe it was unfair of him to burden his brother yet again with a responsibility that should have been his.
The screen door slapped against the wooden frame causing Chase to turn. Zeke walked over slowly, his boots hitting the floorboards with purpose.
Chase’s shoulders sagged. He didn’t have the energy to go at it with his brother. But instead of Zeke giving him a hard time, he eased down in the chair next to Chase and sighed.
“What’s going on, Chase?”
“How do you mean?”
“You never asked me if I wanted to stay,” Zeke said. “Never once. You had your dreams and it didn’t matter what it cost everyone else for you to have them.”
The kitten climbed up his shirt and meowed.
“It’s been forty years, Chase. I really hated you for leaving here and leaving me with the running of the ranch.”
“You love this ranch.”
“Now. I didn’t then. I didn’t want to take over for Daddy any more than you did. I didn’t know what I wanted back then. Not like you. It wasn’t until I met Alice that the pieces of the man I could be fell into place. But I always hated you for forcing this on me.”
It was a hard thing for Chase to hear, but it was a long time coming.
“How long?” Zeke asked.
Chase thought about the secret he carried with him. He wasn’t going to be able to carry it alone forever. If not Zeke, who could he trust?
Zeke’s voice grew louder, more urgent. “Dammit, how long are you going to be here? I have to know.”
“I’m sick, Zeke.”
Zeke frowned. “Sick?”
“Parkinson’s. I got the diagnosis from a doc in Nashville.”
Zeke closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he lifted his head again, he asked. “How long have you known?”
“A while. The symptoms didn’t show up right away. But they’re getting worse. Right now they’re manageable.”
“I noticed you shaking some. I didn’t think it was anything more than age.”
“Good. I prefer this not get around until I have no choice. I just want to live. I need you, Zeke. I don’t know what’s coming down the road but I do know I need you. I want to live out the rest of my life here on the ranch as long as you’re okay with it.”
Zeke looked at him for a long time. “This has always been your home. Where else would you go if not here?”
“Thank you.”
Zeke got up from the chair and placed his hand on Chase’s shoulder. “I love you, brother. Despite everything, I always have.”
“Me, too.”
Headlights shown in the driveway by the gate. Chase looked that way but couldn’t make out the car.
“That doesn’t look like one of the boys’ trucks. Are you expecting company?” Chase asked.
“No. That looks like Anna Mae’s car.”
His heart pounded in his chest. Ever since he’d danced with Anna Mae in the kitchen and held her in his arms, he could think of nothing else.
“Does she know?” Zeke asked.
Chase shook his head. “I don’t know how to tell her something like this.”
Zeke dragged in a deep breath. “She’ll find out soon enough, I suppose. I’ll let you have your moment with her.”
By the time Zeke walked into the house, Anna Mae had parked her car and was already getting out. She stood by the car and looked at Chase as if she were unsure. With so little light, it was hard to tell that they were both forty years older than the last time they’d been a couple.
With Patsy still in his arms, Chase walked down the porch steps and then made his way over to Anna Mae’s car.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. He didn’t really care what the reason was. He was just glad that Annie was standing in front of him.
“This afternoon when we were…earlier you said you weren’t going anywhere.”
“That’s right.”
“What did you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said.”
“Chase Johnson, are you telling me you’re back in Storm to stay? I want to know the truth.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Is that important to you?”
“Yes, it is. You can’t just come back into my life after forty years and sweep me off my feet and then leave again. I won’t have it.”
“I’m not leaving, Annie. I’m looking forward to more days of dancing with you. And if you’ll have me, I’m really looking forward to loving you.”
Her eyes widened with hope and it nearly broke his heart. He didn’t know if it was fair to put her through what was surely to come if they gave their love another go of it. But he did know it wasn’t his call to make. He’d come home and in coming home, he’d opened his heart to everything he’d shut out of it years ago.
“Dammit, Chase, don’t play with me.”
He held the kitt
en in one hand and scooped Anna Mae up against his body with his other. “Are you sure you don’t want to play?”
She giggled and wrapped her arms around him. Her moist kisses on his cheek and mouth felt cold against the night breeze but made him feel alive. He’d once thought that being on stage, playing his music for people was the only way he could feel alive. But here in Anna Mae’s arms, he felt like a young man again and had never felt more alive in his life.
“I love you, Anna Mae Prager.”
“I’ve never stopped loving you, Chase Johnson. We have a lot of time to make up for.”
He wagged his eyebrows. “I’ve got a perfectly good truck sitting right there. We could make up for lost time right now.”
She giggled and kissed his mouth and the years melted away. Whatever the future held, he could handle it. He was home.
* * * *
Anticipation flowed through Hector Alvarez as he drove into the parking lot of Henry’s convenience store. The owner of the store was the brother of a man Hector had worked with briefly who ended up doing time for aggravated assault on a coworker. The man had a temper that fired with the slightest spark. He was an asshole. But he knew how to get the goods and there was no way that Hector was going back into Storm without reinforcement.
He walked into the convenience store and looked around. A young girl stood behind the counter ringing up someone else’s purchases. She wore a low-cut white shirt that showed off her dark-colored bra and all the assets God had given her. If one of his daughters ever dared to show herself in public like that, Hector would have chained her in her room. Men were pigs when it came to slutty women. There was no need to show off your goods unless you wanted to get fucked.
“Is Buddy here?” Hector asked the girl.
She didn’t look up at Hector, which annoyed the shit out of him. She continued to ring up the customer’s purchases.
Hector took a step toward the counter and pushed his way in front of the customer, who glared up at him with anger.
“Is he here?” Hector said louder.
The girl snapped her gum and sighed. “In the back of the store by the shed. He’s staying out there.”
Brave the Storm, Season 2, Episode 3 (Rising Storm) Page 8
