Anticipation gathered low and deep and she had a difficult time being patient. “What else do you have in that basket?”
Digging down inside, he pulled out each item with a flourish. “Cheese, only the best in town. Olives, your favorite. Pepperoni, so thinly sliced and utterly delicious, also one of your favorites. This incredible tangy spread I thought you’d love to slather on that bread,” he said nodding to what she still held. “Oh, and I can’t forget the best. Strawberries with cream and melted chocolate in order to dip.”
She pressed a hand to her tummy and moaned in appreciation. "It all sounds so wonderful.” Smiling at him, she couldn’t help but be filled with awe at the care and consideration he’d gone to just for her. No one had paid so much attention to her to find out what she liked, either. Why, he must have listened at every time she revealed something. Wonder spread through her. “I’ll never forget this.” Or you. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me before. Thank you,” she said with thick emotion clogging her throat.
He stilled, sobering. For long moments, he stared into her eyes. “You’re welcome,” he said hoarsely, also obviously moved.
Clearing his throat, he dropped the serious tone and went back to his teasing manner. “But, sunshine, you haven’t even gotten your present yet. Tsk. Tsk.”
Caught up in his enthusiasm, she asked, “Can I open it now, Chance? Please.”
Chuckling, he nodded. He reached over and plucked up the gift. Holding it out, he said, “Go ahead, it’s not going to bit you.”
Taking it carefully, she teased, “Are you sure about that?” She smoothed the pale pink wrap and matching bow as tears smarted the backs of her eyes. “Pink.”
“Your favorite color.”
Her heart turned over at that. Granny had hated her choice and, as much as she could, forced Tessa to wear subdued colors she chose for her granddaughter that didn’t clash with her red hair.
Her hand snagged on the bow. “What’s this?”
Gazing at him, she noted how he turned away sheepishly. She swore the tops of his cheeks turned red and he shrugged uncomfortably. “Just a little something. I should have given it back years ago.”
She gasped when she spotted, nestled amongst the big loops, a ballet slipper charm. “Chance? You took it.” She tumbled back in time when he’d given it to her so long ago, and then all of a sudden it had disappeared along with him when he left town. “I thought granny did.”
“I knew how much you treasured it.”
Holding it to her chest, she said, “It was the most precious gift anyone’s ever given to me in my life.” She choked back tears.
“I saw how hurt you were when that lady saw you dancing in the school production and wanted you to train seriously.”
“Granny forbade it.” Renewed pain shot through her to leave a deep, wide ache in its wake. She shook off the past hurt. “But, you bought me this.”
“I wanted to remind you how much you loved dancing and not to give up for anyone.” His words came out stilted as if he was embarrassed by it all. Shrugging, he admitted, “When I left I wanted to take a little piece of you with me.”
“The charm.” She clamped her eyes shut as a rush of feelings washed over her. He’d cared so much then, but couldn’t show it openly. And she had him.
She sucked in a shaky breath. “Why? Why did we always let them come between us, Chance?”
“Oh, sunshine.” She heard the pain in his voice. “Looking back I wonder myself. But, we’re still doing that today after all these years.”
“We’re letting them win.”
“Yeah, we are.” Sadness filled his voice.
Staring at him, with the silence lengthening between them, she wondered aloud, “Can we really change things? I feel so disloyal sometimes, well most times, when I’m with you.”
“Even now?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No, not now.”
He smiled a slow, sexy smile that made her toes curl. “I guess we’ve just got to have more times like these and stretch them out as long as we can.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“Maybe it can be.”
“Maybe.” Hope bubbled in her middle.
He nodded toward the still wrapped package. “Hey, aren’t you going to open it?”
Heat gathered in her cheeks. “Duh, me!” She laughed, then, after taking the charm off and tucking it into a safe spot, she tore into the pink paper. When she got to the white box underneath, she flipped off the top, revealing her gift. Blue denim lay amongst the pink tissue paper. “Jeans, you got me jeans, Chance.” Excitement filled her words.
“I told you I would. Now go ahead and try them on,” he coaxed.
Clutching them to her chest, she jumped up and raced out of the room.
Leaning back on an elbow with a knee raised, Chance waited patiently for his fashion show. Inside, he was still trying to process the range of emotions he’d gone through in the last half-hour or so. She took his breath away, twisting him in knots in one minute, and then in the next she had him elated at how touched she was at his picnic basket contents. And before he knew it she had him recalling their shared past, yet now making it seem so precious to them both. She made him feel more alive than anyone ever had.
“Are you ready?” she called out from the other room.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Giggling, she paraded through the door, twirling when she entered. “Ta-dah!”
His heart leapt to his throat and his pulse hammered in his veins. Gulping hard, he sat up slowly. Her long legs encased in the form-fitting denim had him groaning inwardly. “Do that again.”
“What? Pirouette?” She twirled once again for his benefit. “So, what do you think?”
“Perfect.”
“Yeah, it’s a perfect fit. How did you know my size?”
Heat curled low in his gut. “Ah, your partners, Jewel and Bree.”
“Remind me to thank them, will you?”
He nodded numbly. “Tessa, honey, come here.”
“Why?” She twisted this way and that way, looking down at her jeans. “Is something sticking out?”
“Uh huh.”
“What?”
He choked out the one word, “Me.”
Chapter 17
She wondered where Chance had gotten to. She’d checked the supply room, tiny office, and then the bar.
“Seen Chance anywhere, Walter?” She stood on the threshold of the door, not wanting to enter his domain and get chewed out once again.
The older man looked up from wiping a glass. He grunted, and then jerked his head toward the back of the building. “Out back, working on his truck.”
“Thanks,” she said, turning away.
“Hold up there,” he called out.
She stopped, twisting back to him. Dread pooled. Now what would he say or do to her?
“Take this with you.” He nodded down at his feet. “Go on, get outta here.”
She heard the familiar clicking before she saw Max round the corner. Biting the insides of her cheeks, she suppressed a telltale smile. For some reason Max had grown fond of Walter and had decided to visit often. “Come on, boy, let’s go see Chance.”
At the sound of the name, Max’s head picked up and he moved a little faster. She did allow the smile to break through for that. It seemed Chance Deveraux had a way not only with women, but with animals as well.
A few minutes later, Tessa let Max outside and followed close behind. The hood of the truck was up and half of Chance was hunched over and nearly buried under it. Even from here she could hear him mumbling.
“Need help?” she asked as she walked toward him, the gravel crunching under her feet.
Picking up his head, he shot her a wide, cocky grin. “Hey, sunshine.” He glanced down near her side and saw her canine friend. "Hey, Max.” The dog barked in response, making Chance chuckle.
She thought he’d go right back to work, but he surprised her by watc
hing her closely as she walked to him. His eyes lingered over her, sending tiny thrills down her spine.
“Watch that you don’t get too close. You wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty green sweater with grease now, would you?”
Finally, his gaze met hers, his gray and warm. Tessa thought that a bolt of energy surged through her. She trembled and was hard pressed to walk the last few yards without stumbling. Once she reached his truck, she gripped the side of it. The cold metal should have had her pulling away quickly, but she couldn’t afford to fall on her face in front of the man.
Chance cleared his throat, and then shook his head. “So what brings you two out here?” He stuck his head back under the hood. She heard cranking and metal hitting metal.
Tessa let out a shaky breath and was glad for the sudden reprieve. He was far more potent than years ago and being alone with him sometimes tested all her reserves. Remembering his question, she said, “Just visiting, that’s all.”
He snorted at that. “Liar.”
That took her by surprise. “What do you mean by that?”
Silence hung in the air as he peeked out from under the hood and stared at her for a long, telling moment. She swore she stopped breathing while her pulse raced through her veins. “Your granny,” he said, and then turned back to what he was doing.
“You heard.”
“Righto, sunshine. Well, at least I heard your side of the conversation.” More noise came from deep inside the engine, pings and his soft cursing. “I am not, repeat, I am not going to spend Thanksgiving with your granny, understand?”
Her middle dipped. Looking at the ground, she pushed around a rock with the toe of her boot, peeking at him occasionally under her lashes. “I guess you’ll be with your grandmother.” She couldn’t stop the mixture of hurt and sadness coloring her words.
He cursed under his breath again, and then stopped what he was doing. Grabbing a nearby rag, he started to wipe off his hands as he came around the truck to face her. “That was my plan. She’s already invited Walter and me.” He shrugged. “I thought you’d prefer it if we kept the peace and ate with our families.”
Blinking back a sudden well of tears at how divided they still were, she glanced at him and said, “We could always have it at our place and invite them here.” Before he had a chance to respond she hurried on. “I could invite Bree and Jewel and their families to act as buffers so everyone would be on their best behaviors. And maybe dinner would break the ice and we’d get them to end the feud.”
“Whoa, now.” He held up his hand. “You’re expecting miracles, Tessa. I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s not going to happen.”
Sighing heavily, she knew deep down he was right. She always went overboard in the hope department; hadn’t she been trying for years to get granny to change? A wave of sadness enveloped her at that reality check. Had all of it been fruitless? Too overwhelmed with her thoughts, she turned away.
He came up behind her. His body heat seared the back of her. She shivered, and then wrapped her arms around herself. “God, I’m sorry.” His breath whispered by her ear. He was closer than she realized. “I wish I could touch you, hold you even, but I’ve got grease all over me.”
She sniffed. “That’s all right.” It came out dull and listless.
He blew out a hearty breath and that made her longing even worse. “No, it’s not all right.” His hands settled on her arms, and then twisted her around. He gathered her close. “The hell with it, I’ll buy you another sweater to go along with those jeans.”
She wrapped her arms around him, uncaring of the heavy scent of oil and grease that clung to him. Underneath it all she could detect the faint trace of his outdoorsy scent. His strength and warmth soon penetrated every fiber in her being. It was her turn to sigh.
Tentatively, he brushed back some of her hair. “Man, you’re going to be a mess when I’m through with you.”
She giggled at that. His chuckle followed. “We could always take a shower together,” she suggested, having heard one of her customers’ say it was an experience no one should ever do without.
His chuckle turned low and seductive. “I may take you up on that, sunshine.” He dropped a kiss on her temple. “Better?”
She nodded and murmured a yes.
Pulling away, he said, “I’ve got to get this thing back together.”
Reluctantly, she let him go, watching his broad back as he walked back around the truck. “So, about Thanksgiving…”
“I thought we settled that.” His muffled voice came from somewhere under the hood.
“Do you really want to spend it away from each other?” She held her breath; she hadn’t meant to give so much away in that question.
Heavy silence descended. “No,” he said, and then heaved a sigh. “I guess that means we have dinner here then with everyone.” Resignation rang in his voice.
“It shouldn’t be too bad. Well, not if everyone behaves themselves, that is.” She bit her lip, contemplating that.
He popped his head out, eyeing her. “You’re really expecting miracles if you think they’ll behave.”
She burst out laughing then. “You’re right, of course.” Staring at him for a moment, she noticed the invisible bond that was pulling them together more and more. “I’m game if you’re game, partner.”
He smiled cockily at that. “Us against the world, right?”
He’d remembered that phrase from growing up. “Yes,” she said hoarsely, hoping beyond hope that it would come true.
***
An hour later, she was still handing him tools as he asked for them. A warm glow had settled in her chest and had expanded as their camaraderie blossomed. Who would have thought that on a mild November day behind a bar and fixing a car that a Warfield and a Deveraux would form a kinship?
Their conversation had run the gamut from the dinner menu, to favorite songs, to sports, to motorcycles, and to her dancing.
The one thing they’d omitted was talk of their family and the ongoing feud, but Tessa knew it had to be brought up. Since the reading of the will, the more and more she thought about it, the more she knew Chance and she had to break down the walls of it before anyone else could be approached.
She gave him a sideways glance. He scowled deep in concentration as he tightened a bolt. Gathering her courage, she plunged ahead. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately.”
“Uh oh, I’m in trouble now.”
“Very funny,” she said, and then went on as if he’d never interrupted her. “I’ve been thinking about the feud. No matter if you leave or not, we’ll always have unfinished business between us if we don’t settle this thing once and for all. So, since we can’t find out when or how it started, why not begin to mend the rift backwards, starting with us.” Before he had a chance to comment, she rushed out the last, “You know, like your granddad must have figured because of his will and all.”
He continued to work, not saying a word. Was he so absorbed in fixing his truck that he hadn’t heard?
“Chance?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Yep.”
“Got anything to say about it?” She held her breath.
“Nope.”
She barely held onto her frustration and just came within an inch of punching him in the ribs for that one. Crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot on the ground, she asked, “Just when do you plan on getting started with that part of the will? You’ve jumped right in with the bar and came up with half a dozen ways to make more money to get it back in the black. So what’s the deal with the feud part?”
“I’m working on it.” He muttered under his breath when he couldn’t get the metal cover back in place. “Damn stubborn piece of-” he cut himself off.
Biting her cheek, she asked him, “Are you talking about the truck or yourself, Deveraux?”
He jerked his head around and she saw the banked up anger in his tight, grim features. “Tessa, don
’t push me when I’m having a hard enough time with this.” His terse delivery should have warned her even if his words hadn’t.
“In other words, don’t go there,” she muttered. “That’s what you always say, Chance.”
He tossed down the wrench, the tool clanking when it hit the cover he’d been trying to replace. Picking up a rag, he began to wipe his hands on it. “You know, I tried to tell you, but you just wouldn’t listen.”
When he turned fully to her, she saw the fire shooting from his eyes. She backed up a step, and then another. “Ah… forget it.”
“Oh no, we’re not, sunshine,” he said the last nastily and she cringed. “You want a fight, you’re going to get one.”
“I didn’t want to argue, just hammer out a plan of action, that’s all.”
He snorted at that. “Now that’s funny. You’re so busy trying to get me to fix things that you refuse to fix your own life.”
“Mine?” She pressed a hand to her chest and frowned. “It’s not me who has the problem.”
He threw back his head and laughed at that. When he sobered, he glared at her. “Now that’s funny, since your problem has become mine.”
“Huh?” She truly had no idea what he was talking about.
“Your granny.”
The color drained from her face. She bit her lip and looked away.
“Yes, that problem. But, what you won’t face is that you can’t continue to hide from the way she manipulates your life so you’re living it her way, not yours.”
The truth hit with lethal intensity, cutting her to the quick. Reaching out she held onto the cold metal of his truck as she took in deep breaths. It hurt just to breathe; he’d found her weak spot as if it had been marked with an X. An ache swept her body as reality rained down on her.
“Tessa?” He reached out with a greasy hand, touching her arm lightly.
“You sure know how to bring me to my knees, don’t you?” Stunned, she realized she was more wounded by his doing that to her than by the actual truth. He’d hurt her by turning on her and striking out. Granny always did that, but Chance hadn’t ever done that, not deliberately hurt her.
Lies of the Heart (Heart Romance #3) Page 14
