by Debbie Mason
She felt so stupid. The symptoms were all in her head. She wasn’t weak. She should be able to control this. Taking comfort in the feel of his strong arms around her while breathing in his clean, spicy scent, Chloe felt her heart rate slow.
Easton leaned back to look down at her. “Better?”
Embarrassed, she nodded and pulled away from him.
“Hey, no beating yourself up over this. Now that you know what you’re dealing with, it’ll get easier. Look how fast you got it under control this time.”
“It’s because of you. I feel safe with you.” She self-consciously lifted a shoulder. She hadn’t meant to tell him that. And from the small pleating between his dark eyebrows, she shouldn’t have.
“I’m glad that you do, Chloe. But I won’t always be here. That’s why you have to see someone.”
“Did you see someone?”
“For what?”
“Your panic attacks. Don’t try and deny it, Easton. That’s why you were able to recognize mine when no one else did.”
“Times like this, I wish you were the airhead you pretend to be.”
“I do not pretend to be an airhead.” Okay, so maybe she did. Sometimes it was fun to pretend to be a ditz; it lowered people’s expectations. But she didn’t like that Easton saw through her act.
“Umhm,” he said with a knowing smile, then surprisingly answered her question. “No, I didn’t. I knew what I was dealing with, and in a couple of weeks, they were gone. But I would have gotten help, Chloe. There’s no shame in it.”
“Really? So if there’s no shame in accepting help, why don’t you see someone for your pain?”
“Because they’d tell me to kick you out of my house, and I kind of like having you around.”
“You do?” Her heart pitter-pattered in her chest, and she knew it wasn’t the onset of a panic attack. No, this was real and much more dangerous. Her old feelings for Easton were back, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with them or him. She lightly swatted his chest. “You can’t distract me that easily. Answer my question.”
“I have pills for the pain. It’s my choice not to take them. I’ll work through it without them.”
“The doctor wouldn’t prescribe painkillers if you didn’t need them. You’re just being stubborn and macho.”
A muscle pulsed in his jaw as he got up off the bed. “Appreciate the concern, Scarlett, but I’m fine. I have to get into town. I should be back around…What’s wrong with you now?”
Her mouth hanging open, she waved her hand at him. “You can’t wear those. They…they show everything.” She wasn’t exaggerating. The stretchy black fabric clung to every dip and curve, every muscle and bulge.
He grinned and flipped back the covers, pulling her out of bed to draw her flush against all those hard muscles and bulges. “Tonight, you and I are going to talk, and then I’ll give you a good, long look at everything you seem so interested in.”
She was very interested. She cleared her throat. “Everything?”
“Oh, yeah, everything. Now come on, I’ll show you how the shower works before I go.”
“It’s okay. I’m having lunch with my mother today, remember? I’ll have her come early, and I’ll stop by their place for a shower first.”
“All right, suit yourself. But you don’t know what you’re missing.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, then headed for the door. “If your lunch runs late, text me, and I’ll pick you up. Save Liz a trip.” He glanced over his shoulder and started to laugh.
She touched the side of her lips to check for drool. The view of Easton’s backside was as mouth-watering as the front. “I hope you have a change of clothes,” she said, following him to the door.
He bent down and picked up a black knapsack off the floor. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip to hold back a moan. He winked and slung the bag over his shoulder. “Yeah, and I have a helmet, too, so don’t worry about me. See you tonight.”
She swallowed and nodded, thinking of his earlier promise. Closing the door behind him, she looked up at the ceiling and said to Easton’s mother, “Anna, I need your help. If I’m the one meant to be with Easton, you need to give me a sign.” She waited, glancing around the sunlit room. “Please, just a little one will do.”
And then, as though in response to her request, a memory of her ghostly visitors last Christmas flashed in her mind. Their midnight visit that snowy night in December had been a terrifying experience. One that made Chloe vow to change her ways.
Easton’s mother had been the ghost of Chloe’s past, taking her on an embarrassing trip down memory lane. She could almost hear Anna now, telling her once again that Chloe could make everything right. In a voice as soft and kind as it had always been.
Chloe’s mother and Easton’s had been best friends growing up. Chloe didn’t have friends of her own, other than her sister, and enjoyed hanging out with the two women. Admittedly, the possibility of an Easton sighting had been a draw, too.
Anna used to brush Chloe’s hair and tell her one day she’d be as beautiful as Scarlett O’Hara. She wondered if Easton knew his nickname for her was the same as his mother’s. At the thought, Chloe smiled. She had her answer. Cat and Easton weren’t a match made in heaven. Chloe and Easton were.
Chapter Ten
Everywhere she looked, Chloe was reminded of Easton. Even now, as she stood at the kitchen sink arranging the wildflowers she’d picked in the field behind the cabin, she noticed the flax petals were the same blue as his eyes. A pine-scented breeze drifted through the open kitchen window, ruffling her hair still damp from the outdoor shower she’d taken. Despite Easton’s enthusiastic recommendation, she’d been hesitant at first, but at the thought of chemicals damaging her skin, she’d given in.
Once she was out there, standing naked under the soft, warm water with only the majestic mountains and their snow-covered peaks as her witness, she understood what Easton meant. She felt free. No paparazzi to worry about or judgmental neighbors, just her and nature. She snorted a laugh at the thought. She must have spring fever, there was no other explanation. Well, there was, but she thought it was a little early to be thinking about the L word.
Chloe hadn’t felt this peaceful in…Gosh, she couldn’t remember how long it had been. Every minute of every day for the last five years had been consumed by her career, wanting to get ahead, wanting to impress, wanting to be the best. The pressure of staying relevant in Hollywood was exhausting, and she hadn’t realized how exhausted she was until today. And she had no doubt, as difficult as it had been to hear, that learning her heart wasn’t to blame for her attacks contributed to her more tranquil state of mind, too.
If it wasn’t for Easton pushing the issue, she’d still be walking around thinking she had a time-bomb in her chest. She froze mid-step, wondering if that was just one more sign that he might be her one. Unlike that long-ago spring when he’d been her sister’s.
Chloe buried her face in the wildflowers as she carried the vase to the kitchen table, inhaling their sweet scent in an effort to avoid thinking of Cat. But her brain wouldn’t cooperate, and neither would her stomach. Ever since Easton left, she’d had an uneasy feeling something wasn’t right with her sister. A feeling Chloe had spent the morning ignoring.
Because the stories about the psychic connection between identical twins were true. At least they were for Cat and Chloe. She’d experienced her sister’s heartache over Michael as if it were her own. And while Cat never came out and admitted it, Chloe was positive her sister had felt her pain over the years, too.
Then again, the heavy weight taking up residence in Chloe’s stomach might be nothing more than guilt. After all, even if it was with the best intentions, she’d planned to break up Cat and Grayson. At the thought, a sense of panic shattered her earlier contentment. She should have come straight out and told Easton the win-Cat-back plan was off before he left for work. No, she was being silly, she reassured herself. She had nothing to worry about. Not after the kis
s they shared and Easton’s promise for this evening.
And that’s what she wanted to focus on, a wonderful night of delicious food, a walk under the stars while they talked about their day. And then they’d end the night in bed. She glanced at her watch. It was almost noon, and she was past ready for her lunch date with her mother. At least as far as her face and outfit were concerned, she was ready. The yellow racer-back sundress with the zip front she had on was sexy, her red shoes totes fab. Sadly, she couldn’t say the same for her hair. She’d blown a fuse with her professional blow-dryer and had to settle for pulling back her unruly mane in a ponytail.
Checking out her chipped red-polished fingernails as she reached for her cell phone, she wondered if she could convince her mother to stop at Ty’s salon before lunch. The household chores were playing havoc on her manicure. She picked up her ringing cell. “I was just going to call you. Are you on your way?” she asked, when her mother’s voice came over the line.
“Darling, I’m afraid I have to cancel.”
“Oh, no, Mommsy, I’m so disappointed.” She wasn’t. She’d been afraid their entire lunch-date conversation would revolve around her “attacks,” but she made sure to sound like she was. “Are you all right?”
“No. I mean, yes, I am. But I have devastating news. The worst news ever. Prepare yourself, darling. Are you sitting?”
Out of habit, Chloe’s hand went to her chest, and she sank down on the couch. “Yes, tell me.”
“It’s…There’s no easy way to say this. Grayson left Cat.”
“What!” Chloe’s heart started to beat triple time against her ribs, and she fell limply against the back of the couch, weakly flapping her hand in front of her face.
“Just breathe, darling. I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”
“I’m…I’m okay. Is Kit Kat all right?”
“I have no idea. She won’t answer her phone. You know what she’s like when she’s upset. She shuts down. But I spoke to Chance, and he says Easton’s with her.”
Chloe jerked upright. “Easton’s with Kit Kat?”
“Yes, he’s such a good boy. I feel better knowing she has him to lean on. But I’m heading to the ranch right now and getting to the bottom of this. I guarantee Estelle has something to do with Grayson leaving. She’s never approved of his relationship with…” For several beats, all she heard was the sound of Liz breathing. Chloe chewed anxiously on her bottom lip. Her mother knew her a little too well. “Chloe, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you?”
“Of course I don’t. I’ve been here the entire time. Stuck out in the middle of nowhere minding my own business.”
“Umhm, you have. And that’s something else I want to talk to you about. But I don’t have time right now.” Chloe collapsed against the back of the couch, sending up a silent prayer of thanks as her mother continued. “I’ll call you once I’ve spoken to Cat. You should call your sister, darling. She needs your support now more than ever. She’s always been there for you, you know.”
A twinge of guilt pinched Chloe’s heart at the reminder. It was true. Cat had always been there for her. And as soon as Chloe disconnected from her mother, she punched in Estelle’s number.
Her manager picked up on the first ring. “We did it, my dear. Grayson packed his bags twenty minutes ago and left the ranch.”
Afraid she was about to hyperventilate, Chloe stretched out on the couch. “What did you do?” she whispered.
“Are you all right, my dear? You sound—”
“Estelle, what did you do?” Chloe shrieked into the phone. At her manager’s affronted harrumph, Chloe winced and, with some effort, calmed herself. “I’m sorry. It’s just…Can you please tell me what happened?”
“No apologies necessary, my dear. I’m sure the excitement got the better of you. And really, I can’t take all the credit. The poem you sent your sister from the McBride boy did the trick. All I had to do was casually bring it to Grayson’s attention.”
Chloe whimpered, biting down on her knuckle to keep from yelling as Estelle continued. “You would have been quite proud of me. Your sister left her phone in the kitchen, and I pretended that I thought it was mine. When I found the poem, I went on about it as if Fred sent it to me. Then I made a horrified face, it was quite brilliant. Anyway, at that point, your sister realized the jig was up. I must say, though, I felt terribly bad for my grandson. He didn’t deserve to be treated—”
“Estelle, my sister didn’t do anything wrong. It was us!”
“Really, my dear, you sound quite overwrought.”
“Where are you?” Please don’t be at the…
“I’m at the ranch. Grayson was so upset, he forgot me. And he’s not taking my calls. Perhaps I should have curbed my enthusiasm, but—”
“Estelle, my mother’s on her way to the ranch. You have to leave before she gets there.” Her manager didn’t stand a chance against Liz. “Get one of the ranch hands to bring you into town. Tell them it’s an emergency.” It wasn’t far enough away. Liz would track her down. “You know, Estelle, it’s probably best if you head back to LA. Between the problems with the perfume and all the bad publicity, I really need you there taking care of my interests. I’ll book a flight for you now. Take a taxi from town to the airport.” Chloe was talking so fast that she could barely catch her breath.
“No, that won’t do. Not at all. I can’t leave my grandson in his hour of need.”
“I’ll…I’ll take care of Grayson.”
“Ah, I see where you’re headed with this. You’re right, it’s the perfect way for you to get closer to him. Brilliant, my dear.”
“Yes, yes it is. Now get Fluffy and run to the barn. Don’t waste time packing, I’ll send you your things.” When the older woman started to waffle, Chloe said, “Estelle, trust me, you do not want to be there when my mother arrives.”
While Chloe was booking Estelle’s flight, she heard a vehicle coming down the gravel road. Thinking it might be her mother, she rushed to the kitchen window. It was Easton’s red truck, followed by Cat’s black SUV. Chloe ducked down.
Easton knew she’d sent the poem, but surely, since he was in on the plan from the beginning, he wouldn’t tell her sister. And while Chloe worried about her family’s reaction to what she had done, a bigger concern reared its ugly head. What if she’d misread the signs, the meaning behind Easton’s kiss, his promise of this morning? She’d done so in the past, and if she’d done it again, Easton now had the perfect opportunity to make a move on her sister. And it was Chloe’s fault. Everything was falling apart. What had possessed her to come up with the idea in the first place? While protecting Cat may have played a part in it, Chloe had to be honest with herself. She’d been jealous of what Cat had and wanted it for herself. And now that she’d possibly found it…
Chloe inched up, hiding behind the upper cabinet to stay out of sight. Easton thought she was at lunch with her mother and wouldn’t be expecting to see her. Until she had a better handle on the situation, Chloe planned to keep it that way. They got out of their vehicles, and Easton joined her sister on the gravel drive. The first thing Chloe noticed was that her sister didn’t appear to be too broken up. Which on one hand relieved Chloe, while on the other, it made her nervous.
“You sure you don’t mind helping me out?” Easton asked her sister. Chloe was happy to see he’d changed from his riding gear into a navy T-shirt and jeans.
But really, what on earth was her sister wearing? She had on faded jeans with a pastel plaid shirt Chloe was sure she’d worn in the nineties. A sisters’ shopping trip was in order. If Cat wanted to win back her fiancé, she had to start putting some effort into her appearance. Unless she had her sights set on Easton, who’d probably approve of her laid-back look. Chloe’s chest tightened at the depressing thought.
“No, I’m glad of the distraction.” Cat held up a hand when Easton went to speak. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”
Easton shrugged. “Wor
ks for me.”
Well, it didn’t work for Chloe. She wanted to know what was going on in her sister’s head.
Cat crossed her arms and looked around. “My sister doesn’t do small, does she?”
Was that sarcasm she heard in Cat’s voice? Chloe leaned closer to the screen and squinted, trying to get a better look at her sister’s face.
“Nope, she went all out. And if you think this is something, you should see what she did inside.”
A smug smile tugged on Chloe’s lips. At least Easton appreciated her efforts. Then at the thought of them coming inside, she turned from the window, looking for a place to hide.
“Aside from the unfortunate color choice, it’s kind of a shame you’re tearing it down.”
He’s what? Chloe whipped her head around. She couldn’t have heard that right.
But Easton grimaced as he and Cat began walking toward the cabin. “The new place won’t be ready for a couple months. I’ll decide what to do then.”
“Paul showed me the architect’s drawings. The house looks amazing. You must be getting excited.”
“It’ll be nice to have the extra space…and indoor plumbing.” He laughed.
Chloe gaped at him through the window. How could he lie to her like that? Lie to all the men who’d come to help a fellow vet in financial trouble?
“I wish you would have gotten a picture of Chloe’s face when you told her she’d have to use an outhouse. I didn’t think she’d last a day.” Cat shook her head with a laugh. “So where’s the cow and chickens we’re supposed to be moving?”
Easton lifted his chin. “Out back.”
The rest of their conversation was nothing but a low murmur as they walked around the side of the house. Chloe ran to the bedroom and opened the window, standing to the side to stay out of sight. She heard Cat laugh. “And she really believed you lived off the land and were raising a cow and chickens?” Again with a disbelieving head shake. “Too bad she’ll be leaving now that she got what she wanted and Grayson and I are split up. You could have done a reality show.”
