Hope (Beach Brides Book 7)

by Aileen Fish

  ****

  The next day, Jayden started in on her, too. “When’s he coming here again?”

  There was no need to ask who her son meant. “I don’t know. We haven’t discussed it.”

  “He’s nice.”

  “Yes, he is. He likes you, too.” She glanced in the rearview mirror to see his face.

  “Can he move in with us like David did?”

  “I need to know him much longer than this to be sure that’s a good idea. There’s a lot to consider before I reach that decision.”

  “Like what? You like him, he likes you. I like him, Grandma likes him…”

  “We felt the same way about David, remember? It hurt us both when he and I agreed to split up.”

  “Yeah. I still like him.”

  “I do too, honey. I do, too.”

  She had a feeling she’d like Chase even more, and that thought told her to slow down, big time.

  Chapter Nine

  Hope had no backbone, she soon discovered. With pressure on all sides, including Marni, she eventually gave in and let Chase buy tickets for her and Jayden to visit the ranch.

  “He said I could ride a horse,” Jayden said eight times during their flight.

  “You’ll like that. He also has a dog you can play with.” She hadn’t allowed him to have a pet. His attention span was brief enough, she knew she’d be the one caring for the animal. As much as she loved dogs, she didn’t have time for that.

  Truth be told, her insides were bouncing around even more than Jayden did. She couldn’t wait to see Chase. To kiss him, to sit beside him with her head on his shoulder. In the weeks they spent apart, she discovered all the little ways he filled her world.

  He was waiting for them when they disembarked at the airport. Jayden ran to him, calling his name, and jumped into Chase’s arms. The sight should have delighted her but she couldn’t get past her fears.

  While she kissed him hello, Jayden chattered like an angry squirrel about what he wanted to do first, and next, and next. She smiled at Chase and allowed him to take her hand. “He’s just a bit excited to be here.”

  “That’s good. Mom’s almost as bad. It’s been a while since I had a girl over for dinner.”

  “We’re not flying home after dinner,” she announced, then laughed.

  He joined her. “You know what I meant. I’ve never had a woman spend the night, though. I still consider it Mom’s house.”

  That pleased her to hear. He respected his mom enough to keep his love life to himself. Yet that made their trip even more momentous. Her butterflies were working overtime these days to keep up with her trepidations.

  She had to stop this nonsense. She was spending the weekend, brief as it was, with the man she was crazy about. Her son was in a fantastic mood. Nothing was going to ruin her time with Chase.

  ****

  Surprising himself with his lack of nervousness, Chase couldn’t stop smiling. She was here. They were here. His big chance to show Hope how great they could be together was finally happening.

  Mom was so excited to meet their guests, she opened the front door as soon as they drove up to the house. “Welcome. I’m Shelley,” She drew Hope into a long hug.

  Chase noticed Jayden looking intently around the room. “What do you need?”

  “Mom said you have a dog.”

  Chuckling, Chase nodded. “He’s out in the barn tonight. He’s a working dog, his job is keeping coyotes away.”

  “Coyotes? Cool!”

  Chase had probably thought the same thing when he was eight, before he realized how many calves they lost in a year to the predators. He wouldn’t disillusion the child. Life eventually did that to all of us.

  His mother motioned for Hope and Jayden to follow her to the kitchen. “I have coffee, cocoa, milk, and some fresh brownies. Or would you prefer something stronger, Hope?”

  “Actually, cocoa sounds great, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “One of my boys got me one of those pod machines. I can make any of four types of coffee, three teas, cocoa or apple cider in less time than it takes to dish up dessert.” She proceeded to do so.

  Drinking his coffee, Chase watched the interplay between his mom and Hope. You would never know they’d just met.

  Jayden reached for a third brownie and Hope swatted his hand. “You’ve had enough, young man.”

  “But mom.” His whine drew out the words.

  “But nothing. You’ll be up all night with so much sugar.”

  “They’re good,” he argued.

  “We’ll save the rest for tomorrow,” Chase’s mother said. “You’ll have to ask your mom before taking one.”

  “Okay.”

  “Come on, hon’, it’s time for bed.” Hope rose from the table, reaching for her son’s hand. “Let’s get you unpacked and into your jammies.”

  The boy didn’t argue, which amazed Chase. He showed them to the two rooms Mom had made up for them. Jayden’s was the one the nephews stayed in, with superhero sheets on the bunkbeds, and posters of monster trucks on the wall.

  “Wow, this room is so cool.” He ran in and jumped onto the bed.

  Hope simply gave Chase an apologetic look.

  “Don’t worry, it’s been through worse.”

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Nodding, he went downstairs to let her do what she needed. His body thrummed with excitement at having Hope and Jayden see his world. He expected Jayden to wake early, given the time difference, so he’d take the boy out to gather eggs and feed the chickens. Mom usually took care of that, yet kids seemed to love helping out on the ranch. Then, when Hope was up to it, maybe the three of them could ride close to the house. The weatherman predicted snow—only a fifty percent chance—and Chase didn’t want to risk them getting stuck too far from shelter. The storm wasn’t expected to be bad, but you never knew.

  Hope came downstairs looking comfortable as well as beautiful, wearing yoga pants and a long pink top. Her hair was in a relaxed bun that was slightly off-center. Seeing her like this he could imagine how she’d look getting up on a lazy Sunday.

  Lifting his arm, he urged her to sit beside him on the couch. The TV was on a sports channel, so he turned it off. “Is he all settled?”

  “I guess you can call it that. He was talking a mile a minute when I left. I’m not sure he even noticed I was gone.”

  “That sounds like a good thing.”

  “Very good. And, you’ll be happy to know I’ve sworn off worrying about what happens in the future.”

  “Great.”

  They had the entire weekend ahead of them. Happiness was the only thing on the agenda He could handle that.

  Chase pulled her into the curve of his arm. “What do you usually do to unwind at night?”

  She peered at him through her lashes, smiling coyly. “It’s changed recently. I used to read, but lately I spend hours on the phone with my boyfriend.”

  The word warmed him. She’d never referred to him as a boyfriend, at least in his hearing. “Sounds intriguing. Is he very interesting?” He intentionally used the word she’d described him as early on.

  “Mm-hmm, and he’s handsome, too. Kind of a rugged mountain man, the ones that look so good with scraggly whiskers and wind tossed hair.”

  He could feel his shoulders lifting and his chest puffing like a rooster as she went on. “Do you like him? That’s the most important thing.”

  She tipped her head to one side in that way of hers and nibbled her lower lip. “Yeah, I kinda do.”

  “Kinda.” He laughed. “Seriously? That’s all you got?”

  “Okay, maybe lots. Maybe too much.”

  “Can there be too much like in a relationship?” He pressed a kiss to her nose.

  “I guess not.” She lifted her face to reach his lips.

  Her touch was soft, hesitant, and he kept himself from showing her how much he wanted her. Want, need, who knew how to describe it. He simply wanted her in his life.

 
Cupping the back of her head, he deepened the kiss. She tasted of cocoa, and a vanilla aura surrounded her. She fit perfectly in his arms. She was perfect.

  When they parted, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m glad you came.”

  “Me, too. This long-distance stuff sucks.”

  He felt the same way, yet he feared she would pull away if he told her how much he wanted to erase the distance. Sometime this weekend he’d bring it up. They’d both have to compromise to find a way to make everyone happy, but he was willing to do what he could.

  Chapter Ten

  Hope barely slept, although she woke up feeling as though she’d drunk an entire pot of coffee. Each visit with Chase left her happier than the last. When she went downstairs, Mrs. Bowman was washing a large skillet.

  “There you are. I saved you some breakfast. Eggs, sausage, bacon, toast and orange juice.” She opened the oven and took out a plate heaped with food.

  “Wow, that’s an entire day’s worth of meals. Bacon and toast will be fine. And the orange juice.”

  Chase’s mom sat opposite her with a steaming mug of coffee. “Jayden ate early with Chase. They’re in the barn now.”

  “That’s a surprise. Jayden’s not a morning person.”

  “He took the porch steps two at a time. Chase gave him a cowboy hat and won his heart.”

  Hope knew he’d won her son’s heart the weekend when they first met. “He really likes Chase.”

  “You don’t sound completely happy about that.”

  She’d promised Chase she wasn’t going to worry about the future, and she’d failed already. “That’s the old me. Your son is very good for mine.”

  Mrs. Bowman smiled knowingly. “And you’re perfect for mine. I hope you know that.”

  Nodding, Hope glanced out the window at the huge oak tree behind the house. “Did he tell you how we met?”

  “No, he’s not one to confide in me. I thought he was going to check out cattle on all these trips. I was surprised, to say the least, when he said you and Jayden were coming to visit.”

  “The first trip was to look at some stock—he might have made some stops on the other trips, too, he never said. He took me out for coffee the first afternoon.”

  “He flew that far for a cup of coffee? He must really care about you.”

  Hope laughed. He might have been intrigued, curious, but neither of them felt anything more when he first came out to MIssouri. “We barely know each other.”

  “I’ve heard him on the phone some nights. I’d say you know him better than I do. Which is how it should be.” She tucked her graying hair behind her ear.

  Once again, Hope felt amazed at how quickly Chase had become necessary to her life. She looked forward to talking to him, and would feel lonely if they skipped a night. “He’s a great guy. You did a good job raising him.”

  “He and his brother were such good kids, all I had to do was keep from ruining them.” Shelley laughed gaily.

  “I doubt that. Chase has the look of a troublemaker.”

  “Well, he won’t give you any trouble. He had the perfect role model in his father. He was a good man, too.” Her lips pressed together in a wistful smile.

  “Chase has told me about him. You must miss him horribly.” While Hope knew all about men leaving, she had no idea how she’d handle losing a husband to death. Knowing that he died loving her wouldn’t be any comfort in the empty days of the rest of her life.

  “I do. Every day. Then I look around at all he gave me, our sons, their children—I wouldn’t have them if not for Artie.”

  For a moment, Hope could see herself saying the same thing someday, sitting in this kitchen talking to Jayden’s girlfriend.

  Only in Jayden’s case, he was a complete troublemaker.

  ****

  The horseback ride went well, considering Hope hadn’t been on a horse’s back since the mechanical one in front of the grocery store when she was six. She quickly got the rhythm and enjoyed the beauty around her, and Jayden’s happy gabbing.

  She was only a little stiff when they returned to the barn, and Chase noticed. “Why don’t you go inside. The little wrangler and I will take care of the horses.” He gave her a quick kiss before she walked away. Suddenly she no longer was cold, the way it always was when she was near him.

  Later, with Jayden glued to a video game, Chase pulled her aside. “I know the perfect way to take care of those tight muscles. We’ll walk it off.”

  “Walk? Isn’t it supposed to snow?”

  “We won’t go far. There’s something I want to show you.” He looked unusually earnest, and she knew this was important to him.

  “Okay, I’ll get my coat.”

  He led her out the back door and up the rise into a stand of pine trees.

  “What are we going to see?”

  “We’re almost there.” He’d never been secretive, so he made their destination much more intriguing.

  They skirted the mountainside, took the path down, then over and up again. And then he stopped, saying nothing.

  A valley spread below them, rolling hills lining what looked like a dry creek bed. Opposite them, a rocky ridge reached up into the clouds. She was speechless.

  Chase stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. “I come here when I need to remember what’s good in life.”

  “It’s beautiful. I feel connected to nature. Do you come often?”

  “More since Dad died.”

  That told her how special this spot was. “Thank you for sharing this with me.” She twisted around to kiss him, then leaned her head on his chest. He was so open with his emotions, something she was unfamiliar with. The men in her past were guarded; the words they spoke said the right things, and still they rarely let her inside their heads.

  She and Chase stood silently enjoying the quiet, until she needed to know more. “How far does your property go?”

  He pointed. “You can see the line where the fence is on that hill.”

  So much land. Did it make him feel free to own this much, or did the responsibility weigh him down? She assumed it was the former, or he wouldn’t look so proud right now. “I can see how this formed you into the person you are now.”

  “Yeah, the land and my dad’s hand on my backside.” Chuckling, he squeezed her tightly. “My dad’s the only one who knew about this spot. He showed it to me. I feel the closest to him when I’m here.”

  Hope ran her fingers over his cheek, her heartstrings tugging with emotion. “It’s wonderful to have this. My dad didn’t leave much behind when he died. I was only a teenager, so I didn’t know much about him other than he sold insurance and mowed the lawn on Saturdays. We’d watch the Cardinal games in the summer.”

  “Do you still watch baseball?”

  “No. The only reason I sat in front of the TV was because Dad was there. It didn’t have any appeal after that.” Her father was such a quiet man. His love for Mom was obvious, but she never heard them speak the words. Hope wanted more. I love you couldn’t be said enough—she made sure Jayden heard it every night before he fell asleep, and when they parted each morning at school.

  He nodded. “It’s hard for a kid to grow up without a dad.”

  “Jayden’s proof of that.”

  “Yeah, he’s been lacking stability there, hasn’t he? I imagine that’s worse. He’s such a great kid when he’s happy.”

  “I’m hoping he stays happy. His counseling is going well, so maybe he’ll gain enough self-worth to handle what life throws at him.”

  “Do you think being here helps?”

  She took in a breath while considering. Jayden enjoyed the ranch, yet daily life in itself wasn’t the problem. Break-ups were the problem. “I don’t know, Chase. The only way to find out is for you to exit his life.”

  He squeezed her tightly again. “That would tear me up, too.”

  She felt so safe in his arms, like nothing could ever reach her, but it was silly to thin
k she could remain there forever. He couldn’t shield her from the bad stuff any more than she could Jayden. “I don’t know how we’ll do it. I hope we don’t have to find out.”

  Chase lifted her chin to meet her gaze. “I love you, Hope. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work.”

  A warm, happy wave swept through her. “I love you, too. At some point, we need to talk about the future, though. How do we do this? Travelling back and forth, for either of us, is disruptive. Yet I hate to give up my job, and leave my mom behind. And you can’t leave your ranch…”

  “Why not? Matt and the other men can run it without me. Mom has my brothers close by, so she wouldn’t be alone.”

  “You’d do that? You’d leave all this and come to Missouri?” It sounded incredulous, almost as much as the fact they were having this conversation.

  “I’d go a lot farther if it meant being at your side.”

  His love filled her to overflowing, dulling the thinking part of her brain. Setting up household together wasn’t as easy as he made it sound, but she trusted him to do his part. Chase Bowman was a loving, generous man.

  “Let’s talk more later. I want to enjoy the beauty around us.”

  “And the beauty of you.” He kissed her with more passion than before, using his body to say exactly what she needed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sunday morning, Chase took Jayden out to help with morning chores. The boy was so eager to please, it tore at his heart. “Do you help your mom around the house?”

  “She makes me keep my room clean.”

  “I hated that when I was your age.” Honestly, he hadn’t learned the benefit of an orderly room until he’d gone to college and lived in a dorm. Four guys leaving clothes where they took them off, and fast food wrappers on all flat surfaces made for chaos.

  “She makes me load the dishwasher, too. Every night.” He sounded shocked that his mom would ask such a thing of him.

  Chase didn’t comment.