by SJ McCoy
She looked down at the pad and then up into his eyes. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.” She looked at the pad again. “Now I know your number, but I still don’t know your name.”
He smiled, remembering how she’d said earlier that she’d decided to take a chance.
“Don’t you want to tell me?”
He smiled down at her. “I’m Chance, nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Chance.” She smiled back and offered him her hand to shake. “I’m Hope.”
Chance’s heart stopped beating. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears. He stared at her outstretched hand, but was frozen to the spot. He didn’t shake it, just lifted his gaze to look into her eyes. “Hope?” His own words were echoing in his mind. He’d told his friend, Ben, for months, where there’s life, there’s hope. Now Hope was right here in front of him, doing all kinds of strange things to his mind and his body. He shook his head and backed away. He almost made it to the front door before he realized he hadn’t even answered her. “I meant it. You can call me if you need anything.” He didn’t look back. He didn’t think he’d be able to look into those big blue eyes again and walk away from hope.
~ ~ ~
Hope sat staring at the space where just a few moments ago her handsome stranger, the guy she now knew was named Chance, had been standing. When she’d told him her name, he’d looked as though he’d seen a ghost. She didn’t think he’d realized who she was. She’d seen that moment many times before when someone she was talking to suddenly clicked that she was Hope Davenport. It was like a little light went on in their eyes. He hadn’t looked like that, but she had no clue what the problem might be. All she knew was that there had been a problem; it looked like a big one, and now he was gone. She picked up the pad from the coffee table and looked at his number. How could she call him? She’d made it clear that she’d like to see him again. She’d offered to be a listening ear for him. She’d even told him that she was staying here alone—which probably wasn’t the smartest move she’d ever made, but she didn’t feel it was a dumb move, either. He was a good guy. He might have rough edges, she sensed that he might even have a wild side, but he had a good heart. She knew it.
She put the pad back down with a sigh. He was gone. And she was sitting here with a twisted ankle and two empty weeks stretching out ahead of her. Great! Her plans to take a break and walk on the beach and not do much of anything else didn’t look like they’d work out now. She sighed again. She had plenty of work to be getting on with. At least she’d be able to sit at the computer and keep her foot iced and elevated. She looked at where her swollen ankle rested on the cushion he’d so carefully placed under it, and she smiled. He truly was a good guy.
Her cell phone started to ring, making her heart leap. Was it him? No. Of course it wasn’t. He’d left his number, but he hadn’t asked for hers. She picked up her phone feeling a little silly, why would he call her even if he had her number? He’d just left a moment ago and he hadn’t shown any sign of wanting to see her again. He’d left his number and an offer to help, but only because he was a decent person and that’s what any decent person would do.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me. How are you getting on?”
“Hey, Toby. I’m fine. Never mind me. How is your mom getting on?”
“She’s doing great. She loves this place. I have to say I’m impressed, too. Your uncle certainly knows what he’s doing. We’ve done the rounds of the various centers and mom’s really looking forward to getting down to work tomorrow. No matter what she can achieve here physically, it’s worked wonders for her attitude already. Thanks, Hope. This is the happiest I’ve seen her in a long time and it’s all down to you.”
Hope smiled. “I’m so glad to hear that, Toby, but please don’t thank me. I just feel bad that I hadn’t thought of it before, that I hadn’t made the connection between what your mom needs and what Uncle Johnny does.”
“We’re here now, and it’s amazing. That’s all that matters. But what about you? What are you doing with yourself?”
Hope closed her eyes. She was afraid that if she told Toby about her ankle he’d leave his mom and come to make sure she was okay.
“Uh-oh, you’re taking too long to answer. What’s wrong? It’s not Drew, is it? Have you heard from him?”
Hope smiled. He’d given her the out she needed. She wasn’t going to wonder too hard about why she completely forgotten Drew’s call until now. “You got me. He called a little while ago. Apparently, everything is my fault because I’m such a cold bitch. Carrie is sweet and loving and that’s why he turned to her.”
Toby let out a laugh. “Damn, he’s got a nerve!”
“Yeah, but I suppose he’s also got a bit of a point, too, hasn’t he?”
“Don’t, Hope! Don’t you dare go letting that asshole get inside your head. You know what he’s like. He twists everything so that nothing is ever his fault. But you know damned well none of it’s your fault.”
“Some of it’s my fault, Toby. It has to be. A man doesn’t just go out looking for a new woman unless something is wrong between him and the woman he’s with.”
“Not true. Not true at all. A man like Drew goes out looking for a new woman because there’s something wrong with him. I think in his case he wanted what you could do for him, and now he wants what Carrie can do for him. I’ve seen photos of the two of them plastered in the magazines in the waiting rooms.”
Hope nodded to herself. She could well imagine that. “I hope you won’t mind if I don’t show my face in there, then.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to. I’ll get Mom started on her therapy sessions in the morning and then I’ll come out to see you.”
“Oh, no. You mustn’t. You need to stay there and be with her. I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”
“I am worried about you, though, Hope. I know you too well. You think you’ve distracted me by telling me about Drew’s call, but we both know that you don’t really give a crap. Something else is bothering you. Something’s wrong. So, tell me what it is or I might have to come over there right now.”
Hope rolled her eyes. Toby really did know her too well.
“Come on, tell me or I’m going to hang up and come straight there.”
“Okay, okay. I went for a run on the beach and I tripped. I twisted my ankle and it’s a little sore. That’s all.”
Toby was quiet for a long moment. “A little sore?”
She smiled. She couldn’t help it. “Okay, it’s more than a little sore. I think I sprained it.”
“And how did you get off the beach and back to the house?”
“I was lucky, there was a guy walking down there, he helped me back up the steps.”
“A guy? And after he helped you up the steps, what then? Please, tell me he didn’t help you back to the house?”
“It’s okay. He’s a good guy. In fact, he’s got someone at Uncle Johnny’s clinic, too.”
“Hope! You let some guy see where you’re staying? Please tell me he doesn’t know you’re staying there alone?”
She didn’t answer. Looking at it from his perspective, she could see that it didn’t look good.
“I’m coming over there. We need to move you, but until we do I’m going to come hang out with you.”
“No! There’s really no need. He’s a good guy. I know it.”
“You might think it, but you don’t know it, you can’t know it. And I don’t like the idea of you being in that house alone. There’s no way we can check this guy out, so I’m coming over.”
A thought struck Hope and she smiled. “You know what? There is a way we can check him out. Like I said, he’s here because he brought his dad to the clinic. He’s from Montana. I bet Uncle Johnny knows him.” Should she really be so pleased to have a legitimate excuse to learn more about Chance?
“Hold on, your uncle just went by. I’m going to ask him. Do you know the guy’s name?”
“Yes
, it’s Chance.”
The line went quiet, then she could hear muffled voices talking. After a few minutes, Uncle Johnny came on. “Hello, Hope. I understand you met Chance Malone this afternoon. I was just reassuring Toby and wanted to do the same with you. Chance is one hell of a good guy. You’ve got nothing to be scared of there. In fact, if I had to hire security for you, Chance would be top of my list. He can take care of himself and I have no doubt he’d take very good care of you.”
“Thanks, Uncle Johnny. I sensed he was a good guy. How do you know him?”
“He runs the cattle operations for one of the families in the valley. You might remember them, the Remingtons?”
Hope closed her eyes. The name sounded familiar, but it had been so long since she’d spent any time in Montana, she couldn’t place it. “I don’t think so.”
Uncle Johnny’s laugh rang down the line. “No, I don’t suppose you would. You were only a kid back then. Anyway, I need to get on. I’ll hand you back to Toby and don’t worry. If you run into Chance again, you’ll be just fine. Though, if I know him, you probably won’t. He likes to keep a low profile. I’ll call you tomorrow evening, and you can tell me when I’m invited for dinner. Don’t think I’m going to have my favorite niece in town and not make the most of it.”
“Okay, Uncle Johnny,” she said with a smile. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“Hey,” Toby came back on the line.
“See, I told you he was a good guy.”
“Yeah, Dr. Johnny certainly seems to think so, which is reassuring, but I’m still not sure I like the idea of you being there by yourself. Especially now you’ve hurt your ankle. Can you even walk on it?”
“Honestly, I haven’t tried yet. It’s going to be sore for a day or two, but I’ve got plenty of work to be getting on with. Luckily, I went to the grocery store earlier, so I’m not going to starve. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. You focus on your mom, okay?”
“Okay. But you have to promise you’ll call me if you need anything at all, and I’m coming over to check on you tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She hung up and put her phone back down on the table next to the pad with Chance’s number written on it. What was she thinking? He was a good-looking guy who’d helped her out. That was all. The attraction she felt for him, the way her body had reacted to him, was no doubt just because, much as she was trying to hide it, she was feeling down and rejected and pretty much unlovable. That was all. She traced her finger over the number. He was a nice idea. Someone to daydream about, but nothing more. She couldn’t let herself get carried away with her imagination. Especially since she’d probably never see him again.
Chapter Six
Chance stood in front of the windows watching the sun set over the ocean. It was beautiful. Something about the water, the waves, the constant motion kept drawing his gaze back. Or maybe it was him that kept redirecting his mind to focus on the Pacific and not on Hope.
When he’d left her house he’d practically sprinted back to the cottage. Hearing her name had freaked him the fuck out. It was like life was playing some kind of trick on him. He’d been spouting for months where there’s life, there’s hope, then, just when he’d decided that it was time for him to start living life again, he’d gone and met Hope. He shook his head and took a long slug of his beer. Maybe he was just more in need of a rest than he’d realized. It wasn’t life playing a trick on him, just his mind. So, he’d met a beautiful woman. It wasn’t the first time; plenty of them came through the valley. Some stayed at Shane’s guest ranch, and there were plenty of them up at the resort at Chico on the weekends. Okay, so, this one he’d held in his arms. He shrugged. That wasn’t a first, either. There had been more than a few beautiful visitors to Chico who’d talked him into their room for the night. He closed his eyes, remembering the way she’d felt with her arms wrapped around his neck, her breasts pressing against his chest. He shook his head again. That was a first. She’d made him feel all kinds of things. No! He drained the last of the beer from his bottle and went to throw it in the trash can before getting another from the fridge. It didn’t matter what she’d made him feel. He’d gotten her home safe. That was it. He was here to spend time by himself, not sniffing around some big time ex-model, businesswoman.
His cell phone rang, making him jump. Who the hell could that be? He smiled when he picked it up and saw the number on the display.
“What’s up, Mason?”
“Hey, Chance. How’s it going?”
“Everything’s fine here, what’s going on there? Anything I need to know about?”
Mason laughed. “I wish you’d get used to the fact that sometimes people call just to say hi, to shoot the shit, you know? It doesn’t have to be because there’s some problem.”
Chance smiled to himself. “Sorry, you know I never got the hang of talking for talking’s sake.”
“Yeah, I do know, but just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean we don’t. How was California? How’s your dad doing? How are you coping at the beach with nothing to do?”
Chance laughed. “California was fine. My dad’s great, he and Alice are settled in at the clinic and I think it’s going to be good for him. As for me, I’m …” For a crazy moment, he wondered whether he should tell his friend about Hope.
“You’re what? You sound weird.”
“I’m fine. I’m wondering what the hell I’m doing here and what I’m going to do for two whole weeks. In fact, I was thinking I could come back, work the cattle for the next ten days and then just come back to get my dad when he’s done.”
Mason laughed. “No way! You are out of here, you’re getting a rest. I thought you were going to stop in to see your dad most days while you’re there? And besides, you can’t come back here. Not after all the work we put in to roster on enough hands to cover you. You, my friend, are just going to have to face the fact that you are stuck in a cottage by the beach in Oregon and you’re going to have to spend some time with yourself doing nothing. Either that or you can find yourself a sweet little someone to spend time doing something with.”
Chance pursed his lips and thought about that.
“Hey, man, I’m sorry. I know that’s probably the last thing on your mind, right? Did you go to the … To visit Chloe’s … To do what you said while you were in summer Lake?”
“Yeah, I did. No worries. No need to say sorry. I do need to take some time. And Mase?”
“What?”
“What if I did meet a sweet someone?”
“Hell, I hope you do. It’d do you good.”
“You reckon?”
“I do. But this sounds like you already have? There have been plenty of sweet little things in the past few years. You’ve never needed to ask what I thought before. Does this one mean something?”
Chance closed his eyes and shook his head. “No. No, it’s just a dumb idea. Forget it.”
“I say go for it, but it’s up to you.”
“Nah, there’s nothing to go for. I just, I met a woman today. She made me ... Feel. You know? No. It was nothing. It probably wasn’t her. It was probably just me. She’s the first woman I’ve even talked to since …”
“Since you said goodbye to Chloe?”
Chance closed his eyes again. “That’s the trouble, Mase. I don’t think I can say goodbye to her.”
Mason was quiet for a long moment before he spoke again. “Can I say something without pissing you off?”
“I guess we won’t know till you try. What?”
“It’s just … You don’t have to say goodbye. I know you said you felt you needed to, but I don’t think you have to, and like you just said, I don’t think you can.”
Chance blew out a sigh. “I know, but … And this is probably going to sound crazy, I feel like I have to. If I don’t, it’s almost like I’m cheating on her, you know?”
“I think I can understand that, but maybe you need to look at it a different way?
You’d be with her if you could, but you can’t. You can’t cheat on someone you can’t be with. And I guess what I’m saying is you’re not even cheating on her memory. You don’t have to say goodbye to her, you don’t have to give up on her memory, you can take that with you and when, if, you meet someone new—someone who’s worth it—then hopefully that someone will understand. Hopefully the right someone will respect that Chloe’s memory is part of you.”
“Maybe. And maybe what’s crazy is me thinking there might be a someone out there who’s worth even trying for.”
“Maybe and maybe not. Do you want to tell me about this woman you met today? The one who made you feel?”
Chance shook his head. “No. There’s no point. I’ll never see her again. It was just a moment in time, you know?”
“I’m not sure I do, but I hope it’s a moment that’s repeated.”
“Thanks, but I doubt it will be. Anyway, unless you’ve got anything important to talk about, I’m going to hang up now.”
Mason laughed. “Because none of this was important, right? I’ll let you go. You know how to get a hold of me if you do want to talk. Gina sends her love.”
“How she doing? How’s little Phoenix?”
“They’re doing great. She’s taken Phoenix up to the gallery today, they should be back any time now. I’d better get going, I’m supposed to be making dinner.”
Chance laughed. “Good luck with that, or I should probably wish Gina good luck with that; she’s the one who has to eat whatever you come up with.”
“Hey, I’ll have you know I’m getting better at this cooking thing. You’ll have to come over for dinner when you get back and see for yourself.”
“Okay, I’ll come over to see, though I’m not promising I’ll eat. I’ll reserve judgment on that.”
“Fair enough. You take care.”
