by Lauren Canan
“What does she do?”
“RN. Surgical nurse.”
“You’ve known her a while?”
“Yeah. We’ve been friends since grade school. Her dad is the pharmacist at City Drug. You might know him. Doug Stiller?”
“Yeah. Yeah I remember him.” Chance wiped his hands on the napkin. “He was always very understanding when a guy’s hormones began to kick it. But you didn’t walk away with a foil packet in your back pocket without a speech about being responsible.” He glanced at Holly and smiled. The glimmer was back in his eyes. “I tended to listen.”
Emma banged her spoon on her tray and kicked her feet. “Out,” she demanded loudly. Holly reached for Emma and knocked over a glass of lemonade. The liquid spilled onto Chance’s half-eaten dinner.
“Oh! I’m sorry. Here, let me get another plate and some—”
“Don’t worry about it, Holly. It was all delicious but I’m full.”
“Boo-boo,” Emma proclaimed.
“Yes. Boo-boo,” Holly agreed, still mopping at the spill with whatever napkin she could find.
“It was really good, Holly. I’m sorry to eat and run, but there are some things I need to do before tomorrow.”
He stood from the table, careful of the baby, and headed to the back door.
Why did she suddenly feel like a waitress in a really bad restaurant?
“Sure. Maybe we can do it again sometime.” She followed him to the door.
“Yeah. That’d be nice.”
He pulled open the outside door and hesitated. She heard him mutter to himself before turning around and catching her face in his hands. He absorbed her lips, kissing her deeply, then took one last glance at Emma. “Good night.”
And just like that he was gone. Holly turned to look at Emma, who sat contentedly on the floor, playing with a toy. Something had totally unnerved Chance. She had no clue what. Surely not Emma? Yet that was what appeared to be the problem. She began gathering the dirty dishes. She knew some men didn’t like to be around children. Apparently Chance was one of them. One more reason for Holly to keep her distance.
For more than half of her life she’d daydreamed about Chance. Of the home they would have, the family... The reality was very different and it was a hard pill to swallow. Knowing he would soon leave again, plus seeing his reaction to Emma pretty much said it all. There would never be a future for them. And the sooner she accepted it the better off she would be.
* * *
“Commander Masters?” Chance stood as the doctor held out a hand. “I’m Dr. Lopez. Good to meet you, sir. Please come in.”
Chance followed the doctor into the small examination room.
“Your doctor at the VA forwarded a summary of your injuries. Tell me about them. How do you think you’re doing?”
It was an intensive hour. This doctor, while not military, knew his stuff. After Chance explained how he felt physically and emotionally, the doctor examined him head to foot.
“Do you have full range of motion in your left shoulder?”
“Pretty much.” He rubbed the site of the bullet’s entry on his chest. “I still have minor pain around the site itself, but everything else feels normal. It’s my knee I’m worried about.”
The doctor nodded. “Hop on the table and let’s have a look.”
When the exam was finished, Chance went through a battery of tests including X-rays and an MRI on both his chest wound and his knee. Finally back in his office, the good doctor explained that the preliminary results looked good.
“It will take forty-eight hours to get all of the results back but I don’t anticipate seeing any problems. Are you taking any physical therapy?”
“No.”
“You might want to consider it. I would suggest you start out slow. Don’t push your knee too hard at first. If you have access to a pool, that would be an excellent way to work the knee without an extraordinary amount of pressure.”
The doctor leaned against the counter, looking at his file. “Are you going to return to active duty?”
“That’s the plan.”
The doctor tore a slip of paper from his prescription pad and handed it to Chance. It had a name, address and phone number. “Physical therapist. He’s good. Call and set up a few sessions. I’ll call you if there is anything that concerns me when the last of your tests come in.”
While it was good to hear some positives, this doctor didn’t know the specifics of Chance’s job. Therefore he would have no way of knowing if Chance could return to doing it. It was damn hard to stay positive when it was your life on the line and your future was ultimately in the hands of the Naval Medical Evaluation Board.
Seven
“Let’s start him out slow today,” Mark Johansen called to Holly, who was seated atop her gray gelding, Sinbad. “Ease him into a slow canter, keeping to the outside of the cross rails.”
Holly did as she was instructed. She loved riding Sin and he seemed equally happy to give her the ride. He was an amazing animal. He carried her smoothly twice around the large arena, never once slowing or breaking stride.
“Now,” Mark called from the center of the ring, “when you get to the opposite end, gather him, take a half halt into a figure eight and ask him to change his gait. Then reverse when you reach the other end. We need him to feel like that’s a normal motion.”
Holly took Sin around again then gathered the reins, gave the cue, and within a few strides Sin switched from leading with his right front foot to his left.
“Try that again. He needs to respond more quickly. Take him around a few more times. Keep in a figure eight. He should start to feel it as part of his natural stride, changing without you asking him to do it depending on the direction.”
Holly gave a nod and followed Mark’s instructions. The fourth time, Sin switched his lead perfectly. Holly finished the round, patting Sin on the neck, then directed him toward the inside of the arena for the jumps.
The first cavalletti was a cross rail: two poles that crossed one another with a straight beam over the top. At four feet in height, it was a piece of cake for Sinbad. Holly lined him up for the jump, gathered the reins and gave the cue. With graceful ease, the powerful gelding sailed over the jump as though he was floating on air. Her body automatically swung forward as Sin left the ground. The horse’s natural motion lifted her rear out of the saddle, then her weight sank back into the stirrups as they landed. She continued around the small course, Sin taking each jump as perfectly as the first.
Twice more through the maze and Mark waved her over. “Okay. He did great on the jumps but he still needs some work on dressage.”
She glanced over toward the indoor bleachers. Near the front entrance Emma contentedly played with her own little plastic horses and cows inside the playpen. The indoor arena was actually a little larger than the one outside. It allowed for storage of the jumps and ensured Emma a near-perfect temperature year-round. Out of the corner of her eye she caught movement. Chance was leaning against the railing. How long had he been there?
“Chance. Come over and meet Mark.”
“Mark, this is Chance Masters. He is one of the owners of this ranch.”
“Mark Johansen. Nice to meet you.” The men shook hands. “You have an incredible spread here.”
“Thanks.”
Holly turned to Chance. “Mark was once a contender for the US Olympic team. He and his wife moved here last year and he’s been kind enough to give me some dressage and show-jumping lessons,” Holly said. “What’s it been? Six months?”
“About that,” Mark replied. “She’s doing great.”
Chance nodded. “Yeah. I saw. Lots of passion in that ring. It would undoubtedly have me on my back begging for mercy in about eight seconds.” His deep blue eyes sparkled with dark humor.
Holly knew he was referring to their night in the barn when she told him about her new fervor. “Yep. It tends to make a girl wild-child crazy. Controlling all that power.” She couldn’t help but grin as Chance put two and two together.
“I should have known you were talking about a horse.” He shook his head.
“Why, Commander, what else could it have been?” she asked, a grin edging her lips, a look of pure innocence on her face.
Chance didn’t reply to her challenge but his eyes told her in no uncertain terms that payback would be hell.
“I’m out of here,” Mark said. “Mary Ann, my wife, has a list of to-dos. It was nice to meet you, Chance,” he said and headed for his truck.
“I need to talk to you. Would you mind stopping by the house when you’re finished?” Chance asked Holly when they were alone.
She shrugged. “Sure. Let me put Sin back in his stall and I’ll be there.”
“Take your time,” he said before turning and disappearing around the corner of the barn.
After Sinbad was showered down, brushed out and returned to his stall with some apple slices in his feeding trough, she picked up Emma and headed for the big house.
Holly rarely came here. She’d been inside once or twice as a child, gotten lost and, after a kindly housekeeper showed the way back outside, she’d never tried again. Chance was rarely in the house. Their time together was always spent in or around the barn.
She let herself through the back gate that opened into the courtyard. From here she had a view of miles and miles of rolling hills blanketed by well-fertilized grass, so green it almost didn’t look real. She passed the waterfall at one end of the large lagoon-style swimming pool, and Emma laughed when a few drops of cold water hit her in the face. She squealed and worked her feet in an attempt to get down. Holly held firm. Emma would be in that pool in a heartbeat and all the beautiful tropical plants she could reach along the way would meet their demise. Emma had a deep love for all things nature, especially the flowers. But she wanted to pick them all. Holly hadn’t as yet convinced her they could be enjoyed just as much on the bush outside. She passed through the outdoor kitchen and under the large pergola to the back entrance.
She rang the bell, letting Chance know she was there. She thought she heard a voice, so she opened the door. “Hello?”
Chance appeared on the catwalk above with a towel wrapped around his waist. “Come on in. I had to take a quick shower. Be down in a minute.”
“Okay.” She stepped inside and looked around. Someone had gone to great lengths to downplay the family’s wealth in the decor, but while she liked the Western theme, it failed to conceal the pure luxury around her. With a stone fireplace on the wall to the left large enough to roast an entire cow, this single room was larger than her entire house. The furnishings were leather, the kind that a person could just sink down into. Curious, she peeked around the corner just beyond the fireplace. The kitchen. She saw dark glistening wood and more counter space than she could have ever imagined topped with brown-and-buff-swirled marble. The hardwood floors gleamed while the copper canopy over the huge stove gave a rustic feel and brought out the veins of dark gold in the countertops. A pan holder above the long work space in the center of the room was filled with copper pots. The designers had utilized brick in the spaces between the cabinets, all blending perfectly and framing the glass-enclosed eating nook that offered the same view of the rolling hills outside. Which went on as far as the eye could see. And it all belonged to the Masters family. It was mind-blowing. And it drove home the enormous difference between the Masterses and everyone else.
As odd as it seemed, she’d never consciously made that realization before. As a child, things had just been the way they were. She had never placed any significance on anyone’s wealth or standing within the community. People were people and you either liked them or you didn’t. Against the majestic background of the ranch and this great house on the hill, suddenly her small home and equally small clinic that she had worked hard to attain became as insignificant as one blade of grass on the ninety-two-thousand-acre ranch.
She heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Chance walked into the kitchen wearing only jeans, his broad shoulders and sculptured chest and abs standing out in stark relief. “Are you thirsty?” He didn’t stop until he stood in front of the fridge. “Want a beer? Coke? Lemonade?”
“Lemonade sounds great. Thanks.”
Chance popped the tab and handed her the ice-cold can, then grabbed a beer for himself.
“Let’s sit.” He nodded toward the round oak and black wrought iron table in the breakfast area.
Holly selected a chair and settled Emma on her lap. Chance pulled out a chair, scooting it some distance from where they sat before sitting down.
“You looked good on your gelding.” He took a sip of his beer. “How did you ever get started on the dressage thing?”
“I’ve always been curious about it. Last year I went with Amanda and one of her friends to a competition in Dallas. I was fascinated. Then I met Mark’s wife when she brought their dogs into the clinic and we talked. Found out he has been a major contender for years. He helped me get Sinbad.”
“And when you’re in that English saddle, you control all that power.” A sparkle of humor danced in Chance’s eyes. “And I would imagine taking him over the jumps flings you up then slams you down when he lands.”
“How did you ever know?” Obviously Chance had figured out what she was speaking of that night in the barn.
“And now you throw sin into the mix. A guy had better watch out for you.”
“You’ll never see me coming.”
Chance barked out a laugh and shook his head.
Emma began to whimper, wanting to get down. Holly placed her on the Spanish-tiled floor and away she went—directly to Chance.
“So what’s up?”
Chance’s eyes were glued to the baby, who held on to a fold in his jeans with one hand and patted his knee with the other. She was doing a little hop dance, wanting to be picked up. Either Chance didn’t understand or he was ignoring her. Emma was grinning, those two bottom teeth clearly in sight, so she wasn’t distressed either way.
“Cole and Wade are throwing some kind of party in Dallas. Saturday night. I can’t get out of it.” He looked from the baby to Holly. “I need a date. Would you consider?”
Chance was asking her on a date? She didn’t know whether to be elated or frightened. It was something, as a child, she’d thought about. But in a few weeks he would be gone. He was a soldier. His SEAL team was his family. And this was, after all, just one date.
This party would, presumably, have a lot of attendees. They would want to talk to Chance and find out what he could tell them of his success on the battlefield. Or if most were friends and associates of Wade and Cole, the talk would eventually turn to business. Either way, she would be a shadow in a corner somewhere, there only if Chance needed her.
But it was one date. One evening. She could do it. She would do it. How could she not?
“Sure. I would love to. How dressy will it be?”
“Haven’t a clue. And I don’t much care. We will probably stay overnight, so bring a change of clothes. Any way you want to dress will be fine.”
“Will I get a hot dog grilled by your chef?”
The light danced in his eyes. “I never figured that one out, either. But if that’s what you want, consider it done.”
* * *
By the end of the week, Holly was a nervous wreck. She’d be lying if she tried to convince herself otherwise. Amanda had joyfully agreed to keep Emma, saying she was proud of Holly for finally agreeing to go out on a date, comparing it in importance to buying a new house. Granted, she hadn’t accepted many invitations, because she hadn’t wanted to leave Emma. Not that she felt she’d given up all that muc
h when she’d politely refused other offers. This time was different. This time it was Chance.
“Okay, have you got everything?” Amanda stood in the hall just outside Holly’s bedroom door.
“There really isn’t that much to take.” Shrugging her shoulders, she once again looked at her reflection in the mirror. The strapless black dress clung to every curve of her body, from her breasts to her hips. Just past her waist, varying tones of gray were layered to midthigh. Black heels capped it off.
“You look hot.” Amanda grinned. “A bit different from your customary jeans and boots. Chance’s eyes are probably going to bug out of his head when he sees you.”
“Yeah, right.” She swung Emma up in her arms and walked to the living room. “I appreciate the loan of the dress and the shoes, Mandy.”
“Not a problem. Has Chance ever seen you in a dress?”
Holly took a second to think about the question. “No. I don’t think he ever has.”
She put Emma in the playpen, making sure she had plenty of toys and her juice.
Amanda hurried over to her purse and withdrew a small bottle of perfume. “We almost forgot this.” Before Holly could say no, the fragrance floated in the air around her.
“I don’t wear perfume.”
“Tonight you do.” Amanda smiled in smug triumph.
There was a knock on the back door. Chance was here to pick her up. Grabbing the black clutch and a small overnight bag, she walked to the door.
“Hi.” She welcomed him in.
“Wow.” His eyes traveled over her from her head to her feet. “Actually, I’m here to pick up Holly... Is she here?”
“Very funny.”
He took her bag. “You look amazing. Thanks for doing this.”
“My pleasure. And you look amazing yourself.” He was wearing his full dress whites, with a number of medals pinned on his chest. Not surprising.
“Since this debacle is the work of my brothers, primarily Wade, in an attempt to lure future business associates into his web, he wants to trot out a SEAL. So I’ll give him the whole show. But this is it. Never again.”
