Chasing Christmas

by Shanna Hatfield

  An honest person by nature, the idea of letting people think she was something she wasn’t didn’t bode well with her.

  Then again, she was legally married to the man. And she wouldn’t even consider how attracted she was to him, despite his display of bad manners and temper the previous evening. He had apologized for it, and that was before he knew what Ashley had planned.

  Was she bold enough to consider this peculiar proposal? The extra income would give her a nice nest egg. She could purchase a new vehicle, invest some for retirement, and maybe even move into a bigger apartment. All she had to do was stick it out for twelve months.

  She cast a surreptitious glance at the man fidgeting beside her. How hard would it be to act as though she was goofy in love with the gorgeous cowboy? Every time he looked at her, she felt her knees quiver and her heartbeat gallop wildly in her chest.

  The ease with which she could fall in love with him left her thoroughly unsettled and completely convicted.

  “What do you say, Jessie. Would you do this?” Ashley asked.

  She sat quietly for a few moments, weighing her options before sharing her decision. “No. I just wouldn’t feel right about deceiving people. It’s wrong, no matter what kind of light you paint it in. I can’t lie to people. I can’t do it.”

  Chase stiffened beside her, giving her an astonished look before she caught a glimpse of something that looked a lot like admiration in his eyes.

  He turned to Ashley and shook his head. “Just get us the annulment.”

  “There are a few more offers on the table I haven’t yet mentioned,” Ashley said, looking from Chase to Jessie, then back to Chase.

  Chase leaned forward and leveled his cousin with a hard, narrowed gaze. “You better just put all your cards on the table, cuz, before I walk out of here and never speak to you again. This secretive, scheming side of you isn’t one I’m particularly fond of. Spit it all out, right now.”

  Ashley stuck her tongue out at him, drawing a snort of laughter from Stacey, who had remained silent throughout the whole conversation.

  Jessie glowered at her friend. Stacey returned to drinking her coffee and watching two cowboys eating breakfast at a nearby table.

  “What else are you holding back, Ashley?” Impatiently, Chase began jiggling his foot.

  Ashley kicked his leg beneath the table then tapped something on her tablet. She opened a screen and turned the tablet around so Chase and Jessie could see the colorful pages of a lifestyle magazine.

  “Rodeo At Home is one of the premier magazines in this industry. They want to do a series of features on you two, one for each season. Their proposal is to follow not just Chase’s career, but a year of adjusting to life as newlyweds, especially since you met only moments before you wed. The spin I’m putting on this is that the two of you intended to participate in the fake publicity wedding but it was love at first sight and now you are husband and wife.”

  “But that’s not what happened,” Jessie protested, hoping no one realized how close that was to the truth on her part. Even if Chase had acted like the hindquarters of a crotchety donkey last night, no one would blame her for her immediate and overwhelming infatuation with the man. He was gorgeous, funny, charming, and wonderful, when he wasn’t accusing her of conspiring against him.

  “Well, they don’t need to know that,” Ashley said, winking at Jessie, as though she knew she’d been smitten with Chase from the start. The publicist shifted her attention to her cousin. “They want to do winter and spring photos at the ranch, a summer feature at a rodeo, and autumn back at the ranch. It’s huge, Chase. You can’t buy this kind of publicity and before you ask me how that helps you ride better, it doesn’t. But it gets you more opportunities for sponsorships and product endorsements, which puts more money in your bank account, which makes your ranch more prosperous. And that makes you happy because when you get tired of being a bull rider, you are going to retire to the ranch and live happily ever after. If you think of it this way, when you are happy, you win more often. So in a roundabout way, it does help you ride better.”

  Stacey grinned and Ashley gave Chase a pointed look. “Come on, Chase. Admit it. What I said is true.”

  He waited as the server refilled his coffee cup before responding. “True or not, what else do you need to tell us?”

  “Two other magazines want to do photo shoots as soon as we can schedule it, preferably at the ranch,” Ashley said, stirring cream into her coffee. “And Cooper James mentioned his wife is starting a brand new ad agency. She’s looking for a few freelance graphic designers who are interested in helping her, particularly with the Lasso Eight campaign.”

  Jessie’s head snapped up and she stared at Ashley. “The new clothing company? The one that has ads plastered all over town? That Lasso Eight?”

  Ashley laughed. “That’s the one. Paige said she’d be happy to take a look at your work if you’d like to send her some samples. Chase knows how to get in touch with Cooper.”

  Landing an account with Lasso Eight would be huge. It would establish her design talents at an entirely new level, one she’d only dreamed of achieving.

  Would she be selling her soul to the devil to be Chase’s faux wife for a year? Perhaps if she could just look at it as a business venture, she could reconcile herself to giving it a go. As she considered the possibilities, she felt a big, warm hand settle over hers as it rested on her thigh.

  Heat sizzled from the point of contact through her extremities. It was crazy to own such inexplicable feelings for him. Good grief, she’d only met the man yesterday. In fact, she hadn’t even known him a full twenty-four hours. Yet, as she sat next to him, she knew she’d never held such an intense interest or attraction for any man she’d ever known. Even the feelings she had for the boyfriends she’d dated over the years couldn’t come close to what she felt for the cowboy sitting beside her.

  She stared down at Chase’s hand as though it was some sort of foreign object, albeit not one unwelcome.

  Misinterpreting her fixation on his hand, he pulled away, although his gaze remained fastened to hers. “Jessie, I know all this fuss and bother is hardly worth it to you. If you aren’t interested, just say so and we’ll make that annulment happen as soon as possible. I’m not entirely comfortable with this idea, but my finagling cousin is right in that I can’t buy the type of publicity this will generate and the best way to capitalize on it is to get moving while the interest is still strong. What do you think? Would you consider remaining my wife for a year if we sign a contract that entitles you to this sum?” He tapped the paper in front of her. “I’d pay all your travel expenses for the times when you need to be at the ranch in addition to the sum you receive at the end of the year.”

  Rather than offer a reply, she studied his face. Beyond his obvious appealing good looks, she noticed a deep scar over his right eyebrow that ended with a jagged line close to his eye. Had a bull given him that scar or was it from some childhood mishap?

  His left ear was a little smaller than the right, but most people would never notice it, unless they intently considered his face, like she’d been doing the past few minutes.

  Aware she’d made him uncomfortable with her intense scrutiny, she glanced away and sighed as she looked at her friend across the table.

  Stacey clunked her coffee cup down on the table and barely suppressed a full-fledged squeal as she clasped her hands together and her face lit with excitement.

  “What’s that mean?” Chase asked, looking from Stacey to Jessie.

  “It means I’ll stay married to you. For one year.” Jessie fought down a tremor when Chase leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  “Thank you,” he said in a husky tone that caused the butterflies swarming around her stomach to take flight.

  “You’re welcome,” she whispered, then leaned away from him, disquieted by his raw strength and the pull she felt to get closer to him. It would be hard to resist his charm, but at least she’d spend most of the year tu
cked away from him in her apartment. Perhaps other than the few times she’d have to see him, she could forget she was Mrs. Chase Jarrett.

  “There’s just one other tiny little detail,” Ashley said, causing both Jessie and Chase to glare at her.

  “What?” Chase asked, clearly irritated. “So help me, Ash, if you pull out one more bomb of news today, I will tell Granny it was really you who broke her favorite lamp when we were kids and not me. I’ve taken the blame all this time and you know Granny still hasn’t forgiven me.”

  “Fine, this is the last thing, I promise.” Ashley nervously toyed with her spoon. “Since so many of the media outlets want a story sooner rather than later, I think we should have a formal wedding reception at the ranch and invite them to attend. That way, you could kill several birds with one stone.”

  “That sounds reasonable,” Chase said, glancing over at Jessie.

  She agreed that seemed like a sound plan. “Do you have a date in mind?” Jessie asked.

  “I do.” Ashley twirled her spoon around and around in her fingers until Chase snatched it away.

  “The date, Ash. When do you want to do the wedding reception?” he demanded.

  “New Year’s Eve. It’s perfect! It can be a wedding reception and New Year’s party. We could rent a big tent or maybe have it in the barn.”

  “Are you nuts? People will freeze to death out there. You forget temperatures could be below freezing in Eastern Oregon.”

  “We can rent heaters. I know we can make this work. It’ll be amazing, Chase. I promise. There’s just one other little catch.”

  Chase growled. “Which is?”

  “Jessie needs to be there, like she lives there. The reporters are going to want to see her settling into life on the ranch. She can’t do that from her apartment in San Diego. To keep up appearances and make this seem as realistic as possible, she should move to the ranch for the duration of the contract.”

  “No!” Jessie said, surprised when Chase muttered darkly and looked as though he’d like to throttle his cousin.

  “That is not a good idea,” he finally said. “Not at all.”

  “Yes, it is. It’s a perfect way to pull this off,” Stacey said. Three sets of eyes pivoted to her and she shrugged. “Jessie, you’ve wanted to find a new apartment for months. Go live on the cowboy’s ranch for a year. When you move back, you’ll be able to afford something better. You’d be an idiot to pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m not going to let you miss out. You are moving to the wilds of Oregon.”

  Chase grinned at Stacey. “It’s not exactly the wilds. I only live ten miles from town, but it is an hour to the nearest airport.”

  “No problem. You can come pick me up when I fly in to visit,” Stacey said, reaching across the table and squeezing Jessie’s hand.

  Jessie considered smacking her friend then thought better of it. Maybe a change of scenery would do her good. Stuck in a rut of routine, her life had become too orderly, too predictable, too organized. Perhaps it would be good for her to do something different for a year. She could run her graphic design business from anywhere, as long as she could get online.

  Concerned about reliable internet connections in the middle of nowhere, she turned to him. “Do you have Wi-Fi?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I do. If you’re a good girl, I might even give you the password to access it.”

  Relieved, she smiled. “Okay. If I agree to do this, when do I need to be at the ranch?”

  Chase started to answer, but Ashley interrupted him. “I want you to help plan the party. It needs to be a reflection of you and Chase, your tastes and interests, not mine. I’ll arrive the day after Christmas. It would be great if you could be there then, too. Would your family mind if you flew to Oregon so soon after the holiday?”

  Stacey began to offer a comment about Jessie’s family, but a quelling look from Jessie made her snap her mouth closed.

  “They won’t care. I’ll be there no later than the twenty-sixth.” Jessie glanced at her watch then back at Chase as she rose to her feet. “We need to get going if we’re going to catch our flight. Will you have someone send me the contract? I’d like to get it signed before we proceed with plans.”

  Chase stood and took her hand in his. “I’ll have my attorney draw something up tomorrow morning and get it to you. Ashley can give you whatever other information you need.”

  Jessie stepped away from him and gave Ashley a hug before she and Stacey hurried out the door and across the street to her hotel.

  It looked like her quiet, boring existence was about to turn upside down and inside out.

  Chapter Eight

  “If you don’t stop laughing like a hyena, I’m gonna haul you out to the back forty and leave you there to freeze,” Chase threatened Lucas as they finished the evening feeding.

  Lucas continued chuckling. “I can’t help it, bro. Every time I think of you accidentally getting married, it makes me laugh all over again.”

  Chase had filled in his best friend about the drama that ensued after Lucas and Lori caught a return flight to Pasco so they could get back to the ranch. Lucas had laughed so hard on the phone that Chase hung up on him. It took almost thirty minutes for Lucas to call him back. Even then, the man kept clearing his throat and chortling like an idiot.

  “I still don’t see why this whole thing strikes you as so amusing. I don’t see a single thing funny about it.” Chase raked the last of the hay off the back of the flatbed truck they used to feed the bulls out in the pasture. Lucas leaned across the cab and steered the truck in low gear while Chase dumped off the hay. When he finished, Chase jumped off the truck, jogged to the driver’s side door and slid behind the wheel.

  Lucas settled back on the passenger side and offered Chase a cheeky grin. “I know you don’t think it’s humorous. I know you think your life has come to a screeching and unexpected halt, but sometimes what you have planned isn’t what He…” Lucas pointed skyward “… has in mind for you. Maybe you were supposed to marry Jessie. Ever think of that?”

  “No, because I’m pretty sure my conniving cousin and a doddering ol’ pastor who obviously isn’t in his right mind are the reason I married Jessie. If Ashley hadn’t come up with a hare-brained publicity scheme, none of this would have happened.” Chase put the truck in low gear and jumped out to open the gate while Lucas steered the truck through the opening.

  Chase closed the gate then hustled to get back in the truck. Once he was inside, he glared at Lucas. “How can you possibly think any of this mess was meant to be?”

  “For starters, look at all the publicity this has generated for you.” Lucas held up his hand when Chase started to protest. “I know it doesn’t do one thing for your ability to ride or improve your skills, but it is a good thing, man, and you know it. And don’t forget about the product endorsements you’ll be doing. The advertisements you’ll be in will rake in more money than you ever thought you’d make in five years, let alone one. You’ve got sponsors lining up at your door, quite literally if you take into account the New Year’s party. Then there’s the pretty, sweet gal who is coming here to be your wife.”

  Chase scowled as he backed the truck into the open shed where they loaded hay.

  Lucas gave him a long look. “Can you honestly say you don’t think Jessie is pretty? I get that she’s not covered in makeup and bling like the girls you usually date, but Lori and I both thought there was something fresh and unspoiled about her.”

  A snort rolled out of Chase as he cut the ignition and both of them opened their doors. “You make her sound like a chunk of ripe pineapple.”

  Lucas watched as Chase rushed around the truck and pushed the wheelchair up to his door. He slid onto the seat and grinned at his friend. “Just admit you like her.”

  “I’m not admitting anything,” Chase said, moving to the tractor so he could set a bale of hay on the back of the truck, leaving it ready to feed to bulls in the morning.

  Lucas pushed hi
mself across the frozen ground to the feedlot. Although they’d fed the cattle earlier, the water tank looked frozen. He broke the ice and plugged in the tank heater before making his way toward the barn.

  “It’s a good thing it hasn’t snowed yet,” Chase said, catching up to him. “Even though it’s chilly, I’m not sure how you’ll get around once it snows.”

  “I’ll manage just fine,” Lucas said, grinning at his friend. “You never answered my question about your wife. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t think she seemed nice.”

  Chase crossed his eyes and made a funny face. “She was nice enough.”

  Lucas reached out and gave Chase a shove, making him take a hurried side step to keep his balance. “Come on, man, tell me the truth. She seems like a perfectly kind, genuinely innocent girl. Much different than any you’ve dated since you graduated from high school.”

  Chase scowled at him. “Keeping track of them, are you?”

  His question was met with a smug nod. “What if I am?” Lucas sobered and glanced up at Chase. “Did you or did you not think she looked pretty at your wedding?”

  He’d rather chop off his own tongue than admit it to anyone, especially Lucas, that thoughts of how lovely Jessie had looked at their wedding plagued him. In fact, visions of her in the cotton dress she wore the afternoon he showed her around Las Vegas and the two outfits she’d worn with jeans and boots floated through his head with increasing disturbance. He didn’t want to think about her, to remember how decadent she’d tasted when he’d kissed her, how willingly she’d responded to his touch.

  Nope, those were thoughts he’d carry to his grave.

  The promise of an influx of funds to pour into the ranch from this year of pretending to be a doting, besotted husband was the only thing that kept him from telling Ashley to forget the whole thing and never bother him again.