A Texas Chance

by Jean Brashear

  Jesse shook his head. “But it means something that he did tell you.”

  “I can’t hold him back. He’s suffered over Jaime and wondered if his career is over. He thinks his career defines him. He needs to go.”

  “Sometimes life changes on you and you have to learn to adapt,” he said cryptically.

  But before she could ask more, Cade returned with a ladder and hammer and hangers.

  She stopped him as he shoved past her. “Cade, thank you. I’m sorry…it’s just…I’m overwhelmed.”

  The temper in those beautiful dark blue eyes eased. “I’m only trying to help you, Sophie. Before I go, I just want to be sure you’re okay.”

  She longed to stroke his face, soothe the trouble from his brow, but they weren’t alone, and time was their enemy. “I know. I will be okay, I promise. And this…” She looked over at the painting, which absolutely thrilled her. “It’s unbelievable. And exactly what I wanted.”

  She glanced at Jesse, then back to Cade. “There are no words to thank you both for this.”

  Cade held her eyes with his, searching, worrying.

  She found a smile for him, then stepped back to let him work.

  ON SUNDAY AS SHE RACED to the newspaper box on the corner, Sophie made a mental note to be certain all her newspaper subscriptions were set for the opening. She wanted to create a place of refuge for her guests, but for some of them the morning newspaper was a welcome and necessary ingredient of the day, however much reading the news was the exact opposite to her.

  But this morning, she could hardly wait to see the write-up. The interview had gone splendidly and she knew the article would be terrific. The photographer had scarfed up helpings of everything and the reporter couldn’t stop complimenting Patty’s gift in the kitchen.

  She’d loved the honeymoon suite plan, too, and inspected the progress with great interest, confiding that she might even want to book it for a getaway with her boyfriend.

  Cade’s little building, which Sophie had begun to call The Haven, wowed the reporter, too, and she’d gone crazy over the artwork. When Patty had let slip that Sophie knew the MacAllisters, the reporter had peppered Sophie with questions about Zane, on whom she admitted having a terrible crush. Sophie had resolved to have a stern word with Patty about confidentiality and had instinctively protected Zane’s privacy with the reporter, not admitting that he was still in town and had, in fact, been there the day before working like a common laborer—and demonstrating that the muscles women sighed over hadn’t been earned solely in the gym.

  Funny—once she might have been one of those sighing women, but Zane had assumed the role of teasing younger brother to her now. He was gorgeous, yes, as all the Montalvo and MacAllister men were.

  But Cade filled her mind, and there was room for no one else.

  The sharp barb of sorrow lay waiting. The realization that she’d fallen for Cade was not welcome, but she had quit trying to deny it to herself, at least. Jesse might have guessed, but instinctively she trusted his discretion, and she’d be more careful when her paths crossed with Cade’s family in the future. Because they were kind, they’d worry over her and be torn because they, too, would see that leaving was the right thing for Cade.

  Let it go, she thought as she reached the corner and spotted the newspaper vending machine. Excitement zipped up her spine as she put in her coins and retrieved her copy, nearly tripping over a crack in the sidewalk as she made her way to the door of her favorite café to order coffee. She flipped through the pages and finally seized upon the photograph of herself standing on the hotel porch and smiled—

  Until she read the headline.

  SCANDAL BECOMES HER

  Sophie scanned the article that both praised and damned her. The reporter had taken the approach that what Sophie had done was impressive, especially in light of rumors about her tainted past and accusations of misappropriated funds at her last job. Sophie supposed she should be grateful that the reporter had noted that no charges had ever been filed against her, but why hadn’t she asked for Sophie’s side of the story?

  You wouldn’t have given it, even if she asked. You can’t. Both true, but despair crept over her and Sophie stopped reading at the point where the writer lauded Sophie’s efforts to begin again, comparing her life to the decaying mansion she was restoring to health.

  Her knees wanted to buckle, and she caught herself looking for a place to hide. She would read the rest eventually, but she couldn’t do it here. With supreme effort, she pulled herself up straight, forced herself to order her coffee, to smile at the barista, to leave a generous tip and depart smiling as though nothing at all were wrong.

  The other shoe had dropped. She had no doubts about who had fed the reporter the details about her past troubles. Kurt had gotten the final word, after all. He’d taken everything away in Atlantic City, but that hadn’t been enough for him.

  Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the display. Jenna. Oh, God. The entire MacAllister family would read this. They would think she was a failure and a fraud. And Cade… She couldn’t bear it. They’d liked her, made her feel a part of something.

  She snatched up the paper, suddenly terrified. What if the reporter had dragged the MacAllisters into her mess? Quickly she scanned the rest of the article and sure enough, mentions of Cade’s photographs, of Jesse’s art, of the connection to the famous movie star… They would think that she had used them.

  What did she do now? How did she apologize to such good people?

  And…Maura. Oh, dear mercy, if people canceled their bookings because of this and she lost Maura’s money…

  Blindly Sophie retraced her steps to the hotel. Once inside the front door, Finn greeted her with his usual abandon.

  Sophie sank to the stairs beside him and buried her face in his fur.

  THE BAD NEWS ROLLED IN with a speed that probably shouldn’t have surprised her. She lost an individual booking first, then a travel agency, followed by a festival’s hotel liaison—all of them extremely unhappy to have been placed in the position of scrambling for good rooms, and some of them promising lawsuits.

  At first, Sophie tried to explain that she was not guilty, that no charges had been filed, but even those whose respect she’d thought she’d earned would not reconsider. She understood. When you had high-roller clients, no one wanted to risk his reputation on someone who’d lost her job due to financial improprieties.

  Protesting that she’d resigned, not been fired, didn’t help, either. Innocence was a hard case to make when Sophie couldn’t explain why she hadn’t fought to clear her name.

  After the tenth cancellation, she was ready to beg, but she knew it would do no good.

  Then came the calls for interviews—television stations, magazines, blogs… The whiff of crime mixed with the magic of Zane MacAllister’s name was too delicious a dish to pass up. She began with No comment but quickly moved to screening her calls.

  And when a concerned Jenna phoned again, Sophie did the same. What, after all, could she say? The truth that could exonerate her would devastate Maura, to whom she owed so much.

  When Cade’s mother called, Sophie turned off the phones, too miserably conscious of how she’d repaid a whole family’s generosity.

  Then Cade showed up.

  SHE WASN’T ANSWERING her phone, but her pickup was in the driveway.

  Finn was barking wildly inside, and Cade’s gut clenched. Since Sophie didn’t answer the door, he used his key.

  “Sophie?”

  Finn was upstairs. Cade charged upward, taking the steps two at a time. “Sophie!” he shouted.

  Finn greeted him frantically at her door, and as he soothed the dog, he pushed his way inside, his gaze searching the room until he spotted the mound beneath the covers. “Sophie?” His heart was beating too fast
as he reached for her.

  “Go away,” she said in a tiny voice.

  Go away. Well, at least some things didn’t change. He took his first deep breath in hours.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sick?”

  She shook her head without looking at him. “Cade, I’m sorry.” Misery swam in her tone.

  “For what? Are you talking about that stupid article? I don’t believe what it said.”

  “What?” She peeked out over the edge of her quilt. “You…don’t?”

  He relaxed a little. She was physically all right, at least. The rest they could handle. “You’re not a crook, Queenie. You might have a stick up your behind way too often and have perfected that princess-to-peasant look a little too well, but you learn a lot about a person working beside them, and you’re no criminal.” He pulled down the covers gently.

  She looked like a whipped puppy, and he couldn’t stand it. He wanted the snotty woman back. She needed that, too, so he went for shock therapy. “So why the hell are you acting like you’re guilty?”

  “I can’t discuss it.”

  “Can’t? This is me, Sophie.” He stabbed a thumb at his chest. “I’ve been as close to you as breath. We bared more than our bodies in this room. Now talk to me.”

  Her chin jutted. “You’re leaving. Why do you care?”

  He recoiled. “But you know why I—” He paced to the doorway then slapped his palm hard against the jamb. He whirled on her and marched right back to the side of the bed. “You are not a coward, so what the hell is going on?”

  “Your family must hate me.”

  “What they are is worried, just like me.”

  Her defiance broke. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.

  “Oh, babe…” He lifted her and settled himself against the headboard and cradled her in his lap.

  “This is getting to be a habit,” she said softly. “I don’t remember ever being held in anyone’s lap. I’m too big, really.”

  “Shh,” he murmured into her hair. “Just let me hold you for a minute. Then we’ll talk.”

  To his surprise, she did, nestling her cheek into his chest and resting against him. After a minute, she mumbled. “I am so tired of starting over.”

  “I know, honey.” He stroked her hair and listened to her breathe, unable to think of another way to help her. She touched him in a place no one else ever had. If he could change for her, he would, but he knew better. People didn’t change, not when they were nearly forty. He couldn’t be what she needed.

  But he could be there for her now. “It’s going to be all right,” he said to her.

  Wide green eyes studied him. “You’d slay all my dragons, wouldn’t you?”

  He smoothed her hair away from her forehead. “Is that so bad, that I wish I could?”

  “You are such a good man.” She caressed his jaw. “I’m afraid, Cade. This is all I have. If I lose it, I’ve lost everything. Again.”

  You have me, he wanted to say, but knew it wasn’t fair. So he settled for what he could do. “I have an idea.”

  “What? There’s no fixing this. I mean, I could settle for something less, a bed-and-breakfast, maybe, and cater to tourists who are looking for a bargain until I can prove myself, but not…” She shook her head. “Hotel Serenity is dead.”

  He lifted her to her feet and stood himself, aiming her toward the bathroom. “Go take a shower and meet me downstairs.”

  “Why?”

  Because if I stay in this bed with you much longer, I’m going to cave and that’s not what you need. “Damn it, Sophie, just once can’t you agree without an interrogation?”

  Hurt warred with indignity. “You can just go to hell, Cade MacAllister.” With a huff she stalked inside and slammed the door.

  Cade found himself smiling. At last, there she was.

  Welcome back, Queenie.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  SOPHIE CLASPED HER HANDS together. In the car beside her, Cade drove silently. She dreaded facing his family and the harm she had done them, however inadvertently, but apologizing was the least she could do. She couldn’t take back the damage, but she could accept responsibility.

  But it killed her, every time she thought about how wonderful that day had been, how it had felt to have Hal boom at her, to be teased by Zane, to meet everyone, including all those beautiful and charming children.

  She’d worked very hard that day, and she’d never had more fun. Feeling a part of something so amazing…and now it was gone.

  Well, she was familiar enough with that. Had told herself, in fact, that happiness was only ever fleeting. She sighed.

  “We’re not driving to your execution, Sophie. You can unclench your hands,” Cade said as he parked in front of Jenna’s.

  “Cade, I am truly just so—”

  He shook his head as he got out and rounded the hood, then helped her from the vehicle. Before he could say anything else, the front door opened. “Thank heavens you found her,” Jenna said to Cade, racing down the steps. She drew Sophie inside.

  Not everyone was there, but nearly all of them.

  Sophie hauled in a breath to steady herself before she began, but it didn’t help. “I know you can’t forgive me, and I don’t expect that, but I am truly sorry. And I’m not a crook, I promise you.”

  “Come sit down, dear,” said Grace. “How are you?”

  “How am I?” she echoed. “I’m— I have to apologize. You shouldn’t have been dragged into my mess. I didn’t mention you, but the reporter recognized Cade’s work and Jesse’s, and my chef… I’m sorry. She shouldn’t have said anything about Zane. The reporter kept asking questions about him, but I swear I didn’t tell her any of you were connected to me.”

  “What’s this?” Hal boomed, entering with a cup of coffee in his hand.

  “I am so sorry. After all you…” She gripped Grace’s hand. “I did nothing criminal or even wrong, I promise you.”

  “Of course you didn’t. Now come sit down and let’s figure out what to do about it.”

  “I’ve already got a plan. See what you all think,” Cade said.

  He looked at her and smiled so gently she wanted to climb into his arms and find shelter against that broad chest once more.

  But she was getting too comfortable there. She had to break the chains between them, not add more. “I’ll do whatever you ask of me. If there’s any way at all for you to disclaim any ties to me, please do so.”

  “You think this is about us?” He looked disgruntled.

  “Stop barking at her, Cade. Have a seat, Sophie,” Zane said so kindly it only made her feel worse.

  She stood stiffly. “I want to explain.”

  “You don’t have to,” Cade growled.

  “I do.” As though she were reciting in class, she stood before them and told them what she’d never told anyone—the truth. She described what had happened with Kurt, even though she squirmed at having to admit her poor judgment, explained how he’d seethed with her every promotion, especially after she’d ended their relationship. Even though she skimmed over how he’d tried to force himself on her and then threatened to claim she’d come on to him, Cade’s face turned thunderous, his expression replicated by the other very protective men in this family. She explained that she’d assured Kurt that she wasn’t going to accuse him of sexual harassment because it would compromise both of their chances of advancement, but he hadn’t believed her. Instead, with the help of someone Sophie had trusted, he’d doctored the records to make it appear that Sophie had pilfered from multiple accounts under her management.

  She didn’t even make it to revealing Kurt’s recent activities before Cade explode
d. “I’m going to kill the bastard. Why isn’t he in jail?”

  “I resigned to keep the scandal from blowing up and tainting Maura.”

  “You didn’t defend yourself?” Cade was outraged. Then he frowned. “Maura. She’s the one…”

  Sophie explained to the others about Maura, about the nephew who would go to jail. “If I’d fought the allegations, I would have had to expose Maura’s nephew. I couldn’t hurt her like that. So I resigned instead and bought Hotel Serenity.”

  “Jesse can tap into his resources at the FBI. This Kurt fellow can’t get away with it,” Hal said.

  “No! I can deal with this. I’ll find a way to replace the bookings I’ve lost.”

  “Are there many?” Grace asked.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does. Just what’s been going on?” Cade demanded. “People are canceling?”

  She tried for a shrug. “It appears there’s no reason to worry about being ready for the opening after all.”

  “You lost that many?” Cade’s wasn’t the only voice that exploded with outrage on her behalf.

  Sophie was astounded. She’d expected them to be angry, to hate her, not have her back. “I’ll figure out something, but—” She turned to Zane. “What do we do about your reputation?” She widened the circle. “About all of yours?”

  “Sophie, honey.” Zane took her hand. “If I let the gossipmongers bother me, I’d be mad all day, every day. It’s no big deal. Compared to some things I’ve weathered, trust me…this is nothing.”

  “You’re not upset?” She looked around. “None of you?” They all shook their heads. “Well, I am. I’m furious. First of all, I promise an escape, a refuge where people like Zane can get away and take it easy, yet my chef breached that promise too easily and very well may wind up without a job. And secondly, the reporter should have asked me about those rumors. Given me a chance to defend myself.”

  “Which you refuse to do,” Cade said grimly. “I get why you don’t want to risk hurting your friend, but you can’t let Kurt win again. It’s time for a charge, not a retreat.”