by Taylor Hart
“Do you remember when you proposed to me?” he asked.
Her face clouded. “J.”
“You don’t know how much I wish I had stayed. How many times I’ve thought about how different our lives would have been.”
The same clarity he’d been given days before, when he’d known he and Tonya were through, now surfaced inside of him, and he knew he wanted Chantel. He’d never stopped loving her.
She looked away. “JJ, I can’t do this with you.”
Since she obviously wasn’t ready for him to tell her he wanted to be with her, he opted for the easier strategy. “Just let me come to Dallas.” There was no way he’d let her go to Dallas by herself. Something was happening between them that he didn’t understand, but he wasn’t about to walk away from it. Not this time.
Chapter 7
The bus pulled into a large bus station. “Time to get off, folks,” said the mustached driver. “They’ll help you get on other buses, or there’s a car rental, too.”
As people filed out, JJ got his things out of the overhead bin, then followed Chantel off the bus.
She hesitated next to him, her eyes scouring the terminal.
His patience had about reached its limit. “You’re not driving to Dallas by yourself.” It wasn’t safe.
Her lips turned down, and she touched his shoulder. “I want you to know I’m really glad I got to talk to you, to remember. And I meant what I said—I’m so happy for you and proud of you. I’m sure you’ll work things out with Tonya.”
He knew she meant it as a dismissal, like she thought this was the end, but it had all just started. He reached for her hand. “No.”
She gently touched his scar. “I’ve always loved your face. Did you know that? Your mama did a good job with those stitches.”
He was paralyzed by her touch. Fire burned through him, and he longed to pull this woman in and kiss her. He couldn’t let her walk away, so he did what he’d been thinking about wanting to do since he first saw her yesterday—he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
Chantel grimaced and pushed him back. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
Every part of him wanted to do it again. “I’m sorry.”
She glared at him.
He couldn’t blow this. “I’m sorry. Listen, just let me come to Dallas, or let’s go somewhere else or…”
She jerked away. “JJ, I’m still engaged.”
“You’re paused.”
“I told you, it’s complicated.”
“Then kissing me is just another complicated thing to add to an already complicated situation. Therefore, it makes it easy.”
She laughed. “I don’t think that’s how the math works.”
At least she was smiling, and dang, he wanted to kiss her again. It was like he’d been starved for six years, and now he had the opportunity to gorge himself.
She glowered, then wagged a finger at him. “This is exactly why you shouldn’t come to Dallas with me.” Hefting her bag, she began moving quickly for the rental car place.
“Okay,” he said. “I won’t try that again if you let me come with you.”
“Right,” she said, still walking away. “No way.”
A loud shout pierced the air, and JJ turned in time to see the old man from earlier, the man who’d declared he was a Christmas angel, collapse next to the car rental place. Both JJ and Chantel sprinted toward him.
“I’m okay,” the old man said, still lying on the ground. Another man was squatting next to him, reaching for his hand.
JJ quickly moved to the other side, bending to evaluate him for injuries. “Are you really okay?”
The old man smiled at them. “That was a doozy.”
Chan knelt by the man’s head. “That was quite a fall.” She examined the back of his head. “You’re bleeding. Call an ambulance,” she told JJ, before she reached inside her purse and pulled out a small first aid kit.
JJ took out his phone.
“No.” The old man put his hand up. “My wife is on the way, and I think it’s just a scrape. My back took most of the fall.”
Chantel frowned, putting down the first aid kit and gingerly feeling the man’s head. “Does this hurt?” She moved her face lower to inspect his injury.
“I’m fine,” the man said, smiling at JJ. “Really.” He reached out a hand. “Just help me up. Then I’ll let ya doctor me up.”
JJ reached out, and the man on the other side helped too. Together they got the man up, and JJ picked up the fallen carpet bag.
Chantel was already applying some antibiotic cream to the scrape next to his ear. She smiled at him. “You’re tough.”
The man grunted. “Had to be, serving in the war.” He cracked a grin. “You’re good at this. Let me guess: you have kids and you have to do this all the time?”
At his words, Chantel froze. Her eyes turned to JJ, her expression a mask of stone, even as his heartbeat accelerated. “No,” she said, finishing with a Band-Aid.
“Miss,” the old man said, waving a hand in front of her face.
Jolted back to reality, Chantel took out another Band-Aid and put it over the rest of the cut. “Yes.”
The man looked between them. “Thank you.” He winked at Chantel. “Give him a chance. And give yourself a second chance. Everyone deserves second chances.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
The old man gave her a teasing look. “Well, I don’t know. Maybe you do, or maybe I’m your Christmas angel, too.”
JJ wanted to laugh, but Chantel just looked confused. “Excuse me?” she asked.
The old man waved a hand in dismissal. “I want to leave you both with a piece of advice.”
Chantel looked at JJ, who shrugged. “Okay,” he said.
The old man gestured for JJ to come closer, and he put his hands on their shoulders. “When you get a second chance at the dream that means everything to you, take it. Forgive each other, and forgive yourself. Even if it’s hard.” The man smiled. “And sometimes miracles come when you least expect them.”
Chantel gave JJ a guarded look.
JJ smiled at the old man. “Thanks for the advice. Can we help you to somewhere?”
“Nope.” The man broke loose from them as a black car pulled up to the nearby curb. “Here’s my wife.” He put a hand up in the air before slipping into the car. He rolled down the window and waved. “Merry Christmas!”
They both stood there, watching the car drive away.
Chantel let out a light sigh. “That was weird.”
JJ shrugged, trying to focus on the important thing here. “The old guy told me to follow you onto the bus back in Steamboat Springs.”
“Really?”
“It’s crazy, right?”
She shivered. “I hope he’ll be okay.”
He put his arm around her, feeling the same spark of intuition he’d had right before he’d seen her in the gas station. “What if he’s right? What if this might be our second chance?”
Chantel shrugged out of his arm. “JJ, I know this has been a strange day, but please, we need to be done. You need to get an Uber to the airport.” She moved back to the car rental line.
No. He wasn’t going to give up. The old guy was right. Even when it was hard, they couldn’t give up. He moved next to her in line. “Chantel.”
She ignored him, picking her nails out of stress as she stepped forward again. “This can’t be happening right now.”
“Maybe there is something to destiny.”
Abruptly, she swerved back to face him. “Why would you say that?”
“Chan, you know there’s so much between us.”
“No,” she said. “Not destiny, JJ. We’re way past that.”
There were only two more people in front of them in line. Two more people before his destiny would be determined.
“Did you know Ryan gave me a ride to Steamboat Springs this morning?”
“What?” JJ shook himself.
“He was heading back to Denver, and I was walking. He asked if I needed a ride. It was kinda funny, because when I told him I didn’t want to drive and thought I would take the bus, he thought I was crazy. Then, when he dropped me off, he saw your rental car and pointed it out. He mentioned something about the destiny gods being on our side.”
Stunned, JJ let out a loud, whooping laugh. “That puts the cherry on the cake, doesn’t it?”
“I guess.”
“Chan.”
“What?”
“Here’s the deal. I need to figure out my life.”
“Okay.”
“And I think you want to figure out your life. How about we do it together? On the way to Dallas.” He grinned. “That would be a good song title.”
She frowned. “No. I need to do this alone, and you need to go back to following your dream.”
“What if it’s my dream to go to Dallas?”
“It’s not,” she said, pursing her lips.
“Will you just tell me why you’re going?”
“No.”
“Please,” he whispered.
She sniffed, then shook her head. “Why do you keep asking the same question I won’t answer?”
So much frustration coursed through him. He went into SEAL mode, changing tactics. “Fine, what if I promise not to keep asking why you’re going? I won’t bug you about the why, and you can just let an old friend go with you.”
“Next.” The lady at the counter waved them to her.
“Can I get a car to Dallas?” Chantel asked the lady.
“Are you JJ Kelly?” One of the other girls at the counter popped her head around her computer to stare at him.
JJ gave her his best country superstar look. “Yes, I am.”
“Come here, Marsha.” The girl waved over the other attendant. “Can you believe it? JJ Kelly is standing here.”
“Hi.” Marsha smiled shyly at him.
Chantel cleared her throat. “He doesn’t need to rent a car. I do.”
The first girl turned to Chantel. “Compact or midsize?”
“Compact is fine.”
“I think midsize would be better with this snow, don’t you?” JJ asked. “At least until we get farther south.”
“Okay, midsize.” She turned back to him while the attendant plugged in the information. “You need to get back to the tour. Plus, Tonya needs you to lay down your next big hit.” She wrinkled her nose. “She’s been posting about it all over Instagram.”
His heart thrummed, and every part of him knew that if he didn’t go with her, this would be it for them. “Chan, c’mon. Let me do this with you.”
Her lips formed a straight line. “No.”
“License, credit card.” The woman behind the desk put out her hand, still not looking at them.
Chantel reached inside her purse and grabbed her wallet. Her hands stilled in confusion. “My license. Dang it. I can’t find it.”
JJ tugged out his wallet, feeling an odd sense of relief. “Here you go.” He handed his license to the waiting attendant.
Chantel frowned at him, pulling out her phone and texting. “Wait. Just a minute.”
He took her distraction as a good sign. “I’ll go ahead and rent the car,” he told the attendant. She handed him the paperwork, and he started filling it out.
Destiny just might be on his side.
Chantel was still digging in her purse, and the phone was to her ear. “What do you mean, you don’t have it?”
“Here’s your keys,” the girl at the counter said, handing him a receipt. “Please sign on the dotted lines.”
As he wrote, he kept an ear trained on Chantel. Even as she turned away from him, he heard her say, “Why does it matter that I left the ranch? I told you I’d meet you in Dallas on Friday, and I will.”
So she was meeting Dustin. JJ finished the paperwork and pushed it to the girl. With keys in hand, he moved away from the counter.
“Dustin,” Chantel was saying, her voice low. “I can’t talk about all of this right now. Just please look for my license. Bye.” She hesitated. “You know I do.” She pressed end, shaking her head.
“Everything okay?” JJ asked, gesturing to the lot where the car was parked. “This way.” If combat had taught him anything, it was that being calm in all situations was more important than anything else. A calm person could keep their wits and think things through. He needed his wits right now.
“JJ,” she said, her voice soft. Even though she was clearly reluctant, she followed. “I really didn’t want you to come to Dallas with me.” She had been holding all of her credit cards, and now she slipped them back inside her billfold.
“Does Dustin have your license?”
She shook her head, looking forlorn as she put her wallet inside her purse. “He says he doesn’t. It’s so weird, because I thought I grabbed it back from him and put it inside my wallet.”
He eyed the disarray of her wallet. “Maybe you’ll find it.” His heart rate kicked up a notch, but he kept his face serious. “But I’m here,” he said, putting his hand on his chest. “Capable, ready, and willing to drive you to Dallas and not even ask about your secret anymore.” Because he already knew she was meeting Dustin. So what? Why hadn’t she just told him that?
Several emotions he couldn’t quite place crossed her face, and she finally let out a breath. “I guess I’m out of options.”
“I’ll take you any way I can have you, Chan.”
She glared at him. “Don’t say things like that.”
“Like what?” he asked innocently.
She grunted. “Like all romancey and charming.”
“Okay,” he said, unable to stop himself from smiling. Things were working out better than he’d expected. “So today is Tuesday, and this day is almost over. Really, you only have to put up with me Wednesday and Thursday.”
Chantel bit her lip guiltily. “I’m meeting Dustin on Friday, okay?”
As much as he wanted to grill her for information, he didn’t want to scare her off. At least she had agreed he could go with her to Dallas. “So it’s getting un-paused, then?”
“JJ, I don’t know. We have something we have to do.”
Something they had to do. That was more than he knew before. He would take what he could get. “That’s fine. I won’t ask questions, remember? Let’s go.”
She put her hand up. “Right, we do this. But separate hotel rooms. I still have my credit cards.”
“Done.”
“And you put up with visiting boring museums,” she snapped, just to show him who was boss. “There’s one called the Blackhawk in Dallas that I’ve been wanting to see.”
He laughed. Those three months they’d been together in Calgary, all she’d done was drag him to museums. “Done.” Then an idea occurred to him. “But,” he said in excitement, “did you know the Dallas Destroyers play on Thursday? A home game, too.”
“Right. Going to a Dallas Destroyers game.” She smiled a little. “That was in the dream box.”
He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. In their tree house, they’d kept a little box, and she’d made them put their dreams into it. “Yes, it was. Dang, it’s been a long time since I’ve thought of that box.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “You’re telling me you’ve never gone to a Dallas Destroyers game?”
He shook his head, feeling like a puppy wanting a treat. “Actually, I haven’t. C’mon, can we? C’mon!”
She laughed. “Fine.”
“Wahoo!”
They got the rental car and he opened the trunk, taking her small bag, his own, and his guitar, and sticking it all inside. With that taken care of, he rushed to the passenger side of the car and opened it for her.
As she got in, she glared at him. “How come it feels like you did something to get me all stranded without a license and needing you to drive me?”
He shrugged. “Christmas magic, I guess.”
“I hope that old guy is
okay.”
“You mean Christmas angel.”
She smiled.
He ran around the car, jumped in, and started the ignition.
She pushed his shoulder. “And don’t try to kiss me, and don’t hold my hand, either.”
“Okay, but you can’t kiss me or hold my hand either, mate.” He stuck his chin up into the air as he backed the car up.
“Don’t do that, JJ,” she said, but she was smiling.
He grinned, loving this trip already. He did his Australian accent. “I mean it. If you even try to put the moves on me, I will seriously have to go to extreme measures to get away from you. And then I’ll throw snags on the barbe.”
She grunted. “Don’t do that accent.”
He laughed, knowing she loved it. He drove toward the exit that had a sign pointing to the freeway. Still using the accent, he said, “I am your humble servant, and I’m willing to go with you on your great adventure. I’m even willing to give you space and let you do some adventuring on your own.”
“You sound ridiculous.” She giggled.
Mission accomplished. He put his hand to his chest, switching to his Western accent. “Well, darlin’, why didn’t you say that in the first place? I’m, like, the king of fun. And I will buy us tickets for the Destroyers game.”
The giggle turned into a laugh. “Stop it.”
He continued in the Western accent. “And again, we part ways Thursday night, after we have a hootin’ time at the Destroyers game.” Man, he loved it when she laughed. He needed that laugh in his life. “Okay, we’ll get on the freeway, blast the radio, eat some junk food. More Ho Hos.”
“I read online about your clean eating. Think your clean eating ways can hack it?” Her lips twitched up.
“You read about me online?”
She grunted.
Honestly, he didn’t know what he was doing, but it felt good to stop being so serious. “Oh yeah, darlin’. I can hack it. I can Ho Ho eat you under the table.”
She giggled, and all he could think about was how he had two days to convince her that she needed him, too.
