"So, he came and talked to you, did he?"
Her father’s grin was predatory. It was the look she’d seen him give the rare times he’d discussed business at the dinner table. He was most happy when he was preparing to take a business down. It was the same look on his face during the divorce trial.
Ginger got a bad feeling in her stomach. Her father knew Lloyd Chase had come to her? Did he know about the estrangement between Chase and his father? If her father did know, he’d likely side with the elder Chase. Henry Dumasse had never forgiven Ginger for what he considered abandoning the family. All the more reason to keep Chase out of business with these two men and pit them against one another.
"So, you and Mr. Chase discussed this already?” asked Ginger.
“Mister Chase? Not the father, the son. Chase, the boy. The soldier.”
Wait? What? “Sergeant Chase? You spoke to Chase?"
What had her father been doing speaking to Chase? More importantly, why hadn’t Chase come to her and tell her about it?
“I told the boy I wanted him to put me in touch with his father. That pompous man hasn’t returned any of my calls. I’ve been trying to work a deal with him for months now. But you say there’s a weak spot in one of his businesses?”
Her father picked up a blank sheet of paper. He began scribbling on it in his unintelligible chicken scratch. But Ginger didn’t need to read his words to know that he was planning a takeover.
What had she done? Her mind went back to the people at her rally, those who worked in the factory. They were about to be at the mercy of one or the other of these men who didn’t care enough about their own families. They certainly weren’t going to give a care to people they didn’t know.
This had been a mistake. In her bid to protect Chase, she’d only traded one devil for the other. But why hadn’t Chase told her about her father’s talk with him?
Probably for the same reason she hadn't told Chase about his father coming to her. They were trying to protect each other.
The door to her father’s office burst open, and a blonde tornado darkened the doorway.
“It's been twenty minutes,” Honey said as she glared at their father. “I’m here to rescue you."
Of course, she was. Because that's what real family and friends did. That’s what community did. Regardless of where they stood, they all protected one another. Ginger quickly formulated a new plan to do the same.
Chapter Twenty-One
Montana mountains gave way to Spokane rain. It had been a long time since Chase had been back home to Washington state. The long drive helped to clear his head and get his mind straight. Still, the blue clouds in the sky reminded him of a certain blonde’s gaze when she was on a stage and owning a crowd.
Ginger was never far from Chase’s mind these days. Last night, after dinner, he’d left her at her door. It wasn’t the marinara that had been on his tongue as he’d gone to sleep. It had been that sweet-spicy taste of her.
She’d invaded his dreams and was working her way into each chamber of his heart. He was determined to protect her from her villain of a father. Hence, the need to leave the state.
Chase pushed his foot down on the gas pedal. He could’ve flown and made the trip home faster. But he needed the time and space away from Ginger. His instincts to protect her were growing stronger each day. He hated that he wasn’t telling her the whole truth, aka lying to her. She had enough on her plate. This was a burden he could handle.
Five hours later, on a road trip that should’ve taken nearly eight hours, he parked in the driveway of his parents' house. He let loose the seatbelt and waited for the migraine to take him.
But his head was steady. He was doing the right thing. And when he was done righting this wrong, he got to go back and be with the woman he was falling in love with.
Ginger had a campaign rally later tonight. Chase was determined to be there for her. To show everyone that she had his support, even if they didn't see eye to eye. She was the best man for the job.
"You want me to come in with you?" Ortega asked from the passenger seat.
"No,” said Chase. “You don't need to witness this. But if I'm not out in twenty minutes, call for reinforcements."
He gave his friend a complicated handshake and then climbed out of the car. It had been years since he’d climbed the steps to his parents' front door. The military had provided an excellent excuse to stay away. Now that his service was over, and he lived just one state away, he had no excuse not to come home every once in a while.
The door opened, and his mother stood on the other side. "Colin, darling. What are you doing with your hair?”
Chase ran a hand over his short-cropped cut. It was habit. His mother was all about keeping up appearances.
“I thought you'd let it grow back now that you're out of the Navy."
"Army, Mother. And I still work for the military. I'm a recruiter."
"Are you sure, darling?” Annabelle Chase’s brows pinched in distaste as she looked everywhere but in her son’s eyes. “Your father told me you were coming back to the family business."
Back? Chase had never been in the family business. But his mother rarely concerned herself with the facts of his life.
"I hear you're dating? The girl is from a wealthy family? But it’s farming, I hear?”
Chase balled his hands into fists so that he wouldn’t pinch the bridge of his nose. He was surprised he hadn’t inherited his mother’s snobbishness. It was likely because she’d never held him as a baby. She’d left that to nannies.
“But I don't know about her character. She takes on things outside her gender. How will I know she can take care of you the way you need, darling?"
Seemed they were getting the gossip rags from Montana here in Washington.
"Mother, Ginger is an amazing woman. She makes me a stronger man. She challenges me, and pushes me hard to do better, be better. She makes me the best version of myself. How could you want more for your son?"
His mother frowned at him as though he'd just spoken another language. Chase knew it was a waste of time. His mother had only ever aspired to be a trophy on a rich man’s arm. Chase had always aspired to be in the heart of a woman with an indomitable spirit. Both their wishes had come true. Though Chase appeared to be the only one of them happy about the turn of events.
"Colin, there you are, my boy."
The vein in Chase's temple popped. But still, there was no aching pain starting in his skull. He turned to face his father.
Lloyd Chase was not aging well. His cheeks looked hallow but bright. Not a healthy bright. More like a plastic kind of bright. He wondered if his father had traveled south to the surgeons of California?
“It’s about time you got here. Your first order of business will be to help me unravel this mess."
"What mess is that?"
"The mess with the Dumasses."
His father slumped into a chair. Chase remained standing. This conversation wasn’t starting the way he’d planned.
His father thought he was coming to work for him? There was a conflict with the Dumasses? And not one, but two of them? He knew his father wasn’t talking about Honey. Mark’s wife was happily up to her knees in dirt back on the ranch.
"When I went and spoke to that girl of yours, I thought I made myself clear,” his father was saying.
"You went to see Ginger?" Chase felt a prickle at the back of his knees. The prickle urged him to sit down for what was to come. He didn’t dare get too close to his father. He wasn’t entirely sure patricide wasn’t on the table.
"Of course, I did,” said the old man. “How else would she know about the C&C Factory?”
The C&C Factory? Chase didn’t keep abreast of his family’s holdings. The Chase family holdings were a massive empire that spanned many states. It was likely that his father owned the factory back in Montana. The picture was still a blur, but the edges were slowly sharpening.
“Now her ape, who thinks he’s a s
ugar baron, is trying to buy me out.”
“You’re selling a factory in Montana?”
“No,” his father huffed, eying Chase like he was an idiot. A look Chase had become used to in his childhood. “I was never going to sell. Downsize, sure. But the deal I made with that girl of yours was just to get your attention, to get you back into the fold.”
Everything was becoming clear. Still, Chase’s vision blurred nonetheless. His father had tried to use Ginger to get him to come into the business.
Chase wasn’t angry.
He was numb.
Here, he’d come to warn his father that Henry Dumasse might have something up his sleeve. Chase had still harbored some loyalty to his family to try and protect them. Meanwhile, his father was trying to blackmail the woman he loved.
But with what?
The moment the question formed in his mind, Chase knew the sickening answer. C&C Factory. The workers had come to Ginger at a rally earlier in the week, asking what she as a candidate could do to protect their jobs. And his father had used that as blackmail.
That’s what he’d seen in her eyes the other night. She’d been hiding her knowledge of what a lowbred his father was. Just as he’d been hiding the same knowledge of her father from her.
The two men deserved each other. But the workers didn’t deserve either of them. People weren’t pawns.
Chase didn’t waste his breath on his father. The man wouldn’t understand. He was already back-stepping out of the room. He needed to put as much distance between himself and this excuse of a man as possible.
“Wait? Where are you going? If the board doesn’t see that you’ve finally taken your place in the company, they’ll think there’s something wrong.”
“Oh, there’s something wrong, all right.”
And now, Chase was formulating a plan to right that wrong. He just hoped he could make his bid for change before Henry Dumasse ruined things.
“If you walk out that door, you’ll be abandoning your family.”
“Nope,” said Chase as he crossed the threshold. “I’m going home to my family.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ginger looked out in the crowd. It was a full house. But she didn't see the one person she wanted to see. Where was he?
"Ginger,” called Carla from the side of the stage. “It's time."
Yes, it was time. Time for her to walk her talk. Time for her to put her money where her mouth was. And every other cliché that meant she had to stand firm in her beliefs.
Ginger had been a strong, independent woman before she was of legal age. But today, she wanted to lean on the shoulder of one particular man. She wanted Chase’s blessing on this particular plan. She wanted his acknowledgment on what she was about to do. She wanted his support.
But he wasn’t here.
She was certain he’d be on her side. At least she hoped he would. Her actions would severely tick off his father.
“Gin?”
Unfortunately, Ginger couldn’t stall any longer. She stepped onto the makeshift stage inside the C&C Factory. They’d moved their campaign rally here at the last minute. The workers here needed to hear what she had to say as they were about to be impacted by her announcement.
Applause greeted her as she looked out at the crowd. There was a mix of people. Most of the crowd were workers in their blue overalls. There were also moms with babies on their hips or toddlers in hand. A large group of coeds held up snazzy signs. There was even a nice sized group of men and women in business suits leaning against one of the walls. Standing at the front, where she could see them, was a large party from the Purple Heart Ranch.
From the cradle of her husband’s embrace, Maggie winked at her. Eva and Reegan both gave her the thumbs up. Honey and Mark whooped and hollered the loudest.
Ginger couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride well in her chest. This was the coalition she’d wanted to build. These were the people of the town, her community.
"I've got some good news and bad news," she began. "The bad news is that the plant is changing ownership.”
A ripple of surprise went through the crowd like a heatwave. Just as soon as the room heated up, a cold wind of reality breezed over everyone. Ginger could feel despair settling in like dark clouds. She rushed on to show everyone that the sun was on the horizon. Or at least it would be. Once she enacted her plan.
"The good news is that I’ve decided to purchase the factory with the remaining monies of my inheritance.”
Another ripple went through the crowd. This time it was as though night turned to day. Heads that had bowed in expectation of dark times lifted, a new ray of hope dawned in their eyes.
Ginger had spent the morning on the phones with a financial planner and lawyer. They had already started negotiations with C&C Factory’s board of directors. There was only one snag. There was another buyer in the mix, but Ginger was prepared to raise her offer. That other buyer didn’t know who they were messing with. She wasn’t about to let another shell company, which was nothing but an absentee parent, move into her community and wreak havoc. They’d all had enough uncertainty.
"I've been a part of this community all my life,” she said. “It's invested in me. From the teachers in the public school system to the pastors in church, to the leaders in the recreational centers. I would not be here today if it wasn’t for my neighbors. Win or lose in this election, I plan to be my neighbor’s keeper.”
A slow golf clap began in the audience. It picked up speed rapidly until the room thundered with applause. But Ginger’s eyes had found the epicenter of the beginnings of the growing praise.
Chase.
He stood in the middle of the room. Clapping his capable hands. Smiling that devastating grin. Walking slowly toward her. And then he was there. Standing at the edge of the platform. He stood in front of her, his support of her clear in his warm, brown gaze.
The room had gone silent as the community members looked between the two of them. If people didn’t know there was something between her and Chase, they wouldn’t be able to mistake it now. The heat coming off them was hotter than a summer day under the Montana sky.
With great difficulty, Ginger tore her gaze away from Chase and faced her constituents. Her job wasn’t done. She still had to actually purchase the factory.
“I promise to do everything in my power to win the bid and buy out this company—”
“The factory was sold earlier this afternoon.” Chase’s deep voice easily carried over her amplified words.
Ginger looked down to Chase. Was she too late? Had their fathers made some under-the-table deal?
Chase climbed onto the stage. He leaned into the mic to speak to the people, but his gaze never left her. “The shell company that owned this factory belonged to my family. Being that I had an interest, and thanks to a bit of nepotism, I was able to take ownership of this factory.”
“Chase, you didn’t.” Ginger placed her hand on his heart. This was the last thing she wanted. She knew Chase didn’t want to be in business with his father. All her efforts had been for naught.
“I didn’t go into business with my father if that’s what you’re worried about. I went to the board of directors and purchased the factory directly, using my inheritance.”
Ginger reared back. She snatched her hand from his chest. Then she balled her fist and punched him in the shoulder.
“I was going to do that with my inheritance.”
Chase chuckled as he caught her fist. He pressed her knuckles to his lips for a sweet kiss. “I’d offer to sell it to you, but seeing as I’m going to make you another offer in the near future—one that would entitle you to fifty percent of everything I own, and one hundred percent of my heart and devotion—I figured it would be a moot point.”
For the second time in her life, Ginger was speechless. She stood on the stage, in the embrace of the strongest, most capable man she knew, and she had no idea, no plan of how to deal with him. For the first time in her life, she
was content to simply follow.
“So, we’ll be working for both of you?” someone called from the crowd.
“Yes,” answered Chase.
“But you two are on opposite sides of most of the issues.”
“Not when it comes to family,” said Chase. “For both of us, this community, and its people, are family.”
“I agree,” said Ginger. "It was never about donors, or endorsements, or deals for me. It was always about you. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I’m always going to have your back. I’m always going to fight for you. Because that’s what you do for the people you care about, for the people you love.”
“I don’t know about you,” said Chase. “But this woman’s certainly got my vote. And my heart.”
"Then,” she said, “I’m a winner."
Chase brushed his lips against hers. Ginger tilted her head back and accepted his claim. She knew that in the near future, she would accept his ring. She would accept everything about this man. And work her hardest to convert him into a soccer fan.
But that would be for another day.
Epilogue
“Oh, oh, oh! Here's another one."
Ortega had the television remote in his hand. He was clicking through the various local and national news channels for updates on the race. Due to the combined stories of Chase’s takeover of the factory his father had owned, and the love story between himself and Ginger, the media outlets had all picked up the story and ran with it.
Good thing too because the story had ticked up Ginger’s poll numbers so high that she’d overtaken Norman Dean in the race. They couldn’t have planned it better. There were some factions that believed that the two of them had connived their whole affair. Those stories had been put out by the Dean campaign.
But the ring on Ginger’s finger, the announcements that had gone out in the mail last week, and their impending nuptials all put a damper on those conspiracy stories. Anyone looking at Chase or Ginger could easily tell that they were madly, deeply, head-over-combat-boots in love.
The Sergeant and the Senator Page 9
