AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was a long second before he heard her question. He loosened his grip, letting his hands fall to his sides. His interest in the intimate evening Tara had planned faded as Ty realized his mother must have guessed all along what was going on between his father and Sally Brogan.
“No. Nothing’s wrong.” Nothing that he could do anything about. He turned from her. “I’d better take that shower.”
“I’ll open a bottle of red wine so it can have a chance to breathe.” Tara moved gracefully toward the table, unaware of the crosscurrents pulling at Ty. A gust of wind rattled a windowpane, and her mouth tightened at the howling, mournful sound. “I hate that wind.”
Ty didn’t hear her.
“What kind of heavy machinery?” Chase frowned at Sally’s description of the equipment loaded on a big semi-trailer rig that had stopped to ask directions to the Stockman Ranch. “Do you mean drilling equipment?”
“No.” Sally set her coffee cup on the table. The blustery, cold night had brought in few supper customers, and the drinkers wouldn’t arrive until later. “It looked like construction equipment—those big earth movers, that kind of thing. They must be going to build something.”
“It could have been road machinery,” Chase suggested thoughtfully and cut into his steak. Headlights flashed through the large glass windows of the tavern-restaurant.
“That’s probably what it was,” Sally agreed and watched him fork a bite of meat into his mouth. “How’s the steak? All right?”
“Perfect, as always.” He smiled at her. His expression was warm and affectionate as a cold draft of air blew in when the door was opened. Chase glanced up idly and went still at the sight of Maggie striding across the room, smiling too cheerfully. He recovered quickly. “Maggie?” There was a faint question in his voice, a touch of wariness.
“Surprised?” She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, glancing too briefly at the auburn-haired woman with him. There was a flash of fire in her green eyes, almost daring him to say anything, when she turned her gaze back to him.
“You know I am,” he countered smoothly.
“I decided to join you for dinner tonight and enjoy someone else’s cooking for a change,” Maggie announced. “Besides, it will give our newlyweds some time alone.”
Sally didn’t lose her look of serenity, although her glance did run uncertainly to Chase for a second. “What would you like me to fix you, Maggie?”
“I’ll have the same as Chase, only make my steak rare,” she ordered, then added when Sally rose, “But come back and join us.”
After Sally had brought Maggie’s food, she refilled her coffee cup and sat down at the table. It didn’t take Chase long to realize what Maggie was doing there. The longer he watched her action, the more amused and proud he became. In her own subtle way, Maggie was claiming him as her property and warning Sally to keep her hands off. It was all very ladylike, but the amiability was all on the surface. Underneath, she was fighting mad.
When it came time to leave, Chase spared a moment’s pity for the quiet-natured Sally, who had become even more reserved. But she had long known the score, and tonight she had been outclassed from the start.
As they were leaving, two Triple C riders walked in. “Give me your car keys, Maggie,” Chase ordered.
“Why?” She took them out of her purse.
“Grady!” He called back one of the riders and tossed the keys to him. “My wife’s riding back with me. See that her car gets to the ranch—in one piece.” Maggie made no protest.
“Yes, sir.” The cowboy shoved them into his pocket and ambled for the pool table where his buddy waited.
His arm was on her shoulders as they walked out of the tavern. A chuckle started in his throat, gradually developing into a hearty sound.
“What’s so funny?” Her breath came out in an angry puff, vaporized by the cold temperatures.
“You,” he declared.
“I’m glad you find me so amusing.” She was anything but glad as she moved out from under his curving arm and hurried stiffly down the steps to his pickup.
Chase caught up with her at the truck and turned her around before she could open the door. His look was warm and amused, undeterred by the snap in her eyes.
“You were jealous, weren’t you?” he challenged knowingly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied curtly and tried to twist out of his hold, but he merely rocked her deeper into the circle of his arms, bundling her as close as the thicknesses of their coats would permit.
“You had no reason to be,” Chase informed her, not feeling the nipping cold. “Not even when we were having our hardest times. Oh, I admit I had a few thoughts in Sally’s direction, but I couldn’t forget you. I’d given you my word—my promise to love only you.”
“Then why—?” Maggie shut her mouth on the question, not finishing it because she didn’t want to admit she had been jealous and she didn’t want to know why he had continually sought Sally’s company for so long.
Blood surged exultantly through his veins with a young man’s intoxication as Chase fell youthfully in love with her all over again. His fancies were wanting to sing and shout it out. All his senses were open to the excitement of the feeling, its heady flavors and sweet sounds. This proud, feisty lady was his kind of woman; none other could ever satisfy him, and none ever had.
