A MATTER OF TRUST (15 page)

Lydia looped her arm through Maddy’s and stuck her tongue out at Chase. “It’s going to be such fun telling her all the horrible things you did when we were growing up.”

Chase’s dark scowl was merely for show and it disappeared the moment the two women turned and walked away. Everything was going to work out just fine. Maddy had a forgiving heart so he knew she wouldn’t hold a grudge against Lydia for being so brutal. As for Lydia, she wouldn’t have asked Maddy to go with her if she had any reservations left about them getting married. As he turned back to finish his conversation with Travis, he finally felt the last of his tension leave him, but it was a very short lived reprieve.

Travis stopped in mid-sentence, his eyes flickering past Chase. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but…” he nodded towards the front of the restaurant, “it looks like your friendly neighborhood stalker has decided to make an appearance.”

Chase cringed inwardly and slowly turned around. She looked like a fire-breathing dragon as she made her way towards him; eyes flashing with fury, her hands clenched into fists, lips drawn into a tight, thin line. He was thinking that nothing could possibly be worse than having her show up now when he’d just decided everything was going so well. Oh, how wrong he was.

Angela stopped abruptly, a malicious smile forming on her mouth. Before Chase could do anything to stop her, she turned on her heel and strode purposefully towards the women’s bathroom and slipped through the door.

Chapter 9

“I’m sorry for giving you such a rough time,” Lydia said earnestly.

Maddy tucked the brush back in her purse and checked her make-up in the mirror. “Apology accepted. I have two brothers of my own and tend to get a little predatory where they’re concerned so I understand where you’re coming from.”

“Predatory? You? Honestly, Maddy, I can’t see you even raising your voice let alone going into attack mode like I did back there.”

Maddy turned around and leaned back against the counter while Lydia finished reapplying her lipstick. “When it comes to someone I love, I’d do anything to protect them.”

Lydia dropped her lipstick into her purse and gave Maddy an impulsive hug. “I’m so glad you and Chase found each other. I was worried that he was rushing into this marriage and couldn’t understand why, but now it’s so obvious you two really love one another.”

From behind Maddy, a disdainful female voice broke into their conversation. “Love one another, Chase and the housekeeper? What a perfectly ridiculous idea.” Angela bore down on them, her pouty lips curling into a contemptuous sneer. “Chase isn’t capable of love and even if he was, he certainly wouldn’t pick a little nothing like you to spend the rest of his life with.”

Beside her, Lydia visibly bristled. “What the hell would you know about love, Angela? Your heart’s so encased in ice it would take a solar blast to thaw it and even then it would be so black I doubt it would work properly.”

Angela’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Stay out of this baby girl, you’re way out of your league.” She turned her glacial stare to Maddy. “What did he do, knock you up and decide to do the honorable thing and marry you?”

Maddy started to deny it but quickly changed her mind. Let Angela think that if she wanted to, it was highly unlikely she’d believe it wasn’t the reason they were getting married anyway since the horrid woman had already made up her mind it was the only possible explanation a man like Chase would propose to her. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel threatened by Angela anymore. She remembered how jealous she’d once been and how she’d envied Angela because she was so tall and exotic looking. Beside her, Maddy had felt pathetically small and unattractive but she didn’t feel that way now.

A sweet smile tipped the corners of Maddy’s mouth. “Well now, I have a theory on why he fell in love with me when he could have had any woman he wanted.”

“Really,” Angela said dryly, “I’m just dying to hear it.”

“I think Chase had his mind set on remaining single for quite some time and really had no interest in falling love. That’s why he always chose women he knew could never touch his heart, women who were so far removed from what he wanted they didn’t stand a chance of ever igniting any genuine emotions.” Her smile broadened when Angela’s face turned a bright scarlet.

“Oh, I elicited some genuine emotions all right,” Angela spat. “He couldn’t keep his hands off of me, and if you hadn’t come along he’d still be sharing my bed. What we had together was special and it was real.”

The woman was delusional, of that Maddy was sure. “No, Angela, what you had with Chase was sex and nothing more. You need to get over it, get over him, because like it or not he’s marrying me.”

Angela’s voice was acidic. “We’ll just see about that. What do you have to offer a man like that anyway? A strong wind would blow you away, you’re hardly capable of playing hostess at the social events he throws, and I’m sure once the novelty of saving the impoverished little housemaid wears off he’ll retract his offer of marriage and come running back to me.”

Lydia took a step forward, her fists clenched as if she intended to take a swing at the woman, but Maddy maneuvered in front of her. “You want to know what I have to offer Chase? My heart, Angela, and that’s something you can never give him because you don’t have one.” Her eyes swept over Angela’s five foot ten frame. “You’re a beautiful woman, but apparently Chase prefers small and feminine to the Amazon look because I’m the one wearing his ring. And not that it’s any of your business, but the last time I met with my Financial Planner, I believe my net worth was listed somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen and a half million.” Lydia’s laughter buoyed her confidence, but not as much as Angela’s blank stare.

“You’re lying,” Angela said thinly.

“I’m not, but it doesn’t really matter. Give it up, Angela, he’s not yours and he never was.”

“You’re wrong and I’ll prove it. I’ll get him back and you’ll be eating those words.”

Maddy just smiled. “It was nice seeing you again, Angela. I’ll be sure to send you an invitation to the wedding.” With an outraged

grunt, Angela spun around and stomped out of the bathroom. There was a mischievous glint in Maddy’s eyes when glanced back at

Lydia. “I think that went well, don’t you?” They were still giggling as they headed for the door.

****

Chase jumped to his feet the minute Angela disappeared behind the bathroom door. What he intended to do he wasn’t sure, all he knew was that he couldn’t stand by while she hurt Maddy again. It was his mother’s light touch on his arm that kept him from storming across the restaurant to rescue his woman from the vicious dragon lady.

“That’s Angela, the one who’s been who’d been bothering you?”

“Yes, and she’s already upset Maddy twice, I won’t allow it to continue.”

“Chase, sit down,” Grace said softly.

“Mom, I have to go to her. You don’t know what Angela’s like, she’s cruel and vindictive and…”

“And she’ll just keep going after Maddy as long as you keep running interference. Sit,” she ordered. “That’s better. Now listen to me. This Angela woman knows Maddy is your weak spot and she’s going to continue to interfere in your lives unless you let Maddy stand up for herself.”

Chase raked his fingers through his hair, misery lining his face. “You don’t understand, Mom. Maddy is…she’s so delicate and she just doesn’t have it in her to fight back. Angela will eat her alive.”

Grace smiled indulgently. “You’re wrong, darling. Maddy loves you with all her heart and that love will give her the strength she needs to make a stand. Once Angela realizes Maddy’s not going step aside she’ll have no choice but to admit defeat and leave you two in peace.”

He didn’t believe for one minute that Maddy was any match for Angela but he did derive a small amount of comfort in knowing Lydia was in there with her. His sister had grown up in a house full of alpha males and had learned at an early age how to defend herself. She wouldn’t be intimidated by Angela and she’d make sure nothing happened to Maddy. He hoped.

“She’ll be fine,” his mother assured him, but the dubious looks from his brothers did little to assuage his growing concern.

It seemed like an eternity passed before Angela emerged from the bathroom though in reality it couldn’t have been more than five minutes. It was hard to discern whether she felt victorious at getting her jabs in or not because her face was as glacial as it always was. Why he’d ever taken her to bed was a mystery even to Chase because she’d never instilled anything more than a mild sexual interest. It hadn’t been that good either, and certainly wouldn’t have rated a second performance if she hadn’t begged him to stay. One night with Angela had been an error in judgment, two nights had been a monumental mistake that had not only led to a great deal of irritation for him but was now causing trouble for Maddy.

Disregarding his mother’s plea to leave it alone, Chase rose to his feet and met Angela halfway across the floor. “Just what do you hope to gain by badgering Maddy?”

Her eyes flashed indignantly. “I wasn’t badgering her, I was merely trying to impress upon her why she wasn’t suited for a man like you.”

Chase’s voice was menacingly low. “If you did anything to upset her, I’ll make good on that threat to go to your father. I’ll get a restraining order if that’s what it takes to make you realize just how serious I am about keeping you away from Maddy.”

“Oh don’t worry,” she said flippantly, “Cinderella seems pretty damn determined to hang onto those glass slippers.”

“This is your last warning,” he growled, “stay away from her.”

“Or what?” She leaned closer, her lips twisted into a sly smile. “You have nothing on me, Chase, not any more. I’ve been very busy over the past few weeks, restoring finances and confessing my sins so Daddy would see just how contrite his little girl is. He fell for it; hook, line, and sinker, although he wasn’t at all pleased to learn I’d taken the money to impress a man who’d used me then tossed me aside to have an affair with his maid.”

Chase was so angry at that moment he wanted to shake her. “You conniving little witch…”

“Careful, my love, you wouldn’t want to make a scene in your brother’s restaurant, would you?”

Chase shook his head. What was the use of trying to reason with someone who’d was so obviously mentally unbalanced? “Just stay away from me,” he warned, “and stay away from Maddy.”

Angela snaked one arm around his neck. “I’ll tell you what. Spend one night with me and I promise you’ll never hear from me again. Just one night, Chase, and you don’t have to worry about me interfering with your life or that of your precious Maddy, what do you say?”

Chase didn’t have time to respond before Maddy’s furious voice caused them both to jerk with a start.

“Back off, Barbie,” she hissed, glaring heatedly at Angela. “I may be small but I guarantee I’ll find the strength to rip you to shreds if you don’t get your hands off my fiancé.”

Chase could do nothing but stare in amazement as his little wildcat advanced on them, her eyes flashing dangerously. He honestly believed Maddy was capable of tearing Angela apart and apparently Angela did too because her face turned a pasty white as she hastily backed away from him. It was Derek who put an end to it, appearing at Angela’s side then gripping her elbow and escorting her out of his restaurant. To his amusement, she didn’t put up a fuss and actually seemed relieved that she was being extracted from the situation before Maddy could follow through with her threat.

Maddy tucked herself up under Chase’s arm and smiled up at him as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Sorry we took so long. Has the dessert arrived yet?”

For the second time that evening, the restaurant patrons broke out in a round of applause, and for the second time that evening Maddy barely noticed. She was too busy basking in the look of sheer admiration Chase was giving her and the rush of adrenalin that was still pulsing through her from making Angela back down. In the bathroom, it had felt more like a draw but just now the victory definitely belonged to Maddy.

Chase eyes raked over her face, settling hungrily on her mouth. “Do have any idea how turned on I am right now?”

“Hang on to that thought, cowboy,” she said in a sexy drawl, “we have a long night ahead of us and I can promise it won’t be no eight second ride.”

****

“You certainly won my family over,” Chase said later as they drove home.

“I shouldn’t have caused a scene in Travis' restaurant. I’m surprised he even talked to me after that.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t know how many times he’s prayed for an excuse to show that woman to the door.”