Deadly Chase (17 page)

“Where are we going?”

Without answering, Chase led the way to a door down the hall. He opened it and turned on the light. A bathroom with pink tiled flooring and flowery wallpaper greeted them, along with a sweet scented air freshener. “Pink’s Mom’s favorite color, can you tell?”

“It’s nice.”

Chase stepped inside, tugging her along.

“What are you—?”

Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her to face the mirror and stood behind her. “Look at yourself. Tell me what you see.”

“What?” She crinkled her brows. “I don’t understand.”

“Just tell me. And be honest.”

“I…” What did she see? If she were to be completely candid, she’d admit she was looking at a stranger. Too dark hair framed her face, and haunted eyes stared back. “I see someone else. This isn’t me, Chase. I wish you could’ve known me before.”

“You mean before Eason transformed you into an undesirable cast away?”

Sierra’s breath caught in her throat. “W-what?”

“That’s what you see, isn’t it?” As if she were breakable, he gently trailed his knuckles across her cheek, and then lifted her hair away from her face. “I saw the way you were looking at my parents, as if you didn’t think such real love could possibly be in your future.” He removed his wet shirt and tossed it aside before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against his chest. His cool skin absorbed her warmth, and heat radiated between them. “Let me tell you what I see.”

Sierra dropped her gaze.

“Look in the mirror,” he coaxed.

She forced her eyes to her reflection. What could he possibly see that she couldn’t?

“When I look at you”—he lowered his head and whispered close to her ear—”I see a beautiful, desirable woman filled with compassion and love waiting to be released. You’re exactly what dreams are made of, Sierra.”

She couldn’t breathe, and it took her a moment to regain her voice. “I haven’t thought of myself as desirable since—”

“Since Eason convinced you otherwise?”

“I tried to ignore his cutting remarks, but…I guess some of them sank in.”

“Eason is a fool.” Chase moved aside her hair, exposing her neck. He placed a warm, lingering kiss on her tender skin. “You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”

A powerful physical awareness swept through Sierra. Chase held her as if she were priceless, making her feel loved, accepted, and wanted. Snuggled in his strong arms, she looked again at her reflection. “I only hope one day I’ll see what you see.”

He placed his chin on the top of her head. “I tell you what. I’ll just keep reminding you how beautiful you are. How does that sound?”

“I suppose it would be a start.” She smiled then, and she did see traces of her old self begin to show through. “I am looking forward to changing my hair color back to normal.”

“You will have your life back, soon.”

“I hope so.” But, how long did Chase want to be part of her life? Her smile faded and her brows wrinkled. “What happens when—”

“Shh.” His warm breath caressed her as he planted a kiss on her cheek. “Let’s not worry about anything tonight, OK?”

The thought of taking a break from her problems, if only for one evening, sounded wonderful. “All right.” Her gaze landed on his bandaged arm. “But, I should look at that.” She wiggled from his embrace. “You shouldn’t have carried in the luggage.”

He caught her hand as she reached for him. “My arm is fine.” He turned her palm up toward his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her sensitive skin, keeping his gaze locked with hers. “You just concentrate on taking care of yourself. You need some good food, and rest. Speaking of which, dinner’s probably ready. Why don’t you go ahead and freshen up? I’m going to find a replacement shirt.” He slowly released her hand, scooped up the wet garment and tossed it across his shoulder. With a parting glance, he left the room and shut the door behind him.

Cool air replaced his presence, but Sierra still tingled with warmth, and her palm had ignited into flames. She hoped Chase wanted to be a part of her future, because at this point, she didn’t think she’d have much of one without him. If she’d thought herself in love with him before, now she knew without a doubt that her heart had been taken hostage, captured by the one man who had the power to send her to her knees with a gentle touch.

****

Chase had held Sierra against his bare skin, only because he hadn’t wanted his wet shirt to soak hers. But, the residual effects lingered throughout dinner. Although he’d put on a thick, button up flannel shirt, he couldn’t get her soft feel out of his mind.

He’d come close to telling her he loved her—right there in his parent’s pink bathroom. He supposed the location didn’t matter so much, but the timing had to be right before he could tell her, if at all.

Chase sat at the dining room table, and sank his teeth into the ribs, savoring the smoked, hearty flavors. “I missed these. Thanks, Dad.”

His father, busy with his own ribs, nodded.

Mom dabbed a napkin across her lips, looked at Sierra and explained, “Eddie’s a man of few words. Especially when there’s food around.”

Chase enjoyed the casual dinner conversation, somewhat relieved, and somewhat feeling guilty Amber’s name had yet to come up. As the months passed, discussions which used to center around his sister, now often only included occasional references. He didn’t know quite how to feel about that, but for now, he figured it was for the best.

Sierra had been quiet since dinner began, but smiled at his mother’s comment. “I’d like to learn how to make these.” She licked dripping sauce from her fingers, one by one.

Chase tried hard not to notice, but her innocent action caught and held his attention. How could Sierra think she was anything but riveting? He’d never been so entranced by a woman in his life.

“It’s not so hard.” Dad spoke between mouthfuls. “As with anything worth waiting for, a good meal takes patience and time.” Dad set aside his plate and checked his watch. “Speaking of time, when is Jake supposed to get here?”

Shaken from his temporary reverie, Chase averted his gaze, grabbed up his iced tea and gulped down half the glass, giving himself time to refocus. Before dinner, he had taken a few minutes to call Jake, and his contact with the Granite Falls P.D. He’d already seen a patrol car come by twice since then. “Jake said he’d come after he finished reuniting a lost bear cub with its mother.”

Sierra’s eyes rounded. “What does Jake do?”

“He’s a Forest Ranger up at Lakota National Park. I figure if he can wrestle with grizzlies, he can handle Eason if he does show up while I’m gone.”

The sudden interest in her eyes flattened, replaced by a flickering fear. She set down her ribs and took a sip of tea.

Chase cleared his throat and swiped his napkin across his lips, sending her an apologetic glance. He could kick himself for mentioning Eason.

His mom, the only one using utensils to eat ribs, set down her fork and knife. Her face paled and she shoved back her chair. “I’ll get dessert ready.”

“I’ll help.” Chase moved to stand, but his father stopped him.

“I’ll go.” Dad left the room, no doubt to console his mother.

Chase looked to Sierra. “Sorry. I know we were supposed to take the night off from worrying about anything.”

“We can’t pretend everything is all right. I’ve been trying, but every time I see the police cruiser come by, it reminds me of why I’m here.”

Compassion tugged at him, until a pair of headlights speared the darkness as a vehicle approached the house.

Sierra lifted her hands. “See what I mean?”

“It’s too soon for the patrol car to be back.” Chase jumped to his feet to check it out. He peered through his mother’s white lace curtains and recognized Jake’s forest service vehicle. “It’s OK. It’s my brother.” He unlocked the door and opened it wide.

Jake hopped out of his truck and took the front porch steps two at a time. He stepped inside. “Sorry I’m late.” His gaze swept past Chase and zoned in on Sierra. He removed his hat, shucked his coat and handed them both to Chase before heading toward the dining room.

Chase shook his head. Leave it to Jake to target the new arrival. He shut the door. “Nice to see you, too.” He caught a whiff of wildlife on Jake’s belongings. “Smells like you found Momma Bear.” He tossed Jake’s things on Dad’s recliner and followed.

Jake circled the table, heading toward Sierra. “It didn’t take long. She wasn’t too far from her cub. She got wind of humans and came running.”

“Sounds dangerous.” Sierra’s eyes widened as she looked up from her chair. “How do you keep from being attacked?”

Jake’s white smile widened as he took a seat beside her. “It can be tricky, but as long as I keep a healthy respect for nature, things usually turn out all right.” He held out a hand. “I’m Jake. Chase’s older, and much wiser brother.”

“You are older”—Chase grinned and settled into his chair—”but, the jury’s still out on the wiser part.”

After shaking Sierra’s hand, Jake turned his blue-eyed gaze toward Chase, but leaned close to Sierra. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just jealous of my good looks.”

Sierra relaxed. “I don’t know about that. He can hold his own in the looks department.”

Chase liked the way she said those words, and the way her gaze travelled over him with appreciation. She had a way of making him feel attractive and competent, both of which had him straightening in his chair and wanting to be the kind of man she needed him to be.

Jake addressed Sierra. “Well, it’s nice to meet the woman who has my brother so smitten, not to mention the fact you survived Eason. I have to say, I’m impressed already.”

Sierra shook her head. “Don’t be. I was lucky. That’s all. I’m sure Amber fought back too.”

The room quieted. Smiles fell.

Jake cleared his throat. “I’m sure she tried. I guess I should go say hi to Mom and Dad.” He excused himself and pushed through the kitchen door.

“I-I’m sorry.” Sierra blushed. “I only meant—”

Chase had dealt with his fair share of awkward moments with his family, and he wished Sierra didn’t have to go through the same. “It’s OK. I’ve discovered it’s better to keep things out in the open. Underlying tension only gets worse when we avoid talking about things.”

She shook her head and stood, fumbling with her napkin. “I was afraid this would happen. I just imagined I’d say something wrong to your mom, maybe even your dad, but not to your brother.”

“You didn’t say or do anything wrong.” Chase rose from his chair and stepped toward her. He took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’s all right. I’ll talk to Jake. I think the Seattle Mariners are playing tonight. Maybe we could settle in and catch a few innings?”

“I’d like that.” She took in a deep, shaky breath. “I need to do something normal, for a change.”

“Go ahead and grab a seat, I’ll take these dishes into the kitchen and get us some dessert.”

“I can help with those.” She reached for a glass.

Chase stopped her. “It’s OK. I’ve got it. You go rest.”

Sierra hesitated, and then finally nodded. He loaded his arms with plates and silverware and pushed through the kitchen door. Sweet scents of dessert filled the air as he placed the dishes into the sink.

Dad opened the dishwasher. “I’ll load ‘em up.” He almost looked relieved to have something to do.

“Thanks, Dad.” Chase approached Jake. “What was that all about?” He ignored his Mom’s quick, yet curious glance.

Jake paused in lifting a spoonful of bread pudding to his mouth. “I just…didn’t know what to say.”

“You? Speechless?”

“Yes. Sometimes I think I’m better with wild animals than with people.”

“From what I could tell, you were well on your way to charming her, just like you do all the ladies.” Not that Chase liked that idea either. “Let’s just try and make her feel comfortable. She’s been through enough already.”

“I’ll do my best.” Jake filled his mouth with dessert.

Mom had several bowls ready to go. “I don’t know what you two are talking about, and I’m not sure I want to know. I’m awfully tired. Do you think Sierra would mind if I head up to bed?”

“I’m sure she’ll understand.” Chase nodded.

Mom touched Chase’s elbow and looked up. “Will I see you in the morning before you leave?”

Chase stilled. He hadn’t discussed his plans with Mom. “How did you know I was going tomorrow?”

“You’ve never been one to sit around and wait. You are going after him, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” He braced himself for his mom’s concern.

“Be careful. I…I can’t lose you, too.”

“I understand.” His mother, looking fragile again, couldn’t take the loss of another child. “I’ll be fine.”

Dad finished loading dishes into the dishwasher and dried his hands. “I’ll go up with you, Eliza. We’ll call it an early night.”

Mom nodded, and then looked back toward Chase. “Amber’s room is ready for Sierra, if she wants it. If not, you know where the extra sheets are for the couch.” Tired lines creased the edges of her eyes.

Chase planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “We’ll be fine. Get some rest. Love you.”

“Love you too, honey.” Mom looked like she wanted to say more—maybe ask him to stay clear of Eason—but she clamped her mouth shut and left.

Dad clapped Chase on the shoulder and followed.

Chase picked up two bowls. “Want to watch the baseball game with us?”

“Thought you’d never ask.” Jake finished his last bite and scooped another mound of pudding into his bowl. “Be right there.”

Chase shouldered his way through the door and sank onto the sofa next to Sierra. “Hope you’re still hungry.”

“I could eat a little more. Though, your Dad’s ribs were fantastic.” She lifted one dessert from his grasp.

“I’m glad you liked them.”

Jake entered the room, rubbing his belly and smiling like a contented Cheshire cat. “Mind if I light a fire?”

“Sounds good to me.” Chase hoped the warm flames and scent of wood burning would help him unwind.

Sierra nodded her approval as she swallowed a bite of bread pudding.

By the time Jake had set the kindling, added larger logs and struck a match, they had both finished eating. Flames licked the air as the fire came to life, and sparks flew, popping and creating a pleasant background noise.