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Authors: J.C. Isabella

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BOOK: Chasing McCree
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Oh,” she waved her hand
dismissively. “No biggie. You go home.”


Come on, tell
me.”


I was going to ask you to
come to Disney with me. I go every year with friends. Even on
Christmas.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What about being
with your family?”


My mom and my dad host a
ritzy dinner party at the country club. When I was younger I’d stay
with Grandma because the club doesn’t allow children.”

That was just plain wrong. “So you’ve
never had Christmas dinner with family?”


Not really…Grandma does
Christmas meatloaf. Sometimes we go to the ballet.” She grimaced,
opening her backpack and pulled out a piece of gum. She offered me
one and I popped it on my mouth. “But that’s a ways off, right now
I just want to get through the summer. Grandma is going to Boston
like she always does to visit her sister, and I’ll be stuck going
to lunches with my mother at the country club. I could go to
Boston…”


You could come with me.” I
didn’t usually blurt out what I was thinking, but the thought of
having Briar spend her summer with me was exciting. “I mean, to
Montana. The week after school lets out there’s a big a dance at
the Callahan barn. It signals the start of haying season too.
Better than your prom.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’d want me to
go with you for the whole summer, really?”

I snapped my gum and looked away,
thinking I’d start blushing. Normally I wasn’t the bashful type. “I
shouldn’t have asked you.”


Why?” she pushed at my
arm, getting me to look at her. “I’ve never been to Montana. That
would be amazing.”


We barely know each other.
You’d have to put up with almost a three-day ride in my truck.
Plus, staying two nights at an inn or overnight rest stops. I can’t
drive for forty hours straight, and it’s not fair to Ash.” I shook
my head and sank low in my seat, watching her out of the corner of
my eye. I thought she’d be appalled. After all, the city princess
wasn’t the kind of girl to get dirty. But she looked excited, as if
I’d offered her the moon.


I can’t believe I’m saying
this, but, yes. I would love to go home with you.”

I blinked, replaying what she’d just
said in my head twice before speaking. “Will your parents be okay
with it?”


No, I’ll tell them I’m
going to Boston with Grandma. She won’t care. In fact, she’d
probably tell me to ditch school and leave early.”


I’d hate for you to get in
trouble.” I was getting excited too. Having Briar along for the
trip, to show her where I came from, was really starting to sound
like a good plan. I mean, I wasn’t cocky, but I wanted to show her
what a real cowboy was all about.


I’m already in trouble.”
She told me yesterday she’d ventured home. Her mom was still
pissed, but she’d given up on forcing her to talk to Alex or
reconcile. Her father seemed clueless to the whole situation. “My
parent’s idea of punishment is taking away my credit cards. They
forget I also have a checking account and savings.”


You work?”

She snorted. “Not allowed to work, but
sometimes I answer the phone at my stylist’s salon. He pays me in
cash so my parents don’t find out. And Dad somehow thinks money
makes up for never being around.”


You make it sound like
he’s given you a lot of money.”


He has. I know he loves
me. He just doesn’t know how to show it.”

I chuckled, “You’re a
saver.”


Hey, I can spend, trust
me. It just gets old after a while.” She squealed, “I get to go on
a road trip. This is exciting!”


I’ll be glad for the
company on the drive.” The bell rang. We waited until everyone
filed out before heading for the hallway.


Wait, is it going to be
cold in Montana?”

I stopped midstride and glanced down at
her. “Not really, it gets cool at night…come to think of it, this
might not be such a good idea.”


Why?” her bottom lip
pouted out.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m warning you.
We’ll have fun, but I can’t guarantee it will be a picnic the whole
way.”

She took a step toward me, gently
poking my chest. “Listen cowboy, I’ve been in a perfect pink bubble
my whole life. I’m sick of it. I want to have an adventure. You
aren’t backing out, are you?”


I’m not backing out. I’m
giving you a heads up.” We stopped in front of her next
class.


Thanks.” She smirked. “But
I’m still going. And since most of my clothes are…well, let’s call
them preppy, I’ll need to do some shopping.”


Here I thought you’d say
expensive and easily ruined.”


That too…want to come with
me…say Wednesday evening?”

I wondered if my shopping with her was
a good idea. It wasn’t exactly something I wanted to do, but I had
to make sure she brought things that would be good for a ranch, and
not for the country club. “Sure, why not. I don’t have anything
else to do.”


Great, I promise I won’t
make it too painful for you,” she patted my arm.


Shouldn’t you run it past
your grandmother first?”

Briar winked and headed into the
classroom. “Maybe.”

Chapter 9

 

Briar

 


Briar, baby, this is big.”
Grandma said as I poured lemonade into our glasses at the dining
room table. They were the Florida themed ones she loved, shaped
like palm trees. “Montana is a ways away.”

I frowned, handing her a glass. “You
don’t think I should go?”

Grandma giggled and took a sip. “Hell
no. You should go.”


Then what are you not
saying?” my lips puckered from the strong lemon flavor. Grandma
didn’t like her lemonade sweet.

She lifted her frail shoulder in a
shrug. “What kind of Grandma would I be if I didn’t tell you to be
careful? I love you, baby. Your parents are shits and my hubby is
loony toons. We’re all we’ve got.”

I nodded. “True.”


I just want to make sure
you think this through.”

I sipped my lemonade. Grandma had a
point. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.


I don’t like that look on
your face.” She said.


Well,” I sighed. “I’m just
thinking about how well I really know Chase. I’m probably crazy for
even considering going with him.”

Grandma shook her head. “Nope. Remember
how long I knew Grandpa before I married him?”


Uh, you never told
me.”

She opened the cookie jar I’d brought
to the table. “Really?”


Was it a short
time?”


Honey, we set a record.”
She sighed with a faraway look in her eyes. “I saw him fight one
night. Three days later we ran down the aisle.”


You married Grandpa after
three days?” holy crap!


Yup. I was nineteen, he
was twenty-five. Next June, we’ll be married for sixty-two years.
And each one of them has been a blessing.”


That’s insane!”


Best thing we ever did.”
She smiled over at Grandpa, snoozing in front of the TV in the
living room. “Before I married him, I asked myself three
questions.”


What were
they?”


Do I trust him with my
life? Yes. Will I ever get sick of the man? Probably, he drove me
crazy sometimes, but I loved him in spite of that.” She eyed me
over her glasses. “And if I walked away, would I regret never
seeing him again? The thought of never seeing Norman again made me
sick to my stomach.”


Wow.” I was at a loss for
words.


But you’re not marrying
this boy, so let us alter a few of those questions.”


Okay, I’m ready.” I
snagged a ginger cookie.


Do you trust
Chase?”


Yes.”

She nodded. “Does being with him for a
month or two sound unappealing in any way?”


No.”


Now, baby, can you pick up
the phone, tell him you’re not going to Montana, without an ounce
of regret, and that you never want to see him again?”


No,” I frowned. “I can’t.
I really want to go.”


Why? You could go to
Montana anytime…”


I’m going because I like
Chase. I want to go to Montana to be with him.”


Then you have your
answer.” She smacked her palm on the table. “Now, let’s talk
clothes. You’ll be in the wilderness, but you’re going to look good
no matter what.”

I laughed. “I love you.”


Yeah, you’re not so bad. I
guess I’ll keep you.”


Aw, thanks.” I kissed her
cheek after standing from the table to refill our glasses. “Chase
and I are going to the mall.”


Have fun, and charge the
shit out of your daddy’s cards.”


You’re so bad.”


You know it, baby. You
know it.” She turned in her chair. “Hey, Norm!”

Grandpa jolted wake. “Damn, what’s
happening?”

She threw a cookie at him to get his
attention. “Our baby is going to Montana with a cowboy.”


Huh?” he sat forward in
his chair. “Who is Elroy? That’s not a German name, is
it?”

I tried not to laugh. “No, she said
cowboy.”

He blinked, and I realized he was still
half asleep. “I keep telling you. It’s all lies. He’s probably a
German dressed as a cowboy…named Elroy. I better call the guys.
Marvin will want to hear this.”


I give up.” Grandma turned
back in her seat, biting into a cookie.


Maybe we should stop
telling him things.” I grabbed my backpack and headed for the front
door. Grandma hugged me goodbye.


Yeah, but then we wouldn’t
be so entertained.”

I hopped in the car my mom let me drive
to and from school. It was a Mercedes. Sleek, fast, and it cost
more than I thought they should have spent. I fired it up, wishing
it was a truck with squeaky seats, and headed for Chase’s house.
When I parked in the driveway next to his truck, I was met by a
tall brunette woman who was getting the mail.


Can I help you?” she
asked, shading her eyes against the sun.

She was in nurse’s scrubs and looked as
if she’d just gotten home. “I’m Briar, and I’m looking for
Chase”

Her face filled with surprise.
“Really?”


Yeah, we’re going
shopping.” Now she was more shocked than anything.


You’re going shopping with
Chase?” She motioned for me to follow her into the house. “Good
luck with that.”


I’m sorry?”


He hates the
mall.”

I smiled, hitching my purse higher on
my shoulder. “Oh, well, that’s too bad for him. I’m lethal with a
credit card.”

She laughed, leading me through the
house and out the backdoor. The backyard was huge, and a small
corral and pen with a horse stall filled half of it. The other half
was a pool and jungle gym. “Chase, you’ve got company.”

I followed her further into the yard
and towards the sound of country music. Chase was around the back
of a shed…shirtless, with a crossbow, shooting at a target painted
on a tree.

Cripes, he really was one of those
woodsy hunting types.

And damn if he didn’t look
good.

He grinned, turning down the music and
dropped the crossbow on the ground. “Hey, I was just about to call
you, see where you were.”


With Grandma, she was very
chatty.” I grinned back, trying not to stare since his mother was
right next to me. “You really are the kind of guy that could go
into the forest with a pocketknife and build a city.”

His mother burst out laughing and had
to excuse herself.


Maybe not a city,” Chase
grabbed a flannel shirt that he’d tossed over a tree branch and
pulled it on. He closed the distance between us and stopped close
enough that our shoes were touching. “Couple tree houses and a
lean-to.”

I rolled my eyes and turned for the
house, trying to ignore how fast my heart was beating. “You’re so
sure of yourself.”


Is that a bad thing?” he
asked, opening the door for me.


No, just different.” Alex
had never opened doors for me. I sighed.

He looked a little puzzled. “I know
what I can and can’t do. I’m sure I could go into the woods with
knife and survive.”


How, though?” I wondered
what kind of life he was used to leading. Was he like, a backwoods
country boy, or just really good at pulling my leg? “If I sent Alex
or Nathan into the woods with a knife, they’d end up cutting
themselves on accident and crying for help.”

He smirked. “Survival training
one-oh-one, darlin’.”

BOOK: Chasing McCree
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ads

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