Loving the Chase (Heart of the Storm #1) (16 page)

Deke’s was an old hole-in-the-wall country bar that used to have a huge dance floor and sometimes would even play more than country if the right deejay was working the booth. Maddi had only gone there legally for three years before she left, but she’d been known to sneak in underage a time or two—or ten—before that.

“Deke’s never dies,” Hannah said.

“Still,” Maddi said, gesturing up and down at Hannah. “You look like
that
. I’m gonna look like your pet rock.”

Hannah chuckled. “Do you have jeans?”

“Yes.”

“Then grab them and come on,” she said. “We’ll go back to my place and I’ll lend you a top.”

Maddi hesitated, and Hannah looked ready to pounce. “What now?”

She didn’t want to go out in public. Not in Cody. She hadn’t seen a soul there since the day she drove out of town. Her parents moved and there was no reason to ever come back. Now she’d snuck into town under the radar and never left the Chase house—why shake up a good thing and open the gossip mill?

“Nobody really knows I’m back, Hannah,” she said. “I don’t really want to start talk.”

Hannah raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t Madonna, sweetheart. People aren’t all that invested in you. Come on.”

Maddi gave her a smart-ass sneer. “Let me text Monroe.”

She typed out the message, halfway hoping he’d say he didn’t want to. Her phone dinged almost immediately, however, with a
Sounds good
, and Maddi cursed under her breath.

“Fine,” she muttered, snatching a pair of dark jeans and some blingy flats, her makeup bag, and her wallet.

“If we get in a wreck, I’m suing you for defamation of character,” Maddi said, trailing behind Hannah in her pajamas.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Passing a surprised-looking Lou, Maddi grinned sheepishly. “I’ll be back later.”

“Honey, you know you’re wearing—”

“Yep,” Maddi said.

“New dress code at Deke’s,” Hannah said with a wink.

Outside, Maddi nearly tripped on her own bare feet to see Zach sitting down a ways on the porch, silhouetted by the glow from the light at the far end. Shit.

“Later, Zach,” Hannah said, as if all she had following her was a strong breeze and not Maddi clad in pajama pants and a tank top.

“Umm—” he said.

“We’re going to Deke’s,” Hannah said. “In case you want to come out.”

“Or not,” Maddi quickly added, stopping in the sandy gravel. “I mean, if you’re tired, just want to go home, you should do that.”

Somehow, the smolder in his eyes reached her even in the dark. She could feel it, burning her cheeks.

“Are you saying you’d rather I didn’t show up?” he said.

Yes. She was very much saying that. Especially after what she’d said earlier today. When Hannah lit her up and she lost control of her mouth.

“Of course not,” Maddi said. “You can do whatever you like. We’re just—”

“We’re not doing anything if you don’t get in the car,” Hannah said, widening her eyes and gesturing at the vehicle.

Maddi huffed out a breath. “So do what you want,” she said, walking around the car.

“I hate Deke’s,” Zach said.

“See?” Maddi said, stopping. “You aren’t missing anything.”

“Why do you hate Deke’s?” Hannah asked.

“Women are too needy there,” he said.

“Screw you, Zach,” Hannah said, laughing as she opened her door.

“Just saying,” he responded, stretching one leg out. “As decked out as you are, little sister, you hoping to snag some poor unsuspecting sap?”

“Ha ha,” she said. “I told you I’m not looking to snag anything. But Maddi’s brother is coming,” she said, making Maddi do a double take. “Haven’t seen him since he got out of the Marines. Want to look my best.”

“Uh-huh,” he said, monotone.

Hannah smirked. “Good-night, Zach.”

“Have fun, ladies,” he said, meeting Maddi’s eyes as she got in the car.

“Why the hell did you invite your brother?” Maddi hissed as they pulled out.

“To see just how bad he’s got it,” she said.

“What?” Maddi said. “What does that mean?”

“He hates Deke’s?” Hannah said with a shrug, turning left onto the road. “We’ll see.”

Maddi rubbed her eyes. “Why are you playing with him like that? With me? Are you testing me, too? Can’t you just leave things alone?”

“Nope,” she said. “Guess I can’t.”

“God, you used to be so mellow,” Maddi said. “Now you’re kidnapping people in their pajamas and forcing them to drink.”

Hannah laughed. “Yeah, I’m wild like that.”

“So who
are
you meeting?” Maddi asked.

Hannah glanced her way and shook her head. “Nobody. I came for you, remember?”

Maddi chuckled. “Bullshit. You didn’t dress like that for me, and you didn’t know about Monroe.”

Hannah smiled softly and then hid it away. “It’s a small town. You never know who might show up.”

Chapter Fourteen

F
orty-five minutes later, clad in her jeans, Hannah’s fall-off-the-shoulder silky red top—which also required Hannah’s strapless bra and red boots
because flats are too lame for that shirt
—Maddi took a deep breath and strolled into Deke’s behind Hannah.

“Oh, my God,” Maddi said, looking around her. “The déjà vu is insane.”

Nothing had changed. It was still the same shade of old, with exposed rafters from which dusty antique paraphernalia hung, and a slight tinge of haze to the air despite the “Smoke Free” signs that now hung out front.

Male eyes followed the two of them appreciatively, even the ones with women attached to their hips. Maddi had to laugh. It had been a long time since she’d gone out and attempted sexy.

All she ever wanted to wear when she got home from work each day was sweats or pajamas. She was simple that way. She had no time to go to clubs—not that she had any desire to anymore. Especially not in Dallas, where everything was a meat market.

Here, though, back in Deke’s—where time seemed to stand still—she was kind of enjoying feeling attractive and sexy again. There were a few waves and a couple of hugs from people who seemed genuinely surprised and happy to see her, which was a rich improvement over what she’d expected. Okay, not so bad. Hannah was right. People hadn’t put their lives on hold waiting for the day she’d roll back into town. Lord, how stuck up had that sounded?

“Maddi Hayes,” said a female voice behind her that managed to make all her positive thoughts cringe. “Holy crap, what has it been?”

Maddi turned as Hannah claimed a tall table flanking the dance floor, and looked into the eyes of someone she was clearly supposed to know. When the woman with overly processed blonde hair grabbed her for a hug, Maddi ran through every name she could come up with.

“Um—hey,” Maddi said, knowing her poker face was failing.

“Shit, you don’t recognize me, do you?” the woman said, a hand on her cocked hip.

“I—” Maddi glanced back at Hannah, who was ignoring the scene like fifty-five people had already hugged her and what was one more. At Maddi’s look, she did a double take.

“Oh, hey, Jan.”

Jan. Jan something.
Maddi had nothing.

“I’m sorry,” Maddi said, letting her hands flop at her sides.

“Jan Beeber,” the woman said, laughing.

This was evidently meant to part the muddy waters and clear everything up. Maddi was still muddy.

“Oh, Jan!” Maddi said, forcing a smile. “Wow, sorry, I’m—yes it’s been a long time. How are you?”

“I’m great!” Jan said. “Tony and I are celebrating ten years tonight.”

Ten years. Of course she was. “Well, congratulations!” Maddi said. “That’s incredible. Have a great evening!”

“You too, good to see you again,” Jan said, walking away. Smiling.

“You have no idea who that was, do you?” Hannah said, holding up two fingers to a waitress.

“Not even a little bit,” Maddi said.

“She dated Levi in high school before Heather,” Hannah said. “We went to her wedding. You invited her to your engagement party.”

Maddi blinked. “Jesus Christ, how do you remember these things?”

“You still don’t remember her?”

“No!” Maddi exclaimed, flopping onto her stool. “My God, that was a hundred years ago.”

“So—you never got married?”

Maddi chuckled. “Haven’t we already covered this?”

The beers arrived and Hannah shrugged. “And you answered with some bullshit about a dream dog you’ll never have.”

Maddi smirked. “No, never married.”

“Because?”

Maddi gave her a look. “Because I never met anyone worth marrying.”

“At all?” Hannah asked.

“Jesus,” Maddi muttered.

“I’m just curious!”

Maddi sighed and looked around the room. “There was one guy, I guess. I saw him for a while, and probably
could
have gotten serious about him, but—”

“But he wasn’t Zach,” Hannah offered.

“Basically,” Maddi said, toying with a coaster. “I wasn’t ready.”

“You can’t just curl up and live on a shelf, you know,” Hannah said. “You have to get back out there.”

“I know,” Maddi scoffed. Her girly parts sat up and waved from their dusty shelf, probably nodding vehemently.

“You know Zach reeled for a long time, too,” Hannah said. “Some might say he never stopped.”

Maddi’s last swallow of beer sat heavy in her stomach. “He appears to do pretty well.”

“Appearances can be deceiving,” Hannah said. “He became—”

“A man-whore?” Maddi asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Call it what you want,” Hannah said. “But he does that so no one has any power over him. No one can hurt him that way.”

Maddi just nodded. “So I turned him into a bang-and-go kind of guy, is what you’re saying?”

Hannah smiled softly and tilted her head. “We do what we gotta do.”

“We?”

Her smile spread. “We weren’t talking about me.”

“We are now,” Maddi said.

“I’m not a bang-and-go kind of guy,” she said with a wink. “I’m just picky. I’m happier with my own company than settling for less than . . . what I really want.”

“Good for you,” Maddi said, looking around them. “So who might be here that’s more?”

“Nobody,” Hannah said, chuckling. And no sooner were the words out of her mouth than her whole demeanor changed. Something her eyes lit on in the distance haunted them, and her breathing quickened as she fidgeted with a napkin.

“Nobody, my ass,” Maddi said, turning.

“Don’t turn around!” Hannah said without moving her lips.

A giggle bubbled up from Maddi’s chest. “Seriously? Are we nine?”

A practiced smile curved Hannah’s lips. “Just—don’t make a big deal. Be cool,” she said through her teeth.

“Be cool?” Maddi whispered, still giggling. “Okay, we’ve at least moved up to fourteen.”

“Jonah,” Hannah said, her voice going liquid, her gold-flecked hazel eyes going impossibly dark.

Maddi’s head swiveled to the man who’d approached their table at her left.

“J—Jonah,” Maddi echoed slowly, looking from him to Hannah, all the little sparkly pieces falling into place. “Holy hell,” she muttered under her breath.

“Maddi,” Jonah said, turning to her with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was quite something to look at, she’d give him that. But—damn it. “Good to see you again.”

“Always, Jonah,” Maddi said. “What brings you out tonight?”
Like she didn’t know.

“Cabin fever,” Jonah said. “Had to get out and stretch a little.”

“Hmm,” Maddi said. “Don’t you have all that land to walk on, with all the goats and the chickens and crap?”

Jonah tilted his head, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Aw, Maddi, you kept up. I’m touched.”

Maddi tilted her head to match in response, a sweet smile on her face. “Don’t be. How’s your wife?”

A twitch pulled at his jaw and that something she’d seen came back. “Derrie’s fine,” he said tightly. “She’s out with friends tonight.”

“How convenient,” Maddi said.

“Okay, kids, be nice,” Hannah said, gripping her beer like it was keeping her in her seat. “We’re all adults here, we can say hello and not have to retreat to our corners.”

“Heard there’s a good band tonight,” Jonah said, nodding toward the small stage at the far end of the dance floor. “Alabama
cover band.”

“Cool,” Hannah said. “I heard there’s shrimp on the buffet.”

Jonah laughed. “Well, I know to stay out of your way, then.”

“Damn straight,” Hannah said, her lips curving on one side. “Smart men don’t get between me and food.”

“Probably get messy,” he said, not dropping his eyes or his grin.

“Definitely,” she said, meeting his gaze dead-on.

Maddi had the most overwhelming feeling they weren’t talking about the buffet anymore. Crap. It was like high school all over again, when Maddi would drive her out to meet Jonah on the sly, and she’d have to lie about it to Zach.

Except she had no dog in this hunt anymore. She wasn’t obligated to Zach. And Hannah was a grown-ass woman. If she wanted to dabble in the jacked-up Boudreau candy bowl, that was her own business. So why did Maddi feel like shit about it? Because she was looking at Hannah’s face.

“See you ladies later,” Jonah said. “Gonna go hit that buffet table before Hannah gets there.”

Hannah scoffed at him, but Maddi also noticed the fast blink and quick swallow of her beer when he touched her arm, and the way she watched him walk away.

“Shit,” Maddi said.

“What?” Hannah said. Even in the low light, Maddi was pretty sure she was flushed.

Maddi gave her a look. “Don’t
what
me, girl. This is not my first time around this particular block.”

Hannah waved a hand at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “That was years ago.”

“Hannah.”

“Maddi?”

“This is Jonah we’re talking about,” Maddi said. “King of ripping your heart to shreds.” Maddi saw the flicker that went through her eyes at the words. “Put aside what your brothers would say. If it were just about them, I’d be the first one to say go for it.”

Hannah laughed at that. “But?”

“He’s still married.”

That dart still had potency. Maddi saw it in her face.

Jonah Boudreau and Hannah had been childhood sweethearts before their families had gone sour on each other, but a night of teenage indiscretion on his part had landed Derrie Stewart pregnant in their senior year. Jonah manned up and married Derrie, and they had a son. Hannah had been devastated, but life theoretically moved on.

Except you can’t escape the past in a small town. And Jonah and Hannah kept falling into each other. Until Derrie found out, and threatened to take the boy and move off somewhere. Jonah had to make a choice, and the choice wasn’t Hannah.

All these years later, and things didn’t look to have changed much.

“I know that,” she said. “And I don’t go there, anymore.”

“Really? Because I know that look I just saw on you,” Maddi said, shaking her head. “Shit. It’s—”

“It’s what?” Hannah said. “A look?” She frowned and laughed at the same time. “Don’t act like you know me that well after all these years, Maddi. You’re making too much of things.”

Ouch. Maddi took that punch and rerouted.

“Hannah, I’m sorry,” she said. “About back then, about today—” She looked down at her hands. “I said some things today that weren’t very nice. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Or you were, and used those things as darts,” she said, taking a slow drag off her beer.

Maddi met her gaze. “You bring out the best in me, what can I say?”

Hannah chuckled. “Don’t sweat it,” she said. “I said—” She cringed a little. “What I said about you and the dress? That was a little harsh.”

Maddi held up her beer. “To our inner bitches.”

Hannah clinked her bottle. “Long may they reign.”

“Now back to Jonah,” Maddi said.

“Ugh,” Hannah said, closing her eyes. “Leave it alone, Maddi.”

“I may not know everything now, but let’s just say that what I just saw on you is the same look I see in the mirror every morning since I got here,” Maddi said, feeling the prickles cover her skin inch by inch with the admission. She picked at a corner of the label on her bottle. “I just don’t want you to—”

“Do something stupid?” Hannah finished.

Maddi met her gaze. “Yeah,” she said softly. “When’s the last time you dated someone?” Hannah’s eyes darted to where Jonah had exited. “Someone not Jonah.”

“I told you, I’m picky,” she said.

“No, you’re waiting for something that isn’t going to happen,” Maddi said. “What was that noise about shelves you were spouting earlier?”

“Brax is twelve,” Hannah said, her eyes going a little misty. “In six more years, he’ll trot off to college.”

The weight of what she’d just said hit Maddi like a wrecking ball. Holy hell. Hannah was waiting it out. Waiting for Derrie’s threat to lose its hold.

“Jesus, Hannah,” Maddi whispered.

Hannah swiped under her eyes and held up two fingers as the waitress passed by. “Please and thank you?”

“I’m not done with this one,” Maddi said, holding up her half-full bottle.

“You will be,” she said, nodding at someone in the distance.

Maddi looked over her shoulder, and her stomach nearly pushed the beer right back up. Zach was standing at the bar, ordering a drink, in faded jeans and boots and a snug black pullover shirt. She turned her head back around slowly, concentrating on not appearing affected, lifting her bottle to her lips.

“Might
that
be the look you were talking about?” Hannah asked, lifting a finger.